One fourth grade class studied Van Gogh by investigating his art and life on the computer, painting still lifes, then learning to draw in perspective, creating colorful images of their own bedrooms using Van Gogh's bedroom as a model. Students extended their learning by examining relevant literature and completing timelines, biographical reports,…

Describes an activity to provide the stimulus for the semantic elaboration that leads to students' word ownership. Uses graphic representation to expand and refine concepts and relate new knowledge to previous experiences. (MG)

Examined the use of reflection surveys and students' pictures of their teachers at work to obtain information about classroom practices. Found that features in student drawings documented school changes. Drawings served as a powerful vehicle for teachers to learn from students' perspectives. Discusses problems with the method, and strategies for…

Presents the results of a study contrasting conventional instruction with protocol lessons (a sequence of lessons based on developmental stages of learning with each lesson building on the previous one) concerning sketch maps. The students taught with the protocol lessons showed significant improvement over the other group. (MJP)