The study determined whether using outdoor experiences as a teaching medium increased the level of creative thought for sixth grade children. Four factors of creativity were measured: figural fluency, figural flexibility, figural originality, and figural elaboration. Two groups of sixth grade pupils, one experimental (with 30 children)and the…

Defends the study of literature in the elementary and secondary grades for its ability to help students think both creatively and critically. Provides objectives for teaching literature such as development of perception, expression, cognitive style, aesthetic awareness, moral values, and writing ability. (SRT)

This book provides parents with guidelines on how to determine if their children are unusually gifted and how to prepare them for school. Recommendations are provided to ensure that gifted children are sufficiently challenged in the classroom, while reducing emotional stresses to which intellectually gifted children are often prone. Specific…

Outlines letter writing exercises for fifth grade social studies units on the U.S. Revolutionary War period. Students write letters as fictional and nonfictional historical characters from trade books described in article. Objectives include understanding viewpoints and historical events, writing to persuade, and share or seek information.…

Maintains that cognitive flexibility, the ability to generate many possible solutions, is identified as the most critical aspect of creativity training. Describes the use of word tables, computer games, and riddles to develop cognitive flexibility. Presents evidence that these methods are effective in enhancing creative and critical thinking…

If teachers and parents genuinely believe that it is educators' responsibility to prepare students for a life of "meeting employers' needs," then teachers have to better examine what it is that they choose to teach students. That is, what should be in the curriculum to ensure that students have the knowledge to prepare them for a life of…

The impact of project-based learning has been shown to be effective in increasing pupil motivation, improving problem-solving skills and thinking skills in studies by Barrows and Williams. "Project Hour" was set up in order to conduct a longitudinal study over the course of one academic year, to observe and record progress and…

This module is part of a set of management and supervisor training (MAST) materials developed by the Department of Energy for the Waste Isolation Division. Its stated purpose is to enable trainees to solve problems and make decisions in an efficient and effective manner. The first section of the module is an introduction that includes a terminal…

This publication is a collection of 201 activities designed to give students practice in developing and applying in meaningful real-life settings both basic academic skills in reading, writing, and computation, and the more advanced higher-order skills of problem solving, critical thinking, group interaction, and oral communication. These…

The science discourse of young children is a means by which children can pose and try to answer difficult questions about their world. This paper describes through excerpts from transcripts of audiotapes and fieldnotes of science talks, how young children talk about science, and how they use metaphors and analogies to develop theories about…

The curriculum materials contained in this document were developed through a cooperative effort by educators in the state of Maryland. It was a curriculum project aimed at the meaningful integration of mathematics and science. It is suggested that these materials be used in two significant ways. First, this document can serve as an instructional…

This theme issue contains 17 articles which provide a diversity of views on the nature of creativity and how best to nurture it. Five initial articles are: "Creatively Gifted, disadvantaged Children: Their Desperate Need for Mentors" (E. Paul Torrance); "Creative Productivity: Understanding Its Sources and Nurture" (Donald J. Treffinger);…

The book provides 13 model interdisciplinary teaching units for use with academically gifted students in grades four through nine. Each unit contains an introduction; objectives; introductory developmental culminating and evaluation activities; materials; and a bibliography. Topics of the teaching units include cemeteries, famous women, coastal…

In the 21st century, the population will need to possess basic skills in the areas of communication and higher problem-solving as well as have scientific and technological literacy; however, results from assessments by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) have indicated weak student performance in the area of thinking skills,…

One of three related documents produced in response to a need for direct instruction in thinking skills at the secondary level, this teaching guide for Book One and Book Two of "Thinking Through Language" is intended for junior or senior high school English teachers. The guide contains an introduction and summaries of Book One and Book Two,…