A student project was designed to promote the development of critical reading, critical thinking, and study skills in seventh grade honors students in a developmental reading program. Inherent within the design of the project was the notion that the students would select a topic of interest to research, thereby enhancing student motivation and…

In this monograph, the authors provide a general overview of recent literature on administrator preparation programs. Ten chapters parallel the major interrelated components of an administrator preparation program: Program content, program structure, recruitment and selection, instructional approaches, field-related experiences, student research,…

This guide describes activities, methods, and materials which can be used in conducting a beginning-level social-science research project. Designed for secondary and college students as a laboratory component of a social studies or social science course, it provides ideas for firsthand experience in the methods used by social scientists for their…

Two programs were designed at Millersville University (Pennsylvania) to stimulate interest in science and mathematics: (1) academically talented students from grades 4-11 attend science lectures/demonstrations and participate in a science knowledge competition, and (2) secondary teachers and students in grades 8-11 participate in hands-on…

Describes the results of a survey of elementary education faculty at schools of education in Ohio designed to explore attitudes toward the elementary teacher's role in research skills instruction; library instruction in teacher training programs; and the relationship of critical thinking skills to the library research process. (CLB)

The materials in this curriculum book provide examples of strategies and resources that can be used to initiate or enhance existing lessons and units in history and social studies. All the material can be adapted or modified by the teacher. The lessons are designed to encourage students to think critically about turning points in history, conduct…

This paper explains how and why the author involved her undergraduate sociolinguistics students in doing field research in a local Texas elementary school. She notes that a continuing concern for linguistics education has been the viability of undergraduate linguistics programs. She agrees with other researchers and argues that one way to…

Harriet Tubman, a famous Civil War freedom fighter from Maryland, is the focus of this unit that integrates the arts and history. Students will learn about Harriet Tubman through music, art, dance, literature, and reference materials. The five lessons will be models and a springboard for the research projects that the students will complete about…

As research through the Internet becomes the method of choice by many students, assessment of Internet materials, student motivation to use traditional research methods, and other pedagogical concerns have become issues in the learning process. This paper describes experiences of faculty from several applied disciplines (i.e., social work, human…

The theme for National History Day during 1998-99 school year is "Science, Technology, Invention in History: Impact, Influence, Change. National History Day competition has two divisions based on school grade: junior division--grades 6, 7, and 8; and senior division--grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. This teacher guide provides teachers with…

The Freeman School, originally called the Red-Brick School House, served the community of Blakely Township, Nebraska from 1872 to 1967. It is representative of the one-room schools that once dotted the western landscape of the United States. The Freeman School served not only as an educational center but also as the church, a meeting hall, the…

Maintains that cooperative learning produces higher achievement, more positive relationships among students, and healthier psychological adjustment than do competitive or individualistic experiences. Describes a cooperative learning core module complete with course content and assessment strategies. Discusses advantages, disadvantages, and student…

Examines a teaching strategy called "constructive controversy" where students are required to argue both the pro and con positions concerning a controversial current topic. Describes students' response to a class using this method to examine the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Student response was generally favorable. (MJP)

Explores implementation of electronic term papers (ETP), objectives of these assignments, educational benefits of the ETP, an exemplar ETP, grading of ETPs, copyright issues, and student evaluations of the approach. Includes a schematic diagram of a sample electronic term paper and a list of Web resources for developing ETPs. (MJP)

Recommends employing problem-based learning (PBL) in the preparation of geography students for field classes. Utilizing PBL students work on problems drawn from professional practice with the assistance of tutors. Briefly reviews the characteristics, contributions, and issues of PBL and provides an undergraduate geography case study. (MJP)