This newsletter issue focuses on toys, games, and activities that entertain special needs children and sharpen their ability to think, speak, and play with others. Play is beneficial to special children as it develops their creativity, helps them explore their environment, allows them to socialize, and provides opportunities for them to act out…

The incorporation of games in health education classes is recommended. Different uses of games are presented along with criteria for the evaluation of games that are being considered for use in the classroom. Brief descriptions of the needs of elementary, middle, and high school students are followed by examples of appropriate games for each…

A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of "Discretion vs. Valor," a simulation game designed to give North American players a chance to: (1) identify with "believers" (Christians) in the Soviet Union in order to form new images of these persons; (2) gain empathy for Christians by understanding the dilemmas they…

This study determined the effects of using an instructional game and supplemental readings on student motivation as defined using the ARCS model of motivation and performance. Subjects were 75 undergraduate education majors enrolled in a required educational psychology course at a large southwestern university. All students attended a lecture on…

For this practicum three methods for improving sight vocabulary for first graders were developed and implemented. Goals were to increase vocabulary recognition, improve students' attitudes toward reading, and raise critical thinking levels using parental support. The program, which involved 10 students, took place in 3 phases allowing 4 weeks per…

This game simulates trade and food production in the West African region of the Sahel which is susceptible to drought. Players are divided into teams of two and four persons, each team assuming the role of a farming household in the Sahel. Teammates collaborate on production and trade decisions under conditions of dearth and plenty. The game…

Activities and a narrative which focus on Delaware's seashore are contained in this book for elementary school age students. A graphically illustrated story is related and activities are interspersed throughout the narrative account. Several marine organisms are identified and beach phenomena are highlighted in the story. Student exercises…

The focus of this booklet is on matching, recognizing, and identifying colors, shapes, and sizes. Concept development as well as vocabulary learning are goals. A variety of materials are used in the activities. Activities for children from preschool through grade 2 are grouped by topic. (MNS)

A study introduced elementary school students to concept maps--visual representations of a learner's thought processes. Nine teachers with two classes each (kindergarten through fourth grades represented) were taught the terminology of the concept map and were asked to initiate a number of activities in generating concept maps with their children.…

The purpose of this focused newsletter is to give teachers who know little or nothing of computers some background on which to base further investigation and decisions. It begins by explaining what a computer is and defining such terms as software, hardware, memory, input/output devices, and disk drive. The newsletter then outlines four major uses…

Described is a game which provides a method for teaching students to locate cities and towns on a map. Students are provided with a list of descriptive phrases which stand for the name of a city, e.g., hot weather town (Summerville, Georgia); a chocolate candy bar (Hershey, Pennsylvania). Using a map, students must then try to find the name of a…

This report summarizes an investigation of the attitudes of elementary students, teachers, and parents toward the use of educational computer games and simulations in a teaching/learning situation. Following a statement of the project purpose and a literature review, the courseware selection process is described. (This process resulted in use of…

Self-formative evaluation is a unique form of formative evaluation which refers to the involvement of both the producer and the users in the evaluation of newly developed instructional materials; it does not indicate evaluation of themselves. This examination of the feasibility of employing this evaluation technique during the process of…

This activity and record book is designed for unit 1 (ages 9-11) of the Nebraska 4-H Energy Project. In this project, members are required to: (1) use energy wisely by closing doors and turning off lights; (2) inspecting homes for energy use at least once; (3) judging the best use of lighting in a home; (4) sharing ideas about energy use in a…

An adventure game is a role-playing game that usually, but not always, has some fantasy aspect. The role-playing aspect is the key element because players become personally involved when they assume a role, and defeat becomes personal and less acceptable than in other types of games. Computer-based role-playing games are extremely popular because…