This article describes how fifth grade students participated in a place-based environmental education initiative in West Michigan that supports teachers who want to involve their students in citizen science by protecting local water resources. Every year, Groundswell works with about 100 teachers at 30 schools to engage students in citizen science…

Habits of inquiry should be nurtured as early as possible. Elementary students must be challenged to ask good questions and develop inquiring attitudes. As a science teacher, educator, professional developer, and science program reviewer, the author has often observed that the default is to use "good" science investigations from…

Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas in Peru, was recently voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Also in Peru are the mysterious Nazca Lines--a humming bird, a spider, and trapezoids--which are etched in the desert so large they can only be seen from an airplane. The author experienced some of these places recently when he and his…

The digital age has transformed how work is done in science, health care, the law, journalism, international relations, education, environmental conservation, agriculture, and engineering. To prepare students to thrive in today's society, teachers need to know more about how technologies are used in disciplines and workplaces, and--most…

The authors describe how three elementary teachers working in very different parts of the United States teach about Mexico. These teachers' practices allow them to enhance the traditional social studies curriculum, help children learn about themselves and other people, and increase children's capacities for global citizenship. (Contains 1 figure.)

The authors--a second grade classroom teacher and a university professor of education--decided to collaborate. Melanie wanted to find out if she could help her students increase their reading and writing comprehension by presenting a sequence of events in an activity (for example, the steps in building a house) and then have the students write the…

This instructional packet is one of 14 school environmental education programs developed for use in the classroom and at the Dahlem Environmental Education Center (DEEC) of the Jackson Community College (Michigan). Provided in the packet are pre-trip activities, field trip activities, and post-trip activities which focus on the natural history of…

A Michigan State University committee examined major problems and issues confronting precollege science educators at national and state levels. A summary of these problems and issues is presented, along with specific recommendations for action in the state of Michigan. (JN)

These outlines of core curriculum outcomes for elementary social studies in grades K-3 in Michigan include each of the following areas for each grade level: core curriculum knowledge outcomes, core curriculum skill outcomes, core curriculum democratic values outcomes, and core curriculum civic participation outcomes. For each individual outcome…

This document is designed to assist administrators and teachers in planning, developing, and implementing grades K-9 mathematics programs and to provide some guidelines for grades 10-12 instruction. It is intended to provide a philosophical foundation and curricular framework from which educators may construct a comprehensive local program to meet…

Prior to a curriculum unit on Native Americans in a U.S. history course, three classes of fifth graders stated what they knew or believed they knew about these people and what they wanted to learn about them. After the unit, they reported what they had learned. In addition, a stratified sample of 10 students was interviewed concerning the details…

Using three instances from elementary school teaching experience, the paper examines the ways in which subject matter knowledge influences pedagogical thinking. It is proposed that subject matter knowledge creates two major problems for teachers. First, it results in an explosion of the curricular landscape, for if teachers know subject matter…

This document aims to assist teachers, curriculum specialists, and other educators in their endeavors to improve their K-12 mathematics education programs. This is a companion document to the "Michigan Essential Goals and Objectives for Mathematics Education." The document illustrates the integration of mathematical content with process…

This resource catalog is designed to enable teachers and other educators to identify environmental education resources available in Michigan including organizations, interpretive facilities, travelling naturalists, major and minor curriculum materials, publications, workshops, and conferences. The resources listed and described in this guide are…

One component of the Reading Plan for Michigan is to develop and implement methods of assessing children's progress in acquiring early literacy skills and of communicating their status and progress to other teachers and parents. This document presents an assessment and instructional system, the Michigan Literacy Progress Profile 2001 (MLPP 2001),…