In 1993 Lake Agassiz School in North Dakota received a Knight Foundation grant so teachers and students could participate in a program to learn how to create an opera. The program instructed teachers on how students could maximize their understanding about producing an opera. The school formed a partnership with the Metropolitan Opera Guild of New…

Briefly lists the opinions of 15 experts in middle school education about what makes a good middle school. (JM)

Provides some time-saving and purposeful evaluation strategies that can be used with various writing projects and reports. Explains 10 hints directed toward what to do while the student is still writing and 5 hints for grading writing. (11 references) (MLF)

This book presents science fiction readers theatre scripts for use with grades 4 through 8. The introduction provides information on what readers theatre is and its value, as well as presentation suggestions (e.g., preparing scripts, staging, props, delivery, and post-presentation). Each script includes staging directions and ideas for learning…

"Teaching Ten to Fourteen Year Olds," by Chris Stevenson, describes the author's odyssey as a teacher. Although scholarly and well researched, the book is filled with stories and anecdotes. Many of the teaching strategies are explained in detail. (MLF)

Art teachers at the middle school or junior high school level usually find themselves in a program teaching ceramics. The most essential tools needed for a ceramics class are discussed. Different kinds of clay are also discussed. (RM)

At the turn of the 19th century, the United States was a rapidly growing nation. When the United States acquired territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, the job of maintaining open sea lanes fell to the U.S. Navy. To maintain a strong and well-trained force, the Navy needed to attract personnel to work onboard their ships. It used…

Identifies an instrument for measuring learning styles and explains how its usage can help teachers review and improve instructional procedures. (MLF)

The author proposes a design for science instruction in the middle school years, ages 9-13. (SJL)

Research findings show that mathematics is better learned by students experiencing it through manipulatives. However, interviews with 30 teachers of fourth through eighth grades reveal that many teachers were uncertain of how to use the manipulatives and felt manipulative instruction to be inappropriate for students above the fourth grade. (eight…

Discusses the use of primary resources in the teaching of middle school social studies. Describes a lesson in which students were given a copy of the Declaration of Independence, written in everyday language, and were asked to discuss and evaluate it. Suggests another activity based on Thomas Jefferson's writings. (SG)

Results of a recent study indicate that, when students write about relevant, personal experiences prior to reading a literary text, their understanding and engagement in the text are significantly improved. Recommends autobiographical writing before a reading assignment. (22 references) (MLF)

Challenges middle school teachers to broaden their definitions of both families and the roles that families can play in enhancing middle school effectiveness. Outlines six steps, supported by research from education and business, for recruiting families for middle schools. (15 references) (MLF)

This document discusses the use of process induction and the proactive action model to teach research skills across the social studies curriculum. Process induction is the ability of an individual to transfer schema related knowledge and skills to other situations and settings, to use knowledge and process skills in new and diverse instances to…

Independent study for gifted and talented middle-level students progresses through five stages, from the affective sensing of a problem to be solved through assessing both product and process. J. Renzulli's Enrichment Triad model can serve as a framework for independent study, which must be carefully structured and guided. (CL)