In attempting to assess the effects of humor on vocabulary instruction, an intervention strategy was implemented which sought to compare the results of such instruction with those produced from vocabulary instruction delivered in a traditional, non-humorous vein. To this end, the intervention proceeded thus: an experimental group of seventh-grade…

Describes an end-of-year project in which students research an interesting figure from American history and have a "dinner party" in which they become the historical figure they have researched. Gives examples of ways to modify the number of assessed activities based on the class and time factors. (SG)

This article describes a joint effort between a mathematics educator and a middle school art teacher who wanted their students to experience first hand how construction works in the real world. It starts with students designing and building scale models for a large inflatable item in which they display their art and extends to building the…

Describes redesigned thematic units used by a middle-school teacher to make social justice a year-long focus that unified all aspects of her class endeavors. Claims that opening the door to the tenets of social justice expanded the classroom community to include the insight of teachers in a neighboring city, the wisdom of a Holocaust survivor, and…

Describes methods of teaching summarizing skills to seventh graders. Notes that the English teachers at the middle school were quite surprised that their students did not know how to summarize effectively. (RS)

Describes how a 7th-grade reading class used character journals to explore the sailing and the sinking of the "Titanic." Describes how the students took ownership of their research and enjoyed reading and writing about actual events as they became a passenger or crew member aboard the "Titanic," explored the ship, experienced…

Examines what happens when seventh-grade students share their personal reading with peers as "Reader of the Day," a way for them to define themselves publicly as they interact within the literacy community of the classroom. Discusses cultural value associated with "Reader of the Day," operations and task demands, and scripts for reader and…

Describes a project whereby students prepared a video-taped time capsule of their interests and experiences in seventh grade, which would not be opened until their senior year. Students brainstormed, wrote scripts, gathered props, rehearsed, taped their presentations, interviewed teachers and staff, and filmed campus events. A two-hour film…

A reading activity module based on the newspaper was designed for students in grades 6-8 who have had two years of instruction in French as a second language. The module includes the teacher's guide, the facsimile newspaper, and transparencies for class activities. Module objectives are to introduce students to both newspaper reading and…

Describes an intervention program to provide extra writing instruction to seventh-grade struggling readers. Discusses characteristics of these struggling writers and compares it to other research that involved low-achieving students. Notes how teachers developed the program using authentic writing activities together with structured lessons about…

Describes a year-long project for seventh graders that incorporates all aspects of language arts. Relates how the project culminates in a videotaped dramatic production of student writing. (MM)

Describes how the writing process is the foundation for writing instruction in a seventh-grade class with full special education inclusion. Describes how daily writing, lots of choice, modeling, and examples of rich writing help all students move ahead to become better writers. (SR)

In 1979 the research department of the Fort Worth Independent School District (Texas) developed a plan for evaluating the utilization of time in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. This report deals with the classroom observation undertaken in grades four, seven, and ten. Activities in math and language arts classes were…

Describes Reading Apprenticeship, an approach to adolescent reading improvement in which teachers apprentice students into the strategies skilled readers use. Demonstrates the program at work in one seventh and eighth grade classroom. Discusses four key dimensions of classroom life: social (building community); personal (connecting to reading);…

The outline lists 14 career education activities that middle school teachers (grades 6-8) can relate to subject areas of: science, mathematics, English, social studies, foreign language, art, home economics, music, and industrial arts. Educational requirements are described for various occupations; occupations also are listed under appropriate…