Describes a class project conducted by multiethnic, limited English speaking, fifth-grade students. The students produced their own videos as part of lessons they developed about their countries of origin. Maintains that this process increases language and social skills while it develops social studies content. (MJP)

Investigates teachers' interpretation and evaluation of historical documents and the teachers' construction of historical truth. Discovers teachers use a variety of approaches, including comparing historical sources, searching for accuracy, and attempting to discern a narrative or story. Discusses implications of this and poses questions for…

Considers the applications and limitations of supplementing political science instruction with USENET discussion groups. Maintains that the engaging and topical nature of the discussion groups can enhance traditional course materials. Notes, however, that USENET comments often are not indicative of the general public. Briefly discusses reference…

Utilizes selections from 17th century philosophical writing as instructional material for a series of learning activities that reveal the influence of the material on early American democratic thought. Activities involve selections from Isaac Newton, John Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, The Declaration of Independence, and Bishop Bossuet. (MJP)

Examines how new educational technologies can invigorate existing educational communities, facilitate the creation of new educational communities, and interfere with the formation of desired types of educational communities. Focuses on e-mail, listservs and newsgroups, electronic publication, and the World Wide Web, and discusses issues of equity.…

Goals of block building in early childhood classrooms focus on physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development. Reports survey results of the value teachers place on block play. Offers illustrations of task cards to use with blocks in math, language arts, social studies, and science. Discusses guidelines and suggests idea cards and sentence…

Observes the ever-changing relationship between media technology and political coverage and illustrates this through the use of political cartoons. Briefly reviews political reporting from the days of the early republic and hand-printed newspapers to the current era of the Internet. Includes historic cartoons and suggested activities. (MJP)

Lauds the interdisciplinary approach in social studies instruction and specifically recommends a close and cooperative working relationship between high school English and social studies departments. Describes one such relationship, the hurdles overcome during its inception and establishment, and the creation of an interdisciplinary course titled…

Describes the design and implementation of a peer-led sexually transmitted disease/human immunodeficiency virus prevention program for high school students in a dropout prevention program. Pre- and postintervention ratings of peers' effectiveness by teachers and students demonstrated an increase in awareness and discussion and an increase in…

A case study of an elementary school in Hong Kong found students benefit most when provided many opportunities to use information technologies (IT). Teachers' attitudes influence students' attitudes toward IT, and teachers are more likely to use technology if equipment is in the classroom. Improved curriculum and teaching methods will ensure the…

Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf partnered with Carnegie Science Center and Duquesne University and received a grant to provide interactive multimedia in their classrooms. Teachers were trained in integrating technological tools for visual literacy into the curriculum. The creation of Interactive Technology Lab and the success of shared…

Reviews the literature on second language medium of instruction and educational achievement in Kenya using classroom data from English, Kiswahili, and mother tongue mathematics lessons and from lessons where code switching occurred. Argues that regardless of the instructional medium, a transmissional model of teaching and learning predominates.…

Details a series of service learning projects conducted by a California middle school social studies class. Creative, inexpensive, and substantive, the projects included writing to Manuel Noreiga in prison, creating a feed-the-homeless garden, and translating city documents into other languages. (MJP)

Argues that teachers of English as a Second Language should be cautious in using critical thinking pedagogies in the classroom. Notes that critical thinking is a social practice attracting criticism for being exclusive and that skills related to critical thinking are culturally based and do not seem to transfer beyond a narrow instructional…

Explores the usefulness of an alternative writing approach using a spatial-verbal technique called node-link mapping. In this process the student diagrams nodes, which contain key ideas and propositions, and links, which convey relations such as, leads to, part of, and example. Includes diagrams and examples. (MJP)