Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Curriculum Development Project In Health Education For Lyle School District No. 406; Scope And Sequence For Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade And Curriculum Guide For Ninth Grade Health, James A. Titus

All Graduate Projects

Small school districts rarely have curriculum direction, let alone curriculum guides. This writer has often overheard staff members exclaim, "It would help so much if I knew what I am supposed to teach," or "It would be nice if there was some planned progression that students were exposed to." Small school districts usually cannot afford the luxury of specialized curriculum staff working on curriculum projects.

This writer, along with two other staff members was fortunate to attend a health education workshop sponsored by ESD No. 112 in the fall of 1974. A process of curriculum development for health education was …

A Curriculum For Death Education In The High School Family Life Program, Karrin J. Lewis

All Graduate Projects

The intent and purpose of this study was to develop curriculum, resources, evaluation and teacher preparation for a death education class, and to teach that curriculum as an elective, semester class for high school students at Washington High School in Tacoma, Washington, in order to demonstrate the feasibility of such a class becoming a regular part of the high school family life program.

[Development Of A Program To Teach Ruler Skills To Problem Learning Students At The Junior High Level], Stuart L. Wittwer

All Graduate Projects

The objective of this project is to develop a simple to read, easy to use, low cost program to teach ruler skills to one-fourth (1/4) inch. The program is one that the students are placed into and can progress at their own learning rate-child directed. Also, the program is to be of a manner that is straight forward and easy to follow so the reader does not have to spend time sifting through non-essential materials. The project is to be designed for problem learning students at the junior high level. However, the materials within should be applicable to any child …

An Approach To The Teaching Of Handwriting, Patricia J. Belter

All Master's Theses

Present systems for teaching handwriting are based largely on custom or preference of previous systems utilized (Templin, 1960). Groff (1960) mailed questionnaires to seventy-two large city school systems and found that decisions on handwriting programs are based on tradition and not on research findings.

Nineteen different handwriting systems supply about ninety-five percent of the instructional materials in use today in the United States. Many of these systems have not been changed in the last fifty years (Mullins, Turner & Saltzman, 1972).

Comparison Of Oral And Silent Comprehension Scores On An Informal Reading Inventory, Linda Leah Carlton

All Master's Theses

The study presented in this paper was designed to compare the comprehension scores of an informal reading inventory taken orally with the scores of an informal reading inventory taken silently to determine any significant differences. The final data analysis indicated that no significant difference existed when the scores where compared using the two-tailed t-test at the .05 level of significance.

Further study and testing with the informal reading inventory is recommended for additional information.

Comparative Study Of The Relative Merits Of Core Curriculum And Challenge Examination For The Career Ladder Concept As They Relate To The Licensed Practical And Associate Degree Registered Nurse, Margaret M. Fromherz

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a study of comparative achievement of practical nurses who have progressed on the career ladder through the use of challenging examination with those in core curriculum. Questionnaires and site evaluations determined the more effective method of career mobility. A core program with minimum expectations for the practical and associate degree nurse was developed.

Recommendations included evaluation of the program and additional study to develop career mobility for the associate degree nurse.

Development And Testing Of An Individualized Programmed Guide Designed To Introduce Selected Components Of Production Typewriting, Irvin W. Sonker

All Master's Theses

The purpose was to design and field test an individualized programmed guide for learning selected aspects which are normally introduced in second-trimester typewriting. The selected aspects were (1) analysis and typing of business letters of selected styles and lengths, and (2) analysis and typing of tables of selected styles and lengths. the guide was developed, pilot tested, revised, retested, and field tested with seventy-four students with positive results.

Recommendations include additional testing comparing different methods of presentation of the selected aspects.

Investigation Of The Reading Achievement In The Instructional Language (English) Of The Secondary And High School Students In Lesotho, South Africa, Kathleen Shannon

All Master's Theses

This study investigates the vocabulary and comprehension achievement in the English language for secondary and high school students in Lesotho, Southern Africa.

The Nelson Reading Test was administered to seven hundred forty students in various high schools in Lesotho. A statistical analysis was run on the data and conclusions yielded that reading achievement increases with school age, but the rates of improvement differ from one group to another.

Recommendations include additional research suggestions.

An Examination Of Emergent Functions And Responsibilities Of The Instructional Media Center In Alaskan Schools, Marvin E. Sophusson

All Master's Theses

This paper is concerned with the status of instructional media programs in Alaskan schools. It presents a survey of instructional materials facilities available in Alaskan schools. An identification of current practices and standards in instructional media centers is investigated.

Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made for implementation of these current practices and standards into the Alaskan schools and school system.

History Of Thorp, Kittitas County, State Of Washington To 1901, William R. Fields Jr.

Master of Education Graduate Projects

This paper presents the history of Thorp, Washington, from its beginning to 1901. The study covers settlement, economic development, educational facilities, occupations, land use, road construction, and cultural characteristics of this area. It is presented in a chronological format with a topical table of contents for easy reference. A list of taped interviews is included in the appendix.

