A unit in a Glendale, California sixth grade social studies curriculum is presented as a model for addressing two problems in the instruction of the growing population of limited English-proficient (LEP) students: (1) inadequate teacher training; and (2) shortage of appropriate, effective instructional materials. For the curriculum segment on…

This issue presents works in progress by students and professors at the University of Pennsylvania. Papers are generally based on research conducted for courses offered in the Language in Education Division of the Graduate School of Education. This issue contains the following papers: "Do Second Language Learners Need Negotiation?"…

The self-serving effect (SSE), often depicted as a bias, is the tendency to accept responsibility for one's own successes but not one's own failures. Two studies of Australian fifth graders (n=226, n=559) were further analyzed to investigate individual differences in SSE. The Sydney Attribution Scale measured students' perceptions of the causes of…

This study surveyed 847 fourth- through eighth-graders and 134 teachers in 10 Toronto elementary schools to determine their attitudes toward school climate and conflict resolution. It found that most questionnaire items regarding self perception, teacher-student relationships, students' general behaviors, the schools' conflict resolution programs,…

Describes a preresearch library instruction program designed to familiarize fourth-grade students with reference materials. Reflections on the importance of library instruction are offered. Examples of multiple choice preresearch questions for a study of Japan and suggestions for adapting questions for higher and lower grade levels are given.…

Presents a unit of study on the Holocaust designed by a team of teachers for sixth-grade students. Includes student objectives, suggested learning activities, and methods of student evaluation. Provides a full-page description of a culminating activity. (CFR)

Reports on a study of preference for 9 curriculum subjects by 93 British middle school students. Finds significant gender differences in the rankings of English and humanities courses, which were preferred by girls, and of physical education and science, which were preferred by boys. (CFR)

Students from the United States were compared with similar students from South Korea regarding their attitudes toward school, their perceived responsibility for learning, and their perceived relationships with teachers. Data were collected from 305 female and 301 male students in grades 7-12 in Korean middle schools and high schools through the…

The grade 6 social studies curriculum on Africa for French immersion is outlined. The syllabus consists of seven units. Each contains an instructional objective (in English); a number of specific performance objectives; and for each performance objective, required and optional vocabulary, a list of related activities, and exercises for classroom…

The Standardized Tests of Achievement for Fiji (STAFs) were developed to measure skills and concepts of curriculum subjects for elementary schools. Two parallel tests were issued in early 1980 for Class-6 subjects (students in grade 6 of Fiji primary schools): (1) English Reading Comprehension; (2) English Listening Comprehension; (3) English…

This study investigated differences in predisposing factors, enabling factors, reinforcing factors, and smoking behavior among middle school students in rural, urban, and suburban areas of Shanghai (China). Surveys in 11 schools indicated that students' smoking behavior was affected strongly by enabling factors and reinforcing factors related to…

Reports on a study of the impact of individual feedback on achievement, attitudes, and behavior in cooperative learning groups on 56 8th-grade students. Finds that individual feedback was more effective than group feedback and that individual feedback resulted in more positive relationships toward others. (CFR)

Reports on a study of the effects of single-sex and mixed-sex schooling on personality characteristics among 2095 Belgian sixth-grade students. Finds that it is not the student gender composition but the gender composition of the teaching staff that exerts influence. (CFR)

Outlines a sixth grade social studies project rewriting portions of outdated textbooks. Suggests steps by which students critically read, evaluate, and rewrite historical accounts of the Soviet Union to reflect recent changes. Explains how the project develops skills in evaluating information and making revisions. Emphasizes the active learning…

Parental involvement is critical to a child's success in school. This handbook provides parents with information about the Grade 4 curriculum in Catholic schools in Alberta, Canada. Based on the Alberta Education "Program of Studies: Elementary Schools," the handbook describes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes Catholic school students…