Methods of instruction include teacher-directed and student-directed activities. Students work independently to plan and write their speeches, and create their visuals, and present them to the class. Assessments used are rubrics, self-assessments, and teacher observations. Five classes of 25 seventh grade students in heterogeneous ability level classes have participated each year. It is appropriate for grades four through eight.

Interpersonal Relations Speaking, Listening and Viewing

Writing

After initial instruction, the culminating activity can be repeated throughout the year to review literary concepts and enhance new pieces of literature. Background lessons include the history of drama and biographical information about famous dramatists. Literature lessons include types of drama; parts of a plot; character development; and stereotyping. Written assignments include reviews of television programs and live plays; scripts for videotaped reviews; self and peer assessment forms; and directions for theatrical face painting. Public speaking lessons include elocution exercises and the actual performing of plays and critiques before the class. Lessons can be added or deleted depending upon time constraints, students' abilities, and individual teachers' goals without compromising the effectiveness of core leanings. All of the above are treated in ways that are age - appropriate for middle school.

Written reviews are evaluated in traditional ways and in peer evaluation formats. Actors are evaluated on evidence of practice, voice projection, expression, correct pronunciation, and other aspects of the actual performance, plus the effort to bring props and costumes. Oral reviews are also evaluated as performances. Their content is evaluated on organization of ideas; use of constructive criticism; support for others in the class; understanding and application of literary terms; poise; effort; and insight.

During library visits students are involved in discussion and recitation of poetry, examine literal and figurative interpretation and practice extraction skills in the selection of a line of poetry. The quote is the basis for demonstrating their illustrative and compositional skills in art class.

Assessment is performance based. Students meet with the media specialist to evaluate the poetry they have selected for recitation. The media specialist also measures the value of student selected quotes based on criteria established during lessons. Peer assessment occurs as students "vote" for the quote they would like to see incorporated into the mural. Illustration and compositional skills are measured through their final project in art class. One quote and twenty-five to sixty illustrations are selected to be part of the mural.

Sense of Community

Students began the research in the media center using periodicals such as Time and Newsweek in addition to encyclopedias and almanacs. Students then proceed to the computer lab where they utilize software such as Bookshelf and Middle Search that contain current articles and stories covering a variety of topics. In addition, the class is guided through an on-line web search of their topics. The last step is to compile the data, categorize the information by year and create additional verses for the Billy Joel song. This requires students to apply their knowledge of rhythm and meter. One music teacher guides the students through this project and the media specialist and computer aide assist with the research. This would make an excellent interdisciplinary project with Language Arts.

The newborns' personalities emerge as they join us at a meeting to select a group of four or five fellow puppeteers for collaborative play writing. The writing process is employed as the teacher meets with each small group to develop plays for their marionettes. Works in progress are presented to the whole class at share meeting. The students receive constructive criticism and suggestions. The teacher for the whole class reviews instructional points. The teacher also acts as a scribe and records information for later revisions. Students design and create scenery for the plays. Rehearsals begin and lines are memorized. Excitement mounts! Each group is given a special day to perform its play for other groups and parents using a student made stage and props to augment the marionettes.

Students first read a New York City student's published opinion on the 1999 Kansas law that banned evolution questions from state tests. They evaluate her essay and read a New York Times article about the Kansas law and other accounts of the Scopes trial from 1925. They take notes and write short essays on their opinions of the events. They also read an article outlining the conflict between religious faith and the theory of evolution. Again they take notes and write essays expressing their opinions. They read the play "Inherit The Wind" at home, and for each of the five scenes, they write an account using the point of view of one of the characters in the form of a letter to a friend or a diary entry. They also read the play in class and discuss issues raised and the literary devices the authors use in a play, which is a fictionalized account of the 1925 trial. Students write essays based on the play and choose five topics to research using the Internet.

Students select a famous twentieth century person as follows: Grade 9-- Californian; Grade 10--person from Brazil, Spain, China, South Africa, Sweden, or India; Grade 11--American who excelled in performing arts, science or literature; Grade 12--American politician.

First, students locate their subjects in an encyclopedia (book, CD-ROM, or Internet), then read a biographical article (book or magazine). They may also interview family or community members. Students search the Internet to locate additional significant information, e.g., early life, important dates, significant contributions, important facts everyone should know, and the reason this person is remembered. Students must also locate one graphic on the Internet for their projects.

Students receive small group instruction about word processing, graphic outlining software, and search techniques for the Internet. They have three weeks to research the biography, which they submit with graphic design, text outline, and notes; first edited and corrected drafts, final copy, title page, bibliography, and Internet graphic. In a culminating activity, students present their reports orally to classmates. They may earn credit in their history and English classes, also.

The California History/Social Science Framework recommends teaching students to select and organize electronic sources of information. The English/Language Arts Framework stresses the need for general education and special education to work together to make needed curriculum modifications.

Unit activities allow students to learn research strategies, apply higher level thinking processes, plan and carry out an experiment using the scientific method, and apply problem solving strategies. Activities are presented in a manner that allows students to discover new information about genetics and heredity, rather than learn about it through written information alone.

