Discusses a unit integrating science, mathematics, and environmental education centered around "The Great Kapok Tree," by Lynne Cherry (1990). Ratios are used to make scale drawings of trees in a rain forest. Other activities include a terrarium and problem-solving activities based on eating habits of rain forest animals. (KMC)

Reviews a sixth grader's book report on Paul Fox's "The Slave Dancer" and draws critical inferences about the student's lack of real engagement with literature. (TB)

Presents an annotated bibliography of 31 titles suitable for young readers in grades four though six that were published in 1998. (LRW)

THIS TEACHING GUIDE IS PRESENTED TO ASSIST THE TEACHER IN WHOSE CLASSES ARE ONE OR MORE GIFTED PUPILS READING ABOVE GRADE LEVEL. DESIGNED FOR USE WITH GIFTED PUPILS AT GRADES FIVE AND SIX, PART 1 PROVIDES GUIDANCE FOR TEACHING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ONE AUTHOR TO CHILDREN'S LITERATURE. THE METHOD USES THREE GROUPINGS OF BOOKS. THE "A"…

Describes how the author used many versions of the Cinderella story as a springboard for a variety of activities in her sixth-grade class, including discussion of fairy tale elements, aspects of story structure, summarizing, and problem-solving activities. (SR)

Describes how a middle-school teacher used "Charlotte's Web" in Reader's Theatre and in a writing workshop. Describes how the book was used as a writing model for dialog and for examining literary devices. (SR)

Identifies Newbery books most frequently chosen as favorites by 2,211 sixth-grade students, sixth-grade teachers, and school library media specialists. FInds that boys chose "Maniac Magee" (Jerry Spinelli), girls chose "Number the Stars" (Lois Lowry), and adults chose "The Giver" (Lois Lowry). (RS)

Describes a short course on fiction for sixth graders through which they grasp the terminology, recognize fiction in stories they read, and demonstrate that knowledge in their own writing. (HOD)

Finds that words written in dialect are difficult for black students to comprehend while reading silently, which does not agree with previously advanced hypotheses by other researchers. (RB)

Notes how the authors visited a sixth-grade classroom in an urban setting to teach students about jazz using children's literature. Describes how they played the music, talked about its basic structure and unique characteristics, read books aloud about the major musicians, and encouraged the students to experience the music for themselves. (SG)

A study attempted to determine if exposing sixth-grade middle school students to sex-equitable literature followed by discussion would show any significant changes in gender-bias attitudes expressed by the students. Subjects, 26 sixth grade students at a suburban middle school in Middletown, New Jersey, completed a pretest to determine gender-bias…

A study examined the effectiveness of a pilot literature-based reading program. Subjects, sixth grade students at Galveston Elementary School, were grouped into high, middle, and low ability groups containing 20, 25, and 13 students respectively. Reading instruction was provided during 45-minute class periods 5 times each week. Instruction…

Compares the effects of utilizing children's books incorporated into a themed literature unit with the effects of using a textbook in an elementary social studies class. Finds that students taught using the themed unit showed significant gains compared to the group taught with the textbook and that the subjects using the themed unit reacted…

Illuminates patterns in responses to literature by analyzing one sixth grader's entries written in her literature response journal. Finds that the student's responses reveal her as an active reader and writer with unique thoughts, feelings. and opinions generated by quality children's literature. (MG)

Describes imaginative ways to teach "A Wizard of Earthsea," a fantasy novel by Ursula LeGuin, with teaching time limited to one hour a week for six weeks. (HOD)