The objects collected and displayed by museums may be connected with famous people, made by exceptional artists, natural specimens, or simple ordinary things that show what everyday life was like for most people. All these objects offer unique ways to learn about life in the United States and the world. In 1996 the Smithsonian Institution…

A framework for educational computer usage in grades K-12 is outlined. For each grade level, objectives are shown for the following knowledge areas: computer-related terminology and use; history and development of computers; the use of the computer as a tool; communicating instructions to the computer; social implications; and robotics. Suggested…

Describes a college reading program designed to increase interest in recreational reading. Students write expressive responses to individually selected articles and discuss them in small groups thus transforming reading from a private to a social act. (SRT)

This middle school curriculum guide provides support for teaching and learning about issues related to achieving a fair and just Australian society. An Introduction, the first and core chapter, introduces information, concepts, teaching strategies, and thinking tools used throughout the materials. The materials support learning areas for health…

Current social studies programs do not include the study of prosocial behaviors such as altruism, generosity, and compassion. This omission legitimizes the view that human behaviors are self-serving. Curriculum developers should fashion programs which provide prosocial models and opportunities for students to conceptualize such behaviors and…

This section consists of six essays dealing with: (1) current trends in French linguistics; (2) French possessive pronouns; (3) contemporary French novelists; (4) "happiness" in France; (5) the Belgian playwright Michel Ghelderode; and (6) the pedagogical use of popular songs. (AM)

Discusses the effects of social change on children and the importance of acknowledging the emotional aspect of learning. Suggests the use of bibliotherapy to provide children with appropriate books to meet their social and emotional needs. (MG)

Notes that as teachers integrate social theory into the technical communication classroom, they interpret the connection between writing and culture in different ways. Describes four social pedagogies of writing--the social constructionist, the ideologic, the social cognitive, and the paralogic hermeneutic--distinguishing them by their pedagogic…

Describes how disability studies can be used in a medical and science writing class to critically examine the assumptions of scientific discourse. Discusses how disability studies draws on feminist, postmodern, and post-colonial theory and extends their critiques to the medicalization of disability. Discusses sample disability-related classroom…

Modern thought is most dependent upon the influence of Charles Darwin. Discusses Darwin's contributions to the fields of evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, and modern zeitgeist. (WRM)

Suggests that students need to learn to "read" the cultural texts surrounding them. Argues that there is great need for including analyses of popular culture in the college curriculum. Presents a unit to help students gain a greater appreciation for the influence that advertising has upon them and the subtlety with which it manipulates people,…

This paper describes the Ecological Inventory, a technique developed to document the range and frequency of literacy-related activities available in pre-kindergartners' everyday lives. This technique can be used by teachers to broaden understanding of their students' home-based experiences. Results from the Ecological Inventory can be used as a…

Clothing of the nineteenth century and its reflection of the middle class ideals of how men and women should look is the focus of this publication. Through a series of activities, students are encouraged to think about the interaction of clothing and society, both past and present. Worksheets accompany lessons: "A Change of Clothes" and…

Presents a discussion of communication satellites: explains the principles of satellite communication, describes examples of how governments and industries are currently applying communication satellites, analyzes issues confronting satellite communication, links mathematics and science to the study of satellite communication, and applies…

As teachers we must recognize the force that television exerts on our students and their lives. Two very worthwhile curricular thrusts on dealing with television in the classroom are beginning to emerge: "watch the program/read the book" instructional kits and materials for teaching critical viewing skills. (Author/SJL)