The role of environmental education in helping to understand and solve urban problems is examined. Local issue-centered curriculum and issue-based curriculum are cited as two possible strategies. Examples of each are given. (DC)

The learning center described here, using a city theme, structures movement activities to reinforce basic cognitive skills, including mapping, memorizing, matching, manipulating shapes, categorizing, listening, sequencing, and following directions. (Author/SJL)

Describes a night-time field trip conducted in Buffalo, New York for nine emotionally handicapped students from a rural area as part of a summer program of Project WOODS (We're Only Outdoors Developing Skills). (AN)

Concludes that the drinking patterns of black and white men tend to be somewhat similar, but that alcoholism among blacks is also strongly related to urban ghetto conditions. Asserts that "many more in depth studies of the role of alcoholism among blacks are vitally needed." (Author/JM)

This ethnographic study explored perspectives of parents of young deaf children living in urban areas. Nine parents, two grandparents, and six staff members were intensively interviewed and observed over six months. Themes identified included diagnosis and grief, language struggles, systemic barriers, and impact of the urban setting.…

Discusses the following three points: 1) city government must play an active role in creating a sense of community among diverse groups; 2) national and mayoral leadership and private sector involvement are required to improve urban education; and 3) opportunities must be created to offer gainful employment to all who wish to work. (MW)

Using interviews provides insights into the lives of two groups of low-literate adults, in order to better understand the high attrition rate in adult literacy programs. Identifies ideology, conviction, and structural/environmental support as significant factors which are determiners of continued participation in such programs. Clarity in program…

Highlights ideas from urban geography that may be used to teach students about the interaction of people and space. Students will learn to better relate geography to their own lives if they understand how the concept of accessibility relates to competition for commercial land, and if they consider questions related to the use of urban space. (LS)

The Master Gardener Classroom Garden Project provides inner-city elementary school children in the San Antonio Independent School District with an experiential way of learning about horticulture, gardening, themselves, and their relationships with their peers. Qualitative interviews indicate that participation in the gardening project had many…

Exploratory research designed to discover the socio-physical qualities that a sample of New York City parents viewed as dangerous in relationship to the activities of their 9- to 11-year-old children. Compares parents with different ethnic and racial backgrounds, and the impacts of parent beliefs on children. (LZ)

Discusses the hazards associated with the use of pesticides in urban areas. This article focuses on Eugene, Oregon, as an example of how to find out about pesticide applications in an urban area and what can be done with that information to change the way that pesticides are used. (LZ)

Community programs developed as part of the Healthy Children Program demonstrate that cost-effective models for accessible health care exist. A communications strategy to disseminate knowledge about improving health care is recommended. (SLD)

Discusses education and the city and presents an annotated bibliography of 456 international sources of information that deal with education in an urban environment, including general works; urban education from the didactic perspective; urban education from the social perspective; urban education from the cultural and local development…

Describes the Reading Is Fundamental, UK program. Argues for taking books to children and families in areas where there is little or no book culture. Notes that through free book distributions and accompanying high-quality motivation events, the program has shown that children who choose reading for pleasure are more likely to use reading for…

Offers descriptions of 34 books for children and young adolescents (many of them illustrated books), in the following categories: books for the youngest readers; poems for young writers; books about the moon; books celebrating city life; books for older readers; and books of multicultural folktales. (SR)