Developing and implementing curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory is central to successful middle grades education (Erb, 2005; Jackson & Davis, 2000; National Middle School Association [NMSA], 2003, 2010). However, as one language arts teacher suggests, it can be difficult to create curricula that meet these…

While incorporating digital technologies into the classroom has offered new ways of teaching and learning into educational processes, it is essential to take a look at how the digital shift impacts teachers, school administration, and curriculum development. "Academic Knowledge Construction and Multimodal Curriculum Development" presents…

Critical steps that must be taken in moving from junior high to middle school are discussed. (DB)

Curriculum integration is a systemic phenomenon that traverses both traditional and nontraditional territories. Scottsdale (Arizona) Public Schools' strategic plan includes curriculum integration elements in seven categories--community relations, curriculum and instruction, funding, human resources, management, communication, and technology. The…

Today's students face more stressors than ever before with fewer resources to handle them. Curriculum designers and teachers can help counselors and parents alleviate psychological stressors for middle schoolers by offering creative coursework alternatives for exemplary behavior, special units on assorted topics, experiential communication…

When transitional programs are left to chance, there is no guarantee that such programs will be effective. This article describes two articulation teams' efforts to meet the needs of students entering and leaving a Baltimore, Maryland, middle school. The two-tiered program helped relieve students' anxieties, introduced them to teachers and staff,…

Two teacher researchers examined the nature of mentoring relationships occurring among and between team teachers at one middle school as they planned for and taught a common group of students. There were five types of (simultaneous) mentoring among teachers: collaborative, clerical, professional teacher, interdisciplinary content, and…

Proposes clustering content areas of a middle school curriculum under humanities, technology, and personal study. An interdisciplinary team planning approach could eliminate the schism between academic and other subjects. (MLF)

Suggestions are made for implementing programs that enhance students' self-concept and self-esteem. Eight program activities illustrate examples of what principals can do for students in these areas. (MLF)

During 1990 Northeastern Conference of American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages, a panel of experts agreed that young Americans will require an advanced proficiency in foreign languages and an appreciation for cultural diversity. Language study should be intertwined with culture, social issues, and other dimensions. The middle school is…

Instead of trying to imitate high school programs, staff at many U.S. middle schools are working to transform school climate, become more sensitive to adolescent needs, and experiment with team arrangements, new schedules, advisory programs, and other organizational patterns. This article uses three case studies to illustrate new approaches to…

A Delphi panel identified a core curriculum for middle school agricultural education, including four agricultural literacy subjects and six exploratory subjects. A nationwide set of instructional materials could be developed from panel recommendations. (SK)

Curriculum developers should consider middle level learners' needs for intellectual growth and individual attention and their needs to understand themselves and know others. (MLF)

First in a series of profiles to trace the intellectual roots of the modern middle-school movement through the thoughts and actions of five of its most influential revolutionaries. (seven references) (MLF)

Introduces five articles on teachers' role in curricular change, stressing commonalities and research needs. The foremost commonality is giving voice to teachers, middle schoolers, university students, and researchers. Other common threads are the social construction of knowledge, examination of questions related to our intellectual heritage, the…