Each of the seven chapters in this guide presents current research with practical applications for the middle-level teacher and integrates these instructional approaches with the developmental needs of the young adolescent. After a foreword by David H. Reilly, chapter 1 provides a general overview of current cognitive research and its…

Noting that young adolescents have unique needs and interests that require understanding to better serve adolescents both academically and personally, this book is a professional's guide to working with middle school students. The first chapter lays the foundation for the book by describing who the middle school student is and the nature of young…

This textbook introduces teachers to the world of social studies teaching and learning in elementary and middle schools. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1, "Orientation to Social Studies Education," consists of sections (1) "Social Studies Education: What and Why?" and (2) "The Children We Teach." Part 2, "The Social Studies…

This user's guide presents an interdisciplinary teaching approach for middle school instruction in the area of African-American history. It emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity and the need for tolerance to allow students to see racial harmony as a step to global peace. The guide is divided into four sections that encompass…

This textbook is designed to help beginning middle level teachers develop teaching philosophies, behaviors, and skills relevant to effective instruction. The eight chapters include the following: (1) Origins and Essential Elements of Middle Level Schools (junior high schools and middle schools); (2) Essential Characteristics of Middle Level…

This volume contains personal reflections by four teachers in Texas on their year-long Trinity University intern teaching experience at Mark Twain Middle School, an urban professional development school in San Antonio. Part 1 by Corinne McKamey, "To understand teaching you have to be there, engrossed in the human interactions," is a…

This book presents an integrative model that teachers at the middle school and high school levels can use to encourage performance breakthroughs for students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. Chapter 1 sets the stage by describing how learning difficulties, attention problems, and adolescence challenge students, and gives…

Involvement in student activities has many advantages for the middle level student. Such activities promote achievement, citizenship, and service to the community while developing self-esteem, self-confidence, and social cooperation. This book is intended as a tool for middle level schools to motivate, develop, guide, involve, and provide middle…

Using reading and writing to learn, inquire, construct, and examine ideas across the curriculum is central to an integrated curriculum. Too many middle school students do not view writing as a communication process that permeates the curriculum, nor reading as an active, constructivist process whereby various perspectives can be examined and…

Intended for middle school instructors or teacher education students in middle school methods courses, this guide provides a practical, concise, criterion-referenced, performance-based mastery learning model for effective teaching. The guide is organized around four components: why the rationale to support the components that follow; what the…

This book was written to fill the gap between educational theory and classroom reality which comes from the spectator learning experience in many teacher education programs. Chapters contain activities and readings to facilitate the action and reflection process. Part 1: "The Students," includes chapters entitled:(1) "Childhood into Adolescence";…

This critical ethnographic study examines the discourse systems experienced by three migrant fifth-grade boys during an apple harvest season in south-central Pennsylvania. Numerous examples reveal the discourse collisions facing these boys, whose home language and culture did not reflect the mainstream, and how dominant mainstream discourses…

Noting that young adolescents--around 10 to 15 years of age--undergo significant emotional, social, intellectual, and physical changes, this book serves as a reference for parents, educators, and policymakers concerned with education that meets the unique needs of the student population. The five sections of the book cover the historical and…

Drama and role playing are effective ways for teachers, school counselors, and other individuals who work with young people to teach and discuss sensitive issues. The eight plays in this publication are designed to help middle school students develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, and logical decision-making skills. The eight scripts use a…

This book provides a guide for English language arts teachers in grades 6-12, demonstrating how students learn and how beliefs inform behavior. It promotes a student-centered and inquiry-based teaching philosophy. Seven chapters focus on: (1) "Education Begins with Philosophy" (e.g., belief shapes perception, curriculum in traditional and…