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Discussed and examined are the responses from 150 teachers who tried out the language arts curriculum developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project. Sections in this volume include an introduction to the Project, methods used in preparing the curriculum, results of the curriculum and an evaluation of the results, discussions of the curriculum strands on literature, drama, language, and composition, general conclusions, and an appendix which contains sample evaluation forms and tests. (HOD)

This curriculum guide for the teaching of composition contains more than sixty lessons for use with third and fourth grade students. Each lesson contains a statement of purpose, a resume, a list of materials, and directions for teaching the lesson. The major sections for both third and fourth grade are: (1) "Let's Pretend with Things," (2) "Let's Pretend with Animals," (3) "Let's Pretend with People," (4) "Let's Pretend with Seasons and Holidays," and (5) "Let's Pretend with Stories." Many of the activities are designed to involve the senses and stimulate the imagination. Some of the lessons also include a suggested drama activity. Supplementary materials include cartoon illustrations for which the children are asked to write a fitting caption and then to share their work in small discussion groups. One of the two sections includes a demonstration tape entitled "Mixed Up Animals." (See related documents CS 200 512 and CS 200 513.) (WR)

This curriculum guide for the teaching of composition at the sixth grade level includes lessons in six categories: Observing, Recallin Experiences, Making Words Work, Causes and Effects, Using Imagination, and Considering Audience. The lessons include a statement of purpose, a description of primary and/or secondary skills that are objectives of the lesson, a resume of the lesson and directions for preparing and teaching the lesson. Supplemental lessons for sixth grade students are also included. Some lessons also contain a suggested dramatic activity. A demonstration tape to accompany one of the lessons in the section entitled "Making Words Work" is included. (See related documents CS 200 511 and CS 200 512.) (DI)

This curriculum guide is intended to introduce elementary school students to Greek mythology. The authors suggest that the selections be presented by the teacher as lively and imaginative stories; the more abstract aspects of the myths should be largely ignored until students reach the junior high school level. In addition to the myths themselves, the guide also includes suggested teaching activities, questions for class discussion, and numerous illustrations. (See related documents CS 200 500, CS 200 502-CS 200 508.) (DI)

This curriculum guide for the teaching of composition at the fifth grade level includes lessons in six categories: Observing, Recalling Experiences, Character Identity, Feelings, Time/Space Relationships, and Using Imagination. Additional lessons are included for fifth grade students. The lessons include a statement of purpose, a description of primary and/or secondary skills that are objectives of the lesson, a resume of the lesson, and directions for preparing and teaching the lesson. Some lessons include a suggested dramatic activity. Illustrations and graphs accompany some of the lessons. A demonstration tape to accompany one of the lessons in the section entitled "Recalling Experiences" is included. (See related document CS 200 511 and CS 200 513.) (DI)

This curriculum guide is intended to introduce elementary school students to folktales and fairy tales. Three categories of tales, each containing four examples, are included: "Encounters with Wee Folk,""Foolish Use of Wishes," and "Unlikely Success." The folktales and fairy tales in this unit are described as "wonder tales," tales that occur in magical lands inhabited by real as well as magical people. The guide includes suggested teaching activities, questions for class discussion, and numerous illustrations. (See related documents CS 200 500-503, CS 200 505-508.) (DI)

This curriculum guide is intended to introduce fifth and sixth grade children to narrative prose and verse. The guide includes analyses of, suggested activities for, and questions about Rudyard Kipling's "The Cat That Walked by Himself," Jack London's "The Story of Keesh," Ernest Thompson Seton's "The Springfield Fox" (adapted by Ardis E. Burton), MacKinlay Kantor's "A Man Who Had No Eyes," Pearl Buck's "The Old Demon," Will F. Jenkins'"Night Drive," William Saroyan's "Locomotive 38, the Ojibway," Robert W. Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee," Alfred Noyes'"The Highwayman," Ernest Thayer's "Casey at the Bat." and Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe." (Not all of the stories and poems discussed are included in the guide due to copyright restrictions.) (See related documents CS 200 500-CS 200 507.) (DI)