The unit engages students in a variety of planned activities. One major study is the selection and completion of an independent research project, where students choose an area of interest and investigate the historical facts surrounding the person or event. Students can choose different projects ranging from battles to technological advances in communication to music of the war to the beginnings of the Red Cross. In another component of the program students are authentically drafted into the Northern and Southern armies. Commissioned officers are appointed through an application and interview process. Officers experience first-hand the qualities needed for effective leadership.

As part of their efforts to learn more about sex discrimination, students act as investigative reporters by contacting and interviewing female athletes who played sports prior to the Title IX legislation. By interviewing primary sources students attempt to identify ways in which female athletes were discriminated against in sports.

To gain a further understanding of the gender equity issue, students view the videotape "A League of Their Own." Students work in cooperative learning groups to develop questionnaires that are sent to former female baseball players from the Rockford Peaches of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. The AAGPBL was the focus of the film "A League of Their Own." The research tool is designed to give students a genuine understanding of how American society was divided on the basis of gender.

For these reasons, Madeline provides the perfect literary setting for acquainting second grade children with classical literature, French culture and geography, and timeless art, while connecting reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The variety of activities and lessons give all children an opportunity to learn through learning styles chosen by the students. Reading, writing, art, public speaking, and music are among the curricula areas addressed.

Lessons include the author's use of story elements and description. Story maps of events are constructed to identify a writing concept crucial for young writers, the idea that each story needs a beginning, middle, and end.

Each student works through the writing process to compose an original Madeline story. The teacher uses a checklist to assess the student's inclusion of essential process writing elements. Students self-assess their work before submitting their final copy using a student checklist. The unit culminates with a "Madeline Breakfast" where students share their work.

Sharing their knowledge during a formal culminating event provides social interaction and academic recognition. Conversations laced with "Bienvenue" and "Tres bien" prove that classical literature for young children is truly timeless.

Students begin by using the microphone to record soundwaves produced by striking tuning fork. The computer graphs the soundwave, giving students a good visualization of what is occurring. Then the students use the computer to perform a Fourier Transform on the waveform. The computer displays the results in the form of a bar graph, which shows the fundamental frequency and the harmonics.

Without the use of a computer to analyze the data, the only way to find the fundamental frequency and harmonics is by using an oscilloscope, which is beyond the scope of a high school physics class. But with the computer, students can immediately "see" the waveform and analyze the fundamental frequency and harmonics. Since data-gathering is simplified by the computer, the students have more time to do analysis. For example, they compare the natural frequencies of tuning forks and musical instruments to the natural frequencies of sounds produced by human voices. Also, they can compare the differences between vowel sounds and consonant sounds.

As a final project, students design and build their own homemade musical instruments. After the instruments are constructed, the students analyze the natural frequencies of their instruments and compare these frequencies to the sounds they have been observing all week. They prepare overheads presenting the particular musical characteristics of their instruments. And on the last day of this unit, each group "performs" a song with their instruments and presents the results of their sound analysis to the rest of the class. These presentations, along with written tests and teacher observation, allow us to assess student understanding and knowledge.

This project's innovative feature is that it can be used with a single class, school-wide, or town-wide. For limited budgets, the quilt can be made of paper.

The video provides a history of the medium; techniques and skills required; noted practitioners (past and present); examples of works; and links to history, economics, politics, technology, science, literature, the fine arts. The video has an introduction, development, and closure with clear transitions from one segment to the next. The video closes with credits, identifying each group member and his/her role. Appropriate background music and sets enhance the production.

A bulletin board entitled, "The U.S. Is A Mosaic" begins this sixth grade exploration. A classroom discussion helps children develop an awareness of the diversity of American culture with metaphors such as: the U.S. as a salad bowl, melting pot, or kaleidoscope. Students apply their multiple intelligences and diverse talents to design a visual explanation of the U.S. as a mosaic. Students create a spectrum of projects. Peer evaluation skills and the importance of constructive criticism are developed by using a quality rubric. The classroom culture evolves into one of peer acceptance, support, and trust.

Students learn about the impact of history on culture through family interviews, selected readings and by creating personal history time lines which are displayed throughout the sixth grade wing.

Videos serve as catalysts for discussions about experiences with prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes. A variety of simulation lessons are threaded throughout this unit to provide real experiences.

Cooperative groups create an American culture book demonstrating an understanding of our culture. This book is sent to students on another continent. As a cultural exchange, these students send drawings and letters to American students. A culminating trip to Ellis Island and Chinatown provides a natural multicultural mosaic experience where students learn about America's cultural history and taste a new culture. Students are now prepared to define the ideals for a society which supports respect, tolerance and diversity.

Through shared responsibility in literature circles, students of varying abilities read together, respond in both an oral and written manner, note humorous selections, and make predictions. Methods of instruction vary to include teacher and student directed lessons. Large and small group discussions prevail from independent reading and read alouds. Journal writing, character sketches, and personal responding develop skill in constructing meaning of text. The assessment plan for this project is multifaceted and ongoing. Students use self-assessment and group survey sheets as well as a personal response journal. Teachers measure student progress and learning by observation in the daily literature circles and in individual student journals which note humor, personal responses, and predictions for various endings. Character and author biographical sketches as well as parental feedback help assess student learning.

Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening

A variety of activities and instructional materials are incorporated in this theme- based unit. Fictional literature that emphasizes environmental communities, habitats, niches, lifecycles, and the influence of human activity on ecosystems is used. Information that pertains to the subject of their literature book is gathered from reference books, C-D Roms, almanac indexes, and Internet resources. Students use computers to create databases and graphs, produce bar and line graphs with art materials, and create tangrams and tesselations with plant or animal themes. They use ant farms, tadpole aquariums, and ladybug circuses to observe lifecycles, animal behavior, and habitats.

Class participation in adoption programs of whales, wolves, or manatees encourages student correspondence and data collection. Culminating activities such as student- written, -produced, and -filmed plays, and the creation of a class environmental newsletter via computer generate learning and interest.

1. Pick appropriate topics

2. Find print materials

3. Create bookmarks of relevant sites

4. Scan appropriate photos

5. Practice with publishing or multimedia software

Science: Understanding the process of life and the interdependence of living things.

Writing: Using the writing process to more effectively communicate ideas and information.

Reading: To read effectively and to gather and synthesize information.

Social Studies: To heighten awareness of ecological concerns and their social implications Teacher

We begin with an introduction to American society in the 1920s using materials from Teachers' Curriculum Institute's History Alive series to help students engage the key features of the decade. Then students identify the unique elements of the new age via deconstruction of visual images in a teacher-guided slide show.

Students then focus on the story of African-Americans in the 20th Century. Students enhance their understanding of the pre- and post- World War I period by investigating political views of African Americans, before focusing on the 1920s in Harlem using the book Circles of the Twentieth Century: The Harlem Renaissance, and conducting factual mapping of the period, then critiquing assumptions and biases of the book's author.

In English class, students learn the language and slang of the 20s using materials from History Alive, and playing "Twenties Bingo." Personal biographies from the collection Having Our Say introduce students to women of the era. In addition, students read and analyze African-American poetry, including work by Langston Hughes, followed by a viewing of Voices and Visions: Langston Hughes.

Students then produce an independent research paper on a historical figure from the period, employing primary sources from the person's career, secondary sources to provide critical analysis, plus viewing or listening to the person's artistic output. Although they follow the standard five-paragraph format, students take a critical stance in exploring the character's importance. The Harlem Evening provides the opportunity to use this knowledge. Students create the setting, atmosphere and scenery of our own "Cotton Club" and present their figures in this exciting and fun format. Students gain sound academic knowledge in an unforgettable experience.

Students are assessed using both traditional and innovative formats. The term paper assessment follows traditional rubrics of substantive knowledge and academic research and writing skills. The authenticity of the performance becomes a crucial means of evaluating students and their ability to communicate their characters' historical importance.

We begin with an introduction to American society in the 1920s using materials from Teachers' Curriculum Institute's History Alive series to help students engage the key features of the decade. Then students identify the unique elements of the new age via deconstruction of visual images in a teacher-guided slide show.

Students then focus on the story of African-Americans in the 20th Century. Students enhance their understanding of the pre- and post- World War I period by investigating political views of African Americans, before focusing on the 1920s in Harlem using the book Circles of the Twentieth Century: The Harlem Renaissance, and conducting factual mapping of the period, then critiquing assumptions and biases of the book's author.

In English class, students learn the language and slang of the 20s using materials from History Alive, and playing "Twenties Bingo." Personal biographies from the collection Having Our Say introduce students to women of the era. In addition, students read and analyze African-American poetry, including work by Langston Hughes, Sheri has taught all ability and grade levels of high school English for nine years. She is a Mentor Teacher and a Met Life fellow with the IMPACT II National Teacher Policy Institute. Eric has taught United States History for three years. He is a coach for San Marcos High School Mock Trial team, and was formerly a deputy district attorney in Alameda County.

The unit incorporates many skills indicated in the Program of Studies and in Virginia's Standards of Learning. Language arts skills include research writing, story retelling, folktale writing, figurative language studies, poetry, and parts of speech. Science concepts include insects, arachnids, and arthropods, comparison of the digestive and skeletal systems of humans and spiders, the food web, and flowers and pollination.

Space is necessary to display the many projects created by the students.A trip to the Smithsonian Museum Natural History Insect Zoo enhances the project. A guest speaker from the Entomology Department of the Smithsonian, books from the public library, and information on the Internet also contribute to the program.

Students begin with an intensive review of mythology and ancient culture. Approaching this review from a contemporary perspective, a goal of the review session is to develop sensational and humorous tabloid headlines based on mythology and ancient history, e.g., "Janus Has Identity Crisis! Doesn't Know if He's Coming or Going!," "Cleopatra's Last G-Asp!," or "Family Funeral & Wedding in Thebes: Oedipus Kills Dad, Marries Mom!" Students use desktop publishing templates to publish tabloid pages, complete with headlines, illustrations, captions, weather reports, dates, and other tabloid features, all relating to the ancient world. The teacher provides the project format and evaluation guidelines. Final compilation of all tabloids into one class magazine provides an opportunity for student enjoyment and the positive critique of one another's work.

One teacher, guiding students through the basics of desktop publishing, can implement the project. While the technology aspect of this project relies on a computer lab, students created very effective tabloid display pages by hand before access to computers was available.

