In spite of the continued focus on problem solving, American elementary and middle grades schoolchildren are perceived to be ineffective problem solvers. This paper reports the results of a survey of (n=744) kindergarten through eighth grade teachers and interviews and observations of a primary and an intermediate master teacher designed to answer…

This Manitoba (Canada) curriculum guide includes the grade 8 overview, unit overviews and topics, focusing questions, specific objectives, and outline maps needed for the course. The teaching of the identified objectives is mandatory in Manitoba. Manitoba curriculum guides are produced in three different formats referred to as Level I, II, or III.…

This curriculum is designed to assist Catholic school teachers and parish catechists in their efforts to foster a pro-life attitude in students in grades 7 and 8. Following an introduction is the curriculum which features six lessons. These are: (1) Unique in all the world; (2) The first nine months of human life; (3) The hard facts about…

A study examined the effect of role playing on persuasive letters written by 84 fourth and 70 eighth graders. Role playing was defined as improvised, unrehearsed oral interaction in a simulated context. Randomly selected students from 11 comparable heterogeneous classes in a middle-class suburb wrote to their school principals on three different…

THROUGHOUT, UNITS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS - PRACTICAL SKILLS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION AND BASIC SKILLS OF GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS. THERE IS GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS IN THE RESPECTIVE AREAS WITH REVIEW, DRILL, AND AN ADDED ACHIEVEMENT IN EACH UNIT. FOR EXAMPLE, ORAL COMMUNICATION STARTS WITH SPEAKING DISTINCTLY, AND PROGRESSES TO ORAL…

The second segment of a two-part general report of a province-wide reading assessment program in British Columbia, this report presents the results of two teacher surveys, one dealing with the desired objectives of secondary reading instruction and the other concerning the methodology of instruction throughout the province. The chapters of the…

The purpose of the teacher's guide is to acquaint students at the eighth grade level with occupations in the earth sciences. By identifying earth science and exploring geology, oceanography, and meteorology, students may become aware of the knowledge and skills required of workers in these occupations. Students participate in simulated work…

This evaluation of two programs of materials used in introductory French classes tests two basic hypotheses: (1) pretests are good predictors of subsequent French achievement at the junior high school level, and (2) students in different programs will achieve to the same degree on a final French test. Results of the groups using the "audiolingual"…

As the field of gifted education has increasingly embraced broader definitions of giftedness, teachers and specialists in the education of the gifted and talented need additional ways to assess the talent development needs of a broader array of students. Since learning styles comprise an important component of any comprehensive talent development…

Early research has shown that using practicing mathematics teachers as mentors results in increased teacher self-respect, improved teaching skills, and renewed enthusiasm for teaching. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a resident mentor teacher on student achievement in mathematics. Measures of achievement were obtained…

Two studies were conducted to determine the impact of instructional rubrics on the development of students' writing skills and their understanding of the qualities of good writing. In the first study, 303 eighth graders were given an instructional rubric before writing 1 of 3 different types of essays. Results suggest that an instructional rubric…

An eighth-grade language-arts teacher describes action research she conducted with her class of "bums." She sought to determine what environmental factors in the classroom might influence motivation and what types of rewards are effective. (IAH)

Examines the similarities and differences in beliefs about the effective teaching of mathematics held by teachers from two different sociocultural backgrounds. Data were collected using a part of the Teacher General Classroom Process Questionnaire of the second IEA Mathematics Study. (Author)

Provides brief history of Structural Communication (SC) methodology and discusses its use for teaching eighth-grade literature. Examines strengths and weaknesses of SC in print and hypermedia formats, and discusses the computer-based implementation of this participatory method of instruction. (JKP)

Argues that local history collections in the public library can be used by teachers to make their lessons challenging and more meaningful and outlines factors a public librarian needs to consider in developing cooperative teaching programs with schools using primary documents. Sample exercises for fourth and eighth graders are included. (six…