Explores the impact of an inquiry project conducted with sixth-grade language arts students. Looks at three aspects of the project in relation to the literature on engagement, critical literacy, and the design of language arts curriculum for adolescents. Concludes that students' intense interest in their projects demonstrates such projects provide…

Argues that, especially in the intermediate grades, keying into students' personal interests is a powerful motivator for learning. Illustrates this with the story of a formerly excellent student who became disillusioned with school in fifth grade, becoming resistant and disruptive. Describes how a project approach to reading and writing that…

Intended for teachers of grades 4-8, this book presents a method of developing critical thinking skills through fairy tales. The book shows educators how to use popular fairy tales and fairy tale characters to help students develop problem solving abilities, critical thinking skills, and writing proficiency. It gives a multitude of activities,…

Teachers must make sure that the right book gets to the right child at the right time in order to develop positive reading habits. However, once a book is selected, students should be encouraged to think about what they are reading and use the story to evaluate and enrich their personal knowledge. Two classroom programs that use the whole language…