Suggests the use of key historical antisocial acts to teach social studies concepts as a means of arousing the interest of adolescents. Recommends overcoming initial sensationalism by shifting emphasis to more appropriate interests. Includes discussion of the Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy assassinations and the Rosenberg spy case. Suggests…

Presents classroom activities using banknotes to teach history and social studies. Suggests that students' interest in money can be utilized to teach about geography, national heroes, symbolism, and the image a nation wishes to present to its citizens and the rest of the world. Lists sources for obtaining banknotes and directories to help identify…

At Lowell Elementary School, gifted and highly motivated students from Tacoma (Washington) elementary schools come together to work on projects and develop their skills in creative thinking, critical thinking, problem solving, and group interaction. Projects draw on student interests to foster motivation, independent and cooperative study, and…

Describes a Web-building class aimed at motivating English-as-a-Foreign-Language students to improve their English writing and editing skills while building a homepage. All students had a basic or better knowledge of keyboarding and Internet search techniques, two had advanced computer skills, but none had ever created a homepage. (Author/VWL)

A librarian, a professor, and an alumnus of Eastern Michigan University (EMU) collaborated to create an innovative library learning workshop for sixth-graders and college students. Pairing sixth-graders and college students increased the motivation to learn of both groups. Participants discovered through hands-on projects that library research…

One of the challenges in teaching biochemistry is facilitating students' interest in and mastery of metabolism. The many pathways and modes of regulation can be overwhelming for students to learn and difficult for professors to teach in an engaging manner. We have found it useful to take advantage of prevailing interest in popular yet…

This Classroom Idea-Sparker was submitted by Dorothy L. Haggerty, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, University of New Orleans. Too often, students are bored with science. Irrelevant facts, numerous definitions, and confusing diagrams clutter the student's mind. To help motivate students, teachers should, instead, choose fun,…

Too often adult literacy programs seem based on the assumption that, if learners work hard on skills for six months, they will have "acquired" literacy, as though it is a set of skills adults can "get" from a tutor (Kazemek, 1985). One study of 20 adult literacy classes in eight U.S. states found basic (not higher level) skills the predominant…

Why is it so important to keep the arts strong in schools? How does study of the arts contribute to student achievement and success? This paper is designed to answer these and other questions. It describes in nontechnical terms what the research says about how study of the arts contributes to academic achievement and student success. It offers…

This chapter presents a basic overview about psychological theories that are foundational to cooperative learning: social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, humanistic psychology, and motivational theories. In so doing, our purpose is to acquaint readers with aspects of theory and research that may be helpful to teachers…

In many developed countries of the world, pupil attitudes to school science decline progressively across the age range of secondary schooling while fewer students are choosing to study science at higher levels and as a career. Responses to these developments have included proposals to reform the curriculum, pedagogy, and the nature of pupil…

A classroom technique for helping elementary and secondary school students of English as a second language (ESL) integrate language skills into the language arts curriculum is described. The activity, shadow play, is used as a culminating experience in a unit on the solar system, and consists of the development of dramatic scripts based on folk…

This discussion of learning motivation focuses on the four basic concepts of the ARCs Motivation Model: getting learners' attention, showing relevance, building confidence, and generating satisfaction. Strategies for dealing with these concerns are suggested. The second article in this series will deal with the design process. (LRW)

Describes a program established by the Polytechnic of North London to encourage a range of pupils to continue their studies in science, mathematics, and engineering. Highlights the approach taken in two physics sessions and provides an assessment of the program's impact on students and teachers. (ML)

When the teachers at Roosevelt Elementary School in Hutchinson, Kansas, used the Learning Style Inventory to determine the best learning conditions for each student, then allowed students to study and take standardized tests under their preferred conditions, improved behavior and achievement were noted at all ability and grade levels. (PGD)