The article presents an interactive take-home activity "Test Your Nerves" on the nervous system that helps parents begin talking about health with their children. Suggestions for teachers on introducing the activities, follow-up class activities, and developing similar activities are included. (SM)

The article presents a step-by-step guide to choosing and using performance assessment to determine what students know and can do in science. Performance assessment allows teachers to measure what students know by watching what they do. An example of performance assessment in action is included. (SM)

Plans for science units on mold and other fungi are presented. Tasks for primary and intermediate pupils are included. (MT)

The authors describe their experiences job-sharing, and offer suggestions about making the decision to job-share, finding a partner, organizing teaching responsibilities and discipline, and presenting a united front to children and parents. (MT)

Instructions for reproducing two exhibits from the Exploratorium, San Francisco's science museum, are given. One shows students how white light can be made from red, blue, and green lights. The other helps children discover how small time differences allow them to perceive the origin of a sound. (MT)

Antarctica is described. Activities are suggested that include making plans for an expedition to Antarctica. Resources are listed. (MT)

Innovations in individual instruction. (CK)

Placing the child in a wholistic rather than an atomistic situation causes the classroom to become child-centered. In this way, concept formation by the child is accelerated. (CK)

Presents 15 fun math problems which can be used as filler activities when students have completed their regular work. (JMB)

Presents ideas for starting the school year in a creative way, including: playing a guess-who detective game to acquaint students with each other, involving students in creating a set of resolutions for the year, greeting students with party hats and a warmup craft activity, and creating individual time capsules with students' personal goals. (SM)

Teachers must make changes in their reading programs that reflect a desire for students to compose lives in which reading matters. Strategies presented include getting serious about independent reading, building a literate environment, making every child bookish, setting up reading partnerships, and ideas for home-school reading support. (SM)