The novels of Robert Lipsyte are excellent for use in a middle school or secondary school classroom. His 1967 classic, "The Contender," and its sequel, "The Brave," are both strong on characterization, plot, and theme. Focusing on "The Contender," students can explore contending characters, forces, and themes. Related…

The study examined the behaviors of educable mentally handicapped (EMH) children in repairing their utterances when their listener requests clarification. Subjects were 10 EMH children, aged 11-13, with mental-aged matched controls. Repair behaviors were elicited using a picture description and matching game with a barrier between the subject and…

The 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas has raised a debate over how historians and teachers should portray this moment in history. Some view Columbus as a hero whose courage helped to provide a foundation for modern civilization in the Americas, while others see him as a villain who exploited indigenous people and…

Developed for fifth graders studying United States history, this lesson addresses the following National Council for the Social Studies thematic strands: Time, Continuity, and Change; People, Places, and Environments; Individual Development and Identity; Individuals, Groups, and Institutions; Power, Authority, and Governance; Production,…

One important finding from recent research on multiplication word problems is that children's performances are strongly affected by the nature of the multiplier (whether it is an integer, decimal larger than 1 or a decimal smaller than 1). On the other hand, the size of the multiplicand has little or no effect on problem difficulty. The aim of the…

A study was conducted to evaluate the level of difficulty of textbooks (French and Sciences) written in French for use with sixth grade students. A cloze test was administered to a sample of sixth grade students in two francophone districts in the province of New Brunswick, Canada, and the Henry readability formula was applied to the same texts.…

Learning magic tricks permits behaviorally and emotionally handicapped children to become magicians in the eyes of adults, their peers, and themselves. The self-contained classes of handicapped boys in grades 3 through 6 have put on numerous magic shows since 1984. Program objectives include building self-esteem, teaching team cooperation,…

This paper presents an introductory lesson for elementary learners to construct ideas about how print began and about the media upon which it was recorded. In the lesson's introduction, students examine the present state and constant flow of print to which people are exposed, focusing primarily on the technology of the computer. Students examine…

This document is a conference presentation on the use of portfolios as an evaluation tool for middle school music students. All of the pages are suitable for use with an overhead projector. Areas covered include reasons for teaching the arts as both an intellectual discipline and vocational education; Illinois state goals for musical learning for…

This set of lesson plans incorporates teaching the five themes of geography in using the novel, "The Pearl," by John Steinbeck. Questions about the novel are related to the themes of location, place, regions, relationships within place, and movement of peoples. One section has an annotated bibliography with other literature selections…

Because students should not only know stories about the past, but also understand the interpretive nature of historians' work, this study sought to discover whether instruction can develop elementary students' ability to engage in some aspects of historical interpretation. The study focused on fifth grade students. The research consisted of direct…

The design of a methods course offered at Georgia State University to prepare social studies teachers for dealing with controversial issues in the middle school or secondary social studies classroom is presented. The course focuses on identification, selection, an analysis of an issue as well as the requirement that the student develop some method…

This teachers' guide responds to some of the more frequently asked questions about teaching and evaluating from Kindergarten through Grade 5. The document is a synthesis of the current research on writing and applies this information to the teaching of writing in the classroom. It is comprehensive in nature and addresses such subjects as…

Gifted students in grades 6-8 were divided into two experimental groups, one receiving traditional creative problem-solving training and the other receiving creative problem-solving with transfer strategies infused; there was also a control group receiving training in various memory tasks, analogical skills, and logic exercises. After the…

A qualitative study was undertaken to create lesson plans that integrate science and social studies with the hope that teachers will expand them and incorporate them into their curricula. An instructional package of lesson plans that teachers can use to integrate the science and social studies curriculum was devised. The "Mississippi State…