Examines determinants of cognitive achievement in rural Pakistan, controlling for cognitive ability, family background, various school quality measures, and educational attainment. Estimates indicate substantial variation in school effectiveness. Investments that improve teacher quality and increase student exposure to teachers are likely to have…

Presents a lesson for teaching geography and science by concentrating on the oceans. Includes topography, wave dynamics, and ratio of ocean to land mass. Focuses on geographic themes of location, place, and region. Suggests that students will visualize and manipulate information as they are introduced to concepts in physics and earth science. (DK)

Demonstrates how introducing students to African literature can appeal to their imaginations and encourage them to develop their insights into African culture. Outlines the procedures in a middle school class where the students are transformed into anthropologists as they read Chinua Achebe's, "Things Fall Apart." (MJP)

Presents the perspectives of four public library administrators on sharing facilities with local schools, including benefits and problems. Topics include physical accommodations; intellectual freedom issues; security issues; management issues; costs and budgetary considerations; staffing; collection development policies; and the need for a…

Created by teachers for teachers, the Math Academy tools and activities included in this booklet were designed to create hands-on activities and a fun learning environment for the teaching of mathematics to students. This booklet contains the "Math Academy--Can You See It in Nature? Explorations in Patterns & Functions," which a teacher can use to…

This research, conducted with an introductory sociology class at the University of British Columbia during the 2001-2002 academic year, explored community service-learning as a pedagogy and philosophy. The theoretical focus of this paper is Nancy Fraser's (1997) criticisms of Jurgen Habermas' (1992) bourgeois liberal model of the public sphere. We…

A study investigated the nature and function of 206 New Hampshire and 74 Vermont conservation commissions empowered to protect natural resources. Qualitative and quantitative research methods gathered data from a small number of commissioners and identified common patterns, then tested their prevalence through a survey of all commissions. Patterns…

Intended to introduce young people to the remarkable interconnectedness of people and the environment, this middle school teaching kit is designed to give students an understanding of important population and environmental concepts while promoting a sense of individual responsibility for stewardship of the earth. The teaching modules in the kit…

School architecture should be redesigned to match the vision for overall school restructuring. After explaining the need for improving educational facilities, this document describes the role of environmental variables in motivating and assessing improved student performance. The relationships between the environment and social attitudes and…

This resource book includes 163 science activities for both preservice and in-service teachers. Activities have been field-tested and are cross-referenced according to the processes of science and the content area covered. Each activity has been written to evoke ideas from the reader, thus enabling each activity to serve a base for additional…

Ten exercises based on the weather map provided in the national newspaper "U.S.A. Today" are used to teach intermediate grade students about weather. An overview describes the history of "U.S.A. Today," the format of the newspaper's weather map, and the map's suitability for teaching weather concepts. Specific exercises, which are briefly…

The social studies curriculum for grade 5 in Manitoba, Canada, is presented. A purpose of the program is to introduce students to some aspects of Canadian life today. Students examine their relationship to the environment and society. Emphasis is on helping students understand what their own area is like, how it is related to other areas of…

Provided in this document are case studies of representative and exemplary innovative environmental education programs from various regions of the world (North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia/Oceania). The case studies provide information on the environment and environmental problems and concerns…

This curriculum guide describes a religiously oriented preschool program for 3- and 4-year-old children. The program reflects a philosophy of Lutheran education and religious ideals. Program objectives focus on the consideration and development of social, emotional, physical, cognitive and religious processes. The role of the church, parents and…

Twelve assumptions concerning learning are presented which underlie the rationale for the establishment of learning laboratories in 3 small high schools in Utah. Based on these assumptions, 12 specific recommendations are made for the improvement of education in small, rural schools through implementation of the learning laboratory concept. A…