In a religion class of 26 bright creative sixth graders, one student demonstrates the power of peer pressure. Part of the morning ritual is to say prayer petitions. Students seems to be calmed by their expressions of care for their families, friends, pets, their military troops, victims of natural disasters, the homeless, etc. However, one student…

A Chicago sixth-grade teacher in a school with a highly transient, diverse student population describes a typical first day in September. When the children make booklets about themselves and their families, problems arise with some who have lost parents, siblings, or grandparents. A handshake exercise discloses a child lacking fingers on one hand.…

Examines features of electronic mail discourse among sixth-grade students and their teachers. Highlights include structures of the sixth-grade classrooms; common characteristics of and differences between electronic and face-to-face communication; metacommunication; consistency with print genres; hierarchy; and the potential of electronic mail in…

Describes and explains the classroom group process and group leadership of a sixth-grade teacher in an urban classroom. Discusses the importance of classroom grouping and its implications for teachers. (MLF)

Illustrates an approach to the study of writing that integrates ethnographic analysis of classroom interaction with linguistic analysis of written texts and teacher/student conversational exchanges, using a case study of writing in a sixth grade classroom during a writing assignment. (MM)

Describes a difficult sixth grade girl who spent her elementary school years fighting to feel happy. The article focuses on a teacher's efforts to raise the child's self-esteem by examining her home life then taking appropriate steps to encourage success (e.g., tutoring younger students). (SM)