These curriculum guides are designed to introduce drama to students at the third and fourth grade level. The teacher's guide for each of the two grade levels presents 40 lessons. Each lesson includes a description of objectives and various exercises, including movement warm-ups, movement exercises, imagination exercises, composition assignments, and other kinds of activities designed to meet the objectives. Some of the lessons require various physical objects and other materials, such as a tape recorder. Suggested plays for class discussion and dramatization included with the teacher's guides are: "The Hammer of Thor,""The Squire's Bride,""The Indian Cinderella,""Rumplestiltskin,""The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship.""Two Neighbors,""The Magic Drum,""Deucalion and the Flood," and "The Contest." Demonstration tapes to accompany two of the lessons for grade three and two of the lessons for grade four are included. (See related document CS 200 510.) (DI)

These curriculum guides are designed to introduce drama to students at the fifth and sixth grade level. The teacher's guide for each of the two grade levels presents 41 lessons. Each lesson includes a description of objectives and various exercises, including movement warm-ups, concentration warm-ups, descriptions of the character type to be acted, pantomime exercises, composition exercises, and other activities designed to meet the objectives. Some of the lessons require various physical objects and other materials, such as a prop box, a tape recorder, play scripts, or music. Suggested plays for class discussion and dramatization included with the teacher's guides are: "The Cat That Walked by Himself,""The Story of Keesh,""The Magic Drum,""The Squire's Bride," and "The Fool of the World." Eight demonstration tapes to accompany nine of the lessons are included. (See related document CS 200 509.) (DI)

This curriculum guide is intended to introduce elementary school students to African and American Indian myths. The twelve African myths included are selected from ten different tribes. These myths are organized into the following categories: (1) introduction to African myths, (2) tales of the Gods, (3) tales of man, and (4) animal tales. Seven American Indian myths are also presented. The guide includes teaching activities, questions for class discussion, and numerous illustrations. (See related documents, CS 200 500-502, CS 200 504-508.) (DI)

This curriculum guide is intended to introduce elementary school students to the reading and writing of poetry. Poems by recognized poets make up the bulk of the selections in the guide, but some poems by elementary school students are also included. The writers hope that the teacher will use the guide to encourage students to write their own poetry and to recognize that poetry can be a form of inspired play. Suggestions for teaching the poems and numerous illustrations are included. (See related documents CS 200 500-504, and CS 200 506-508.) (DI)

This curriculum guide is intended to introduce fifth and sixth grade children to the study of poetry. Separate units include discussion of, suggested activities for, and questions about (1) metrics and scansion; (2) rhyme scheme and stanza; (3) diction, denotation and connotation, and onomatopoeia; (4) rhyme (end rhyme, masculine and feminine rhyme, internal rhyme, off-rhyme); (5) hyperbole; (6) symbolism; (7) point of view; (8) idea patterns; (9) metaphor I; (10) metaphor II, extended metaphor, and review; (11) speakers in poems; (12) simile; (13) allusion; (14) imagery; (15) dramatic situation; and (16) the whole poem. (See related documents CS 200 500-506, and CS 200 508.) (DI)

This curriculum guide is intended to introduce elementary school students to hero tales and legends. The stories are longer and the vocabulary is more difficult than other literature curriculum guides in this series by the Oregon Elementary English Project. The stories discussed are: "Sinbad the Sailor,""William Tell,""Robin Hood,""Paul Bunyan," and "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp." The authors suggest that the stories be read aloud during the story hour or during some other time devoted to reading. Brief discussions of the stories, suggested teaching activities, questions for class discussion, and numerous illustrations are included. (See related documents CS 200 500-505, and CS 200 507-508.) (DI)

