The 21st century has brought an increasing demand for expertise in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Although strides have been made towards increasing gender diversity in several of these disciplines, engineering remains primarily male dominated. In response, the U.S. educational system has attempted to make engineering…

Presents a fun-filled activity in which students create the perfect Kool-Aid recipe. Incorporates chemistry, cooperative group skills, experimentation, and recording of results. (JRH)

Study findings indicate that ongoing communication and collaboration among teachers play a critical role in promoting successful technology integration and that administrators need to establish ways to facilitate collaborative effort. (six references) (MLF)

The reading program described in this lesson plan supports students' exploration of multiple sources to create a timeline about the life of a person of their choosing and requires students to work together and to research and resolve potentially conflicting pieces of information about the life they research. During three 40-minute lessons,…

Encourages the use of cooperative learning in an eighth grade classroom. Provides copies of four worksheets for classroom teaching. Suggests that cooperative learning groups help establish relationships and improve social skills. Describes group structure; how it maintains and assigns specific roles; and how it promotes independence and…

A model focuses on three levels of observable behaviors that are essential for teachers to demonstrate in small-group learning situations: (1) teacher and student questioning; (2) teacher and student interaction; and (3) teacher monitoring. Five figures are provided for recording observations. (18 references) (MLF)

Describes activities for starting the school year that allow students to begin learning laboratory skills and also gives them a chance to meet and interact with classmates in a relaxed atmosphere. (JRH)

This CD-ROM is a teacher resource for standards-based Algebra 1 in the middle and secondary grades. There are three components on the CD including mathematical content, instructional strategies, and assessment. Components include: (1) video clips of Algebra 1 students; (2) commentaries about each video clip; (3) frequently asked questions and…

The writing program described in this lesson plan guides students to plan an adventure story, write different endings to the story, and create web sites with the parts of the story hyperlinked to each other. During six to eight 50-minute lessons, students will: understand the structure of Choose Your Own Adventure stories; become familiar with the…

This is a prewriting activity for personal memoir or autobiographical writing. Grade 6-8 students brainstorm for important memories, create graphics or symbols for their most important memories, and construct a life map on tag board or construction paper, connecting drawings and captions of high and low points with a highway. During four 50-minute…

Through lively discussions of specially selected texts, students of diverse abilities often discover that they can learn a lot from one another. The Touchstones Project in a Baltimore (Maryland) middle school features group discussion of classical texts. (Author/TE)

Camp Armstrong is a summer program which provides rising sixth grade students with a thorough orientation to their new middle school. Activities develop students' familiarity with the school's physical layout and provide hands-on cooperative learning in academic and recreational subjects. A workshop for parents of rising middle school students is…

Teachers who recognize the value of working together can put their belief into practice through the use of collaboration and cooperative learning methods. Lists 19 characteristics of a well-functioning and collaborative team. (MLF)

Discusses the place of cooperative learning in education and presents mathematics activities for cooperative groups. Concludes with the benefits of using scored discussions in mathematics classrooms. Contains 16 references. (ASK)

"Lights, Camera, Action" is a culminating language arts video activity for middle school students with mild disabilities, designed to integrate reading, writing, listening, speaking, acting, drawing, technical, and time-management skills. The cooperative learning activity resulted in production of a short videotaped program which was later viewed…