One creative way that elementary science educators can teach their students about animal communication is to give them glow sticks and a set of cards with descriptions of what different firefly flash signals mean. The paper describes such a project and presents related activities. (SM)

Applied academics is the watchword in several West Virginia secondary schools. Instead of sitting in classrooms, junior high students are measuring floor tiles, estimating stadium seating capacity, or launching models to study acceleration; high school students are creating a complicated model-railroad layout and a computer-controlled system to…

In the nation's capital, 53 schools are participating in the Comer School Development Program, which sponsors meaningful, engaging activities involving students, parents, and community members. The Comer framework comprises three school governance mechanisms (the school development team, the parent program, and the mental health team), three…

Overviews articles in this issue that focus on the current status of adventure therapy and describe efforts aimed at defining a framework for conceptualizing adventure therapy. Notes changes in the field, including introduction of state laws requiring licensure of programs, the drive for program accreditation, and growing training opportunities in…

Describes one kindergarten classroom's experience creating a rock and fossils museum exhibit and the excitement and learning that occurred when the children become directly involved in the project. Using the framework of the project approach, math, science, art, writing, and social studies content areas were involved. (ET)

Learning activities related to visiting a salad bar can help students apply basic nutrition concepts to real-life situations and make healthier choices at restaurants and in food preparation. The paper describes a class activity involving students in setting up a salad bar, making choices among ingredients and dressings, and taking home leftovers.…

Environmental education is best pursued through concrete interaction with nature rather than by importing classroom materials to the outdoors. Plants and animals provide living illustrations of fundamental concepts, and items found in nature can be used to demonstrate learning in ingenious ways. (JW)

The Rindge School's innovative curriculum is based on the following principles: the importance of academic knowledge in technical training; teaching of all aspects of an industry; student participation in community development projects; and interdisciplinary courses, career pathways, and internships. (SK)

Connecting students to reading and writing means connecting them to real-world readers and writers. Writers' Day at one Pennsylvania middle school was established to bring regular working professionals (not authors or poets) from the community to school to share how writing is used in their professional and personal lives. All participants…

The subsistence living and rich culture of the Gwich'in Indians in Arctic Village, Alaska, depends upon the yearly return of the caribou to their wintering grounds. In this remote village, elders often conduct classes outdoors for the village children who learn to trap, fish, hunt, and dig ground root. (KS)

Reviews the rationale for the use of simulation and game exercises as part of counselor education programs. Counselor competencies in the areas of knowledge, skills, and self-awareness are discussed; and the use of experience-based learning activities is explained, including the debriefing stage. (Contains three references.) (LRW)

Improvisation teaches students that they have the power to create. Drama can be a rehearsal for life, where students learn from successes and mistakes. Topics for improvisation can relate directly to class work or stimulate discussion of new topics. The article examines three steps for teaching improvisation (verbalization, visualization, and…

The first part describes Project HIP-HOP (Highways into the Past: Organizing and Power), in which Boston students visited key sites of the civil rights movement and learned about nonviolence from participants. In the second part, a student describes what he learned about racism and activism. (SK)

Examined the effects of tutoring on college students' ability to learn a computer programming language in order to characterize effective tutor behaviors. Found that successful tutors took a very active role in leading problem-solving by offering confirmatory feedback and additional guidance while students were on profitable paths and error…

The emphasis of this field study is on the management of natural resources with the specific goal of multiple-use management for a selected woodlot. Working in small groups, students observe, identify, and measure various characteristics of the forest in order to generate a management plan. (LZ)