This curriculum guide is intended to introduce elementary school students to Norse mythology. Nine myths are included: "The Creation,""Yggdrasil,""A Meeting of the Gods,""The Fenris Wolf,""Thor's Journey,""The Theft of Thor's Hammer,""The Death of Balder,""The Punishment of Loki," and "Ragnarok: The Sun Sets on Asgard." The guide also includes suggested teaching activities, questions for class discussion, and numerous illustrations. (See related documents CS 200 500-501, CS 200 503-508.) (DI)

This curriculum guide is intended to introduce elementary school students to fables. The authors suggest that the fables not be studied as a unit, but that they be used periodically along with other genres of literature. The guide is organized into the following categories: (1) fables with animals, (2) fables with people, (3) inanimate objects, (4) animals wearing other animals' skins, (5) anthology, and (6) proverbs. In addition to the fables themselves, the guide also includes suggested teaching activities, questions for class discussion, and numerous illustrations. (See CS 200 501-CS 200 508 for related documents.) (DI)

Part of the Oregon Elementary English Project, this unit focuses on variation in language. Consisting of fourteen individual lessons, the unit begins with a series of lessons whose purpose is to develop students' ability to recognize ways in which objects belonging to the same set may differ. These lessons serve as preparation for observing the kinds of differences that exist among dialects of the same language. The next few lessons observe natural differences in people that are accepted without any value judgments attached. This material directly leads to lessons in regional dialect differences in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. The final group of lessons examine other reasons for speech differences (sex, occupation, age, and situation). The main theme for the unit is that all these factors contribute to language variety, which is natural and inevitable. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of purpose, additional goals, content, preparation for the lesson, possible procedures, and suggested activities. (Demonstration tapes accompany lessons 3, 6, and 10.) (See CS 200 482-496 and CS 200 498-499 for related documents.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit focuses on variations in language and consists of fourteen lessons. Subjects discussed include (1) natural differences in people, including speech; (2) environmental factors causing differences in life styles; (3) differences in the English spoken by people in Australia, England, and the United States; (4) vocabulary differences according to region, sex, and age; and (5) geographical, historical, and environmental reasons for the development of dialect regions. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, a content description, suggested procedures for teaching the lessons, and possible extensions to the lesson. Supplementary materials include three tapes illustrating dialect differences. (See CS 200 482-497 and CS 200 499 for related documents.) (HS)

This curriculum unit, developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, is intended for use with fifth and sixth graders as a guide for writing. Included are discussions of the various marks of punctuation and the rules for using them, the use of capitals, writing dialog and paragraphs, and the mechanics of letter writing. The guide can be used as a basis of class instruction, as a reference for the student to use by himself, or as a work which the teacher may refer the student to. In addition to an introductory section for teachers, student exercises are provided for each area of study. (See CS 200 482 through CS 200 498 for related documents.) (HS)

