Designed so that 100 to 125 heterogeneously grouped 7th and 8th grade students and a team of 5 core teachers might experience and discover the natural and historical "treasure" in the Parker River area of Massachusetts, this interdisciplinary unit centers on a hike to Parker River (6.7 miles) and visits to a cemetery, a monument, and Old…

Each year more children come to school unprepared to relate appropriately to others and to contribute to a positive school climate. These children seem to have more problems and less ability to cope with the structural environment of the school. Educators tend to agree that many children lack the character traits necessary for healthy, positive…

This paper offers insights on how to facilitate student-student interaction in the science classroom. These insights derive from the education and the linguistics literature. Cooperative learning research offers a means of understanding what helps groups of students interact successfully. Systemic functional linguistics provides tools for…

During the biennium of 1922-24, new and important levels have been reached, according to reports, in parent-teacher associations with respect to growth, stability of organization, efficiency in methods, responsibility in leadership, and practical results obtained. In 1923 the National Congress of Parents and Teachers set for itself a program which…

Describes "Forever Friends," an intergenerational program linking second graders with elderly residents of an independent living facility. Describes monthly sessions involving group and partnership activities; how elders participate in classroom activities, musical programs, creative writing projects, and school field trips; and how…

Presents an analysis and evaluation of a fictitious case study of a student teacher using cooperative learning in a global studies class. Includes comments and suggestions made by 10 teachers who also reviewed the case study. Discusses eight "probe questions" that focus on content decisions, teacher control, and equity. (CFR)

Drawing from a five-site multicase study, this paper examines three middle school students' perspectives on weekly classroom discussions that took place over a 6-month period in order to analyze the dynamics of classroom talk and how discussions can be affected by the teacher's interaction with the students. The three students were members of an…

This book describes a British project which used cooperative group work as a curriculum approach to help reduce children's social difficulties and encourage cooperation and friendship across such barriers as race, sex, or disability. The book consists of eight chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of research findings and theory related to peer…

Drama and role playing are effective ways for teachers, school counselors, and other individuals who work with young people to teach and discuss sensitive issues. The eight plays in this publication are designed to help middle school students develop critical-thinking, problem-solving, and logical decision-making skills. The eight scripts use a…

Teaching is a complex act requiring expertise relative to content, students, and the myriad of alternatives available to bring the two together in meaningful ways. This monograph is designed to assist teachers in examining and altering their own teaching practices and in transforming the classroom from a place of "dull sameness" to an…

This guidebook discusses cooperative learning at the middle school level and provides lesson plans that use cooperative learning techniques in various subject areas. Part 1 details three classroom organizational options and the elements of cooperative learning; examines the major types of cooperative learning; reviews the importance of developing…

This book grew out of the experiences of three teachers as they learned to document young children's work in their respective schools. Part I of this book enables readers to learn about documentation. Chapter 1 provides the rationale for the study of documentation, and chapter 2 explains the windows framework that guided the teachers in thinking…

Research on the effect of small-group instruction on students' second language classroom experience, as well as strategies for teachers, are examined. Eight foreign language teachers observed their student teachers an average of 11 times each on randomly-selected days over an 8-week observation period, generating a total of 5,288 "snapshots" of…

This text is the first of four levels sequenced as a continuum of language skills for the Spanish speaker of limited English speaking ability in grades six through nine. Levels one and two emphasize oral skills and levels three and four emphasize written skills. The teacher's edition is designed to follow along with and complement exercises…

A major goal of ESL education is to teach students how to speak English well enough to converse spontaneously and naturally with native speakers. Discourse analysis provides an understanding of those skills second language learners need to acquire to converse with native speakers and an understanding of how these skills may most beneficially be…