In the interim between seminars, the students analyze supplementary materials including books, videotapes, audiotapes, CDs, computer programs, and sheet music. By the second and final seminar, the students must have at least one story started and be prepared to offer constructive feedback to their peers. At the second seminar, the students share their stories and receive feedback from the storyteller as well as from their classmates.

The students develop presentation skills and gain an understanding of the diverse cultures they represent.One hundred ten multicultural seventh and eighth grade students who are emotionally disabled or learning disabled participated. Although classified as at-risk, their intellectual ability ranges from average to gifted.

Outside Resources A professional storyteller provided the curriculum, suggestions for implementing it, and professional storytelling skills. The PTA provided funds; two parents donated research resources and items for the reception. Community businesses professionally edited the best stories.

The tour itinerary must include a visit to each Wonder, in the time, and place it once existed, as well as a stay of at least two days within the present-day country. Information about each Wonder, the sites and attractions of today's country, means of travel (including time-travel) detailed day-by-day itinerary, hotel accommodations, costs, insurance and liability, and other pertinent information must appear in the booklet. The finished product, an informational and advertising booklet, is evaluated on evidence of research, accuracy and thoroughness of information, attractiveness of format, creativity of design, and overall organization.

Instructional methods and activities include teacher explanation and demonstration, hands-on use of the Internet, class discussion, group planning, student presentation, and guest speakers (travel agent and marketing specialist.) Some class time is allotted for all these activities; students must also use out-of-class time for research and planning.

The next day the class is divided into two groups- one in favor of animal testing and one opposed. The media specialist takes one group up to the library, and the members of the other group stay with their language arts teacher; using their notes, group members each select an argument for their side that they will develop and present in the debate. After writing up their arguments, group members present them to their own group, and as a team the group analyzes how to improve the argument, anticipating potential weaknesses. Finally, the groups brainstorm what they believe will be the arguments used by the opposing side and assign group members the job of responding to specific arguments. Students writing five paragraph essays using what they believe are the three strongest arguments for their side follow the debate, consisting of argument presentations and rebuttals.

Appreciate and Create!, which covers the Stone Age through the Fall of Rome, encourages students to use their multiple intelligences to understand history and to express themselves creatively in the style of each period studied. The History/Social Science and Visual/Performing Arts Frameworks and Art Smart were helpful in planning this curriculum. Art Smart provided only a few slides, so I photographed slides from books and was given reproductions by other teachers.

Interest is stimulated and information communicated in a variety of ways, including reproductions of each period, slides of art and architecture, and music from a period or place to help students imagine they are artists working in another time in history. Students learn that each period produces a style of art and architecture. Understanding the historical context makes learning more interesting and meaningful. Students learn how the art of the past continues to influence the art and architecture of today. An example would be the Santa Barbara Mission columns with Ionic capitals. Learning reinforces what is being learned in social studies classes.

For the Stone Age, students create their own cave paintings and aboriginal paintings. For ancient Egypt, students create Egyptian stationery by writing their names in hieroglyphics and decorating paper with Egyptian pictures. Several copies are made and each student then writes a letter of appreciation to his/her social studies teacher. Egyptian block prints are made using gold ink and multiple prints are made in other colors. Students also make aluminum foil mask pictures. For ancient Greece, students create their own black and orange figure vases and mythological beasts. For ancient Rome, students create cut-paper mosaics. These are just a few of the many projects students create while exploring styles of art from the past using a variety of art materials and techniques.

To introduce the unit, students are shown a backpack full of archaeological tools (trowel, measuring tape, compass, gloves, plumb bob, etc.) Students make predictions as to what type of scientist would use this equipment.

From there, students are presented with a hypothetical problem involving a dig site and items that may be artifacts. The class creates a KWL bulletin board that they change or add to as we progress through the unit.

Next, students read a variety of trade books on the topic, do research in the library, and add to a class concept map. They view a movie and work with an interactive CD on the computer. The children record their findings in their archaeology logs.

Poetry is used to introduce a lesson about inferences. In cooperative groups, the students make inferences about a given set of materials.

The art teacher works with the students when they do print casting, and parent volunteers assist the children to mathematically devise and then implement a grid system for a simulated dig.

All learning styles and ability levels are accommodated. Students are assessed throughout the unit for their participation, log entries, cooperation, and final project. The children gain respect and understanding for the past in a way that makes it real to them. It helps them to understand the present and to anticipate the future. It's more than a picture in a textbook; it's actually putting their hands in the dirt.

In September, parents sign up to give geography lessons. They are encouraged to bring pictures, slides, books, mementos and food from the particular region they are presenting. I offer to help them find materials.

The children are highly motivated by visits from parents, especially their own parents. We discuss appropriate behavior, possible questions to ask, and what they already know about the place we will be 'visiting.'

One family dressed in outdoor hiking gear to talk about a Sierra Nevada trip. They brought pictures, discussed mountain safety, backpacking food, purifying water, and finished with a 'campfire' and s'mores for all. Another family took us to Norway. They brought souvenirs and childhood toys, which are different from ours. (The mother lived there as a child.) They shared Norwegian history, including Viking lore, and discussed the topographical features. They also brought stamps for the children's travel journals, Norwegian chocolate and cheese.

