As part of a study of ecology, students in a second and third grade classroom developed board games. The research, creation, rule making, naming, and testing of several games are described. The games' levels of abstraction, presentation of factual information, content, and potential for sustained interest are considered. (LB)

Describes 15 types of educational telecomputing activities that can be integrated into students' academic explorations. Three categories of activities are presented: (1) person-to-person communications, including LISTSERV discussion groups and electronic mail; (2) information collections, such as database creation; (3) and collaborative problem…

Through cooperative games and play, children learn to share, empathize with others' feelings, and get along better. The article makes suggestions to physical educators on how to design games to teach students cooperative behaviors and how to incorporate them into class, noting four important game-design principles. (SM)

Describes the use of reading guides as an interactive technique to stimulate comprehension. Provides an example using a popular novel. (MG)

Describes the pros and cons of using small groups in the English classroom. Considers why some teachers succeed while others fail when trying to use small groups. Provides and illustrates four discussion-leading techniques which facilitate small group interaction. (HB)

Describes the way four teachers utilize and foster small group discussion in the English classroom. Provides numerous experiences that practicing English teachers have encountered in using small groups. Gives specific classroom techniques and advice for small group discussion administration. (HB)

Describes cooperative class projects carried out by at-risk high school students on a variety of topics about Native Americans and involving in-depth research and multimedia presentations of their findings. (SR)

Applies results from field and laboratory studies about business usage of electronic meeting systems (EMS) to the classroom setting. Argues that it transforms the classroom from a traditional instructor-centered environment to a student-centered environment in which students participate, participate more equally, and report a highly satisfying…

Contends that poetry is a particularly useful and engaging vehicle for revealing the complexities of a historical moment. Outlines three exercises on poetry and history designed as adjunct activities that may be used with the specified historical periods. Focuses on the experiences of African Americans. Includes three handouts with reading…

Evaluates a teaching program called TRAC (Talk, Reasoning, and Computers) that is used for scaffolding children's effective use of language as a tool for reasoning and collaborative activity. Finds that using the TRAC program can increase the amount of exploratory talk used by children working together in the classroom. (CMK)

Considers the use of thematic maps in the primary grades as a means to exploring the five themes of geography. Discusses an experiment that evaluated the ability of first grade students in interpreting thematic maps and describes a lesson that introduces thematic maps to primary grade students. (CMK)

Believes that serious fun holds great promise for engaging special needs students in meaningful learning experiences in social studies. Describes how creative play with plastic action figures led to four students in a self-contained special education classroom collaborating on writing and illustrating their own book. (CMK)

Adventure programs should go beyond the "four Fs" of diversity activities (food, fashion, festivals, and facts) to explore differences and their implications for social justice. Possible group activities include sharing ethnic and family traditions surrounding a person's name and focusing on the cycle of socialization related to…

Introduces a class project on oceans, fishes, and fishing industries around the world. Groups of students make a mural of the world, filling the oceans with accurate drawings of fish, fishing boats, and fishing equipment. Students learn about the importance of fish in various cultures and about the migration routes of fish. Includes a resource…

Focuses on using drama in social studies by describing the use of the flippy play, a narrative illustrating social problems and written and drawn on flippable panels. Discusses the process for creating a flippy play, beginning with researching, developing, and constructing the play, building the flippy frame, and then producing and pacing the…