Students in the intermediate grades love to talk--but not necessarily about making sense of what they are learning. How do teachers design classrooms that cultivate productive discourse? How do they get out of the way and teach children to learn? First, let's give them something to talk about. Second, teachers need to teach them how to engage in…

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. In this issue the authors discuss a design project they have used with upper elementary students (grades 4-6). They note ways to engage students in thinking philosophically about technology to meet engineering design outcomes in the "Next Generation Science…

Cardiovascular fitness is an important aspect of overall fitness, health, and wellness, and running can be an excellent lifetime physical activity. One of the most simple and effective means of exercise, running raises heart rate in a short amount of time and can be done with little to no cost for equipment. There are many benefits to running,…

An after-school enrichment activity offered to sixth-grade students gave a group of 10 students an opportunity to explore the effects of the California drought in their community using an engaging scientific device: the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). Although this activity was specifically designed for a small after-school enrichment group, it…

Vocabulary knowledge is key to comprehension and expression. For students in the intermediate grades, the need for breadth and depth of vocabulary accelerates as they encounter more challenging academic texts in print and on the Internet. Drawing on research-based principles of vocabulary instruction and multimedia learning, this article presents…

In this article, the author shares how she develops a curriculum that allows many creative opportunities and builds on the art vocabulary of her fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students. She calls this year-long curriculum "Art A to Z." At the start of the year, she gives a project packet to each student in each class. Each page represents a…

The author describes methods for using picture books to teach geography in middle school. Introducing students to geographic regions through narrative and visual text can provide background information about the area, stimulate student interest in the culture, and facilitate student comprehension of geographic concepts. The author provides…

It is easy for intermediate students to get the wrong ideas about the purpose of reading. Educators pay so much attention to decoding and fluency in the early years that children sometimes come to believe that flawless and rapid word recognition is the point. As texts get more demanding or unfamiliar, some of the "good readers" in classes begin to…

A teacher describes how photographs of projects, holidays, science fairs, and special reports encourage students. Tips on how to incorporate photography in the classroom are included. Companies to contact as resources are listed. (JL)

Presents a critical thinking unit designed to teach students in grades 4-6 to identify propaganda techniques in advertising and to create and evaluate original advertisements. Objectives, directions, and a series of five activities are outlined. Various propaganda techniques are defined. (MES)

A good way to introduce students to the subject of peace and friendship is to celebrate the International Day of Peace. Activities in language arts, media/drama, physical education, art/music, social studies, and science/math are suggested. A list of resources concludes the article. (MT)

Describes a class activity designed to teach students in grades five and six the importance of using an encyclopedia index. (MES)

Several activities covering garbage and its disposal, decay and composting, recycling, and environmental action are suggested. A reproducible page is included. (MT)

A running program to increase the cardiovascular fitness levels of fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade children is described. Discussed are the running environment, implementation of a running program, feedback, and reinforcement. (MT)

Music programs can provide children with positive experiences with senior citizens. Described is a program in which fifth graders sang in a chorus with senior citizens at the latters' monthly luncheon meeting. (RM)