The Elementary School Proficiency Assessment (ESPA) is the state test taken by students in the fourth and fifth grade. It is designed to give a school information about how well the students are achieving in the areas required by New Jersey's Core Curriculum Content Standards. For 2001, a new subject Social Studies has been added to the ESPA. The…

The assessment model described in this guide was initially developed by a team of fifth-grade teachers who wrote objectives of integrating social studies and language arts. It helps the teacher guide students to create a task-specific rubric that they use to evaluate their own and peers' work. Teachers review the student evaluations, determine the…

This activities booklet focuses on the story of Alaska's flag. The booklet is intended for teachers to use with students in the intermediate grades. Each activity in the booklet contains: background information, a summary and time estimate, state standards, a step-by-step technique for implementation of the activity, assessment tips, materials and…

Presents a teaching module for upper elementary students that devotes eight class periods of study to Canadian resources. Includes study of the Canadian fur trade, fishing industry, forestry, and the problems caused by acid rain. Includes the unit evaluation. (DB)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1998 Civics Assessment measured student knowledge, intellectual and participatory skills, and civic dispositions at the fourth grade level. This publication describes fourth graders' performance based on 30 questions from the fourth-grade assessment. Twenty-three of the thirty questions were…

Presents a six day activity unit for upper elementary grades to develop an understanding of the value of knowing geography and to teach the five geography themes and their meaning. Completion of the unit will enable students to apply all five themes in describing a place geographically. Includes a test for student evaluation. (LS)

This paper summarizes and discusses the findings from interviews of 10 fifth graders conducted before and after each of their six U.S. history units. Special reference is made to potential curricular and instructional implications from the findings. The 10 students began the year with little historical knowledge and they displayed numerous…

A study examined how many and what kind of questions appear in elementary science and social studies textbooks and teachers' manuals. Approximately 7500 questions from fourth and fifth grade science and social science textbooks from three major publishers were classified according to the following characteristics: (1) type of cognitive demand; (2)…

Three learning activities, test strategies, and teacher suggestions are provided to help intermediate and secondary-level teachers teach skills in history and the social sciences. (RM)

This guide is correlated to the PASS (Priority Academic Student Skills) objectives for Oklahoma history in grades 6-12. The guide was developed to aid in the teaching of the PASS objectives by identifying primary sources, audiovisual materials, field trips and scholarly materials that relate to each objective. The guide is divided into seven…

This sixth grade program is designed to bring students to a fuller realization of their relationship with other members of different world communities. Skills, concepts, and content form the curriculum model for this social studies program. The course content is derived from history, geography, economics, politics, and society. The skills…

The Age of Exploration, beginning in the late 1400s, was an important era in the discovery and development of land unknown to Europeans. Students initially participate in geographic literacy activities by comparing and contrasting the European geographic view of the world in the 1400s with present-day information. Focusing on pre-Columbian…

Alternative assessments, grounded in reflective practice, can enliven instruction and improve students' knowledge, reasoning, and communication skills. When teachers share a rubric with students, everyone knows the standards for success. Sense of community and small class sizes in rural schools provide an ideal environment for teacher-student…

This guide to Indiana's academic standards in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and the Social Studies for Grade 4 students begins with a note to students and another note to parents. The guide spells out what student should know and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level. The guide also lists 10 things parents can do to help…

This guide to Indiana's academic standards in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and the Social Studies for Grade 5 students begins with a note to students and another note to parents. The guide spells out what students should know and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level. The guide also lists 10 things parents can do to…