Designed (1) to create an interest in the study of language, (2) to help students understand something about the characteristics of language, and (3) to show students that language is a system, Unit I of the Oregon Elementary English Project offers the following six lessons: "Are Animals Like Humans? compares human and animal communication; "How Do I Recognize an Earthman?" demonstrates that all humans have a language which meets their needs; "What is a System?" examines the characteristics which some well-known systems have in common; "Is Language a System?" demonstrates how words go together in a system which makes it possible to predict some of the ways they will be used, and shows that students learn and use this system without realizing or thinking about it; "Why Do you Say It that Way?" demonstrates that the system of any language seems logical and natural to its speakers; and "Is Learning Forgetting?" explains how students learn the language and how they use it automatically without giving conscious thought to what they are doing. Each lesson is accompanied by suggested materials and procedures as well as possible extensions. (See CS 200 482-490 and CS 200 492-499 for related documents.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit intended for sixth graders focuses on words. The first lesson serves as an introduction and gives the teacher an opportunity to find out what the students know; lessons 2 through 6 are concerned with the rhetorical use of words (choosing words for their effect); the use of the dictionary is developed in lessons 7 and 8; the ways in which words are developed and the etymologies of words are studied in lessons 9 through 16; and lessons 13, 15, and 16 deal with various word-building processes (compounding and adding suffixes and prefixes) and require a knowledge of parts of speech. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, background, content, possible procedures, and suggested student exercises. (See related documents CS 200 482-494, and CS 200 496-499.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit intended for grades three and four aims to (1) help students become aware of some of the sounds of the language; (2) help students discover how some of these sounds are pronounced; and (3) help students understand that with a limited number of sounds they can produce an unlimited number of words. Lesson 1 introduces students to the study of sounds by having them isolate some of the various sounds of English. Lesson 2 explains how the positions of teeth, lips, and tongue affect some of the sounds. Lesson 3 reinforces the concept that combined sounds produce words, and, finally, lesson 4 helps students discover both those sounds produced by forcing air through the nasal cavity and those produced by forcing it through a very narrow opening in the mouth. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, suggested procedures and materials, possible extensions, and student exercises. A packet of supplementary materials to be used in conjunction with some of the lessons is also provided. (See related documents CS 200 482-487, and CS 200 489-499.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this series of 14 lessons is designed to provide the student with an understanding and awareness of the history of the English language. Old English is first explored, including the Roman, Germanic, and Scandinavian influences. Middle English is then introduced through a study of the Norman Invasion led by William the Conqueror. Finally, the students are led to a study of Modern English through a discussion of the advent of the printing press and its subsequent influence on the language. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, content, background, suggested procedures, and student activities. A tape on Old and Middle English supplements the unit and can be used in conjunction with several of the lessons. (The tape is available on loan through the ERIC/RCS Clearinghouse.) (See related documents CS 200 482-495, and CS 200 497-499.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, these two sections are part of a unit on words. The first section, consisting of 5 lessons, aims to make the student aware of (1) words as an integral part of the language and (2) the tremendous number of words he already knows and can use. The second section, "What We Know about Words," consists of 6 lessons: lesson 1 is concerned with the concept of words as arbitrary symbols which man has attached meaning to; lessons 2 and 3 are concerned with the sounds of words; lessons 4 and 5 are concerned with the meanings of words; and lesson 6 explains the way in which words are learned. Each lesson contains a statement of purpose, background materials, a discussion of the lesson content, teaching procedures, and student exercises. (See related documents CS 200 482-492, and CS 200 494-499.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, these two sections are part of a unit on words. The first section (12 lessons) is designed to develop an understanding of and some skill in using the dictionary. The main concept developed in the 11 lessons of the second section is that words come into the language in a variety of ways (borrowing, inventing, and by various processes that reuse the words and parts of words that are already in the language). Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, content, background, possible procedures, and suggested student activities. (See related documents CS 200 482-493, and CS 200 495-499.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit introduces fifth and sixth graders to sentence structure. Based on transformational grammar, the unit (1) demonstrates to students their built-in knowledge of English grammar which enables them to produce and recognize sentences although they are not consciously aware of doing so; (2) acquaints students with different sentences parts; and (3) familiarizes students with some of the elementary terminology used to discuss some of these concepts. The unit consists of thirteen lessons with six additional lessons for sixth graders alone, exercises to help students discover for themselves some of the basic parts of a sentence and how they are put together, and a packet of supplementary materials to be used in conjunction with some of the lessons. Each lesson contains a statement of purpose, a description of the lesson content, background information, suggested procedures for teaching the lesson, and various student exercises. (See related documents CS 200 482-491 and CS 200 493-499.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, the eighteen lessons in this unit aim to interest third and fourth grade students in thinking about how sentences are made, to introduce some grammatical concepts, and to build on the instinctive knowledge students already have about the English language. The first three lessons are devoted to the concept that words go together in an orderly way which we understand intuitively; lessons 4 and 5 demonstrate negative and question transformations; lessons 6 through 9 develop the noun phrase and verb phrase concepts; lessons 10 through 12 concentrate on noun recognition; lesson 13 introduces the pronoun; lessons 14 through 17 deal with verb recognition; and lesson 18 introduces the adjective. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, suggested procedures and materials, possible extensions, and student exercises. A packet of supplementary materials is also included. (See related documents CS 200 482-485 and CS 200 487-499.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit, intended for grades three and four, introduces students to some of the mechanics of writing and provides some practice in using these mechanics. The unit contains an introduction to writing and seven sections, covering beginning and end punctuation, commas, the apostrophe, capital letters, quotation marks, writing letters, and writing paragraphs. Each section is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, suggested procedures and materials, possible extensions, and various student exercises. (See CS 200 482-489 and CS 200 491-499.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project for grades three and four, this first of two units on communication systems examines some systems which function without the use of human language, i.e., highway signs, trail signs, railroad signals, and facial expressions and gestures. After having identified concepts about communication systems, the students develop a communication system of their own to show that only people who know the system can use the system and that communication systems make use of arbitrary signals. In the final lesson, students discover that human language is a system that enables them to do things they can't do with other systems. Each of the six lessons is accompanied by an explanation of its purpose, suggested materials and procedures, and suggestions for extension exercises. Supplementary materials include both an envelope containing charts, pictures, and instructions for additional projects and a tape on sounds, signals, and settings. (For the second unit on communications systems, see ED 200 483.) (See CS 200 484-499 for related documents.) (HS)

