Presents lesson plan to be used after introductory lessons on realizing similarities and differences in people. Plan was designed after request from teacher to help deal with children who were putting down others because their physical characteristics were "different." Lesson demonstrates to children that being different is desirable and that…

Contains excerpts from holistic, second grade drama lessons based on a motif common to young children--"A Journey from Home to Confront a Monster." Asserts that this motif can be examined from a fantasy viewpoint with as much power and relevance as from a reality base. Encourages working with others to overcome "monsters" of…

Describes step-by-step procedures for taking apart a disk drive on an Apple microcomputer for a student demonstration. Lesson preparation is discussed, the use of small groups of students is recommended, and suggestions for teaching the lesson are given. (LRW)

Discusses how a secondary school English teacher focuses not on the carefully plotted beginnings and endings of lessons but the middle moments, which surrender first and last things to concentrate on expressions of creative power. (RS)

Examines what is happening in teacher education regarding teaching instructional planning processes, sharing one novice teacher's experiences with instructional planning in the context of secondary-level social-studies student teaching. The story illustrates the complexities involved as student teachers plan for classroom instruction. Four…

Discussion of how student teachers build concrete concepts and defined concepts in telecommunication environments focuses on a study that used the AskERIC database to demonstrate the role of intellectual skills in developing conceptualizations, to compare and contrast elements of a lesson plan, and to define the role of telecommunication in…

Summarizes the victories and hardships in the life of Charles White, an African-American artist who overcame racism in a time embedded with it. Provides a copy of White's drawing "Children Games # 1" along with six lesson plans for grades ranging from 2 through 12. Includes subjects such as visual arts and social studies. (CMK)

Describes a doctoral assignment that uses a genogram format to tract academic lineage and uncover historical themes that continue to influence the student's professional development. Explains how this method can be modified for use with master's level students. Discusses how time consuming the genogram can be and suggests ways faculty can shorten…

Describes The Learning Space, a Seattle-based organization that provides support for classroom teachers by providing a means of communicating and collaborating with other teachers via the World Wide Web. Discusses the Web site that includes classroom lessons and considers growth of the organization to expand to other states. (LRW)

The implications for physical education of the trend toward block scheduling at the middle and high school levels are discussed. Physical educators are urged to see block scheduling as an opportunity. Suggestions for implementing the block schedule include a sample schedule for a 90-minute physical education class. Positive results of block…

Discusses the interaction of several factors that contribute to the success of interdisciplinary teaching teams at the middle school level. Describes importance of planning time, team size, keeping students in teams, designating team areas, and longevity of teaching teams. Considers how these research-based principles can guide the improvement of…

Reports on curricula adjustments after the 1997 Red River Flood forced schools to end the academic year five weeks early. Fifty-seven teachers from five elementary schools in Grand Forks (North Dakota) answered the study questionnaire. Finds that, following the flood, teachers spent more time reviewing material from the previous year and helping…

Introduces an activity involving Orson Welles' radio broadcast of the "War of the Worlds" to teach concepts on planets. Provides a lesson plan for grades 5-8 on "War of the Worlds". (YDS)

Discusses the use of the Internet for teaching Brazilian Portuguese and Latin American Studies. Includes descriptions of 16 self-directed lesson plans, as well as a link for access to download and use any or all of the plans. (Author/VWL)

Considers how to incorporate all the components of early literacy strategies into a daily schedule. Describes what occurs during each component and how routines, centers, a rotation system, and classroom management are incorporated through a balanced schedule. Creates a seamless instructional and thematically based environment where the components…