Describes the procedures for writing "Jack Tales," adaptations of the familiar folktale "Jack and the Beanstalk." Discusses how this writing activity integrates reading and writing across the curriculum and effectively heightens multicultural awareness as students try to apply the basic plot structure to diverse cultural settings. (MG)

Describes a method for integrating writing into history classes. Suggests keeping writing assignments short and simple, rather than assigning a long paper that will be a burden to the instructor during grading. Discusses journal writing, pretest writing exercises, and microthemes written on a single index card. (DK)

Suggests that using historical novels in a unified studies approach to social studies and reading instruction may enhance students' learning in both content areas. Describes a historical fiction project utilizing three novels pertaining to United States history. Concludes that the whole class instruction unified each class through participation in…

Describes the use of alternative types of poetry and affirmations to encourage self-esteem and break down barriers to learning in an adult basic skills reading class. (SR)

Describes a library research skills course taught at the University of California at Santa Barbara with team teaching. Revision of a previous course is explained; course design is described; class assignments are outlined; an evaluation of the first year is discussed; and the future of the course is considered. (LRW)

Describes the use of reading guides as an interactive technique to stimulate comprehension. Provides an example using a popular novel. (MG)

Presents examples of classroom writing activities that can be incorporated into language arts textbooks for grades two, five, and eight to encourage civic thinking on issues such as nationhood, leadership, cultural differences, taxation, and war. (RS)

Offers 10 basic guidelines that might help reading teachers who use basal readers to make more effective instructional decisions about what to teach. (MG)

Examines differences among five assignments written by both Hong Kong and United States business communication students, focusing on reader orientation, writing objective, organization, grammar, syntax, usage, and format. Finds distinct differences between students of the different cultures using the same language and performing similar…

Describes a writing activity in which students imagine how a certain land area can become a world-class tourist attraction. Outlines how the assignment is carried out and its impact on the development of descriptive writing skills. Provides student response to the actual activity. (HB)

Outlines a writing assignment for first-year composition students in which they choose a popular song and explicate its meaning both through prose and in a classroom presentation. Explains how to prepare students for public speaking regarding their essays. Discusses problems and argues for the assignment's usefulness. (HB)

Focuses on releasing students' creative impulses, their imaginations, and their memories. Discusses a set of reading and writing activities that have been used with all kinds of students in a wide variety of settings. (RS)

Asserts that one of the increasingly critical skills that undergraduates must master is electronic information retrieval. Maintains that sociologists can readily integrate library instruction into undergraduate courses and help develop student awareness of and ability to use the ever-growing body of library resources and information. (CFR)

Discusses the integration of technology into elementary and secondary school classrooms based on experiences at the Jerome Joint School District (Idaho). Topics include having the curriculum drive technology use, student motivation, student computer literacy, relating technology skills to content areas and classroom assignments, and incorporating…

Offers seven brief descriptions of class projects and assignments used successfully in writing classes of all sorts, from first-year composition classes to business communication to computerized writing labs. (SR)