Intended for use with grades three and four, this curriculum unit developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project attempts to (1) develop an interest in, respect for, and curiosity about words; (2) expose students to the concept that when we know a word we know its meaning, pronunciation, and relationship to other words; (3) build language confidence through word building; and (4) introduce the student to the dictionary. The first two lessons introduce the idea of the individual word bank and the concept of words as building blocks of the language; lessons 3 through 6 deal with the meanings of words; lessons 7 through 11 emphasize the use of the dictionary; and lessons 12 and 13 are primarily concerned with pronunciation of words. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, suggested procedures and materials, possible extensions, and student exercises. A supplementary packet of materials to be used in conjunction with some of the lessons is also provided. (See related documents CS 200 482-486 and CS 200 488-499.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit introduces third and fourth graders to variations in language. Students are led from recognizing that we associate certain sounds with specific settings to recognizing that we associate certain dialects with specific regions. Lessons 1 through 7 involve the use of three accompanying tapes on dialects of English and the relationships among sounds, signals, and settings. Lessons 8 through 10 are concerned with specific variations in vocabulary found in different regions. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, suggested materials and procedures, possible extensions, and suggestions for student exercises. In addition to the tapes, a packet of supplementary pictures for use with an overhead projector is provided. (See CS 200 482-488 and CS 200 489-499 for related documents.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, the lessons in this second of a two-part unit on the human language intended for grades three and four revolve around the character Sad Sam, who gets lost in the woods and happens to observe four animals (bears, raccoons, geese, and robins). Having been introduced to Sad Sam in lesson 1, the students in lesson 2 are provided with background data for the concepts that animals have a communication system, can produce and understand messages, and use arbitrary signals. Lesson 3 reviews some of the characteristics of animal communication systems. Lesson 4 asks students to make some first-hand observations of animal communication and draw some conclusions about it. Lessons 5 and 6 compare animal communication to the human language. And, finally, lesson 7 concentrates on the unlimited nature of human language and the many kinds of things that can be communicated because of this system. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, suggested procedures and materials, possible extensions, and student exercises. A bibliography of additional information on animal communication is included as well as a packet of supplementary materials to be used with lessons 4 and 6. (For Unit I on the Human Language, see CS 200 484.) (See CS 200 482-483 and CS 200 486-499 for related documents.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project for grades three and four, this second of two units on communication systems begins with a lesson which reinforces the concept that in order to communicate we must all have the same meaning for the signals used. Lessons 1 through 3 deal with the various kinds of communication signals used by humans; lesson 4 develops some understanding of what is meant by a communication system; lesson 5 helps students discover that human language is a communication system that uses words; lesson 6 emphasizes the systematic nature of human language; lesson 7 introduces the concept that human language is an unlimited system; and lesson 8 reviews the various characteristics of human language. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, suggested materials and procedures, possible extensions to the lesson, and various student exercises. A page that can be used on the overhead projector for lesson 5 is provided in a supplementary material packet. (For Unit I of this two-part Communication Systems unit, see CS 200 482.) (See CS 200 484-499 for related documents.