The concepts of "learning community" and "community of practice" may hold value to researchers, but questions exist as to how well they help in organizing and clarifying the type of critical thinking involved in investigative work. This paper approaches the problem from two directions. One is to deconstruct the two concepts…

A museum program in Montreal encourages elementary and secondary school students to examine their surroundings and neighborhoods. Units focus on stained glass windows, houses, history of Montreal, the neighborhood, and architectural heritage. (KC)

Designed for elementary school teachers in Santa Cruz, California, this book outlines an experiential approach to community study. Because the term community can encompass a scope as narrow as the school or as wide as the region, these guidelines are adaptable to several elementary grade levels. The book is arranged in six sections. The first…

These materials discuss the history of Chicago, Illinois, including prominent persons in the city's past, and landmarks for which Chicago is well known. A number of activities are suggested, some of which concern Chicago's industries, historical sites, architecture, newspapers, ethnic groups, and history. A list of books about Chicago for…

One of a series of student booklets on the Canadian environment, this unit covers the national and regional transportation systems in Canada and a comparative study of six localities. Student groups adopt another community somewhere in Canada and plan a trip from there to their home town. In the course of their activities, they learn about their…

This document presents a program designed to provide students with a comprehensive and interesting way to study their community. Although developed for secondary students, the program activities, with slight modification, should be equally successful with intermediate-level students. Using the community as the area to be studied, a major focus of…

This issue of the Goldfinch focuses on communities. Ethnic groups, religious groups, schools, families, even the Internet, are used as examples of communities in Iowa. Forced communities are exemplified by migration, law, natural disasters, and sometimes education. Photographs from Iowa's past show the changing nature of communities and encourage…

An outline of the knowledge and skills to be taught at grade three in order to meet the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) social studies objectives is provided. Material is divided into three parts. Following an introduction, a one page description overviews the curriculum topic for grade three, communities, and specifies the major…

In this award winning project for incorporating economics study into the curriculum, a fifth grade class studied economic interdependence as it applied to their community (Barling, Arkansas). Class readings of several books dealing with the development of an economic community preceded the students' creation of a mini-Barling with elected…

The booklet describes the local history component of an interdisciplinary high school course on American Studies. The program involves students over a three-year period in collecting, recording, organizing, interpreting, and disseminating the history, culture, and tradition of Scituate, Rhode Island. The booklet is presented in six chapters.…

The booklet describes a multimedia project which introduces secondary students and interested adults to the ethnic history of Westport and Norwalk, Connecticut, from 1900 to 1979. Objectives of the project were to demonstrate ways to explore the past and relate it to the present, forge links between generations, encourage understanding and respect…