Reports research examining the effects of writing activities on mathematics achievement. Results indicate that prewriting activities, such as modeling or prompts, are essential and that regular, systematic writing over an extended period can improve students' performance in, and attitude toward, mathematics. (15 references) (MDH)

Ninth-grade students' (n=90) responses to impromptu, in-class writing assignments were examined to evaluate students' understanding of mathematical concepts. Participating teachers benefited by seeing how students' writings may reveal misconceptions concerning mathematical concepts, skills, and generalizations. (MDH)

Analyzed survey responses of 226 mathematics teachers from 57 Australian high schools concerning the use of writing in mathematics classrooms. Findings suggested that writing is rarely used as a strategy for teaching mathematics and when it is used, its effectiveness is limited. Includes the Writing in Mathematics questionnaire. (44 references)…

Suggests incorporating reading, writing, and social studies within the context of literature. Includes reading lists and activities for teaching about the Victorian period in a two-month social studies unit that incorporates science fiction, mysteries, and fairy tales. Children discuss old photographs, examine artifacts, visit a Victorian mansion,…

Outlines a teaching unit, appropriate for grades seven through college, that helps students understand the nature of the United Nations definition of genocide. Questions the adequacy of that definition. Provides four classroom teaching scenarios for a cluster of five to eight class periods, culminating with students writing an essay about…

Presents a classroom teaching unit based on the Supreme Court case, "Cruzan v. Missouri Department of Health." Students extract and prioritize the arguments from the lower court decisions, write position papers, and conduct a moot court simulation. Discusses individual and states' rights and quality of life concerns. Includes six…

Provides two sequential writing assignments, a foreign policy issue brief and an issue analysis project, used in introductory political science courses as part of a writing-across-the-curriculum program at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. Explains each assignment's component parts and the reliance on teacher-student interaction for success.…

Asserts that the PBS series "The Civil War" presents historical information that can encourage critical thinking by students. Offers a lesson plan based on one program in the series, "The Cause." Provides questions for student discussion and outlines writing assignments based on the series. (CFR)

Discusses the use of science process skills to help students think positively about writing assignments. Examines the four language arts skills of narration, description, explanation, and persuasion, as used in writing about hands-on science activities. (MDH)

Faculty often overestimate the scholarly communication experiences, critical-thinking abilities, and information-seeking skills of the undergraduates to whom they assign papers. A stratified methodology is suggested for teaching information retrieval skills in the classroom. A strong curriculum-integrated approach could ease the burden on students…

Techniques for college teachers to use in managing student resistance to critical thinking include proactive strategies (creating a cooperative environment, establishing rapport, creating high expectations, and countering resistive behavior) and reactive strategies (avoiding personalization of resistance, inviting students to explore resistance,…

Presents a pull-out section that includes four brief articles and accompanying learning activities. The articles include an architectural examination of the move from medieval fort to Renaissance palace, interdisciplinary biographical writing assignments, a look at the portrayal of people with disabilities in juvenile literature, and material on…

The purpose of this article is to describe the attempts of faculty members in one teacher education program to foster integration of content and skills across courses, prepare teachers for the diverse classrooms they will encounter, and connect course content to real life experiences. This paper describes the design of a cross-curricular video…

This article shares an approach to teaching mathematics teacher education courses incorporating asynchronous online discussions. Specifically, this research is guided by the following research questions: (a) How would online discussions contribute or hinder teachers' learning in mathematics methods courses? and (b) What pedagogical strategies need…

Laurie Richlin has been running a workshop on course design for higher education for over fifteen years, modifying and improving it progressively from the feedback of participants, and from what they in turn have taught her. Her goals are to enable participants to appropriately select teaching strategies, to design and create the conditions and…