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, the lessons in this first of a two-part unit on the human language are built around Luther Click, a boy who turns into different animals to show that different creatures have different means of communicating. Intended for grades three and four, the six lessons develop the concept that different animals rely on different kinds of signals and on different senses in communicating. And, finally, the students are led to discover that humans also rely on various senses to communicate but are able to communicate many things animals cannot, concluding that the human language system is unlimited. Each lesson is accompanied by a statement of its purpose, suggested procedures and materials, possible extensions, and various student exercises. A bibliography for further information about animal communication is also included. Supplementary materials for some of the lessons are provided in a separate packet. (For Unit II on the Human Language, see CS 200 485.) (See CS 200 482-483 and CS 200 486-499 for related documents.) (HS)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit on stories is intended for grades one and two. The purpose of the unit is to build in students a foundation for enjoyment of literature. The suggested questions or exercises that deal with the stories are limited to simple comprehension or discussion questions; no attempt is made at formal literary study. Traditional versions rather than simplified adaptations were chosen since it was felt that students have a listening vocabulary which permits them to understand the original versions. The nineteen stories are accompanied by suggested introductory activities, dramatic activities, composition activities, comprehension activities, and stated objectives. Also included are drawings for the overhead projector which can be used with one of the selections. (HOD)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit on language games and activities is intended for grades one and two. The games and activities are designed to make the child aware of language indirectly by requiring him to construct sentences of various kinds, observe relations between parts of sentences and between words, use various kinds of sentence parts in the proper place, construct words, alphabetize, categorize, and focus attention on the sounds of language. For the child the emphasis is on the game; the specific objective, however, is stated at the beginning of each game or activity. Sample sets of material for the first eight games are provided in separate manila folders which are labeled with the name of the game and instructions for using the materials. Many of the lessons also include supplementary materials consisting of such things as tapes, charts, overhead projector materials, and activity cards. (HOD)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit on poetry is intended for grades one and two. The primary objective of the unit is to encourage the appreciation of poetry among children. The suggested questions or exercises are limited to simple comprehension or discussion questions; no attempt is made at any sort of formal literary study. Because of the limited ability to read among children at this level, many of the poems will have to be read by the teacher. The sixty-nine poems are accompanied by introductory suggestions, stated objectives for comprehension and composition, activities, and drawings. (HOD)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit on composition games and activities is intended for grades one and two. Each lesson contains a sequence of teacher-directed activities intended to arouse children's interests, help them discover things they wish to say, and then lead them to present their thoughts and feelings either orally or in writing. The first set of games explores the possibilities of constructing sentences with interesting adjectives, helping students hear and enjoy the sounds of our language, encouraging students to choose vivid, descriptive words, developing skills in telling a story sequentially and in forming complete sentences, and developing sensory awareness and imaginative thinking. The second set of activities helps students develop a background of experiences in thinking and speaking by providing for growth in oral language through stimulating class discussions, guided individual thinking and planning times, and opportunities to share oral compositions. The third set of activities involves writing experiences and is planned to complement the suggested composition activities. Most of the games are planned to be played in small groups and can profitably be played more than once. Flash cards are provided with some of the activities. (HOD)

Developed by the Oregon Elementary English Project, this curriculum unit contains drama activities intended for grades one and two. The activities are not ordered in a definite sequence; rather they are meant to be used as the opportunity arises. The activities are divided into (1) exercises based on puppetry, including a puppet hunt, the making of puppets, and puppet plays; (2) selected individual lessons using body movement to express thought and character and to focus student attention on a specific idea, such as happiness or trouble; and (3) short activities intended for one- to five-minute interludes. The short activities focus on holidays and seasons, senses, animals, play, make-believe, and miscellaneous. (HOD)