I provide pictures and maps from magazines for each child's journal, which includes pages for each place visited. Students record at least three facts about each place studied, either on postcards to parents or on their journal pages. We use different art techniques and media (some learned at the SCWriP Summer Art and Writing Academy) to enhance the journals, which become assessment tools.

The students design one passport per continent, and as a class we travel to as many as 10 countries of this continent. By watching movies, doing library research, writing to embassies and to PCVs, using Netscape, hosting speakers, mapping the way to get there and other activities, my 7th grade students immerse themselves into the country we are working on. Once we finish a continent students are charged to present in groups, through plays, games, or reports the rest of the countries we did not reach. At the end of the group presentation, the rest of the students raise one of 2 cards a O/W (one way), or R/T (round trip). A few kids are picked and asked to explain their choice of answers.

Outside Resources

None needed, even though many could be used to enhance.

Students This study will involve 250 seventh grade science students.

Outside Resources The team has discussed the research question with professors at the University of Connecticut and the University of Virginia.

Assessment of student learning is embedded in the tasks, reflecting the authenticity of the process. Throughout the project learners observe, record, tally, graph and report their findings back to the group. Teachers can design rubrics relevant to each of these phases. Teachers observe the students actually using the tools (quadrats and transects) and note whether scientific protocols have been met. Students are also responsible for generating a final presentation and designing a rubric by which to assess it. Most importantly, the students are able to look back on their original list of brainstormed questions and decide whether they found their answers... or not! Guiding Principles: #1 Students understand the nature of math and science #7 Students attain and apply essential knowledge and skills of mathematics and science

Content Standards 1A: Students use scientific inquiry to provide insight into, and comprehension of, the world around them. P1 Make accurate observations using appropriate tools and units of measure. P2 Ask questions and propose strategies and materials to use in seeking answers to questions. 7.1C: Students understand and apply concepts of data analysis. P1 Formulate and solve problems by collecting, arranging and interpreting data. P2 Make tallies and graphs of information gathered from the immediate surroundings. I1 Make generalizations and draw conclusions using various types of graphs, charts and tables. 7.2A: Students understand that there are similarities within the diversity of all living things. P1 Identify the differences between living and non-living things. P2 Describe characteristics of different living things. 7.2B: Students understand how living things depend on one another and non-living aspects of the environment. P1 Identify ways that organisms depend on their environment.

The kits and training in how to use them are available for use by other schools. AUTHENTIC DATA COLLECTION challenges students to apply scientific knowledge, requires mathematical skill and leads to understanding. Students practice process skills which they can use throughout their lives. Data collection skills, once learned, are readily transferred and not easily forgotten. In the final projects, students communicate their learning to school and community members as well as to each other.

Some of the activities that can be done range from graphing and weighing the apples purchased at the store, performing science experiments dealing with dehydrating and cooking the apples, as well as "surfing the net" for recipes and other ideas. Books, poems, and songs can be used, charts and stories can be written and murals can be painted and displayed for the school to enjoy. The children will be excited each day when arriving to school because of the "hand-on experiments" that are ongoing in the classroom and will discover new ways to experiment with the apples.

Content Standards 1A: Students use scientific inquiry to provide insight into and comprehension of the world around them. P1 Make accurate observations using appropriate tools and units of measure. P2 Ask questions and propose strategies and materials to use in seeking answers to questions. 2B: Students construct knowledge through reflection, evaluation and refocusing. I1 Reflect on work in science and mathematics using such activities as discussions, journals and self assessments. 2F: Individually and collaboratively students use effective communication techniques. P2 Interact in groups of various sizes. I1 Function effectively in groups within various assigned roles. 7.1C: Students understand and apply concepts of data analysis. P2 Make tallies and graphs of information gathered from immediate surroundings. 7.2B: Students understand how living things depend on one another and non-living aspects of the environment. P1 Identify ways that organisms depend on their environment. 7.2C: Students understand that cells are the basic units of life that can reproduce themselves. P2 Demonstrate an understanding that plants and animals need food, water and gases to survive. P3 Explore magnifying devices and how they enable individuals to see in more detail. P4 Provide examples of causes of diseases.

The Approach In the BACTERIA UNIT: A COLLECTION OF EXPERTS, a laboratory scientist works with students and their teachers to transform classrooms into active laboratories. Teams of students actively search for bacteria in their classroom and surrounding environment. Through an integrated curriculum, scientific methods and language are introduced to students. Students discuss what bacteria actually are, where and what they require to live, and the useful and harmful things bacteria do. They also learn the techniques necessary to study bacteria. Teachers and scientists guide students to develop hypotheses and protocols, which they then investigate in teams. Language arts, math, science, art and cooperative learning are incorporated into this curriculum, taking full advantage of the unique experience. A variety of teaching strategies and assessments are used to insure student success throughout the week. Student brainstorming activities provide a baseline through their demonstration of prior knowledge (preassessment). Students learn how to inoculate petri dishes the right and wrong way through live demonstration and instructional video. In daily science journals students record their activities, predictions, and observations. Students apply knowledge learned in early experiments and make inferences based on previous conclusions established through data analysis. Collective data are displayed in several ways. A student generated classroom map entitled,"Where can we find bacteria?," displays hand-dawn pictures. Students place actual petri dishes, which serve as data points, on a large floor graph. This allows comparative data analysis and discussion at the whole class level. Teachers use pre and post unit student interviews and student journals to assess learning throughout the period. Pre-test, post-test and five month follow-up interviews with stratified sample students in the BACTERIA UNIT revealed strong durable comprehension of the unit's basic concepts. Additionally, students interviewed demonstrated facility with designing experiments, including the importance of an experimental control, and were able to interpret graphic data displays. In the coming year, assessment strategies will include a student designed quiz with answer key for inter-classroom exchange, a cartoon depiction of the week's activities, fill in the caption student exercise and "design your own experiment."

