Identifies several objectives of a student-assistance program that can aid students who wish to keep the group intact and those who wish to withdraw because of personal growth or changes in preferences. Seven consecutive group sessions are outlined in detail, and follow-up procedures are discussed. (NB)

The zoetrope, ancestor of the motion picture, is a spinning cylinder in which a strip of drawings take on movement. This article provides instructions for building this device and outlines an animation project for third- through seventh-graders. (SJL)

A teacher describes how a cardboard box tunnel was used to capitalize on children's fascination with boxes. The finished tunnel offers opportunities for honing math and writing skills. Layouts for tunnels and related activities are suggested. (MT)

Suggestions for a study unit for intermediate grades on the Viking discovery of North America are offered. Class activities and resources are listed. (MT)

Asserts that children in junior high and middle school may be reluctant to participate in the process of counseling. Recommends that school counselors use therapeutic techniques that actively involve children and excite their imagination. Examines three such techniques that work with middle school students: game play, stories and metaphors, and…

This group leadership training and supervision manual is designed to teach group leadership skills to school counselors, specialists, and classroom teachers who serve as group leaders in the Adolescent Group Counseling in Schools program. The project overview describes a generic group counseling program for students in fifth through twelfth…

Examines suicide attempts and completions among middle school students to alert middle school counselors to the reality of child suicide. Discusses common symptomatic areas under the categories of drug abuse, social influences, acting out, pubescence, depression, and nuclear threat. Offers suggestions for the prevention of child suicide and…

This manual outlines a time-limited group intervention for children in grades 4 and 5 who are experiencing parental divorce. Part A, "Overview and Program Organization" (Neil Kalter), includes an introduction to the manual, an overview of developmental facilitation groups, and a discussion on group organization. Part B presents guidelines and…

This book addresses the critical issues of curriculum and instruction as they pertain to the restructuring of middle-level education. The first part deals with developing a sense of identity both with the middle-school movement and with young adolescents. Chapters include the following: "Perspectives on the Middle School Movement" (John H.…

This guide presents a new focus, called future options education, for career and college planning for students in the middle grades. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of future options education, describing it as a sustained, comprehensive, age- and stage-appropriate mix of guidance and counseling, with an enhanced curriculum and supplemental…

Notes that, although literature on middle school teaching focuses on developmental stresses of young adolescents, it rarely offers specific ways to respond to student behaviors associated with these changes. Delineates the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional motivations behind typical early adolescent behaviors and then offers middle school…

This document is a practical self-evaluation guide for middle/junior high school counselors. It is based on the assumption that there are broad professional principles of good practice, management, and conduct. The document can be used to indicate strengths and weaknesses in counseling programs and in individuals. These topics are covered: (1) the…

Five key concepts in Home and Family Education were identified: Nutrition, Management, Interdependence, Development, and Protection. With the help of practicing teachers, main ideas within each concept were sequenced for instruction, based on the logic of the concept and the developmental stages of students, ages 8-13. (Author/SJL)

This guide to improving middle school guidance programs is based on two premises: (1) that the primary goal of the guidance program is to help students find meaning in their lives, and by this means, find relevancy in what schools have to offer them; and (2) that this sense of relevancy is accompanied by higher motivation to learn, and as a…

The purpose of this monograph is to heighten awareness about action research for both teachers and administrators involved in California middle level reform efforts. This approach to educational research is a means of developing knowledge through collaboration in a process that improves both student learning and professional autonomy. The…