This article describes lessons that link mathematics topics with literature, the NCTM's Navigations series, and art projects. Each lesson is designed around a theme and is laced throughout with fantasy. (Contains 13 figures.)

In this article, Jacqueline Ancess and David Allen use New York City as a case study to examine the promises and the perils of the small high school reform movement that is sweeping the nation. They analyze the varying extent to which New York City's small high schools have implemented curricular themes in order to promote academic quality and…

With genre now viewed as a fundamental element of writing, both second language writing and mainstream composition studies have seen an increased focus on the question of how writers learn genres. The purpose of this paper is to review key findings from 60 empirical studies that have investigated this question. To this point, research has…

Clinical psychology has focused primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of mental disease, and only recently has scientific attention turned to understanding and cultivating positive mental health. The Buddhist tradition, on the other hand, has focused for over 2,500 years on cultivating exceptional states of mental well-being as well as…

The author found it very satisfying to reread "Toward a technology of 'nonaversive' behavioral support," written in 1990 by Rob Horner and seven of his colleagues. Their predictions of the critical themes for advancing positive behavior support (PBS) ring true. Fifteen years have passed since the publication of this article, and much has happened…

This book presents Integrated Thematic Instruction (ITI), a model for implementing a "brain-compatible" learning environment for students and teachers using a year-long theme to organize curriculum content and skills. The book's introduction identifies six "mismemes" (or mistaken ideas) that have hindered educational reform,…

This document resulted from the efforts of the Brevard County (Florida) Science Leadership Team, a group of science teachers with a wide spectrum of experiences and philosophies. It contains a series of recommendations based on national trends for change in curriculum. Sections include Scientific Literacy for All, Stakeholders and Their Roles,…

Current reform efforts in education emphasize role changes for students and teachers within classrooms and schools. A phenomenological study examined one teacher's internal conflict while negotiating the shifting boundaries of power relations between teacher and students. The goal of this study was to explore the processes and constraints involved…

This interdisciplinary module for grades 4-8 takes advantage of student interest and participation in baseball. This module presents a conceptual framework for an alternative summer program. Included are suggested activities, materials, and handouts. The module is provided as a guide for teachers and administrators wishing to develop thematic…

It is generally believed that great strides are being made toward increasing the level of ecological awareness among the American public. This paper points to the fact that not only is public education failing to achieve an adequate level of ecological awareness among today's youth, but that public schools may actually be contributing to the level…

This book is a collection of 10 teacher-developed instructional units at the high school level which are compatible with the principles and theories of the North Carolina Curriculum Framework for Gifted Education. The units can be used in a variety of settings, are designed to develop basic competencies, and include specific strategies uniquely…

Exploring what it means for teachers to generate curriculum with their students and to share the responsibility and joys of deciding what and how students learn, this book describes teachers' own experiences in generating curriculum that integrates social studies, literacy, and whole language. The book presents practical ideas that teachers across…

The trend in many schools is to move away from using the textbook exclusively in content area classrooms and move toward the integration of various pieces of children's literature, in many instances as a thematic unit. Using a thematic approach and incorporating trade books provides students with opportunities for cumulative learning and the…

This study compared the quality of preschool children's sociodramatic play in classrooms that used centers for housekeeping role play with those that used centers for various other types of role play. Classroom play sessions in the preschool were videotaped biweekly over the course of the 1992-1993 academic year. These videotapes were then…

This detailed handbook for a one-semester high school Humanities course is designed to teach students a method of understanding American culture and values which they can use to investigate and analyze the artifacts of the 1960s. The handbook's sections cover 1960s history; popular culture, including television, movies, and bestsellers;…