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)

Presents three open-ended problems as a basis for discussing concerns and possible hazards in their solution, including partial answers or unjustified guesses, and considers the appropriate use of these types of problems. Appendices include problem solutions. (MKR)

A seventh grade student in Nebraska asked for information about becoming a teacher in middle schools. The letter was forwarded to present and former members of the National Association of Secondary School Principals' Council on Middle Level Education. Ten responses provide a broad look at the complex question, "What makes a successful teacher at…

The dilemma of promoting young adult literacy gripped the authors' seventh-grade class last year as never before. In an attempt to obliterate the students' reluctance to reading, the authors looked to technology to help motivate the students and break down their resistance to reading. This article describes the authors' successful integration of…

In this article, I describe mainstream middle school classrooms designed to re-think the conditions under which language minority students who have lived in the United States for a number of years can develop English language skills while also gaining access to a rigorous curriculum. I describe a variety of transactions that students used to…

Describes the use of oral reading, journal writing, and sharing of ideas in a seventh grade class to promote an active interest in literature and thereby increase the literacy level of the students. (SRT)

Describes examining seventh- and eighth-grade students' writing for both function and audience as they relate to learning and conceptual development. Includes examples illustrating how audience influenced students' understanding of concepts in a science class. (HTH)

Focuses on the role of mathematics problems in the development of better assessment and gives examples with respect to some key concepts and operations on percentage. Reports results from use of the problems with two seventh-grade classes. (33 references) (Author/MKR)

Participating in a transition to a middle-level school provides the most potential for professional growth within a given school culture. In this article, a former middle school principal shows how a content-oriented, somewhat inflexible veteran seventh-grade social studies teacher reluctantly embraced middle-school teaming and eventually…

When a seventh grade social studies class was redesigned in a workshop format, the teacher's role became less autocratic, the class atmosphere became more relaxed, and students asked more open-ended questions. Both teacher and students could learn from each other through the process of inquiry. (SK)

Analyzes four informal science-related writing tasks produced by seventh-grade students (n=374) from two schools with different socioeconomic populations. Demonstrates that students' informal writing in the science context can provide a rich source of information regarding students' cognitive and attitudinal engagement with science. (Author/CCM)

Some ideas are presented about the ways in which the three domains of metacognition, affective factors, and beliefs influence the cognitive activities of seventh graders as they solve mathematics problems. The research project, initiated in 1981, is first described. Theoretical considerations are then discussed, with sections on affects, beliefs,…

Presents the results of a major survey (n=14,051) of secondary students' sense of Canadian identity, pride, unity, and purpose. The survey covered all ten provinces and the two territories. Results showed students throughout Canada share similar perceptions of a myriad of issues and concerns, demonstrating that Canadian studies courses were…

This article reports the results of a two-week minicourse designed to teach seventh graders about exceptionalities. Concludes that the unit provided an encouraging demonstration of the receptivity of students at this age to a program designed to teach about differences. (JDH)