Curriculum and Methods
The African-American Mosaic: A Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Black History and Culture, ed. by Debra Newman Ham (Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15250-7954; 300 pp., $24 paper; orders must have stock number: S/N 030-000-0025-7). An extensive overview, with bibliographies, pictures, and text, of the Library of Congress’s vast holdings on the African-American experience, from slavery to present day.
Girls and the Physical Sciences: Symposium Highlights (The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, 228 Main St., Concord, Mass. 01742; 18 pp., $5 paper). This report studies the underrepresentation of girls in the physical sciences and includes strategies to use in the classroom and beyond to encourage girls to pursue this area.
Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders: An Appalachian Mountain Ecology, by George Constantz (Mountain Press Publishing, P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, Mont. 59806; 264 pp., $14 paper). A collection of essays that, through its exploration of the hidden and visible life of the Eastern deciduous forest, helps readers see “wonder in the commonplace.’'
Humble Pi: The Role Mathematics Should Play in American Education, by Michael K. Smith (Prometheus Books, 59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, N.Y. 14228-2197; 218 pp., $26.95 cloth). An argument for the rethinking of the proper role of mathematics in education.
The Mindful School: How To Teach for Metacognitive Reflection, by Robin Fogarty (I.R.I./Skylight Publishing, 200 East Wood St., Suite 274, Palatine, Ill. 60067; 336 pp., $24.95 paper). Metacognition, an awareness of and control over one’s thinking and behavior, can be incorporated into daily classroom-teaching practices, the how-to book maintains.
Personal Growth Through Adventure, by David Hopkins & Roger Putnam (Taylor & Francis, 1900 Frost Rd., Suite 101, Bristol, Pa. 19007-1598; 241 pp., $32.50 paper). Two British educators examine the hows and whys of the well-noted impact “adventure-education experiences’’ such as Outward Bound can have on young people.
Poetry, the Magic Language, by Maureen W. Armour (Teacher Ideas Press, P.O. Box 6633, Englewood, Colo. 80155-6633; 215 pp., $17.50 paper). A retired elementary teacher who has also been a teacher-educator shares the mechanics, the “music,’' and the student-centered teaching methods that can aid children in grades K-6 in reading and writing poetry.
The Pursuit of Curriculum: Schooling and the Public Interest, by William A. Reid (Ablex Publishing Corporation, 355 Chestnut St., Norwood, N.J. 07648; 206 pp., $42 paper). An examination of the nature of and the debates surrounding the concept of curriculum.
Seven Steps to Effective Instructional Leadership, by Elaine K. McEwan (Scholastic Inc., 411 Lafayette, New York, N.Y. 10003; 192 pp., $24.95 cloth). A quick-read resource for helping administrators become better leaders and educators.
Handbooks and Reference
The 1994 Directory of State Education Agencies (Council of Chief State School Officers, 1 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20001-1431; 115 pp., $25 paper). An extensive state-by-state listing of agencies, officials, and education policymakers throughout the nation.
One Hundred Ways To Enhance Self-Concept in the Classroom: A Handbook for Teachers, Counselors, and Group Leaders, by Jack Canfield & Harold Clive Wells (Allyn & Bacon, 160 Gould St., Needham Heights, Mass. 02194-2310; 290 pp., $29.95 paper). A hundred ways to build a validating and success-oriented community in any classroom.
Nurturing Intelligences: A Guide to Multiple Intelligences Theory and Teaching, by Brian A. Haggerty (Addison-Wesley, 1 Jacob Way, Reading, Mass. 01867; 162 pp., $19.95 paper). A guide for using cognitive theory to engage students of all learning abilities.
