Based on Louise Rosenblatt's transactional theory of reader response, the studies collected in this book present findings and recommendations that contribute to the understanding of how children create meaning from stories, how they acquire literacy skills to express that meaning, and what role educators play in these literary processes. The book…

This book, part of a series which serve as guides for K-12 teachers who are striving to align lively, classroom-tested practices with standards, gathers together brief articles spotlighting instructional suggestions. The book begins with overviews of the key component of fiction, with special emphasis on character. It then continues with a section…

This book is the third volume in a series that challenges all Catholic educators to create a dialogue on the future of Catholic elementary/middle schools. The volume's 18 essays were written by members of the 1998 National Catholic Elementary/Middle School Principals Academy. Some of these brief chapters provide a vision of what a Catholic school…

This collection of lessons about the geography, languages, and social issues of several African countries is intended for use with students in grades 6-12. The collection contains five lesson plans: (1) "Africa Physically" (Mark Stahl); (2) "Comparisons of Education in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Oklahoma" (Rita Geiger) (Handout…

This collection of lessons about the geography, languages, and social issues of several Latin American countries is intended for use with students in grades 6-12. The collection contains five lesson plans: (1) "Cold in the Tropics?" (Marilyn Kesler); (2) "Going beyond the Map: Comparing Geographic Characteristics and Related Social…

This volume discusses factors that affect struggling readers in grades 7-12 and provides research-based strategies for improving their reading and writing skills. Chapters examine why some adolescents have trouble achieving reading proficiency, describe school-wide policies and programs that support literacy, and suggest age-appropriate classroom…

Learning related to music is considered a developmental process in this collection of five articles on music education for young learners. The first article considers music in terms of the educational process and the nature of art. The importance of musical concepts and structures to understanding music is emphasized, as is the role of music in…

This book is divided into four parts, each focusing on an important aspect of evaluating, selecting, or using nonfiction books in the classroom. Under Part I--Choosing Quality Nonfiction Literature: Evaluation and Selection--are the following chapters: (1) "Nonfiction Books for Children: New Directions, New Challenges" (Susan Hepler);…

This collection of teaching units were selected from materials developed during the Operation Pathfinder Institutes (OPI) which took place in the Pacific region between 1994 and 1999. The institutes were intended to provide upper elementary and middle school science teachers with an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the marine…

This book, part of a series which serve as guides for K-12 teachers who are striving to align lively, classroom-tested practices with standards, gathers together brief articles spotlighting suggestions for effective instruction. The organization and the contents of this book on motivating writing suggest an intriguing profile of how middle school…

This book, a collection of essays on teaching, first explains the theoretical foundations of a collaborative, integrated, literature-based curriculum, and then links the theory to real-life accounts in individual chapters. The book shows how to put theory into practice by selecting appropriate books, creating an interactive classroom environment,…

This book tells the story of two African-centered schools, an elementary school and a middle school, in an urban public school system. Both schools were originally conceived as "all male academies," but legal and political obstacles caused both to become coeducational, although still African-centered. The factors that affected the…

This collection of papers brings together two lines of research about children's knowledge in physical education, one from the University of Massachusetts and the other from the University of Alabama. Both sets of research studies are grounded in a learning orientation, with researchers believing in the importance of studying children's knowledge…

These lessons were developed by participants in a 1986 Fulbright Group Project Abroad sponsored by the East Asia Resource Center at the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington. The lessons were developed cooperatively and are aimed at the middle school student. Lessons include: (1) "The Qin Dynasty" (Marte…

Seven series of newspaper articles on effective elementary and secondary schools are presented. A brief foreword explains the theme of the articles--identifying what makes good schools work. The seven sets of articles include the following: (1) "Middle Schools: How They Change the Lives of Students in Montana," by Mea Andrews; (2) "How High…