This book explores the ways in which teachers can use critical literacy as a framework for teaching and learning. The book shares the varied experiences of its authors as they attempt to put a critical edge on students' classroom discussions about books and other texts, and thus create spaces for critical literacy in the K-6 classroom. Each…

The primary objective of the action research chronicled (in English and Chinese) in this book was to shift the teaching method used by preschool teachers in Hong Kong from a teacher-directed mode by training them to use the Project Approach. The secondary objective was to measure children's achievement while using the Project Approach, focusing on…

When students in a New Jersey public middle school decided to learn about their community's history of desegregation through a unique language arts and social studies project, no one imagined how powerful the experience would be for everyone involved. In addition to researching newspaper articles and historical documents, the students conducted…

The primary objective of this action research was to shift the teaching method used by preschool teachers in Hong Kong from a teacher-directed mode by training them to use the project approach. The secondary objective was to measure children's achievement while using the project approach, focusing on their language ability, social development, and…

This 15-minute VHS videotape introduces an interdisciplinary math, science, and language arts project for eighth grade. Students learn about and apply laws of motion, linear functions, and technical reporting as they design and present an ultimate roller coaster. The project is organized in five phases that generate knowledge about design…

This article describes a project on water undertaken by kindergartners. The article first lists criteria that help determine the merit of a topic for study, followed by a discussion of how the water project emerged. Preliminary work by the teachers, the formation of groups to explore specific aspects of water, and the results of each group's work…

With so many natural resources in peril today, people need to examine how they excavate an archaeological site on land or a Spanish galleon found buried in an ocean coral reef. In this activity plan for seventh graders, the task involves a letter from the National Oceanographic Association (NOA) announcing the opportunity for university marine…

Career pathways align vocational and academic education within career clusters and provide students new options from grades 9-14. They must have the following elements: industry breadth and depth; opportunities for many populations; career options at entry, technical, and professional levels; and alternative delivery options and academic and…

This theme issue of the serial "Northwest Education" focuses on how teachers are using technology in diverse subjects, in addition to addressing the role of teachers in an environment of continuous change brought on by technological developments. The first article, "The Promise of Technology," argues that if technology is to…

Drawing from several weeks of observation and study in Northern Italian preschools, this paper links practices in Reggio Emilia with the theoretical constructs of John Dewey, Susan Isaacs, and Howard Gardner. Part 1 presents background about the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, which are unique both in their respect for the space created for…

This lesson for grade 12 is designed to raise student awareness of the potential of human cloning and of the effects it could have on the present, naturally born population. Students work in teams to research the issue and are provided with background information, detailed instructions, on-line resources, and reflection questions. The teacher's…

In its 20th year, History Day in California, a statewide program, is a history-based learning experience for students from grades 4-12. Through participation in History Day, students not only learn about issues, ideas, people, and events in history, but they apply what they have learned through creative and original productions and by developing…

This paper explores the use of the long-term project as an educational tool in early childhood classrooms. In particular, it focuses on the way in which long-term projects can reflect John Dewey's notion of the "dynamic aim" as a primary force in education. In "Democracy and Education," Dewey suggests that when teaching is…

Many project teams in organizations are highly structured, members have clearly defined roles, and they possess knowledge about how to effectively manage their projects and meetings. On the other hand, students in educational environments lack significant experience working in teams. Therefore, student teams are often poorly structured, members…

The Internet-Based Shared Environment for Expeditions (iExpeditions) is both a development effort of the Center for Technology Innovations in Education, University of Missouri, Columbia, and a research project conducted in partnership with Motorola, Inc. and a researcher at Brigham Young University (Utah). The project seeks to develop and…