Ten specific activities aimed at studying soil in a vacant lot are presented along with a discussion of necessary/useful equipment and an expemplary lesson plan. (JC)

Presents four universal game grids, which may be used to help junior high students learn various kinds of information. Describes the kinds of games which can be played with each grid and includes a sample drawing of the grid's lay-out. (JDH)

Presents five day teaching unit on Michigan's experience with Principal Meridian and Base Line, attempting to focus on reality instead of ideal situations. Especially applicable in areas where rectangular land survey is employed, the unit focuses on the evolution of prime lines and the reading of surveyors' field notes. Provides for a field…

Argues that there is a direct relationship between a teacher's conception of lesson planning and the quality of experiences the teacher provides for students in the classroom. Describes a framework for engaging in the kind of lesson planning which will lead to more successful teaching. (GEA)

Presents a strategy designed to help secondary students better understand the work of lawyers and think critically about their role. To be used by a classroom teacher alone, or with a visiting lawyer, the lesson discusses the duty of confidentiality and examines the 1973 New York "Case of the Missing Bodies." (GEA)

Offers a lesson plan to introduce students in grades K-3 to abstract art. Uses Frank Stella's painting "Hockenheim" as the basis for the lesson. Includes background information on the painting and the artist, instructional strategies, and student evaluation criteria. (GEA)

Introducing this issue of lesson plans, the author states that teaching about the U.S. Constitution is a great challenge because students with varied reading levels and intellectual maturity must develop an understanding and appreciation of the complex philosophical and legal principles that underlie the whole of U.S. society. Recommends use of…

Presents a lesson designed to teach students about the period of Salutary Neglect (100 years before the French and Indian Wars) and its effects on later historical events. Provides an advance organizer which puts students in a situation of salutary neglect and includes student and teacher resources on the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the…

Contributors present (1) a tactical approach to paragraph patterns and comprehension that can be used on all grade levels, (2) three objectives of an instructional framework, and (3) a plan consisting of two sequential hour-long lessons that are elaborated. (JK)

This article describes the modern-day equivalent prices of items Captain John Smith required for colonists traveling from England to Virginia in 1624. Includes information on wages and cost of living in 1624 and today in the United States. Concludes that the colonists paid a high price for traveling to the New World. (JDH)

This article describes the development process and products of a two-year project designed to improve basic skills instruction in existing secondary social studies courses. Includes a sample lesson plan and student handouts. (JDH)

Because of the diverse approaches to the supervision of student teachers, the purpose of this article is to identify the basic roles of the cooperating teacher and outline a systematic approach for supervising student teachers. This approach, called clinical teaching analysis, is discussed at length. (CT)

Secondary social studies students analyze and discuss a case study dealing with free trade in this lesson requiring one class period. (RM)

Presents a sample population education lesson plan from China. Included with the lesson, which focuses on quality of life and socialist modernization, are objectives, instructional strategies, list of materials needed, evaluation methods, and sample test items. (JN)

Discusses the following five ways that substitute teachers can enhance their own effectiveness and control in the classroom: (1) expect the unexpected; (2) use available people as resources, including staff and students; (3) improvise relevantly in the classroom; (4) use technology; (5) enforce disciplinary measures promptly. (PGD)