Recommendations included use as a resource for teachers and students in the elementary and secondary school of Ellensburg, Washington.

An Educational Mathematics Game Called Allequator, Raymond Robert Beeson

All Graduate Projects

This paper contains a brief description of the procedures involved in making the game Allequator, an educational tool capable of reinforcing basic algebra concepts for students 7th through 12th grades. With the help of the Richland Public School District #400, Allequator has been published and is now available to teachers within the district.

Personalized Reading Program For Intermediate Grades, Pamela Kay Kelly

All Graduate Projects

As the reading specialist in an elementary school, it was my responsibility to assist the classroom teachers with their reading program; specifically, with those students who were having difficulty. It was not feasible for me to meet with all who needed help; at the most, I could help forty-three students per week. The pace at which I had to function to assess and meet their individual needs became too great. In view of this situation, the following program was designed to stimulate every intermediate student's desire to read and to do so at his own pace.

A Language Arts Curriculum For The Seventh Grade At Morgan Junior High School, Lois A. Fisher, Marianne Mcafee

All Graduate Projects

The goal of this project is to develop a meaningful program for Seventh Grade Language Arts. The factors to consider are the following: (1) handling large numbers of students, (2) meeting varied interests and abilities, (3) using available materials profitably and efficiently, (4) selecting specific skills and determining the amount of emphasis given the skills, (5) utilizing the physical setting.

The Vocational Preference Inventory As A Measure Of Probable Teaching Effectiveness, Landon A. Fitch

All Master's Theses

This paper is a report of a study investigating the potential of the Vocational Preference Inventory as an instrument to predict the probable effectiveness of students preparing to be teachers. The Vocational Preference Inventory was given to effective teachers and to student teachers who were rated most and least effective by their college supervisors. The resultant profiles from the Vocational Preference Inventory scores were compared. The profiles and the profile interpretations of the effective teachers and the most effective student teachers were much more similar than those of the effective teachers and the least effective student teachers.

It is strongly …

A Comparison Of A Student Generated And A Teacher Directed Sixth Grade Social Studies Course, James Joseph Walker

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a test of the effectiveness of a largely student generated sixth grade social studies program in comparison to a teacher generated conventional program. Pupil achievement levels, attitude toward social studies, and behavioral ratings in various areas related to the study of social studies were measured and statistically or graphicly analyzed.

Recommendations included further studies eliminating the uncontrolled variables of this study and allowing for longer time periods with larger samples as well as a longitudinal study.

Identification Of Observable Student Behavior In Open Education Classrooms, Michael C. Wahle

All Master's Theses

This paper identifies differences in behaviors, noted by open classroom teachers, between those students seeming to benefit most and those seeming to benefit least from an open education approach. Thirteen behaviors were identified as indicating strong differences between student groups in the ability to make a choice between work alternatives, to make productive use of time, and to demonstrate that they value their work.

Recommendations include a research on diagnosis of individual learning behaviors in relation to classroom environments.

An Experimental Study Of Two Audio-Visual Aids Used In Beginning Drafting, Ronald Norman West

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a study designed to identify the effectiveness of two visual aids, the chalkboard, and the overhead projector, as they are used in a junior high drafting program. The students involved in the study were randomly selected and placed in two treatment groups and one control group. The experiment did not prove that either visual aid was better than the other, but indicated that the overhead projector had more advantages and greater versatility than the chalkboard.

Assessing The Effectiveness Of An Experimental Method Of Presentation Of The Sullivan Mathematics Program, Harry L. Carthum

All Master's Theses

This study compared the effectiveness of a revised presentation method with the standard presentation format of the Sullivan Mathematics Program. Using two measures of achievement gains, a comparison of results revealed no significant difference between the experimental and the standard methods. The study was limited by the use of a highly inferential standardized achievement test, and possibly, by the "Hawthorne" effect.

Comparison Of Curriculum Proposals For The Tri-Cities Junior High School And Middle School Special Education Programs, Wayne T. Robertson

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a study which examines the curricula of the junior high and middle school special education programs of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland, Washington. A questionnaire was circulated and the data were used to compile a comprehensive skill inventory to be proposed for use by the junior high and middle school special education teachers of these cities.

Integrating Selected Principles Of Evolution Into The High School Curriculum, Judy Kareen Lyons

Graduate Student Research Papers

The purposes of this paper will be (1) to present selected biological principles pertaining to evolution, (2) to indicate curricular areas in the high school into which general aspects of evolution might be integrated, and (3) to denote specific phases of biology especially suited for teaching particular principles.

A Survey Of Organizational Plans For The Instruction Of Reading With Specific Guidelines For Revision Of The Program At Phantom Lake Elementary, Jack Morgan Mccolaugh

Graduate Student Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to review the past and present reading programs at Phantom Lake Elementary School, Bellevue, Washington, and to recommend guidelines by which the existing program can be improved. These guidelines will be based on a review of the literature.

