California State Standard 7.8 is delineated in the following manner: "Students analyze the origins, accomplishments, and diffusion of the Renaissance," in terms of the way in which the revival of classical learning and the arts affected a new interest in humanism; the importance of Florence in the early stages of the Renaissance and the…

Middle-level teachers, librarians, and media specialists can use this book to meet current English language arts and technology standards and to prepare students to be literate citizens in the 21st century. Additional teaching tools include timelines of classroom events, reproducible rubrics for assessing curriculum units, suggested Web resources,…

The Statue of Liberty, which stands in Upper New York Bay, is a universal symbol of freedom. A gift from France, it originally was conceived as an emblem of the friendship between the people of France and the United States. It has become much more, symbolizing the Mother of Exiles, greeting the millions of immigrants and embodying hope and…

The three guides in the new Information Literacy Toolkit Series can help school library media specialists and teachers to promote and teach information literacy skills to young library users and to: collaborate in curriculum planning so that students will develop a cohesive skill set; teach the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that…

As the United States approaches the bicentennial of the Meriwether Lewis and William Clark expedition, it is critical to embark on a voyage of recovery to help restore the Missouri River to some of its original prominence and splendor. The mission of the Missouri River Project is to emphasize the role of the Missouri River in the physical…

This 18-minute VHS videotape introduces Data in a Day (DD), a tool that brings parents, teachers, and students together as researchers to collect and analyze data about their school. It shows scenes of DD being used in diverse school settings (elementary, secondary, dual-language, rural, urban, and suburban) as a way for a broad segment of the…

This book presents a collection of essays on building collaborative communities in which democratic principles of education may be recognized, focusing on learning and teaching through inquiry. After (1) "The Development of a Community of Inquirers" (Gordon Wells), there are three parts. Part 1, "Inquiries in the Elementary…

This teaching unit, "Settlement Unit,"which focuses on the settlement of Alabama's land, is the second in a series of 10 units about Alabama state history, part of a project designed to help teachers integrate the use of primary source materials into their classrooms. Although the units are designed to augment the study of Alabama, they…

Grounded in the premise that students can learn about the world, nurture the impulse to care about others, and still meet required educational standards, this book outlines a middle school curriculum in which students can learn to identify with, investigate, and then act on social issues. It offers teachers the following resources: an extended…

This publication provides administrative, management, supervisory guidance, and other information necessary for successful conduct and support of grades 7-12 science symposia. Originally the text was developed as the operations manual for the Pacific Region Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (PJSHS). It contains information necessary to…

Arizona's archives, libraries, and museums contain a wealth of source material that can be applied to local, regional, and national topics pertaining to the 2003 National History Day theme, rights and responsibilities. Repositories from around the state share ideas and resources that are available to National History Day students. So that…

"The Merchant of Venice," even in its own time, was considered William Shakespeare's most controversial play. Now, one of the most popular read and performed works, the play raises even more important issues for today, particularly anti-Semitism and the treatment of Jews. The analysis of the play in this casebook helps students interpret…

Although an Australian educator had taught isolated aspects of functional grammar for a number of years, she felt that she had not put enough energy into building field (topic) knowledge. With the unit featured in this PEN Digest she aims to focus on building a quite extensive knowledge of the topic--snakes. According to the Digest, the educator…

The I-Search is an inquiry-based process that compels students to move away from the traditional research report format in which they restate old information, empowering them and bringing out their curiosity and love of learning while laying a foundation for building a community of lifelong learners. Using the I-Search process, children move from…

The Eco School information pack contains 10 sections outlining specific school areas that can be assessed by students for meeting the needs of all its users, the extent to which these areas use and abuse environmental resources, and the aesthetic contribution they make to the locality. Using this initial research, the document helps students…