Profiles a number of projects and activities enacted during the 1996 Summer Colloquium, "Art and Ecology: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Curriculum." Participants created ecologically sensitive structures for pond life at a nearby wetland and attended a dramatic presentation about early mound dwellers performed on the site. (MJP)

Describes a college-level course that uses classic texts, such as Plato's "The Republic" and Thomas More's "Utopia," to consider concepts related to the "good society." Expands this initial approach to include consideration of a postmodernist perspective. This perspective encourages consideration of texts and ideas…

Describes programs and activities at Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary, distinguished Title I school in Vancouver, Washington. With nearly 40% English-language learners and a diverse group of immigrant students, the school uses bilingual staff assistants to ensure that all students' needs are met and to promote parent-school connections. Features a…

Contends that children's literature is a powerful tool for linking social studies learning and literacy development in primary age children. Describes a thematic unit on immigration and the transcontinental railroad that utilized literature and "read alouds" as a means to exploring these topics. Gives a list of children's books on immigration.…

The authors draw on data from weekly e-mail responses to a questionnaire completed by beginning teachers placed in one-year, paid, internships. Interns were assigned mentors who responded every several weeks, also via e-mail, to a questionnaire about the interns and their development. Data from 23 interns were analyzed. Seven themes were…

Introduction: In-service education is a widely used means of enhancing the skills of health service providers, for example, in undertaking research. However, the transfer of skills acquired during an education course to the workplace is seldom evaluated. The objectives of this study were to assess learner, teacher, and health service manager…

In this article, the authors recount their experience designing a program for one of their restructured middle schools that reflects a national movement in middle level reform. Inspired by Howard Garner's (1993) theory of multiple intelligences, the authors, together with a team of teachers, administrators and parents in their small mid-western…

"Doors to Discovery"[TM] is an early childhood curriculum that uses thematic units to engage young children and support them as they build an understanding of their world. "Doors to Discovery"[TM] literacy activities are used to encourage children's development in a number of areas identified by research as the foundation for…

This book is designed to help social studies educators better understand international conflict management as they learn about instructional methods and begin to teach. The book brings together current scholarship on major topics in the management of international conflict and methods for teaching that are especially important in globally-oriented…

This paper focuses on the elements of brain-compatible learning theory and instruction, noting its significance for students with developmental disabilities. The paper proposes a learning program for children (with and without disabilities) which is "brain-compatible," defined as "absence of threat." Eight elements are seen as critical in…

A 2-week instructional unit on weather and climate, designed for seventh grade limited-English-proficient students, is presented. Each lesson plan uses a variety of teaching techniques and provides extension activities that can be adapted to students with higher proficiency ratings. Most of the units are intended for completion in 1 or 2 days, but…

This program presents units of instruction by inter-disciplinary teams of preservice teacher education students showcasing student developed curriculum integration ideas. Lessons integrate the areas of social studies, language arts, business, science, industrial technology, and health. Presented in four sessions, Session 1 includes the following:…

This guide describes a program that turns ordinary show-and-tell time into a theme-related sharing time, or "sharing circle." In this program, each child is assigned a special sharing day once a month, with the sharing days evenly distributed throughout the month and with no more than three children sharing on a particular day. Monthly…

A group of teacher trainers and artists developed a thematic unit designed to introduce elementary school children and preservice teachers to the Sioux Indians. The art and literature mediums chosen for the unit were the "Dream Catcher" and the Iktomi story. The instructional sequence incorporated visuals, explanation, and discussion to develop…

Most large schools have many types of programs serving many types of students, but smaller schools, serving fewer students, may be able to have a more defined "personality," or focus. Focus schools are becoming more popular because their students tend to be high achievers and because many districts are allowing families to choose the schools they…