Results of research in a fifth grade classroom on the characteristics of leaders emerging in four different small group situations found that student leaders (for both verbal and nonverbal activities) tended to be the most verbal students with the most ideas. (DB)

Investigates whether teacher modeling improves fifth-grade students' attitudes toward poetry. Finds that students exposed to modeling had a greater enthusiasm/appreciation of poetry. Acknowledges that appreciation of literature, including poetry, must be developed over a long period of time through a variety of means. (RS)

Recounts an extended classroom conversation between a fifth grade teacher and her students concerning multiculturalism. Reflects on issues raised in the conversation. Presents samples of students' writing in response to the conversation. Presents excerpts from parents' journals. (RS)

Describes a qualitative and quantitative examination of the attitudes of grade-five children toward aging and elderly people before and after a three-month program of drama education on the theme of young people and elderly people. Finds that children's limited attitudes toward the elderly and toward aging became more positive. (SR)

Examined impact of religion and gender on fifth graders' (n=142) attitudes toward life and death. Although all children displayed high attraction and low repulsion to life and low attraction and high repulsion to death, religious children displayed higher attraction to death. Found main effect of gender and gender x religiosity interaction.…

Shares how one teacher used literature to extend her fifth graders' multicultural knowledge of African-American culture. Discusses how fiction and nonfiction books were coupled with a literature-based basal program and integrated into existing classroom themes to provide a natural impetus for meaningful individual and group dialogue about other…

Responds to William Bigelow's 1989 article which was being used in a fifth grade classroom. Questions the approach taken by the teacher and focuses on how children can be most productively involved in the kind of critical reading Bigelow advocates. Discusses the use of "I-Charts" (inquiry charts) to foster critical reading. (MG)

Explores aesthetic responses to literature by examining the responses of fifth graders to a variety of books and films. Finds three main characteristics of students' responses: picturing a story in their minds; extending a story or hypothesize about it while reading; and relating associations and feelings evoked while reading and responding.…

Tests the effectiveness of an instructional graphic (frames) on fourth and fifth grade students' ability to learn from reading their social studies textbooks. Finds that, for fifth grade students, framing was a more effective instructional technique than was the instruction suggested in the teacher's edition of the regular classroom social studies…

Presents study results of fifth graders' attitudes toward history. Includes interviews with the student subjects concerning what they know about history, what they want to know, and reasons to study history. Concludes that fifth graders are interested in history and familiar with the past but vague on the interpretive nature of history. (DK)

The relationship between cultural literacy and academic achievement was studied. Scores on the Cultural Literacy Assessment Test were obtained for 611 fifth graders for whom data about academic achievement were available. There was a significant positive correlation between cultural literacy and academic achievement for all ethnic and…

Describes a mathematical investigation for fifth-grade students that incorporates a social studies unit on the United States. Provides a method of using mathematics by applying it to other content areas. (ASK)

Examines the effects of a teaching strategy in which fifth-grade students evaluated the strengths or weaknesses of solution methods to pattern finding problems, including an experimental and control group each consisting of 34 elementary students, in Japan. The experimental group showed a significantly better performance on the retention test…

Describes a typical fifth-grade mathematics lesson as taught in a Japanese elementary school, followed by a reflective commentary focused on problem solving, using manipulative aids, and multiple solutions. (ASK)

Studies the effectiveness of the keyword method of learning vocabulary employed by students with limited English proficiency (LEP). Finds this method appears to be effective in helping LEP students to recall word definitions rapidly and efficiently, to comprehend sentences, and to retain vocabulary learning over a one-week period. (NH)