This report describes the methods used to plan, organize, and teach an integrated thematic unit in the Spring of 1994 at Fairmont Junior High School in Boise, Idaho. The unit was planned collaboratively with assistance from preservice teachers and their professors at Boise State University, the principal and teachers at the junior high school, and…

Educational theorists repeatedly call for more hands-on, authentic, interpretative instruction in social studies. They characterize such instruction as "helping students understand the knowledge construction process" or teaching students "to construct their own historical narratives." While there have been some exceptions, most…

This paper describes a mathematics-centered thematic unit for 5th graders which organizes all the topics in the Houghton Mifflin Mathematics Program by combining critical thinking and whole language frameworks to help students retain, understand, and make active use of knowledge within and across domains. The unit connects inquiry, goals, critical…

The left side of the brain has been said to process speech along with logical, rational, convergent, objective, and sequential tasks. The right side of the brain is thought to process nonverbal, spatial, musical, and analogical information. This paper discusses the research on brain hemisphericity from the perspectives of traditional and…

This collection of 180 poems was assembled with classroom needs in mind. Intended to delight students every day, the collection's poems span the school year from September to summertime. Its introduction gives teachers before-, during-, and after-reading ideas. Sections in the collection include: Me and My World, Primary Concepts, Seasons and…

This book offers an introduction to the history and nature of science and technology (HNST) for educators who are interested in teaching about this content area. The book has five chapters, organized to address the following questions: (1) Why is this subject matter important?; (2) What should be taught about this subject matter?; (3) How can I…

A theory of thematic curriculum emerged during the development of a thematic unit on pets, entitled "Pets and Me." The unit, intended for preschool through grade five, focuses on the human-animal bond, incorporating language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, art, and music activities. "Pets and Me" was developed,…

This anthology of literature from the many American cultures as well as cultures around the world is intended for use in today's college composition and introductory literature courses. Offering a blend of classic favorites and selections from other cultures, the anthology contains some 300 stories, poems, and plays from the six habitable…

Noting that whole language proponents suggest integration of two or more subject areas around a common theme using literature, this paper presents annotations of 31 items from the ERIC database on thematic units of study. Annotations in the paper are organized into six sections--overview, elementary examples, research, secondary examples, special…

This updated third edition is a handbook for teachers to bring the reflective inquiry emphasis of integrated curriculum theory to life in the elementary and middle school classroom. It takes an action approach to implement theory and practice in educating students for a democratic, multicultural society. The five major interrelated emphases in the…

This book is part of a series of books presenting ready-to-use instructional units on themes typically taught in the primary grades. The topics focus on science, math, social studies or literature, but use language arts skills consistently in each unit. Each book in the series also uses as many frames of mind or intelligences as possible. Within a…

Six thematic activity booklets are presented for implementing Project EAGLE, an enrichment program for gifted and talented primary-level children. "Animals 2" teaches the concept that animals have a variety of characteristics and attributes, by having students choose an animal, think of a problem the animal might have to solve, picking…

This theme issue covers "High School Programming" and approaches to meeting the needs of gifted high school students in Texas. The first article is "Thematic Interdisciplinary Curricula for Secondary Gifted Students in English and Social Studies" (Joel E. McIntosh and April W. Meacham). This approach is contrasted with the…

A practicum aimed to increase global awareness in the first grade classroom. The problem was that the students were very "Americanized," predominantly white, and rarely exposed to other cultures. Therefore, the students could not recognize commonalities among people and could not understand the cultural differences in others. The major…

The GALAXY Classroom, developed as a nation-wide reform effort, was designed to make a significant positive difference in the educational lives of elementary school students who have traditionally been labeled "at-risk." As part of a 2-year demonstration and research phase, 39 elementary schools across the United States (and one school…