Presents a method to make precalculus college freshmen accountable to the class for doing at least some of their assigned homework problems by making each student an expert on one or more of the assignments. (ASK)

Challenges (assignments, activities, tests) incorporated into agriculture classes were evaluated using Bloom's Taxonomy. The cognitive level varied by course and type of activity. Effectiveness depended on selecting challenges appropriate for the material, requiring higher-order thinking, and rewarding students for work at higher cognitive levels.…

Describes three assignments the author uses when teaching Chaucer (suitable for college or college prep high school classes) in which students learn what iambic pentameter is by writing two rhyming couplets, a ten-line conversation in rhyming couplets, and a creative project of at least 25 rhyming couplets, all in iambic pentameter. (SR)

Shares some responses from those involved in an ongoing oral history and writing project that connects members from a senior center writing group with children 9 to 12 years old from a self-contained special education program. Hopes that these comments and insights will serve as a parting testimony to the value of such intergenerational efforts.…

Describes an assignment designed to assist senior English students in rediscovering their genuine selves. Invites students to create an imaginative piece that involves experimentation and intellectual risk. Encourages students to mix genres, devise new structures, collaborate, and incorporate other art forms in which they have some expertise.…

Explains how to use checklists as a tool for developing, implementing, and evaluating business writing assignments. Gives an example of their use with memoranda, short reports, and analytical field reports. (SK)

Suggests that having students read and analyze scientific articles gives them an understanding of scientific information as presented in the literature. Describes how after studying classic and recent research articles, students can answer homework questions individually and in groups that stress higher-order thinking. (Author/MM)

To think like a historian, students must select and assess evidence that supports interpretations of the meaning of the past. Three historians focus on aspects of this task and pursue different approaches to teach their students to use evidence. (Contains 2 figures.)

The authors address two informal writing assignments implemented in introductory economics classes. One assignment involves students writing short reflection papers, and the other assignment involves students writing short journal entries for a designated period of time. Both assignments are designed to help students realize that economics is…

The high school students who spent five weeks studying the style and craft of Ernest Hemingway experienced the power and plus points of apprenticeships. Several assignments that helped the high school juniors to analyze Hemingway's work on short stories and learn from this master craftsman are presented.

The debate about what constitutes plagiarism and how it should be dealt with in the academy continues to gain momentum. The response from many higher education institutions is to channel ever-increasing amounts of resources into plagiarism detection technologies, rather than trying to ascertain why plagiarism might be occurring in the first place.…

Describes using the evolution-creation controversy to introduce students to the scientific method by having them write a paper that summarizes arguments used by those who took a viewpoint opposite their own. Results indicate that most students learned about the controversy, focused their views on where they stood, and valued the learning…

Objective: To consider sex roles in public speaking through the conversational style of modern-day political rhetoric. Type of speech: Informative. Point value: 15% of course grade. Requirements: (a) References: 3; (b) Length: 5-7 minutes; (c) Visual aid: No; (d) Outline: Yes; (e) Prerequisite reading: Any biographical information found on the…

This note offers suggestions for using microthemes in diverse classes across the curriculum. Microthemes are short essays (100 to 250 words) that can be used in any class to address any issue. They are so versatile that Ray Smith has called them the "Swiss Army knife of writing assignments" (1) because they have so many applications: they can be…

This study explored psychologists' use of homework with clients in general and specifically for clients with schizophrenia. A survey of 48 Australian psychologists confirmed patterns of homework use found in a New Zealand study of practitioners. Ninety-six percent of the Australian psychologists reported using homework and whilst homework was used…