Summer programs that experiment with combining media literacy and social-emotional learning can potentially affect students' academic performance. Based on a six-week program, working with rising eighth grade students in a low-income school district, this program allowed students to work on media projects while trying to develop stronger…

Amargosa Valley School in Nevada could be considered representative of almost any preK-8 school that serves a large proportion of socioeconomically disadvantaged students and is focused on turning around persistently low achievement. Like other schools supported by federal School Improvement Grants, Amargosa is beginning to implement a reform plan…

In this art activity, eighth grade students use charcoal to draw space art. This versatile medium helps the students see and use dark and light in their forms to show real space and depth. (RM)

Eighth graders made prints of their own faces, using photographic papers and chemicals. Describes the supplies needed and the printing process involved. Because junior high school students are so concerned with self, this was a very meaningful activity for them. (CS)

Discusses how the use of pupil-created political cartoons has put some color and excitement back into a 9th grade world cultures course. (RM)

The Louisiana Department of Education produces two curriculum guides for use in teaching Louisiana Studies at the eighth grade level. Very little information on Louisiana architecture is included. The Division of Historic Preservation proposed and obtained funds for a cooperative project between themselves and the Department of Education that…

An intensive five-day all-day humanities course on 18th century thought and culture for eighth graders that involved 11 different departments is described. The course helped students recognize that what they were taught in one class could reinforce and illuminate what they were learning in another course. (RM)

The importance of active student involvement is stressed in this discussion of a competency-based approach to career exploration. Five steps used in developing a one-semester, eighth-grade business exploration course are presented and described. Methods of teaching such a unit and advantages to this approach are discussed. (CT)

In this project, eighth grade students are exposed to black history, literature, music, and art to enhance the understanding of diversity and to establish an atmosphere of tolerance for diversity. Students are asked to choose a personality or significant historical event to research and present to the class. They focus on issues such as prejudice,…

Described is a unit of study entitled "Where Would I Like To Live?" that develops student insight into geographic relationships among the physical, cultural, and imaginary worlds. It is intended for use in an eighth-grade world geography course. (RM)

A eighth-grade environmental hazards unit is described. Includes unit objectives, typical activities, and a taxonomy of environmental hazards. Indicates that the unit helps develop skills in thinking critically and helps in clarifying environmental values by examining three major traditions of American environmentalism: biocentric, ecological, and…

Describes how semantic mapping and semantic features analysis were used to teach reading skills and social studies in two eighth grade classes. In mapping the word "transportation," students listed examples of and relationships between vehicles, fuel, and place concepts. In the semantic features analysis, they compared characteristics of…

Describes an activity in which eighth graders explored color relationships in art. Students selected their favorite pieces of art work, redrew and redesigned the artists' composition, and then painted them using completely different color schemes. Student confidence in their own artistic judgment and capabilities increased. (AM)

Eighth-grade students were asked to produce two faces as a sculptural self-portrait series. The faces were to show a change in mood through modifications of expression. After construction, the facial shells were to be painted with a design which would both enhance and unite the expressions. (RM)

One way to stimulate student interest in world geography is to use a future time as a springboard to the past. This approach looks backwards and focuses upon available evidence for the existence of recently discovered lands. A unit is described. (RM)