In this activity, students reinforce an antenna tower made from foam insulation so that it can withstand a 480 N-cm bending moment (torque) and a 280 N-cm twisting moment (torque) with minimal deflection. One class period is used to discuss the problem, run the initial bending and torsion tests, and graph the results. The second class is used for…

Noting that everyday creativity often requires imaginative insight, this book provides opportunities for children and adults to invent and problem solve by confronting puzzling scenarios that invite visual imagination. Each of the 71 activities in the book begins with a scenario that promotes speculative imagination. In the creative- and…

This book explores the development of critical cultural awareness through the process of teaching and learning about foreign cultures. It draws upon theoretical foundations relating to inter- and intra-cultural communication from contemporary philosophical movements, namely critical theory and postmodernism. The study adopts critical pedagogy as…

The materials in this curriculum book provide examples of strategies and resources that can be used to initiate or enhance existing lessons and units in history and social studies. The material can be adapted or modified. The lessons are designed to encourage students to think critically about frontiers in history, conduct research, interpret…

This teacher's packet accompanies the Smithsonian exhibition "The West as America: Reinterpreting Images of the Frontier, 1820-1920." The lessons are intended for grades 10-12 but can be adapted for both elementary and middle school students studying expansion of the U.S. frontier. The five lessons in the packet include: (1) "Heroes…

This paper examines how conceptions regarding the legitimate purposes and day-to-day course of science influence students' evaluations of science in the popular media. The students involved in this project attend a secondary all-girls school. Their concept of science focused on practical, life-enhancing goals pursued through the complex,…

Teaching critical thinking is what employers ask of educators and what teachers expect from their students. This paper attempts to reestablish the importance of critical thinking and how Valencia Community College's (Florida) critical thinking competency can be developed using several teaching models. A discussion is provided on the background of…

This book teaches educators how to expand their teaching abilities, using positive language to get positive results. The book helps teachers focus students on solving problems, not making excuses. Students are taught to develop a solutioning mindset and empowered to create their own successes. Chapter 1, "Pack Your Bags," introduces the…

This paper explores the interactions between preservice and inservice teachers in a non-school setting as a part of the EarthVision 2000 project. The involvement of inservice teachers in teacher education plays an important role in the knowledge of field experiences. Creating a program for the initial preparation of preservice teachers for…

Formal and informal assessment of interdisciplinary courses in learning communities indicate that communicating across disciplines is a problem that can diminish the effectiveness of these courses. A new discipline called the Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI) has been used for 27 years at Maharishi University of Management (Iowa) to…

This paper explains the importance of disposition as an essential aspect of critical thinking and suggests how instruction can be designed to promote learners' development of the dispositional side of critical thinking. Topics addressed include: (1) the dispositional bottleneck between opportunity and action, i.e., sensitivity to occasion; (2)…

This report documents a program for improving science knowledge, attitudes, and higher order thinking skills through experiential science. The hands-on approach used successfully in the program is described, and evidence of student improvement is also presented. The targeted population consisted of students in the first, third, and fourth grades…

This paper examines the mechanics of argumentation, some features of computer conferencing software that might support this teaching and learning method (e.g., strategies for sharing, examining and commenting on various kinds of evidence, threading a conversation, indicating type of message, linking to outside information, highlighting new…

Immediately after the events of September 11, the US was stunned by horror and disbelief, angry at the perpetrators of such awful violence, puzzled by the country's inability to recognize itself in the eyes of the world, and eager to learn more about other cultures from which it felt so alien. Our college campuses reflected this range of…

Offers suggestions on how to ask questions in a teacher/student reading conference, promote professional growth through the use of reading journals, produce a newspaper as a final examination, use modern music to teach reading and writing, and use content area textbooks to teach reading skills. (FL)