Describes a six-week Hero Inquiry project in detail so readers may implement similar units of study in their classrooms. Concludes that most of the students enjoyed the activities because they focused on strengthening skills for online research, and the hero theme was successful because students were allowed to research a self-selected topic of…

Discusses personal reasons for using historical documents in history instruction. Proposes six reasons why the use of documents in the classroom yields positive learning results. Concentrates on how the use of documents motivates students to read. Provides an example of a document and explains how it is used in the classroom. (RW)

Cites research showing that many technical writing courses do not give students an accurate conception of the workplace. Notes the importance of communication skills, inadequacies of writers in the workplace, and the need for practice and instruction in collaborative writing. Outlines a one-term course containing a collaborative writing project…

Outlines an undergraduate geography research methods course that emphasizes bibliographic instruction. Suggests incorporating selected developmental materials. Recommends that students discover materials pertaining to their own areas of interest through systematic search procedures. Includes several sample assignments. (DK)

Describes an activity called the "Freedom Train": a simulation for eighth grade students that enables them to gain an understanding of the importance and dangers of the Underground Railroad. Explains that the project encourages students to work cooperatively while also reinforcing their research and map skills. Provides follow-up…

Examines Internet sources cited by students in research papers for a literature class. Finds that 42% cited Web sites were confirmed student papers; 88% were very short; and 75% did not connect when typed as shown in bibliographies. Offers guidelines for acceptable online research to help students locate good quality Web sites. (SR)

Argues for the long-term values of client-based group projects (lasting five to six weeks) in an introductory technical communication course. Presents survey results from 73 former technical communication students with two to seven years of workplace experience. Concludes these projects reinforce research, analysis, and reporting skills, such as…

Discusses 13 resources available to teachers of American literature on the World Wide Web including general resources, Internet sites related to electronic literature, and websites whose focus is American literature and culture. Discusses using and troubleshooting the World Wide Web in the classroom. Offers tips on how to evaluate web sources and…

Information on the graduate student orientation program at Bowling Green State University is presented. The orientation program serves about 500 graduate students during the summer and about 100 additional students during the fall and spring semesters. The program is designed to support the graduate students' teaching and research skills and to…

Intended to help teachers and others to think through their roles in assisting children to become more effective learners, this book focuses on the contribution which project studies can make to that objective. The book is divided into (1) "Types of Projects"'; (2) "Starting Out"; (3) "Relating Projects to Other…

The goals and objectives of a college library instruction program should be developed jointly by library staff and composition faculty. Such a program should (1) attempt to overcome student insecurity and confusion about conducting research; (2) focus on tools and skills necessary at each university level; (3) emphasize the unique aspects of the…

Describes a course designed to train students to read original empirical articles independently and critically. Uses a case-study approach to help students develop data-reading skills and a coherent writing style. Includes methods for teaching the course and guidelines for the critical reading of empirical articles. (Author/GEA)

Teaching how to choose a research topic in a bibliographic instruction class should emphasize the underlying methods and principles of library research while making research tools as unobtrusive as possible. This approach teaches the basics of scientific inquiry and provides a structure in which to teach library skills. (EM)

A lesson on the French Revolution illustrates how reading, writing, reasoning, and researching skills can be integrated into history instruction. (RM)

While the term paper can be a worthwhile teaching device, the project must be carefully structured to be effective. Creative teachers can devise other, equally effective activities to extend student knowledge of and skills in using library resources, such as writing annotated bibliographies, practical research assignments, and projects to evaluate…