Afterschool programs have garnered much attention as promising environments for learning where children can engage in rich science activities. Yet, little is known about the kinds of instructional materials used in typical, large-scale afterschool programs that implement science with diverse populations of children. In this study, we investigated…

Instructional materials are a key means to achieving the goals of science education--an enterprise that yields unique and worthwhile benefits to individuals and society. As states and districts move forward with adoption and implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) or work on improving their instruction to align with "A…

For the 2014 study, "The Iterative Development and Initial Evaluation of We Have Skills!, an Innovative Approach to Teaching Social Skills to Elementary Students", researchers examined the effects of We Have Skills! (WHS), a supplemental, video-based social skills program for early elementary students. WHS consists of three components:…

This article is written as a tribute to R. Garry Shirts who through his exemplary authorship and publication of gamed simulations was designated "Defender of the Playful". Garry Shirts was the master of creating the "Aha! Moment" in learning through "deep play". Among the many gamed simulations he designed, the…

Given California's role in the Pacific economy, its historic Asian heritage, and the strong and growing presence of Asian communities and businesses in the state, it is imperative that students statewide understand the history of Asia. Unfortunately, the California state curricular framework and standards in history and social science limit the…

This article investigates if WebQuests have been an effective instructional tool for teaching Social Sciences subjects. In order to obtain an answer to this question, a review of scholarly literature from 1995 to the present has been undertaken and action research in 8th grade U.S. history course was conducted. The literature investigation has…

POTENTIAL ECONOMIC FORMS OF ADAPTIVE, SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS WHICH WOULD BE OF PRACTICAL USE IN ADJUSTING TO INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES WERE INVESTIGATED. "PARALLEL" PROGRAMS (ONE STUDENT LEARNING BEST BY ONE PROGRAM AND A SECOND STUDENT BENEFITING MOST FROM ANOTHER) WERE FIRST EXPLORED AS A WAY TO ADJUST TO INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. THIS…

The teacher who understands the importance of energy is often faced with the challenge of incorporating it into an already crowded curriculum. This compendium provides a resource for quality lesson plans and support materials at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The materials were evaluated for their ability to meet the educational…

An Artmobile exhibit was developed for Los Angeles secondary schools under an ESEA specially funded program. The exhibit involves two trailers and packaged instructional materials for a display of the work of 33 local artists. An instructional bulletin describes the operations of the Artmobile, presents some relevant art concepts, outlines several…

This resource packet contains three lessons on issues relating to recent debates over illegal immigration. Each lesson is designed to provide the teacher with a background reading, a directed discussion strategy, and one or more interactive classroom activities to address the topic presented. The first lesson, "Coming to America--Undocumented…

Instructional materials for helping eighth-grade students to expand their driving-related vocabulary and to become familiar with the driving laws and knowledge needed to pass the California driver's examination are presented in this unit from the Greenfield Express Management System (GEMS) program, a California Demonstration Program in Reading. A…

Designed to sensitize primary grade students to the responsibilities of protecting wild animals, this teaching unit contains a variety of interdisciplinary worksheets and activities. Although focusing on wild animals indigenous to San Mateo County (California), materials are easily adaptable for use in other areas. Examples of activities are…

The 45 energy education materials contained in this guide were evaluated by school teachers from California, Arizona and Nevada, and are listed here according to evaluation performance. The first five entries were found to be excellent teaching aids, and an entire activity has been included with each of these. The next 16 materials have a single…

This text consisting of eight learning activities packages (LAP's) was developed during the California Women Entrepreneurs Project for use in a course designed to help women entrepreneurs learn how to start their own small business. The LAP's included here are self-paced, student-centered modules which take the learner step by step through the…

This curriculum guide was developed to provide material about the Indian culture of Northwest California for students in grades K-6. Many of the units were developed for a specific grade, but can be adapted for older or younger children. The material can be integrated with such curricular areas as language, literature, social studies, science, and…