A middle school placed spelling instruction as a regular part of the first-hour class that had extended time for writing. Each teacher was responsible once every four weeks for providing a spelling unit related to his or her subject matter. (MLF)

This book introduces and guides upper elementary and middle school teachers through the process of using major classroom projects to enable integration of the curriculum through social studies. The book describes the excitement of a classroom when the students are working on Washington, D.C. and Latin America projects. Not only do the students…

Research indicates that middle schools are very successful at meeting the needs and developmental characteristics of young adolescents. Middle schools use a team approach, providing stability and continuity as teachers integrate subject areas into broader themes and units. Parental involvement is encouraged at the middle school level. (SM)

Studies have confirmed that middle school students must learn to do the following: think about the future; recognize their responsibility for educational planning; broaden their aspirations beyond the stereotypes of gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic level; develop and maintain self-esteem; develop complexity; understand how school relates to…

Curricular infusion is recommended as a method to promote integration of students with severe disabilities into regular schools. A case study is presented of the curricular infusion process as employed in middle school science and social studies, including examples of infused activities and outcomes of the effort. (Author/JDD)

Recent debates among educators about the middle school curriculum involve three concepts: (1) middle school ought to provide a general education school in which the curriculum focuses on widely shared concerns of early adolescents and the larger world rather than specialization among separate subjects; (2) the curriculum ought to serve the…

The intellectual disciplines comprising the traditional curriculum are actually territorial spaces carved out by academic scholars for their own purpose. Although middle-level educators have been engaged in reform efforts for two decades, the interdisciplinary, integrated curriculum is still rare and a working definition of a middle school…

Describes a curriculum enrichment activity for gifted middle school students. Students design a long-range space travel vehicle and plan for colonizing a discovered planet. Students contact people in science and industry and produce a handbook for space travel and colonization. (DB)

Describes the interplay of goals, teacher development, and assessment in the context of a yearlong research and development project designed to integrate the teaching of science, reading, and writing processes in a conceptually based, constructivist curriculum for middle school students who read below grade level. (ZWH)

Describes how one middle school French teacher spent six weeks in Normandy, France, and England on an NEH fellowship, researching William the Conqueror and the Bayeux Tapestry (which depicts the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy). From her research she developed integrated lessons for her students and other students in the school.…

Reviews current thinking about middle school physical education and raises questions about its place in middle schools. It is suggested that physical education be integrated into the core curriculum of middle schools, and five conceptions of middle school physical education are offered. (GLR)

This book offers school librarians, media specialists, classroom teachers, computer coordinators, and others involved with educational technology step-by-step procedures for planning and implementing technologies into both library and curricula. The interdisciplinary projects use print sources, as well as CD-ROMs, online databases,…

Issues in and suggestions for designing and implementing an interdisciplinary or integrated curriculum are discussed in this book. The first section reviews current research concerning interdisciplinary curriculum. Chapter 1 describes various types and purposes of such curriculum, and chapter 2 presents a step-by-step process for designing…

This book discusses four kinds of graphs that are taught in mathematics at the middle school level: pictographs, bar graphs, line graphs, and circle graphs. The chapters on each of these types of graphs contain information such as starting, scaling, drawing, labeling, and finishing the graphs using "LogoWriter." The final chapter of the…

This review examines both the popular and research literature on interdisciplinary teaching and learning at the middle grades level. The review discusses terminology; the rationale for integrating learning; and such features of the interdisciplinary approach as a curriculum plan demonstrating "connectedness," a holistic approach, preparation for…