Objectives: To examine associations among adolescents' generated verbal strategies (ie, Simple No, Declarative Statements, Excuse, Alternatives) and underlying nonverbal assertiveness in 2 refusal situations: smoking and shoplifting. Methods: Sixth-grade urban minority students (N = 454) participated in videotaped role-play assessments of peer…

In this article, the authors talk about the action research study they conducted involving literature discussion groups. They observed how students spontaneously took up roles as questioners, as emotional responders, as group facilitators, and as information providers without having been assigned roles in literature circles. They then selected…

Children with autism have poor pretend play abilities, which greatly affects their social skill development. This intervention technique, using an adult partner, describes how a guided story and role-play format enhanced abilities of pretence and the understanding of social roles in a ten-year-old, verbal boy with autism. By having an everyday…

Background: The literature on immersive virtual worlds and e-learning to date largely indicates that technology has led the pedagogy. Although rationales for implementing e-learning have included flexibility of provision and supporting diversity, none of these recommendations has helped to provide strong pedagogical location. Furthermore, there is…

The "ISSS Annual Conference Proceedings" is a peer-reviewed professional publication published once a year following the annual conference. The following papers are included in the 2013 proceedings: (1) Teaching About Asia in a Social Science Education Program (Cyndi Mottola Poole and Joshua L. Kenna); (2) Teaching Students about…

This document consists of a teacher guide and a student guide to an educational simulation game that provides students with an opportunity to examine the relationship between humans and animals, and to explore the roles that animals play in daily life. The teaching technique employed is a student-centered process in which students work…

Gender-related problems that need to be addressed in the interpersonal speech communication classroom can be broken down into three categories: awareness, involvement, and understanding. Awareness is the key to gender equity in the classroom. The faculty member has the responsibility to be aware of his or her habits regarding calling on…

This research project explored how children's ability to exchange ideas and resolve conflict was influenced by regularly setting aside time to dictate and act out stories. Research methods for this 3-month project included audiotapes, a questionnaire, and the stories from 23 first-grade children. Observations looked specifically at conflict…

This vocational English-as-a-Second-Language program stresses interactive language use in the context of communicating with customers. Intended for intermediate-level adult learners, the manual will assist students in developing the communication and interaction skills they need for a variety of public contact positions, including retail sales…

The ability to successfully conduct specialized conversations in stressful situations is an essential part of professional competence in a number of subject areas; however, there are few opportunities for students to practice the required skills in a realistic environment. The McGill Negotiation Simulator project was established to investigate the…

This simulation activity introduces the concepts of cooperation and competition and exploring positive models for problem solving. The activity can be used with elementary and secondary school participants, as well as with adults. Suggestions for adapting discussion for younger participants are provided. The group task is to form five equal-sized…

This report describes the outcomes of a federally funded project that developed an interactive videodisc social skills program and tested the effectiveness of the program on 30 children (grades 3-5) with behavior disorders. The program teaches children how to use appropriate tone of voice, phrasing, and body language in such social interactions as…

This booklet provides instructions for simulation and role play of historical events in U.S. history from 1925-1964. Included for student research and participation are: the Scopes trial in Tennessee involving supporters of the teaching of evolution in the schools and of creationism; the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan ending World War…

This book consists of creative drama activities that introduce, review, and reinforce content material across the curriculum. Step-by-step procedural outlines and actual scripts are included. Chapter 1, "An Overview," presents a definition of creative drama, describes the benefits of using it in the classroom, and outlines suggestions and…

This document, part of a series of units designed to help students take and defend a position on public issues, discusses the changes that the railroads brought to the United States economy and society. As the first big businesses in this country, railroads had to grapple with a variety of challenges: raising enough money to launch companies…