Although controversial, perhaps no piece of legislation has the potential to transform India's future more than the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE). Upon the passage and enforcement of RTE in 2009, the Indian government instituted a series of wide-ranging reforms to India's education system. For example, the act…

Dull classroom environments, poor students' attitudes and inhibited conceptual development led to the creation of an innovative mathematics program, the Class Banking System (CBS), which enables teachers to use constructivist ideas and approaches. To assess the effectiveness of the CBS, actual and preferred versions of the Individualized Classroom…

This comprehensive social studies curriculum unit for fifth grade has three areas of concentration: (1) the history of the newspaper industry, including historical dates and figures and analysis of how the newspaper industry has influenced and shaped the history of the United States; (2) the functions and responsibilities of the departments and…

Describes the learning process of a teacher working to make creative-drama teaching strategies part of her teaching repertoire. Investigates how a drama specialist works with that teacher to develop creative drama learning experiences. Finds that creative drama can be incorporated within constraints of time and curriculum, and can be structured so…

Explores fifth-graders' ideas about art and economic concepts before and after an integrated art-economics unit. Indicates that students increased their understanding of both sets of concepts, with the economic concepts being learned better. Suggests that this support claims that coupling disciplines can facilitate the deep learning of concepts…

Curriculum materials for use in the vocational guidance of students in grades five, six, and seven are presented. These materials are based on several vocational development theories. The goal is the utilization of learning activities in the classroom to show students the processes through which career decisions may be made. (NS)

Describes how Michigan's English Language Arts Assessment (ELA) takes parts of the old fifth-grade writing assessment and fourth-grade reading tests, adds new elements, and wraps everything around a theme. Presents a seven-step activity to help prepare fourth graders for the ELA. Concludes that the overall impact on scores is not known. (SG)

A curriculum based on "anchored instruction" was developed to enhance students' literacy development and acquisition of knowledge. The curriculum was designed to create a rich, shared environment that generates interest and enables students to identify and define problems while they explore the content from many perspectives. Based on…

Describes a three-year collaborative project, Investigating Our Community, involving teachers and fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Focuses on moving from mandated curriculum that defines inquiry with known outcomes to inquiry that explores the unknown knowledge and stories of their school's neighborhood. Finds that a community investigation…

This paper summarizes two related sets of data. First, the findings of an inquiry titled, "The Appropriateness of Forced Choice True/False Response Formats for Selected Learning Style Inventories" is reported. This inquiry compared data from two forms of the Dunn/Price Learning Style Inventory. The first form was the real Dunn/Price…

Based on common curriculum goals outlined by the Oregon Department of Education, this curriculum map is designed to assist fifth grade teachers in evaluating and revising their current curriculum. Instructions describe how teachers can effectively use the material provided to gather information and tally and analyze results. The map consists of…

A qualitative study was undertaken to create lesson plans that integrate science and social studies with the hope that teachers will expand them and incorporate them into their curricula. An instructional package of lesson plans that teachers can use to integrate the science and social studies curriculum was devised. The "Mississippi State…

The nature of science encompasses the entire world and within that realm, patterns of life can be observed, interpreted, and organized into a sensible arrangement of understanding. By discovering, through an intricate process, how shapes and images form into a complete design or sequence, students related similar scientific patterns to their own…

The Irving, Texas, Independent School District developed and implemented Project Eureka, a 1 year program, with Elementary Secondary Education Act Title IV, Part C monies, for grade 5 middle school gifted students. Of the 1,750 students tested on the School and College Aptitude Test and the Scientific Research Associates Achievement Test, and…

This practicum introduces a program that increases the exposure time to music in the elementary classroom by integrating U.S. music with the teaching of U.S. history. A pretest and posttest were employed to identify increases or decreases in students' abilities to identify U.S. music and its relationship to specific lifestyles or periods of U.S.…