Discusses careful planning, enlightened leadership, informed and enthusiastic teachers, and continuous evaluation as prerequisites for successful interdisciplinary teamwork. Suggests that interdisciplinary teaming allows better use of faculty members' skills, and provides better strategies for dealing with diversified populations, better…

Presents an introduction and overview of the field of oral history. Briefly explores the broad range of subjects with which oral history techniques can be utilized. Covers recent trends and developments including the use of oral history interviews in plays, radio dramas, and documentaries. Lists seminal and current works. (MJP)

Recent procedural and management problems have clouded the benefits of British outdoor education centers. In surveys concerning two residential outdoor education centers, responses of teachers from 73 participating schools highlight the educational significance of outdoor education in such areas as personal and social development, environmental…

Describes the course content, student response, and instructional effectiveness of an undergraduate psychology and law course built around a series of active learning projects. Students chose either to attend a jury trial or to interview three people involved in the legal system. These formed the basis for papers and presentations. (MJP)

Reviews the materials and procedures used in a fifth-grade history unit on the Underground Railroad. The unit integrated a variety of teaching methods and materials making extensive use of historical literature, K-W-L (what we Know, what we Want to find out, what we Learned) charts, and activities aimed at different learning styles. (MJP)

Charts a step-by-step path from the pedagogical theories of teacher education to an effective and engaging method of classroom instruction using excerpts from Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls," as illustrative guideposts. Provides cogent, insightful, and productive ideas for improving classroom instruction. (MJP)

Describes ideas that can help teachers organize activities around the subject of trees. The ideas include searching books and Internet sites for pictures and drawings of trees, creating stories with trees, planning field trips, inviting experts to share their knowledge and skills, exploring current events related to trees, and finally, creating…

Describes the use of the Internet to investigate mathematical problems, create and share information, discover patterns and relationships, and find out more about the world. This unit investigates pet ownership and introduces children to telecommunications, the use of the computer as a tool, and scientific research methods. Other units address…

Describes a unit for the first grade that takes advantage of the fall seasonal changes to explore, be creative, and learn. Ties all the subject areas together through a look at leaves and trees. A list of resources is included. (JRH)

Maintains that works of historical fiction and fantasy introduce children to concepts of time and history, as well as allowing them to empathize with other people. Historical fantasy often involves a young protagonist traveling through time and experiencing different eras and events. (MJP)

Questions the very assumptions that teachers can identify the skills and the knowledge that students need and that learning itself is controllable. Proposes a theory of curriculum development where knowledge and the learning process exist as a co-emerging, mutual, and dynamic relationship between the students and teachers. (MJP)

Describes a middle school class that incorporated social studies and state history into a course on African American history. Recommends the children's book, "African Americans in Florida," a model for an exploration of state history that can be used as a guide by teachers looking for similar books. (MJP)

This article discusses how an urban middle school designed to reflect a Schools for Thought model has demonstrated that urban schools can achieve excellent results on statewide testing for all students, including those with disabilities. Key school features are highlighted, including the use of "cross-talk" to stimulate discussion and student…

Describes the interdisciplinary program utilized at the Missouri Fine Arts Academy (MFAA). Focuses on the high school students in the MFAA discussing the results of a questionnaire and focus groups and also the results of a questionnaire given to the teachers at the academy. (CMK)

In response to falling enrollments in French and a diminishing pool of high school teachers, faculty at Auburn University tried to turn the tide through a series of curricular and advocacy initiatives. They introduced new French majors in education and in international trade and a collaborative major with the Consumer Affairs Department in French…