This digest discusses the formal and informal processes of moral character development through sport in light of the types of programs that have shown to improve moral character, sportsmanship, and fair play, noting that such efforts involve combined lifelong formal and informal educational processes with three interrelated dimensions: knowing,…

This ERIC Digest identifies how the human genome project fits into the "National Science Education Standards" and lists Human Genome Project Web sites found on the World Wide Web. It is a resource companion to "Learning about the Human Genome. Part 1: Challenge to Science Educators" (Haury 2001). The Web resources and…

Evidence from research/evaluation studies indicates that the principles underlying law-related education (LRE) programs address the factors that put youth at risk for delinquency. Although rigorous evaluations of LRE are limited, what evidence exists suggests that LRE has potential to prevent delinquency and problem behavior. This digest…

This article looks at a rapidly growing form of distance education: virtual schools. Also known as cyber schools, these Internet-based programs enroll fewer than 50,000 students nationwide, but more and more companies are entering this market. Some examples of these virtual schools are the Willoway CyberSchool, which was founded by a former…

Contemporary syntactic theory rejects the idea that prescriptive grammar can provide students with any insights into how language works. For generative grammar, a term for the aggregate of methodologies which currently dominates modern linguistics, rules determining the grammaticality of a sentence do not relate in any way to the rules which make…

Businesses are increasingly making inroads into the classroom, particularly in underfunded schools. The dramatic rise in commercial activities in schools has sparked intense public debate, triggering a U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) report and various regulatory attempts at district, state, and federal levels. This digest offers an overview…

Exotic species are organisms transported by humans, wildlife, wind, and water into regions where they did not historically exist. This ERIC Digest describes available materials and resources for teaching and learning about these exotic species. Sixteen Internet sources are provided along with six videotape resources. The digest also provides…

Schools across the United States are striving to improve student performance in science by adjusting curricula and teaching practices to meet national and state standards. This ERIC Digest describes the current status of proficiency testing in science, including the topics of high stakes testing and its outcomes. It also discusses the future of…

Although elections are an annual theme in many social studies classrooms, presidential election years prompt increased interest among students in the electoral process and offer an opportunity to teach about a national election as it happens. This ERIC Digest describes the legal requirements and traditions of U.S. presidential elections, processes…

As increased use of technology and empirical science spreads throughout the global community, the use of data and graphs to communicate information increases also. This digest offers resources for teaching and learning about probability and statistics. It begins with key issues and continues with recommendations to overcome the difficulties in the…

This Digest describes how, by connecting service, social studies, and citizenship, civic educators have the potential to begin the new millennium by initiating a "Century of the Caring Citizen". Effective methods for bring about the caring citizen are to allow students to learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully…

This instructor's edition provides an overview of Problem-Based Learning (PBL). PBL organizes students into teams that work on projects to achieve the learning objectives embedded in each PBL project. The focus of this PBL project is managing technological change. The project is structured around a high-impact problem--one that has the potential…

This digest examines the basic tenets of Self-Directed Learning (SDL) and discusses the findings of recently conducted research which are germane to SDL's application in K-12 classrooms. Self-directed learning has its roots in adult education and has been investigated and discussed for many years. The digest surveys the literature to identify…

This digest examines the preparation of classroom teachers in health, noting what teachers should know to effectively provide school health education. Most states and school districts require some health education. Health is generally taught by regular classroom teachers in elementary school, by classroom teachers with some health certification in…

This document gives voice to concerns raised by critics and supporters of commercialism in schools and provides brief descriptions of several important resources on this topic. "Commercial Activities in School" (U.S. General Accounting Office) reports on the nature and frequency of commercial activities in public schools, as well as the…