Annenberg Learner Search Results

Episode 14: LabXchange with Marty Samuels

…designs free online virtual labs, animations, and other interactive educational science materials. The LabXchange mission is to make interactive, high-quality science materials widely and freely available. LabXchange resources invite learners to see themselves as scientists and make science fun, inspiring, and accessible, with the ultimate goal of making science more inclusive and diverse. Before joining…

Episode 19: 2022 Superintendent of the Year with Dr. Vivian Ekchian

…where we are, not necessarily completely in a great place post-pandemic, but how is the district communicating with parents now? Dr. Vivian Ekchian [12:26] We have an incredible office of communications. I have to say that on a daily basis is continuing to post information, but also interactive. Yesterday we had our LCAP conversation, and…

Episode 12: Statistics In Schools with Victoria Glasier & Jessica Palmer  

…be really interactive with taking them through either their state. We have a couple of different things depending on the grade level and just showing them the kid-friendly data we have. Another thing we’ve actually gotten a lot of requests for virtual experts, like Zoom an expert. We’ve had geographers come into the classroom or…

Episode 4: Out of School Learning with Benjamin Dickow  

…can come in and work with hands-on interactive exhibits and see some objects’ displays. The Columbia Memorial Space Center is located in Downey, California, about 10 miles outside of downtown LA. NASA built all of the Apollo capsules that went to the moon and all the space shuttles. We’re located on this huge former NASA…

Episode 1: Two Bit Circus with Dr. Leah Hanes

…Arts District. It is just a fabulous experience of VR, AR, video games, arcade games, and an interactive theater. We bring kids for field trips and kids are playing video games all the time so we can get them in that environment and then talk to them about the kinds of careers that exist around…

lesson: Interactive Activity: 5-Question Survey

5-Question Survey: Reviewing the Previous Sessions The series of questions presented in this activity will help you find out your ideas or your students’ ideas about matter. As highlighted in this video series, when we articulate our misconceptions, we are taking the first step to rectifying them. Surveying is one of many educational strategies that…

lesson: Interactive Activity: 5-Question Survey

5-Question Survey: Heat and Temperature The series of questions presented in this activity will help you find out your ideas or your students’ ideas about matter. As highlighted in this video series, when we articulate our misconceptions, we are taking the first step to rectifying them. Surveying is one of many educational strategies that teachers…

lesson: Interactive Activity: 5-Question Survey

5-Question Survey: Rising and Sinking The series of questions presented in this activity will help you find out your ideas or your students’ ideas about matter. As highlighted in this video series, when we articulate our misconceptions, we are taking the first step to rectifying them. Surveying is one of many educational strategies that teachers…

lesson: Interactive Activity: 5-Question Survey

5-Question Survey: Density and Pressure The series of questions presented in this activity will help you find out your ideas or your students’ ideas about matter. As highlighted in this video series, when we articulate our misconceptions, we are taking the first step to rectifying them. Surveying is one of many educational strategies that teachers…

lesson: Interactive Activity: 5-Question Survey

5-Question Survey: Chemical Change The series of questions presented in this activity will help you find out your ideas or your students’ ideas about matter. As highlighted in this video series, when we articulate our misconceptions, we are taking the first step to rectifying them. Surveying is one of many educational strategies that teachers can…

lesson: Interactive Activity: 4-Question Survey

4-Question Survey: Matter The series of questions presented in this activity will help you find out your ideas or your students’ ideas about matter. As highlighted in this video series, when we articulate our misconceptions, we are taking the first step to rectifying them. Surveying is one of many educational strategies that teachers can use…

interactive: Learning About Language Through Cognates Interactive

interactive: Annotating Text Interactive

lesson: Interactive Activity: Virtual Particle Lab

Virtual Particle Lab: Dissolving During Session 3, one of the physical changes we examined was dissolving, particularly dissolving salt in water. The biggest question we faced was, “Does the salt disappear and, if not, where does it go?” The principle of conservation of mass tells us that no particles are lost, but how can we…

lesson: Interactive Activity: Virtual Particle Lab

Virtual Particle Lab: Compressibility of Air Air, unlike water, can be compressed. Why? In Session 2, we introduced the particle model of matter by looking at examples of the behavior of matter on a macroscopic level that were best explained by assuming matter was made of particles. In these “Virtual Particle Labs,” you will manipulate…

lesson: Part C: Cross Sections (45 minutes)

…cannot contain any piece of the original face; it all comes from “inside” the solid. In this picture, only the gray piece is a cross section. Use the Interactive Activity below to work on Problems C1 and C2. For a non-interactive version of the activity, and to work on Problems C3 and C4, you may…

section: Part B: Exploring Area With a Geoboard (50 minutes)

…geoboard, the unit of length is the vertical or horizontal distance between two nails. Perimeter is the distance around the outside of a shape and is measured with a unit of length. Use the following Interactive Activity to work on the geoboard problems in Part B. For a non-interactive version, use an actual geoboard and…

section: Part C: Bias in Measurement (20 minutes)

