This curriculum guide consists of environmental studies modules for grades 4-8. The curriculum, which is organized around major concepts, is intended to serve as a guide for program development and as a framework for compiling and sharing ideas on methods and application on a national basis. Each module may be utilized as an integral part of the…

Types and techniques of propaganda and its effects on American Life are discussed in this elective social studies course for 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students. Since young people today are bombarded with conflicting ideas disseminated through mass media, it becomes imperative that students become more knowledgeable about propaganda and its impact…

The introductory social studies survey course required for grades 7 through 9, part of the Quinmester Program, attempts to help the student develop a cognitive structure in the social sciences generally and in each of seven disciplines. Emphasis is placed on basic skills the social scientist uses to study man and his problems. "Launch…

The resource unit in urban studies is designed to be used by suburban social studies classroom teachers in grades 7-9. The unit aims at developing a positive attitude in suburban students toward the central city. Students are introduced to the social dynamics and cultural resources unique in large urban centers. They recognize that solving urban…

This bulletin demonstrates that Berkeley, California's educational problem is and has been that of meeting the varied needs of a population such as may be found in any typical American city. The varied population needs, together with the rapid growth, have brought many difficult problems to Berkeley, just has they have to other cities. Based on…

Junior high school students involved in a reading/current events program developed by Visual Education Consultants got higher scores on a current affairs test, reported increases in reading newspapers, listened to more news on radio and television, and read more about national and world news. (RL)

The construct validities of the Self Description Questionnaire I, the Perceived Social Competence Scale, and the Multidimensional Measure of Children's Perceptions of Control were assessed, using 508 seventh through ninth graders in Sydney (Australia). Factor analysis, multitrait-multimethod analyses, and patterns of correlations with additional…

Describes the participation of four middle school students at the World Youth Conference on Human Rights. Discusses interdisciplinary efforts at a private school to celebrate the founding of the United Nations. Outlines student volunteer activities for both local and international causes. (CFR)

A descriptive study examined the degree to which middle level teachers in grades 6-8 in three states accept the tenets of the middle school philosophy. The guiding questions were: (1) Does a cross difference in variables exist among teachers from different organizational settings or grade configurations in respect to the teacher's acceptance of…

Objective: This article reports findings of three studies addressing convergent validity and test-retest reliability of the Youth Rating Scale of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-Second Edition (BERS-2). Method: Pearson product-moment correlations were used in all three studies, the first two addressing convergent validity and the third…

This practicum project was designed to increase student ownership of learning through student-kept assignment calendars and portfolios. The subjects, 63 junior high school students at a private Christian school, were also involved in frequent, cooperative sessions in which they checked each other's work and offered suggestions, with reports to the…

This study was part of a larger study investigating the influence of group collaboration during a group assessment on performance of the group and subsequent widespread performances. This study compared the verbal interactions of students while they completed a science assessment in small collaborative groups with their performance on the same…

This paper addresses the problem that gender imbalance in curriculum and instruction contributes to sexism, stereotyping, and bias in schools. The study was conducted in a reading classroom in a grade 6-8 middle school of 970 students in a suburban area of the northeast United States. The program focused on inservice workshops and integration of…

Teacher monitoring of seatwork and homework is viewed as an important instructional behavior that influences student learning. The literature suggests that monitoring can be equally successful utilizing other support systems, such as teacher aides and peer coaches. This study examines the effects of monitoring on student learning as provided by…

This unit is one of a series that represents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. This unit explores Greece's most glorious century, the high point of Athenian culture. Rarely has so much genius been concentrated in one small region over such a short period of time. Students discover in studying…