This resource unit, developed by the University of Minnesota's Project Social Studies, introduces eighth graders to the executive process. The unit uses case studies of presidential decision making such as the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the Cuba Bay of Pigs and quarantine decisions, and the Little Rock decision. A case study of…

This resource unit, developed by the University of Minnesota's Project Social Studies, introduces eighth graders to political parties and elections. Ways in which political scientists study voting behavior, sampling techniques, problems arising from interpreting findings, and the use of correlational studies are presented. The unit includes an…

Describes a two-day forensic science course that is offered to eighth grade students enrolled in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Magnet Schools. Provides sample student activity sheets for the course. (Author/RT)

Describes cooperative learning strategies used in a class of eighth grade U.S. history students representing a number of cultures and a wide range of abilities. Discusses the formation of groups and the aspects of class routine to which the groups are subject. Provides a form for recording points earned and suggests possible rewards for points.…

Reports misconceptions identified in students with respect to the topic of parallel lines and the teaching strategies found to be useful in challenging those misconceptions. (11 references) (MDH)

This study evaluated the impact of a school-based nutrition teaching program on students' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Modest use of the program "Nutrition for Life" related to modest attitude, behavior, and knowledge differences. Interactions among teacher assignment, nutrition teaching, and program use explained variations in…

Describes the achievement of Israeli fourth and eight graders on the performance assessment of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The Israeli educational system has stressed practical tasks, and as expected, performance of Israeli students on the TIMSS performance assessment is quite high. (SLD)

The present study makes use of the capabilities of computerized environments to enable simultaneous display of molecular representations that correspond to observations at the macroscopic level. This study questions the immediate and long-term effects of using a multimedia instructional unit that integrates the macroscopic, symbolic, and molecular…

This ethnographic study investigated the implementation process of mathematics curriculum initiatives designed to improve student achievement in a test-driven accountability environment. The research focused on complex factors within the school contextual environment influencing implementation and student achievement specifically, leadership;…

This study used an open-ended problem-solving approach to teaching and assessing middle school students' understanding of the concept of arithmetic average. Three main results of this study show evidence of positive instructional impact on students' understanding of the concept of average: (1) the number of students who gave correct answers…

This study examines how academic assertiveness in junior high school students affects conceptual change and the degree to which their assertiveness affects the conceptual change of partners paired with them for a series of activities using a computer simulation of the human cardiovascular system. The sample was a group of 90 eighth-grade students…

An innovative intermediate music programme was instituted at an elementary school in a middle class suburban area in Canada. The music teacher at the school designed a unique curriculum, the Technology in Music Programme (TIMP), for a classroom equipped with microcomputers, sequencers, drum machines, music instrument digital interface (MIDI)…

This paper describes a teaching approach in which a middle school classroom teacher and a team-teacher by satellite present a course in Basic English and Reading for remedial reading students in grades 7-8. The team-teacher at Oklahoma State University is a "talking head" who teaches on television. The television portion of the course, "Reading in…

This report summarizes findings from two national surveys of U.S. civics achievement conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Part 1 reports on a trend assessment of approximately 56,000 students at ages 13 and 17, carried out during the 1975-76, 1981-82, and 1987-88 school years. Chapter 1 summarizes national trends, trends…

This document describes in depth a reading and writing project implemented at the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade levels at a public school in Portland, Oregon. The objectives of the Title I project--to improve students' reading and writing skills and to evaluate that improvement--are outlined, and each component of the program is described in…