This publication summarizes what is known about the influence of regular physical activity on the health and quality of life of older individuals, addressing both the acute effects of a single bout of physical activity and the more persistent, long-term effects of sustained participation in exercise and physical activity. Section 1 discusses the…

The U.S. frontier (1785-1861) is the focus of this unit of study for grades 5 and up. This unit contains four elements: (1) a list of documents with their specific archival reference numbers and a brief synopsis of their historical significance to the unit's theme; (2) a set of reproductions of documents; (3) 15 separate classroom activities; and…

Noting that interviews with preschool children can yield invaluable information regarding children's thinking and knowledge, this book presents information for preschool and primary school practitioners on an extension of Piaget's clinical interview method and provides examples of the process, analysis, and conclusions from interviews with young…

This report describes a program for improving student organizational skills. The targeted population consisted of a fourth-grade self contained class, a sixth-grade science class, and a high school nine through twelve learning disability class in an elementary, middle, and high school setting. The schools were located in middle to upper class…

Recently, the nature of science has enjoyed renewed attention in science education circles as a primary component of scientific literacy. This paper describes an investigation meant to assess the influence of a person's understanding of the nature of science on his or her decision-making regarding science- and technology-based issues, and to…

Critical thinking has received much attention among educators yet remains largely undeveloped in traditional teacher-centered classrooms. A study was conducted to: (1) obtain a sense of what secondary school teachers believe critical thinking entails; (2) compare and contrast British Columbia (BC), Canada, and Japanese secondary teachers'…

This book is the third in a series of family math books whose aim is to involve parents and their children in middle school mathematics. All the activities contained in this guide are based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards, and most activities involve several integrated math concepts rather than isolated skills.…

This unit of study (for grade 5 and up) about the American frontier contains four elements: (1) a set of reproductions of documents; (2) a list of documents with their specific archival reference numbers and a brief synopsis of their historical significance to the unit's theme; (3) 15 separate classroom activities; and (4) an issue of…

This research examined the effects of teaching metacognitive strategies on performance in a self-directed learning situation. All participants, 60 university students enrolled in a beginning photography course for non-art majors, were subject to the same conditions. The treatment was embedded instruction and practice in reflection, planning, and…

Presents a cognitive model that provides a user-centered perspective of the information retrieval process and confirms the problematic nature of online library catalogs for children. Related research is reviewed, and it is concluded that developing children's thinking skills will help them search for information. (71 references) (Author/LRW)

As part of a quality initiative, the Minnesota State University System identified as a major goal the cultivation of "capacity for critical thinking" and a culturally inclusive syllabus. St. Cloud State University issued a call for curriculum proposals, resulting in 29 proposals from 22 departments, some representing significant…

Discusses experiences with the use of problem-based learning as applied to knowledge-rich biochemistry courses. Concludes that problem-based learning is not only effective in promoting habits of mind that support higher order thinking but also a powerful vehicle for conveying knowledge by imparting separate bits of knowledge as interconnected…

These activities explore classification and logical reasoning by providing students with opportunities to generate multiple answers and engage in multiple classifications of the same item. No solutions are suggested so that students will look to themselves as the mathematical authorities. Sample items for classification include birthday months,…

Examines mathematics instruction and its intersection with culturally relevant teaching in an elementary/middle school in a Mexican American community. Proposes a model of culturally relevant mathematics instruction with three components: (1) building on students' informal, cultural, and experiential knowledge; (2) developing critical thinking;…

Studied the effectiveness of the Socratic seminar method at a middle school in Chattanooga (Tennessee) through observation, focus groups, and semistructured interviews with nine teachers. Findings support the usefulness of the seminars in promoting higher-order thinking, appropriate conflict resolution strategies, and interest in learning. (SLD)