A Language Arts Curriculum Guide For Seventh And Eighth Grade Indian Students At St. Mary's Mission Omak, Washington, William Peter Kelly

All Graduate Projects

St. Mary's Mission is situated five miles outside Omak, Washington, on the Colville Indian Reservation. It operates boarding and school facilities for one hundred and seventy Indian children in grades one through eight. Although the school has been in operation for ninety years, and is the only elementary boarding school for Indian children in the state, it has never developed or been provided with a written curriculum.

Without a curriculum guide, recording of the year to year progress of the children in the school program has been limited to the cryptic evaluation of the Spokane Diocesan report card form and …

Materials To Supplement An Individualized Mathematics Program, Virginia Condon

All Graduate Projects

This project represents an attempt to develop some materials to supplement the Addison-Wesley Mathematics Program for Grade 2. The commercial program, as it stands, is conceptually sound. Operationally, however, it in many cases did not satisfactorily meet the needs of the individual students of the classroom.

Therefore, the basic material was retained (i.e., student workbooks, teacher's manual, unit tests). Materials have been developed which allow some individualization in the presentation of the concepts, self-pacing by the student, testing devices, working conditions, manipulative materials, and follow-up worksheets. These terms are further explained in the pages that follow, as well as their …

Effectiveness Of The Edl Study Skills Library In A Seventh Grade Reading Program, Robert Winn Elfers

All Master's Theses

This paper presents an evaluation of a study skills program used in a seventh grade reading class. This program is designed to teach study skills on an individualized basis, allowing the student to work at his own pace and on his own level. Two groups of students were involved. The group using the program showed slightly higher improvement on the post-tests. Recommendations included using the program in a reading class and that the teacher closely follow the progress of each student.

Community And School Involvement In Model Rocketry Instruction Including Suggestions For Efficient Model Rocket Construction, Helen Joyce Frizzell

All Master's Theses

This paper presents the pilot-study of conducting model rocketry classes for parents and youth leaders as well as students and teachers to broaden involvement in aerospace education. Ideas gleaned from questionnaires, surveys, observations, and the review of literature were used to compile A Handbook of Tins for the Efficient Construction and Use of Model Rockets.

A slide presentation illustrating school and community involvement in model rocketry was also developed.

Recommendations included more model rocketry classes involving students and adults be offered and suggested that an appropriate organization publish and distribute the handbook and slide presentation.

Aerospace And Environmental Education As An Interdisciplinary Curriculum In The Middle School, James Brooke Madill

All Master's Theses

This paper presents the union of aerospace and environmental education, and from their common ground draws a direct relationship with all subjects in the curriculum. This program was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of developing the middle school program around intrinsically interesting exploration in two fields of science which are of extreme importance in the world today. Following examples of possible connections with other areas in the curriculum a method of presentation is explored.

An Experiment With Third Grade Pupils To Determine The Observable Relationship Between Decoding Instruction And Comprehension Growth, D. Pope

All Master's Theses

It was the purpose of this study to determine if there is a relationship between concentrated decoding instruction and comprehension growth of third grade pupils. The program was designed as follows: 1) a comprehension pretest was administered to twenty-four third grade pupils; 2) an experimental and a control group of equal comprehension ability was established; 3) each day for twenty minutes, isolated from the control group, the experimental group, underwent intense decoding skills instruction; 4) upon completion of 90 days of instruction a comprehension posttest was administered and the mean raw scores of the two groups analyzed by the t …

A Comparison Of Traditional And Operant Conditioning Methods In Classroom Management For The Teaching Of Arithmetic In The Junior High School, William P. Rudberg

All Master's Theses

The effects of a token reinforcement program where points were exchanged for free time in an "average" public school seventh grade arithmetic class was studied using two groups.

The experimental group mean scores for percent correct on worksheets were the only ones that made a significant gain. The percent correct on worksheets was the only variable reinforced. There was a significant difference in favor of the control group on percent correct on worksheet tests and rates on worksheets.

There was no significant difference on the pre-test nor on the post-test in achievement as measure by grade equivalents in computation on …

A Survey Of The Fifty States To Determine Design Standards For The Multiple Car Method, Donaldson Martin Carnahan

All Master's Theses

A survey of the supervisors of traffic safety education programs of the fifty states was conducted to determine what, if any, design standards or guidelines were imposed upon school districts when designing multiple-car facilities for use in traffic safety education programs.

From the information gathered it is apparent that many states are improving the pupil-teacher ratio through the inclusion of the multiple-car methods of instruction and thereby reducing the cost of the traffic safety education programs.

However, only two states, Texas and Minnesota, had well-defined minimum standards for the design and approval of such facilities in approved programs. Georgia and …

Traditional Vs. Individualized Fifth And Sixth Grade Arithmetic Program, Donald Paul Giaudrone

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a comparative study involving two methods of arithmetic instruction for fifth and sixth grade students. Thirty pupils were taught arithmetic using a traditional approach and thirty pupils were taught arithmetic using an individualized approach. Each group was divided into high, average, and low ability students and between group achievements compared at the end of an eight month period with encouraging results. Evaluation and statistical analysis followed. The findings were discussed and recommendations offered for further study.