The driving question for this brief is based on the most common question that teachers, principals, school leaders, coaches, and grant writers ask the Buck Institute for Education (BIE) about Project Based Learning (PBL): What evidence exists that shows the impact of Project Based Learning on student learning in core content areas? Research shows…

Now available in a revised and expanded edition, this accessible guide introduces readers to the issues and controversies surrounding the education of language minority students in the United States. What makes this book a perennial favorite are the succinct descriptions of alternative practices for transforming our schools and students' futures,…

With the 2016 presidential election right around the corner, geography provides a dynamic view of the spatial patterns and processes that shape the electorate. The major presidential campaigns know that a winning strategy must use geography to make informed decisions about where to allocate limited resources such as money and staff. In the end,…

The book "If the World Were a Village," by David J. Smith, is the context for analysing and creating graphs of the world's demographic information. Students examine numerical information regarding the more than six billion world inhabitants by imagining the world's population as 100 people.

The "Census in Schools Educator Update" is sent to educators and educational organizations periodically to keep them informed about current and upcoming census data and to provide ideas about how to use data in the classroom. This issue of the "Census in Schools Educator Update" newsletter includes the following items: (1) Have You Seen the Census…

A classroom practical exercise exploring the reliability of a basic capture-mark-recapture method of population estimation is described using great whale conservation as a starting point. Various teaching resources are made available.

Learning disability is a classification that includes several disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner. Depending on the type and severity of the disability, interventions may be used to help the individual learn strategies that will foster future success. Some interventions can be quite simplistic, while others are…

This document describes how to construct and compare choropleth maps for selected Iowa communities and the construction and use of scatter diagrams as a supplement to map comparisons. These tools can be used to compare social, economic, and political variations between neighborhoods and to determine if associations exist between selected…

This manual offers alternatives to high school sociology teachers who wish to enhance their teaching by moving beyond the traditional lecture approach. Exercises and applications directly involve the students in several areas of sociological research. The chapters have several exercises and applications in addition to student activity sheets.…

EXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) is a non-proprietary, computer language that has many uses. Known primarily as the Extensible Markup Language (XML) for business reporting, XBRL allows entities to report their business information (i.e., financial statements, announcements, etc.) on the Internet and communicate with other entities'…

Suggests that the availability and application of good software for microcomputers enhances college teaching methods. Argues that, in population geography classes, spreadsheet programs are especially useful; they are easy to learn and are well suited for manipulating numbers representing demographic variables. Gives a sample template and macro for…

Aging is often thought of as an essentially biological process and therefore a matter for the natural sciences, but that notion constitutes a very narrow view of aging. The longevity revolution of the past century and how it affects each individual and all societies can only be understood if we also draw on the social sciences. When the young…

Describes a course based on the interdisciplinary approach to demography linked to environmental issues. Analytic and interpretive skills are an integral element in the study of population-related problems. Points out that the interdisciplinary approach maintains demographic literacy while analyzing population problems. (SLM)

This teaching supplement is designed to help teachers teach their students about diversity in the United States. Ideas about diversity are reinforced with statistical data from the 1990 Census. Unit 1 provides six consecutive lessons for elementary school. These focus on the diversity of the United States and recognizing that diversity exists…

Presents secondary lessons on population growth and the social factors that influence it. Provides a simulation scenario in which students decide whether or not to raise the marital age or develop other population control policies. Includes charts, cartoons, and student work sheets. (CFR)