This report is designed for educators who are involved in teaching, developing, or evaluating curriculum in the middle and junior high schools. It describes the content and application of Florida's eighth grade writing test, and it offers suggestions that might be helpful in preparing students for the assessment. The 1990 Florida legislature…

Analyzes the discussions of participants at a company-faculty forum on energy policy. Reveals the speakers' use and misuse of contradictory rhetoric--the simultaneous appeal to emotions and to reason. (RL)

Drawing from 10 widely used freshman writing textbooks, this article demonstrates the problem of implicitness existing in regard to 2 notions central to writing instruction in the United States: "voice" and "audience." The article enumerates ways in which textbook presentations of these concepts disadvantage second-language…

Attempts to demonstrate the linkage between opinions, attitudes, and ideologies and to look for ways of explaining variation in opinions as well as in shared social dimensions of evaluative beliefs. The article argues that theories of discourse and ideologies, as well as the cognitive aspects of ideologies, should not be reduced to any partial…

Describes the Crime Lab Project, which takes an economical, hands-on, interdisciplinary approach to studying the career of forensics in the middle or high school classroom. Includes step-by-step student requirements for the investigative procedure, a sample evidence request form, and an assessment rubric. (KHR)

Examined the difficulties a group of Mexican graduate students encountered when engaged in an argumentative writing task as well as their writing processes and strategies. Data were collected from individual interviews with participants and from participants' essays. Analysis indicated most participants perceived the rhetorical aspects of English…

Makes suggestions for volunteers in college fund-raising telethons who must respond to negative attitudes about making a donation. Specific situations are addressed, including unspecified objections, "I'm already giving,""I can't afford it," requests to be left alone, uncertainty, and objections because of a variety of other issues. Exact language…

Discusses using the geologic history of the Paleozoic era for presentations. Describes methodology involved including data collection, summarizing and presentations. Notes the approach has received an enthusiastic response from students and is a rewarding change from the traditional lecture format. (Author/MVL)

Techniques that reduce donors' resistance to college fund-raising requests, either direct mail or telephone solicitations, are offered. These include: respecting the prospects' concerns about privacy; offering nonintrusive giving options; honesty and clarity of communication; reinforcing donor sense of control; connecting with prospects'…

Describes effective communication strategies for administrators. The three steps are to know your audience, understand the type of information you are presenting, and make appropriate use of different modes of communication. Tips are offered for oral, written, and nonverbal communication. (LMI)

Asserts that oral presentations of research findings by students are used in higher education. States that advice or techniques for effective speaking seldom are outlined. Provides a five-part strategy for teaching and evaluating oral communication. Includes a presentation evaluation form for assessing student performance. (CFR)

Focuses on the process by which a social problem is redefined in response to a critical events, such as economic depressions, environmental disasters, intense physical confrontations, or strategic initiatives by a social movement organization. Examines a conservative movement's attempt to redefine "the problem" of the schools at the time…

Notes problems that center directors can face in everyday encounters and proposes a technique that can facilitate and help preserve fairness in difficult situations. Details the four components of the model: describe, express, specify, and consequences. Suggests that this strategy combines emotion and logic into a short message with clear…

A longitudinal study examined responses to physically aggressive conflicts among siblings. Found that parents respond to half of children's aggression (especially if there is crying). Most parent and child responses were simple commands to stop the aggression. Reasoning was used less often, and physical intervention, rarely. Aggression was higher…

This article details an undergraduate/graduate-level, experimental, marine science education course utilizing interactive student participation concerning the relationship between individual property interests and coastal protection legislation in the aftermath of hurricane Hugo in 1989. Students successfully gained an understanding of the…