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This report describes a program for increasing class achievement by raising the motivational level of adolescents. The targeted population consisted of high school mathematics students from a metropolitan area located in central Illinois. The problem of low motivation level found in the targeted students was documented by student surveys. Evidence of this problem was also reflected in a high dropout rate as noted in the school's report card. The analysis of probable causes revealed that the students' lack of motivation was possibly caused by poor past performances, boredom, and a missing sense of ownership and responsibility. The attitudes of both students and parents continued to contribute to this problem. The presentation of inappropriate levels of task difficulty and a non-stimulating classroom environment has also fostered low motivation. Possible solution strategies involved a threefold approach. The first intervention targeted the students in an attempt to raise their level of intrinsic motivation and to increase their sense of ownership and responsibility. This treatment plan included student journals and surveys. The second intervention targeted the interest level of the students in the classroom. Collaborative groups and the use of multiple intelligence activities increased the motivational atmosphere. The third intervention targeted the classroom presentation by incorporating strategies such as writing through mathematics and solving real-life applications. The teachers' personal reflective journals indicated that progress was made in this area. Post intervention data indicated that cooperative learning and Multiple Intelligences (MI) activities did enhance the students' motivation for learning mathematics. Teacher and student journal reflections added a metacognitive element to this intervention. Appendices include the student survey and classroom materials. (Contains 73 references.) (Author/WRM)

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert