Describes a seventh-grade course on ethical inquiry to teach students to think critically, independently, logically, and ethically in dealing with social and historical issues. Indicates that discussion is the most powerful means for getting children to learn the basic prerequisites for reasoning to become alert and skillful thinkers. (TRS)

Describes using nonfiction (primarily newspaper and magazine articles) with a seventh-grade reading improvement class to elicit political response in adolescent readers and to lead students to respond to writing with moral or emotional complexity. (SR)

After a brief introduction to the development of New Phonics, an innovative course designed for Japanese English-as-a-foreign-language learners, this article describes the contents of the course for beginners, i.e., the techniques, exercises, and teaching materials for grade 7.(Author/VWL)