Meanwhile, the eighth graders serve as mentors to a second grade class. The mentors create weekly lesson plans for their "students," and measure their progress. The students co-plan the layout and design for themes in the bathrooms, then paint the bathroom stalls and walls. Their student-made product is safe from future vandalism because they designed and created it!

One example of Batter Up! is the lesson where students search the internet to learn about the origin of the teams in Major League baseball and create a timeline of the dates the teams entered the league. Students grasp the history of the teams while learning about the other historical events that happened during the time period.

During this unit, students will create graphs, design baseball uniforms, create baseball cards and even learn about rumming a baseball franchise. " " America's favorite pasttime is an exciting focus to motivate students to learn how to gather, organize, synthesize and communicate information in all subject areas."

An integrated software package - word processor, data base, spreadsheet, presentation tool.

One example of Batter Up! is the lesson where students search the internet to learn about the origin of the teams in Major League baseball and create a timeline of the dates the teams entered the league. Students grasp the history of the teams while learning about the other historical events that happened during the time period.

During this unit, students will create graphs, design baseball uniforms, create baseball cards and even learn about rumming a baseball franchise. " " America's favorite pasttime is an exciting focus to motivate students to learn how to gather, organize, synthesize and communicate information in all subject areas."

An integrated software package - word processor, data base, spreadsheet, presentation tool.

The lesson plan is four anticipatory sets followed by a mock debate. Set 1) Students view slides of art and photos from 1930s and 40s Berlin. They see Expressionistic art and listen to jazz music, then see photos of Nazi Berlin while listening to Ode to Joy. Finally, they see slides of Berlin in ruins. Each student creates an art triptych in response to these three stages of Berlin. Set 2) Students participate in "jump-in reading" and create found poetry about Berlin using George Marshall's 1947 Harvard University address. Set 3) Students, seated before a projected image of Churchill, Stalin and FDR at the Yalta Conference, read excerpts from "Declaration of a Liberated Europe." Set 4) As American foreign correspondents in post-war Berlin, they synthesize learning into a column for the paper back home.

For the debate, the class becomes the United Steel Workers of Berlin Labor Union, committed to having a say in the future of Berlin. Students are divided into two teams. Team 1 is given primary source documents which paint an optimistic picture of communism. Team 2 is given primary source documents which favor capitalism and the West. Once both teams analyze the documents and prepare their cases, three elected speakers begin the debate.

Students receive credit for completing drawings, poetry and newspaper articles. Journal entries are evaluated for student understanding of history and for personal effort and awareness of the process. The California History/Social Science Framework recommends teaching the results of World War II, The Marshall Plan, and the Truman Doctrine. A final test on totalitarianism includes this material.

At the culminating presentation and feast, the excitement of the students is contagious. All involved, including parents and other invited guests, truly became witnesses of students who are stretching Beyond the Timberline. As a result, each child increases his/ her self-confidence and self-esteem- the foundations for lifelong learning.

Data will be gathered by comparing test scores from the 1st day and the 15th day of the study. The class will be divided into three groups: students preparing with book-related materials, students preparing with the computer program, and students using both. Data will also include a comparison of student academic and technical competencies through a computerized self-assessment Leikert scale questionnaire administered on the 1st and 15th days of the study.

The Fairfax County Juvenile Court detained the students participating in this inquiry. Their average stay is 21 days. The GED population consists of 16 and 17 year-old students who have a few high school credits toward graduation. These at-risk students do not plan to return to high school and need GED preparation in order to obtain a viable job and become successful adults.

The Fairfax County GED program coordinator, the Virginia Department of Education GED specialist, and the Washington, D.C., GED testing service irector will advise the research team during this study.

Students next select a book to take home to read to their parents. At home, parent and child read and discuss the book together, then record their reaction to the book in a special diary, using their choice of words or drawings. The bag goes back to school and the cycle repeats. Students are encouraged to voluntarily share their diaries with the class.

A child-parent team is hard to beat when they work together to acquire English literacy. Using a class library of books that are at or below students' reading level, the teacher first reads the books to the class. Students discuss the books, using innovative discussion methods such as: · the fish bowl · picture walks · one minute commercials Or students may create mini books, flip books, accordion books, even a video book.

Students next select a book to take home to read to their parents. At home, parent and child read and discuss the book together, then record their reaction to the book in a special diary, using their choice of words or drawings. The bag goes back to school and the cycle repeats. Students are encouraged to voluntarily share their diaries with the class.

