Mentoring and support of beginning teachers is a key element of reducing teacher attrition. Most schools have implemented an induction program with assigned mentors for inexperienced teachers. However, the problem of attrition begins before the induction year of teaching, given that many certified teachers never enter a classroom. This…

Describes the writing experiences of a group of gifted fifth and sixth grade students in the Active Learning Experiences in Resourceful Thinking (ALERT) program in Abilene, Texas. (HTH)

Describes an art activity used with sixth-grade students that was inspired by the work of Wassily Kandinsky and also teaches students about rock art by American Indians living in Texas. Explains that the students learn to use both contemporary and primitive art when creating their "Petroglyph People." (CMK)

This booklet comprises the sixth grade component of a series of curriculum guides on fire and burn prevention. Designed to meet the age-specific needs of sixth grade students, its objectives include: (1) developing a comprehensive understanding of fire physics, (2) evaluating electrical hazards and how to respond to those hazards, and (3)…

Results of a survey using norm referenced tests of reading and mathematics for a large sample of sixth grade students throughout Texas are reported in detail. Statewide results are reported in terms of percentile ranks of average partial and total scores and in the percentage of students in each quarter of the norms. For each of 20 districts in…

This paper describes a cooperative effort, part of a school/university partnership between the Graduate School of Education and the School of Information and Library Studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo, in which a core curriculum was developed and coordinated in library research skills and information technology for two…

The Texas School Survey of Substance Abuse, which has been administered twice, and which covered grades seven through twelve, was expanded for the 1990 survey to encompass grades four to six. The students were surveyed on their use of tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, and marijuana. The most widely used substances were alcohol and tobacco, with…

This curriculum guide for Fort Worth schools covers grade 6 social studies, Texas history/geography, United States history/citizenship, pointers on how to study, and cultural studies. The guide includes the following materials: a statement of philosophy and broad goals for each content area; objectives organized around broad content goals or…

In 1995, rather than require seventh-grade computer literacy classes, Texas allowed school districts to integrate technology skills into curricula. This article, the first of three, describes technology integration for sixth grade. Includes unit ideas on nations; the Holocaust; Olympic diving; Christmas; probability; organisms; Antarctica;…

The Write for Your Life project allows students to examine life events that affect their health and well-being by creating spaces for them to inquire into the circumstances of their lives. This paper examines Write for Your Life in a Texas middle school with a diverse student population, focusing on three students' writing projects. (SM)