The author describes a fifth grade gifted class biography project based on J. Renzulli's Interest-A-Lyzer which asked students to choose three people from the past and three from the present they would invite to the class as teachers. (SB)

The article describes innovative activities for presenting legal principles to fifth- and sixth-grade students involving the importance of rules and rulemaking. (CB)

A student-conducted television survey caused the fifth graders to read, think introspectively about their own television viewing habits, conduct interviews, analyze the resulting data, and write about the results. (BW)

This article describes a science learning experience in which intermediate grade students launched balloons with attached postcards to study wind currents. More than 200 (of over 900 balloons) were returned, and their analysis supported the students' hypothesis about the direction of wind currents. (DB)

Describes how, with the aid of a computer and modem, students in two schools can carry out a modified formal debate from their classrooms. (SR)

Presents a unit of lessons in which intermediate grade students improvise fairy tales and learn dramatic techniques. Offers an overview, an implementation schedule with activities, creative activities for fairy tales, and a fairy tales chart. (SR)

Outlines the essential conditions of cooperative learning. Describes six cooperative learning structures modeled in a reading methods class that can be used to create literacy activities appropriate in fourth through sixth grade. (SR)

Observes students in 6th grade science classes as they use the Web to carry out an inquiry-based assignment. Explores their understanding and enactment of the assignment to do research on the Web. (Author/CCM)

Discusses approaches for helping upper elementary-age children learn about words through integrated study of spelling, grammar, and meaning. Describes what word study is, discusses word study in an integrated language arts unit (providing several examples), and offers reasons for including word study in a language arts program. (SR)

The study of acid rain provides ample opportunities for active, interdisciplinary learning. This article describes 12 hands-on activities designed to expand students' understanding of acid rain. Background information on acid rain is included. (LB)

Describes an activity used with a fifth-grade mathematics class in which students solved a problem and wrote a convincing argument to prove their solution made sense. (SR)

Describes how a class of fourth graders effectively used their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to take action (regarding the laws governing trophy hunting) and to change a piece of their world. (SR)

Describes a cooperative learning activity in a fifth-grade class in which students researched, wrote, and sponsored classroom resolutions honoring African Americans during Black History Month. Discusses how literacy has the power to connect students with their heritage or with any heritage they choose to connect with. (SR)

For 8 weeks during 1991, a project was conducted in which literacy was emphasized within the context of one fourth-grade social studies classroom. The overall goal for this unit of instruction was to create language-rich experiences that would stimulate higher order thinking about the concept of Liberty. Additionally, students were to become more…

Five ideas for computer-oriented classroom activities are presented. They include sending secret messages (while introducing the American Standard Code for Information Interchange- ASCII), conducting a computer survey, playing adventure games, showing why the END command is needed, and using control characters to protect a program. (JN)