A child-parent team is hard to beat when they work together to acquire English literacy. Using a class library of books that are at or below students' reading level, the teacher first reads the books to the class. Students discuss the books, using innovative discussion methods such as: · the fish bowl · picture walks · one minute commercials Or students may create mini books, flip books, accordion books, even a video book.

Students next select a book to take home to read to their parents. At home, parent and child read and discuss the book together, then record their reaction to the book in a special diary, using their choice of words or drawings. The bag goes back to school and the cycle repeats. Students are encouraged to voluntarily share their diaries with the class.

A copy of the newsletter goes home at the end of the day to be shared with parents. The teacher includes in the newsletter homework tasks such as correcting intentional misspellings and grammatical errors, or supplying missing illustrations. The following day, the class reads and edits the letter; at the end of the month the newsletters are bound into booklets. Children and their parents treasure this permanent record of the school year.

The teacher introduces the theme at the beginning of the week by giving students an agenda that states the theme and a writing prompt for each day. The teacher leads a discussion each day to generate brainstorming ideas, and reinforce the specific idea within each unit. Students then write a five- or six-sentence paragraph each night as homework, and revise the previous night's homework. The next day, students and teacher revise their new paragraphs. This is repeated each day until Friday, when they do final copies in the computer lab, engage in summative discussion and presentation of their completed work.

Student self-esteem is increased by daily success points for completing their homework, bringing their agendas, re-copying the previous day's final draft, and contributing to class discussions. Positive changes in student behavior results in improved citizenship grades and increased adherence to classroom, school and district rules and expectations.

Students gather information using the library, the Internet, even personal recommendations from school staff members. Students display materials related to their destination country, mathematically analyze its flag, and investigate the geometric features of locales in their selected country. The project culminates with 5-minute team presentations of the planned trips. Classmates use calculators during the presentation to monitor those $10,000 budgets!

Students gather information using the library, the Internet, even personal recommendations from school staff members. Students display materials related to their destination country, mathematically analyze its flag, and investigate the geometric features of locales in their selected country. The project culminates with 5-minute team presentations of the planned trips. Classmates use calculators during the presentation to monitor those $10,000 budgets!

My inspiration for this unit was twofold. I spent two weeks in Cambodia in the summer of 1997 and was struck by the effect of the Khmer Rouge on current-day Cambodians. A week after my trip I was a participant in the California History-Social Science Project at UCSB where the topic was "Civic Values, Rights, and Responsibilities From Ancient Times to the Present." I realized that the information I had gathered in Cambodia fit this topic perfectly.

Students are required to select a specific location on the school grounds which they feel needs improvement. Throughout the duration of the project they will be visiting this site on a regular basis. Students collect soil samples and measure environmental data at the site. They also brainstorm ways to improve the location.

Students then contact local garden centers or do research in landscaping journals in order to learn which plants would provide the most successful alternative to current landscaping features. Next, students design and carry out an experiment to test whether or not their suggested improvements will be successful.

The project appeals to students of all learning styles, and they work mostly at the upper levels of Bloom's taxonomy. Students are motivated by the idea that they are directly contributing to their school, as well as by the freedom of choosing where they want to work and how they want to do it. The best part is that students really care about their work because they hope to see it realized when they return to school in the fall!

Although inquiry, brainstorming, and character education begin in the social studies class, all other academic disciplines become involved as students expand their knowledge of this major crisis in our society through videos, newspaper articles, and true-life experiences.

Throughout the unit, students work cooperatively, employing a variety of learning methods to create posters, bumper stickers, essays, and graphs that demonstrated concepts and facts related to homelessness.

They research the problem on local, state, and national levels and write letters to agencies as they request speakers. Letters to families and friends about "Cartons of Care" send out the message that everyone can help and that we all can make a difference. During a closing evening program, at which each audience member donates a food article to the project, guest speakers from state homeless shelters also address the audience of students, parents, school personnel, and community leaders.

Our students set and then tripled their goal of 1,000 food and toiletry items that they collected, sorted, graphed, packaged, and delivered to local homeless shelters. As students take up the cause of community service, there will be positive changes in peer relations, in your school, in your town, and in your world.

The goals are as follows: To help students grasp the concept of the different "cat personalities" described in T.S. Eliot's poem; to have students write their own animal poems; to develop research skills and successful interaction among students by having them report on the different breeds of cats; in social studies, to help students understand the importance of cats in the ancient Egyptians' lives; to familiarize students with the music; after seeing the musical, to have students write about and recreate their favorite cats by making large puppets and videotaping the students with their cats. The activities address a variety of learning styles through written, spoken, visual, kinesthetic and performing experiences. In addition, students develop critical thinking skills and use computer technology to write their stories and poems. Methods of instruction are teacher- and student-directed through reading, discussion and poetry writing. Students also work individually on their cat projects and stories.

Through this intergenerational project, students will learn to value and enjoy diversity, and gain respect for family, school, and the community. There are three phases to this project.

First, each student completes a family tree with help from various generations of his/her own family. The purpose is twofold: (1) By combining information, the class becomes aware of the great variety of cultures represented in our common heritage, and identifies and graphs patterns of immigration; (2) Each student identifies the oldest living family member whom they can later interview.

Second, students more closely explore one country of their heritage by locating and using a variety of sources of information. They identify important facts and customs.

