A study was done to test the effect of teacher verbal clarity on the academic achievement of college students. Teacher clarity variables included: (1) clear transition; (2) emphasis on content; (3) vagueness; and (4) additional unexplained content. Results indicate that additional research in the area is needed. (JN)

Synaesthesia, the phenomenon of intersensory perception, is suggested as a way to design arts experiences which facilitate appreciation for and involvement with music. Teaching ideas are given for grades 1-3 and grades 4-7 on synaesthetic activities melding music and color. (SJL)

Suggests improvisational role-playing of fairy tales as a method of teaching social problem-solving skills to students. Presents a sample activity session based on the "Pied Piper of Hamelin." (SJL)

Presented are three curriculum sequences about windows that were designed as part of an architectural education course for junior high school students in Ohio. The three units, or "encounters," deal with stained glass, styles of windows, and functions of the window. Each includes student objectives and selected activities. (SJL)

The author, formerly a Soviet art teacher, describes his technique for combining music and painting. After teaching children the fundamentals of music technique and color, he has them experience a piece of music and paint their reactions. One of several articles in this issue on art teaching in other countries. (SJL)

Quality classroom instruction should be the foundation upon which any successful vocational agriculture program is developed. Important components of classroom instruction include Future Farmers of America activities, problem-solving-based instruction, lesson plans, discipline, and the use of a variety of instructional methods and techniques. (LRA)

The approach, which has also been used successfully with learning-disabled and emotionally disturbed children, provides a systematic method of instruction and stresses the use of sensory and verbal cues as aids in learning manuscript writing. (DLS)

An inventory of site opportunities for use by teachers as a planning aid can increase the utilization of the outdoors in educational experiences. The inventory should be a loose-leaf catalog organized in terms of site accessibility and human density, with a summary of each site. (SB)

Asserts that most persons use too little positive reinforcement in interpersonal dealings. Outlines and comments on a four-stage lesson plan (involving introduction, social interchange, discussion of experience, and summary/conclusion) which is designed to allow participants to experience how they use positive reinforcement in contacts with…

Provides a model for teaching listening comprehension through the use of soap operas. (AM)

Outlines the formula and the preparation needed to design lesson plans adaptable to any science situation. Provides a detailed example using molds. (Author/MA)

A week-by-week readiness program for preschool and early primary children. (Editor)

Constructivism emphasizes the learner as an active meaning maker and problem solver. This article reviews constructivism's basic principles, analyzes implications for curriculum work, and explores a constructivist unit-development process. Planners must decide degree of curricular integration, establish unit parameters, identify the problem, draft…

Provides ideas, methods, and techniques to prepare teachers to teach a basic business course. Includes mini-lesson plans. (JOW)

Introduces an activity in which students learn principles of force and motion, systems, and simple machines by exploring the best position of the dogs on the dashboard. Includes a sample lesson plan written in the five instructional models: (1) engagement; (2) exploration; (3) explanation; (4) elaboration; and (5) evaluation. (KHR)