This guidebook is designed to serve as a combination encyclopedia, dictionary, and almanac of middle school philosophy, curriculum, program components, and activities that can be incorporated into any teacher's lesson plan. The book features self-contained modules arranged in a sequence designed to present the evolution of an effective middle school organizational pattern. Seven major sections cover: (1) the basic ideas and concepts of middle school education; (2) interdisciplinary team teaching; (3) advising and advisory programs; (4) cooperative learning; (5) creative and critical thinking skills; (6) assessment; and (7) interdisciplinary instruction. Each section contains a one-page overview, a set of questions that serve as learning goals, a glossary of key terms, a collection of findings from the published literature, a series of "top ten" pages that present information in the form of lists, descriptions, references, tools, and techniques, and a conclusion. (Contains 67 references.) (MDM)