The third phase of the project is the interview. Students learn how to conduct an interview, take effective and efficient notes, and write a biography.

The excitement and pride build as the various pieces approach completion and are put together in a beautiful hardcover book which each child creates (the assessment piece.)

At our culminating Heritage Festival, interviewees are honored and family members enjoy our mini-museum where we share our books, artifacts, and foods of many cultures.

Students gain a much broader awareness of other cultures, and begin to understand and appreciate their own historic and ethnic heritage.

The activities involved in this unit address the needs of students with different learning styles. Throughout the course of the unit, students experience written, verbal, kinesthetic, visual, and auditory activities, allowing them to find success through their own learning strengths. Methods of instruction are varied throughout the unit. Teacher and student directed discussions about differences and discrimination occur in both large and small group settings. Students work independently on research, writing, and during some simulations. Other simulations require work in pairs or small groups.

Each activity in this unit has its own assessment piece including teacher or student led discussions, the completion of individual evaluation forms to self assess frustrations associated with the simulations, and self editing of written work. Teachers assess student learning through observation and discussion, and by reviewing the written evaluations with the students.

When the puppets are finished, students explore how movement and voice could demonstrate personality traits of their character. The project concludes with either an actual, fully plotted play, or student monologues in the voices of their puppets, explaining the puppet's point of view on the story and on other characters.

Many curricular areas are integrated within this project as students investigate how and why people celebrate holidays. Seasons are a vital part of all celebrations and are used to teach science and math along with the ties all people have with the earth. Social studies is taught throughout the year while students study the relationships between people and their surroundings in a society. Language arts is an essential component to this unit of study as students read about holidays and express their ideas and feelings about what they have learned both orally and in writing.

The students develop computer skills by composing and printing several words or sentences for each picture and creating a title page. They match their pictures with their text and glue them onto 6" x 6" colored, poster board squares. A cover, title page, and the book pages are bound with a 5/8" plastic comb binder. Students share their completed books with the class and keep them in the classroom library where they can be read and reread until the end of the school year.

The primary goals of this unit are to actively engage students in their own learning while challenging them to perform at high levels and to experience success. The unit uses the novel, Frankenstein, and the study of human body systems and genetics as the cornerstones of this creative extension of language arts, science, health, mathematics, art, social studies, and reading. Challenging students to connect classical philosophy and values to twenty-first century technology and human development produces the spark of life in this unit that arouses a natural intellectual curiosity in students as they apply their understanding of classical literature to modern bioethical issues surrounding genetic engineering.

Evaluation is consistent, using interdisciplinary rubrics. Discipline lines blur as students immerse themselves in integrated learning that nurtures positive self-esteem, critical thinking, and creativity, as well as mathematical, reading, and writing skills within a scientific medium.

During the course of the problem, students are called upon to respond to formal requests for information, by both the organization that initiated the project, and the Army Corps of Engineers, the lead oversight agency on a project like this one.

As a final product, students design, build, and evaluate a model of a portion of the bridge structure. During this process, they develop a clearer understanding of the effect of forces and loads as they refine their designs.

Most of the combinations are natural links, such as linear functions with basic kinematics or trigonometric functions with physical wave properties. Many allow me to add depth to the curriculum, such as adding the Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines to physics units which usually only allow solutions of problems with right triangles. I am able to teach much more data analysis than I would teaching either course separately.

Students write a paper each quarter explaining the history of some of the concepts or the mathematics and physics behind an activity or device. For evaluation, I use tests, quizzes, papers, homework checks, portfolios, and student presentations. Each student is expected to lead the class for part of a period each quarter.

"Communicating about Art" has several unique features. First, prior to the oral presentation there are "rehearsal days" in which students assess each others' oral and written work through student generated rubrics. Second, students as teachers teach the Spanish vocabulary essential to the understanding of their presentations. Third, a post-presentation question/answer period among the presenters and the listeners in Spanish stimulates active participation and communication among the students. Lastly, as a final written and oral assessment to the project, students create a museum gallery on the classroom walls using twelve teacher- selected works of art from the presented artists, and explain in Spanish how they determined its order. The teacher's role is to model an oral presentation for the students, to teach art vocabulary in Spanish, to review samples of questions in Spanish for the presenters and listeners and to act as a facilitator and guide. The library media specialist assists in locating art materials and makes slides from pictures. There are several methods of assessment. In addition to the rehearsal days' rubrics and the art gallery creation, each student is responsible for a written version of the oral presentation and for a self- assessment on the oral presentation itself.

The program is comprised of a springboard activity in which the teacher reads Confucius' analect on the conduct of the virtuous person to the class followed by a class discussion. Students are then given quotes from the Analects to discuss in small groups and agree upon an interpretation. This often results in a lively discussion and insight into their own beliefs. Students then learn about li, ren, filial piety, and righteous government from the teacher and are given a worksheet challenging them to identify which of the virtues is being discussed in a series of quotes. Finally, they develop their own "modern" Confucian saying and share it with the class.

Other activities include reading and reacting to a series of interviews done with Chinese teachers and students on the topic of Confucius, responding to a newspaper article, and debating whether or not a return to Confucianism would be workable in modern China.