Reports on a teacher-education course that emphasized the use of the visual arts in promoting content area reading. Local art museum personnel and teacher-education faculty identified works that could invoke discussions in certain content areas of specialization. Students used these as a basis for their papers. (MJP)

Profiles a course that challenges college seniors to gain new perspectives, skills, experiences, and insights into their own creative and imaginative processes. The course uses the work of Joseph Cornell who constructed enigmatic, box-like assemblages from found objects. Students construct their own boxes and consider future applications of this…

A Virginia science and technology high school restructured its ninth-grade curriculum by clustering three core courses in an integrated program. Students work with resource managers at Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge to gather data on species inhabiting the area. They prepare well-researched reports and present them to peers, faculty, and…

Three courses in the adult education division of Loyola University (Louisiana) combined religious studies and literature appreciation using an interdisciplinary, team-taught approach. Instruction was guided by the metaphor of conversation, first through collegial discussion of the ideas underlying the courses and later, in the classroom, in the…

This paper describes the Early Intervention and Family Support Training Program of the Family, Infant and Preschool Program at Western Carolina Center, North Carolina. The program uses competence-based training to flexibly respond to interdisciplinary needs and interests while preserving essential core content. The paper discusses role…

Compares and contrasts American Indian spirituality with European-American religion. European-American religion emphasizes theological interpretation and separateness between man and God. American Indian spirituality stresses direct experience of the holy, and unity between man and the spiritual world. Considers how the two might be incorporated…

Describes an art project that constructed a realistic model of a frozen prehistoric cadaver including its clothing and tool kit. Originally conceived as a way to introduce students to art materials, ancient history, and different cultures, the project grew to include a traveling exhibit and instructional puppet shows. (MJP)

Endorses U.S. political history as a colorful and interesting resource for teaching important historical and social science concepts: order and change, elitism and pluralism, creating structures, the Constitution, and the formation of political parties. Discusses these concepts and gives examples of each. (MJP)

Describes one college's program requiring preservice elementary educators to take their methods courses in an integrated block during one semester before student teaching, noting pitfalls of and advantages to this network of classes and reporting data collected from cooperating classroom teachers who subsequently had these student teachers in…

Praises the Laura Ingalls Wilder books for their realistic portrayal of 19th-century prairie life. Recommends using the books as source material for a variety of social studies classes. Provides a list of suggested activities collected under broad topics including housing, unusual weather phenomena, medical care, and clothing. (MP)

This article profiles a third-grader with physical and learning disabilities to exemplify the use of physical and occupational therapy in school and the teamwork required to achieve inclusion and to facilitate a comprehensive educational program. Providing related services in an educational environment is discussed, along with legal requirements.…

Introduces Internet field trips as a means of instruction for diverse student populations; explores the Mayan mathematics system in an interdisciplinary fourth grade math lesson; suggests strategies for students with limited English proficiency base on TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages); and includes a sample lesson plan.…

Examined preservice teachers' perspectives on learning to plan within a Vygotskian-designed, reflective program. Participants made curriculum decisions and revisions and reflected on technical and conceptual aspects of teaching discussed in methods courses. Case studies of participants' self-reports indicated concerns for individualized learning…

English as-a-Second-Language teachers can use CD-ROMs to integrate multimedia into their lessons. This paper discusses how teachers can encourage students to use CD-ROM encyclopedias and databases as information sources for class projects, as the basis for defined assignments, as the source of information for subjects within the English syllabus,…

Considers issues related to teachers' conceptions, the nature of classroom discussion, and future research on these topics. Addresses the role of discussion as a method of instruction and a goal of instruction. Argues that classroom discussion promotes civic competence and integration of knowledge and skills across disciplines. (DSK)