Discusses getting started, organizing a thematic unit, developing a unit around classroom concerns, and skills students need. Discusses creating a thematic unit in American literature focused on Henry David Thoreau. Presents a series of nine questions for teachers to ask themselves when selecting a novel for use in a thematic unit with middle or…

This special section describes one elementary school's Art and Artists theme, which allows students to study art across the curriculum. Various types of projects are described, including a classroom art museum, self-portrait painting, writing about art, scientific drawing, and a study of shapes. A pullout presents examples of student work. (SM)

Reviews research and raises questions about instruction that integrates reading and writing or that focuses on thematic units. Concludes with guidelines for integrated instruction. (SR)

This essay examines issues of giftedness and excellence, beginning with classical references to human striving toward the "good," the attraction of gifted children to quality, and the recent discovery of the oldest known cave art with its manifest excellence. Classroom activities related to cave art and language arts, social studies,…

Describes theme binders designed by sixth graders as an independent study component that unites the class as a learning community, showcases student work, and illustrates developmental milestones for parents. Details theme binder components: (1) cover page; (2) introductory page outlining the theme and contents; (3) evaluation sections indicating…

Describes the Leadership Institute for Environmental Education (LIFE Ed) program whose mission is to support teachers' leadership roles, enhance environmental education competencies, and present strategies for strengthening instruction in environmental education across the content areas. Activities include leadership building, extended staff…

Evaluates materials for classroom instruction or professional development in the language arts. Addresses the effort to create better teaching through thematic inquiry units by reviewing three professional development texts, three instructional kits or multimedia packages, and three magazines for children. Concludes by sharing some general…

Describes a school math program instituted as a result of the efforts of a parent-student-teacher math coalition to update mathematics instruction. The goal was to encourage thinking that uses imagination while exploring mathematics. Program includes Family Math Night, a semiweekly newsletter containing math activities, mathematics speakers in the…

Describes Project Friends, a mixed-age classroom of kindergartners, first graders, and second graders, including its beginnings, significant features (such as use of integrated thematic curriculum and "clubs"), and outcomes. Asserts that the program has empowered children for learning and encouraged helping relationships among children.…

Notes that American public education is challenged with large numbers of students at-risk and quite diverse curricular approaches advocated by various educational decision makers. Presents perspectives on instruction and explores the current curricular focus on critical/creative approaches including the use of integrated thematic units and…

Describes several gardening activities that can be kept simple or used as a foundation for more in-depth projects. Activities include setting up an indoor garden spot, making compost which helps students understand the terms "decompose" and "compost", watching plants drink in which students measure water movement in plants, making herb gardens,…

Describes how Michigan's English Language Arts Assessment (ELA) takes parts of the old fifth-grade writing assessment and fourth-grade reading tests, adds new elements, and wraps everything around a theme. Presents a seven-step activity to help prepare fourth graders for the ELA. Concludes that the overall impact on scores is not known. (SG)

Introduces an interdisciplinary lesson based on the book "Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobab," which was developed for young children. (YDS)

Presents an approach to articulating foreign languages in the elementary grades based on the content-enriched foreign language in the elementary school program model that links language, content, and culture through thematic units about francophone countries. Describes a curriculum design of a unit titled, "La Martinique" and illustrates…

Proposes using "theme baskets" as a progression of texts to scaffold core literature. Defines the theme basket as a combination of several approaches: using a thematic approach to teaching literature; using children's books in secondary classrooms; coupling young adult books with the classics; and capitalizing on young adults'…