The purpose of this guide is to provide teachers with information that will help them better understand how to teach science. In addition, this resource is intended to be a tool in assisting teachers in developing their science curricula and in planning their instruction. The instructional approach presented reflects the philosophy that students…

The purpose of this report is to see what the literature has to say about motivation and group interactions, both with and without the assistance of computers. The ultimate purpose is to examine in detail how the emerging ideas can be used to enhance the teaching and learning of arithmetic using computers. This report is divided into the following…

The seven units developed for the Math Network Curriculum Project (MNCP) incorporate an active approach to the study of mathematics using microcomputers. The intent is to have students explore new concepts by experimenting with different situations. Most teachers of mathematics have not learned mathematics in an active way, and thus need to…

This set of materials is designed to enhance the effectiveness of teachers' uses of structuring statements and questioning strategies. The material is presented as a series of self-directed workshops focusing on teacher-initiated verbal directions and questioning strategies and how these can be used strategically to enhance students' thinking.…

A study examined the hypothesis that if young children are immersed in a social and psychological setting appropriate for language learning they can learn to write simply by writing. Placed in a supportive classroom environment, 24 first grade students were expected to communicate in writing in any way they could from their first day at school.…

Students must be actively involved in the process of learning for it to have personal meaning and importance in their lives. Teachers must also become critical thinkers, creative individuals, and decision makers in order to create more challenging learning environments. Teachers need to blend structure and spontaneity into meaningful learning…

Background information and exemplary units for teaching science in Georgia's middle school grades are provided. Discussed in the first section are: (1) the rationale for including science in middle school grades, focusing on science/society/technology, science/social issues, scientific reasoning, and scientific literacy; (2) role of science…

When teachers present students with real topics in science and social studies instead of artificial, abstract writing exercises, the students will both develop and extend their interests and learn to think and communicate clearly about them. Choosing such a topic provides an opportunity to discuss student interests. Next, list building and small…

Outdoor education is an informal method of teaching and learning which offers opportunities for elementary school students, regardless of intellectual abilities, to learn about and appreciate their environment and acquire skills with which to enjoy a lifetime of creative, productive, and healthful living. Outdoor education can enrich, vitalize,…

Integrating concepts of basic citizenship education with community involvement, this experiential curriculum provides a means for developing decision making and critical thinking skills within the existing social studies curriculum at the kindergarten level. Consisting of 11 lessons, the guide, written in Spanish, introduces the meaning of rules,…

Learning objectives and suggested activities, monitoring procedures and resources for the Washington K-3 Small Schools Science Curriculum are based on the rationale that "young children need the opportunity to observe, classify, predict, test ideas again and again in a variety of contexts, ask questions, explain, discuss ideas, fail, and succeed.…

Architectural solutions to some educational problems are explored and a systematic method is presented for designing schools as learning environments for children. Classroom environments and outdoor play areas are considered as functional art forms and seen as three-dimensional textbooks. The book demonstrates a way of using curriculum as a design…

This study attempts to ascertain the extent to which the classrooms reflect a model of open education. The findings are based on an examination of five classrooms and a supplementary analysis of responses to a questionnaire administered to practitioners in 30 school districts. Each classroom is described in terms of the Rathbone model of open…

The Grimwood Memorial Lecture discusses priorities for environmental education, Toronto's two outdoor education facilities, four areas in which students relate to the environment (knowledge, enjoyment, aesthetics, encounter), international environmental concerns, local/urban environmental studies, field studies in urban Toronto, urban studies…

Describes Hometown Discovery, a project where high school students created interactive, interdisciplinary multimedia learning presentations for fourth-grade students on local history. Topics include discovery learning; community-based collaboration; community as content and production resource; leveraged learning; modular production; students as…