This article investigates how affluent students made sense of social justice issues that were embedded in mathematics learning activities. I present 2 case studies of such activities at the intermediate and secondary levels in 2 different schools. The analysis draws on video records and classroom artifacts and applies the theoretical framework of…

The author describes a fifth grade gifted class biography project based on J. Renzulli's Interest-A-Lyzer which asked students to choose three people from the past and three from the present they would invite to the class as teachers. (SB)

Briefly reviews several studies on the effectiveness of simulation games and reports an investigation examining the effectiveness of a simulation game designed to incorporate learning activities at three hierarchial levels suggested by Taba. (BR)

The study of acid rain provides ample opportunities for active, interdisciplinary learning. This article describes 12 hands-on activities designed to expand students' understanding of acid rain. Background information on acid rain is included. (LB)

Designed to introduce students to the world through nonfiction, this book presents easy-to-follow suggestions for class projects, activities, strategies, and learning centers. The book uses an integrated approach to promoting inquiry in the classroom through the use of quality nonfiction. Aimed at middle grade students and using vignettes which…

For 8 weeks during 1991, a project was conducted in which literacy was emphasized within the context of one fourth-grade social studies classroom. The overall goal for this unit of instruction was to create language-rich experiences that would stimulate higher order thinking about the concept of Liberty. Additionally, students were to become more…

Five ideas for computer-oriented classroom activities are presented. They include sending secret messages (while introducing the American Standard Code for Information Interchange- ASCII), conducting a computer survey, playing adventure games, showing why the END command is needed, and using control characters to protect a program. (JN)

Although children often receive classroom opportunities to retell and summarize information, they must also learn how to critically examine what they read. Critical reading of multiethnic literature helps children develop understanding, respect, and value for the diverse cultures and people in the world. This paper discusses the value of…

Suggested are classroom activities for children ages 10 to 14, that relate sports to the worlds of art, economics, psychology, mathematics, the social sciences, the physical sciences, literature, and history. (Author/SJL)

Suggests implementing a pen pal program using students in the same school or from a school in the same district as a way to encourage written communication among elementary school students. (HTH)

Fourth- through sixth-grade students can create drawn-to- scale classroom maps as they prepare for a treasure hunt using mathematics, map, and measurement skills. The activity involves sharing different maps and examining their features; discussing scale and its purpose; describing the in-classroom treasure hunt; making the maps; and allowing…

A variety of in-class assignments are included in this guide designed to accompany SPACES, a series of six, half-hour television programs designed to introduce students in the fourth through eighth grades to people and careers in science and technology. Targeted toward Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American minority children, the series…

This teacher's guide on the 50 state quarters emitted by the United States Mint includes 6 "teacher-friendly" lesson plans that fit easily into the curriculum for grades 4-6; reproducible student worksheets that coincide with each lesson; "fun" state facts and information on the new quarter designs; and USA map template with…

Spelling is only beneficial when it is connected to reading and writing. Upper elementary and middle grade students have a tremendous need to be heard, and teachers should focus on spelling for the power it holds in communication--people spell to communicate more effectively in writing. To teach spelling separate and apart from writing and reading…

This teaching guide for "Where the Lilies Bloom" provides an introduction, a plot summary, and a conclusion as background information. The guide furnishes questions for discussion which focus on plot, point of view, setting, characters, interpretation and symbolism, ethical questions, and conclusion. (NKA)