Announces a "user friendly" chemistry course for grades 10 to 12 for college bound students designed to enhance public understanding of chemistry. Discusses the development, field testing, and structure of the course. Stresses the importance of training teachers in the skills required to teach "Chemistry in the Community." (CW)

Describes the Chata Project, a British research project that challenged the prevalent assumption that children will construct sound causal explanations from factual information imparted during history instruction. Their research suggests that explicit instruction is required for children to understand the causal relationships among events,…

Summarizes a Canadian study that attempted to determine how a diverse group of high school students identified and understood events of historical significance. The students' responses ranged from generally objective and analytical to wildly subjective. Includes a recommended exercise for establishing students approaches to and definitions of…

Presents a syllabus for an introductory political science course. Includes a course outline, description, list of textbooks and readings, requirements, and grading policy. The course is structured in thematic units including the context of politics, acting in politics, the work of government, and alternative arenas of government. (MJP)

Reviews a series of teaching activities that revolve around family photographs, letters, and artifacts. Outlines how these items can be used to teach recommended National Council for the Social Studies strands and provides classroom examples. Discusses developing a unit of study and includes a form for a Family Artifact Report. (MJP)

The costs and benefits of investing in new, multimedia technology for teaching languages are examined, looking at one recent grant-based Australian project for instructional development in German on CD-ROM. Limitations are discussed, including limited expertise, labor and equipment costs, need for flexible delivery, and cost-effectiveness of…

Illustrates how computers can assist teachers in preventing impulsivity and foster the cognitive and metacognitive development of students. Discusses theoretical aspects of impulsivity and learning difficulties; software for improving self-regulated learning, in particular the VISPRO (Visualizing Processes) project; and teacher education needs,…

Explores and identifies scaffolding (adults helping children learn inaccessible material) strategies in three specific primary schooling contexts: design and technology, mathematics, and science. Delineates the differences among scaffolding, everyday knowledge, and specialist knowledge. (MJP)

Describes how the job characteristics model (J. R. Hackman), used by industrial-organizational psychologists to enhance the motivating potential of jobs in industry, can be applied to increase student motivation. The job characteristics model describes the relationship between the core characteristics of skill variety, task identity, task…

The design and results of a program to support writing and, by extension, research among new college faculty (n=16) are reported. The strategy emphasized six components of writing (motivation, imagination, fluency, control, audience, and resilience), and was found to help participants meet goals for improvement (more articles accepted in refereed…

Suggest that teaching children about the interdependence of the world's peoples will enhance their understanding of other groups and improve their cooperation with them. Emphasizes a "we" approach to social studies, rather than simply teaching ethnic and cultural differences. Includes instruction for class activities. Provides lessons to…

Contends that curriculum theorists often distinguish between the formal or official curriculum from the actual or hidden curriculum. Argues that the hidden curriculum always has a normative, or moral, component and that educators have a responsibility to make the hidden curriculum as explicit as possible. (CFR)

Focuses on technology and the future of higher education. Discusses how technology is forcing change on the roles and models of education; content versus the learner; the role of faculty; and accreditation and value of courses. (AEF)

Profiles the Indiana Exchange Project, an endeavor that uses technology to link fourth-grade teachers and students from three geographically and ethnically diverse communities. The students exchange letters, photographs, response journals, local newspapers, and videotapes of classroom and community activities. Includes an example of a summary…

Asserts that the parameters and objectives of citizenship education should be expanded to incorporate multicultural perspectives. Criticizes traditional citizenship education for promoting limited objectives reflecting the status quo. Maintains that changing demographics and an emphasis on critical thinking necessitate a broader curriculum. (MJP)