Describes three activities that the teacher can employ to help students develop thinking skills through mathematics instruction: (1) memorization using the technique of chunking; (2) higher order thinking with magic squares; and (3) predicting games. Identifies eight facets of the teacher's role in promoting thinking skills. (MDH)

Describes a series of instructional activities designed to help student develop a conceptual foundation necessary for learning about other cultures. Suggests a study of the classroom culture and subcultures. Discusses using a culture artifacts box for observation, grouping and labeling, and making generalizations that later will be compared to…

Presents an experiment to examine the relative effects of cooperative groups versus independent practice in helping students encode problem-solving strategies into their long-term memory. Four classes of 126 prealgebra students were randomly assigned to employ the 2 methodologies. Students who practiced in cooperative groups demonstrated greater…

Utilized an experimental design structure across 4 scientific contexts which tested 18 boys and 18 girls who were closely matched for ability levels and curriculum background. No gender differences were detected in the scientific contexts of observation, reporting, or planning skills, and there was no differential performance on the use of…

Describes a study of high school students that investigated the use of microcomputers to teach principles relating to the design and interpretation of graphs. Results related to student achievement, higher order thinking skills, and behavioral protocols are discussed. A sample assignment sheet and test questions are appended. (66 references) (LRW)

Proposes methods to improve scientific literacy in the United States by integrating science, mathematics, and technology in instruction that combines subject matter and pedagogical knowledge. Suggests seven steps leading to scientific literacy. (MDH)

Presents a secondary lesson in which students examine the goals of corrective justice and the differences between wrongs and injuries. Includes two critical thinking exercises based on case studies, a cartoon designed to stimulate student thinking, and a student worksheet. (CFR)

Presents a secondary lesson in which students participate in a role-playing exercise to determine whether or not a juvenile should be remanded to an adult court. Includes learning objectives and step-by-step implementation procedures. Also includes four student handouts representing legal issues, briefing sheets, and a mock police report. (CFR)

Contends that U.S. educational change is characterized by several factors including rapid demographic shifts, new research into the nature of teaching and learning, and dissatisfaction with students' achievement on national tests. Includes an annotated bibliography of 16 ERIC articles and documents on the topic. (CFR)

Examines the differences between norm-referenced tests (standardized assessments of intelligence, aptitude, achievement, and personality) and criterion-referenced tests. Until school districts improve their potential to develop meaningful criterion-referenced tests, norm-referenced tests will be the major yardstick for measuring student…

An Australian study investigated the extent to which media literacy education for secondary school students met its objectives for teaching critical thinking about mass media, both print and television. Results give insight into this cohort's ability to make sense of media messages and about differences in different demographic groups. (MSE)

Excerpts from the second edition (199) of the Association of American Colleges and Universities' report, "Integrity in the College Curriculum," describe the minimum required college curriculum to meet its objectives, which include: inquiry, critical thinking, literacy, numerical skills, historical consciousness, scientific literacy,…

Contends that educators, researchers, and parents spend considerable time and resources deciding which lessons to teach children to help them maximize their abilities. Describes seven lessons to help children develop self-confidence, ask good questions, take intellectual risks, and attempt responsibility for themselves. (CFR)

Describes the use of primary source documents and maps in a seventh-grade geography class. Maintains that 90 separate topics were divided into 6 main categories for student research. Asserts that the use of primary documents encouraged the development of the students' critical thinking skills. (CFR)

Three learning activities--story generation, reasoning from historical information, and computer modeling--that are designed to help students move toward a more coherent understanding of biological mechanisms are described. A method used to measure a student's level of understanding and their progress during instruction is also described. Ways to…