Integrating climate change into environmental education programs and formal science classrooms can be difficult, as the issue remains controversial and highly politicized among the American public. This study proposes that the same cultural values that shape worldview differences and divide public opinion on anthropogenic climate change will…

The seminal report "Vision and Change" outlined improvements necessary for undergraduate biology courses to accomplish widely recognized learning objectives. Over the past 8 years, we have developed a two-semester introductory biology course that incorporates the core concepts and competencies recommended in "Vision and…

The process of effective teaching--teaching that directly leads to student learning of standards-based content--is tenuous at best and easily disrupted by contextual and behavioral factors. In this commentary, I discuss the role of student support and mediation in teacher effectiveness and curricular reform. The most vocal students in physical…

Discusses the changes made by the North Carolina General Assembly in the state school system with the Basic Education Plan (BEP). The plan focuses on curriculum, class size, spiral curriculum, and competency examinations. Reports that the BEP views the arts as basic to education. (GG)

Describes steps taken to standardize seven sections of a beginning newswriting course and includes the basic grading scale used, with explanations. (CRH)

A study was conducted among deans of instruction in North Carolina community colleges and technical institutes and faculty members and students at Gaston College to determine the need for a study-technique course. Three questionnaires were constructed and distributed to the three groups. The questionnaires elicited information as to the need for…

This guide is intended for curriculum planning for social studies in North Carolina. Questions to guide each area of curriculum planning and assessment are included. Sample rubrics for evaluation, sample activities, and numerous suggestions for curriculum planning are contained in this document. Sections of this paper include: (1)…

The study describes a curriculum developed to train teachers to teach data processing at the high school, technical/vocational institute, or community college level, and to develop courses for undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of business administration, education, psychology, sociology, and science. A 20-page introduction deals…

This document was developed to assist local school systems in North Carolina in planning effective and comprehensive workforce development education programs. It contains information about planning, required resources, instructional guidelines, and program area offerings. The guide is organized in three parts. Part I provides a program description…

Teachers rely on mental planning throughout the design, implementation, and evaluation phases of instruction. This paper focuses on the elementary school teacher's use of instructional design (ID) skills in the planning and delivery of instruction, emphasizing the relative and "real" use of ID practices in both mental and written…

This basic survey course for directors of day care centers in North Carolina consists of eight units based on the center director's areas of responsibility. These areas include operational planning; physical facilities; financial management; legal issues; curriculum planning; staff, parent, and community relations; and enrollment. Each unit…

This curriculum guide was designed for associate degree programs and/or options for real estate education in the North Carolina Community College System. Chapter I considers: (1) real estate education in the system; (2) definitions of terms; (3) the benefits of advisory committees; (4) the system's objectives for real estate education and the…

Examines the catalog descriptions of 42 undergraduate psychology programs in North Carolina. Reveals that minimum introductory and methodological requirements consists of one-term introductory, statistics, and experimental design courses. A required integrated experience was most often a history and systems course or senior seminar. This is…

This three-chapter guide was the result of a curriculum development project undertaken by the North Carolina Department of Community Colleges to align vocational curricula with valid, on-the-job performance requirements. It outlines a suggested curriculum designed to train individuals for career opportunities in horticulture. Chapter I describes…

In 1992, the four medical schools in North Carolina and the state's dental school initiated a four-year project to more thoroughly integrate content about substance abuse into their curricula. The processes by which key faculty, administrators, and staff from all schools worked together, with each school tailoring the project's findings to its own…