…The difference between what individuals think they see (and how they see it) and the objective reality of what they have observed is called “visual error.” These errors in perception, which can significantly misrepresent reality, are a natural consequence of being human. In this Interactive Activity, you will have an opportunity to see how well…

section: Examine the Topic | Comprehension and Response

…include word recognition, vocabulary development, and the ability to connect what is known with the new information. The interactive activity below: Reading for Meaning allows you to understand the comprehension processes by reading to identify what the following passages are describing. A non-interactive version of this activity is also available as a PDF document. After…

section: Examine the Topic | Differentiating Instruction

…students’ differences. While teachers often understand how to group their classes, deciding on the appropriate instruction practice or activity for the groups often proves more challenging. The interactive activity: Differentiate Instruction in a Class allows you to group children with varying literacy abilities and choose the best instruction to address their literacy needs. A non-interactive…

section: Examine the Topic | Supporting the English Language Learner

…develop the skills and knowledge in one or more of these areas of the reading process. The interactive activity Examine Cueing Strategies allows you to understand the strategies readers use to comprehend text, and the difficulties English Language Learners face when reading English. A non-interactive version of this activity is available as a PDF document….

section: Part B: Area Models for Multiplication and Division (45 minutes)

…area model examples, we will use three sizes of manipulatives: large 10 • 10 squares (we’ll call them flats); 1 • 10 rectangles (we’ll call them longs); and small 1 • 1 squares (we’ll call them units): Let’s try some multi-digit multiplication problems; for example, 13 • 12. See Note 7 below. For a non-interactive…

section: Part E: Bar Graphs and Relative Frequencies (30 Minutes)

…out potential patterns in the variation and give better answers to the questions posed. The following Interactive Activity (Flash interactive has been disabled) allows you to review and compare the various representations of data we have explored, both graphical and tabular. It’s important to note that several kinds of answers can be given when there…

Homework

…angles. Do you see them? Predict the number of angles formed with seven rays and with 10 rays. Can you generalize your prediction to n rays? Note 9   Problem H5 Write a series of commands in the style used in the Interactive Activity (or Geo-Logo commands) to draw a regular decagon (a 10-sided figure)….

section: Part C: Place-Value Representation in Base Ten and Base Four (40 minutes)

…Look for a pattern in the results of the first question to help you answer the second. c. Count by threes to 30four. In This Part: Operations in Base Four The following Interactive Activity provides you with some base four blocks you can use to visualize place value in base four operations. The pieces are…

section: Part A: Scatter Plots (45 minutes)

…is true about anyone whose scatter plot point appears above this line? How many such points are there? Problem A8 Enter your own measurements or those of one of the other subjects you measured into the Interactive Activity below to plot these additional heights and arm spans against those of the people in the data…

Free K-12 Educational Resources (online and for noncommercial broadcasting)

…can use directly from www.learner.org. Search classroom resources by grade levels and subject areas. Some video resources also include coordinated online materials, such as user guides, downloadable textbooks, labs and interactives, and more. Or look at the full list of available content and professional development resources, under Series Availability in our FAQ. You can also find…

section: Part A: Fractions to Decimals (65 minutes)

…When we display the repeating parts in one or two rings, some interesting patterns emerge. Use the following Interactive Activity to explore the repeating parts of decimal expansions for such fractions as 1/7, 2/7, …, and 6/7 and 1/13, 2/13, 3/13, …, and 12/13: For a non-interactive version of this activity, follow the instructions and…

section: Part C: Using Line Plots (30 minutes)

…1, which reduces the total by 4. Here is the resulting line plot:         Describe at least three different ways to return the mean to 5. Problem C8 Applying the strategy you developed in Problems C5-C7, use the following Interactive Activity or your paper/poster board to revisit the allocations you worked with…

unit: Interview with Featured Scientist Rick Gaitskell

…completely consistent with theory. It turns out that we still don’t know enough about weakly interactive massive particles to say precisely how likely it is for them to interact with conventional material. Interviewer: How do you detect dark matter? RICK: The way in which we’re trying to directly detect dark matter simply relies on taking…

section: Part C: Examining Zero (50 minutes)

…after the Annenberg Media logo.   Problem C8 For a non-interactive version of this problem, look at the graph of x • y = 12 above. This graph shows only the first quadrant. Would there be points in any other quadrant? Does this change your answer to Problem C5? Explain. For a non-interactive version of…

section: Part C: Analyzing Binomial Probabilities (45 minutes)

…or tails. Since we’re looking at the number of heads that occur, the possible values from one toss are either 1 (heads) or (tails). We can extend the tree diagram to show more than one coin toss. Use the Interactive Activity to see how we construct the diagram. Try several rounds of two, three, and…

section: Part C: Building the Number Line (35 minutes)

…Use the number line in the Interactive Activity that follows to complete Problems C1-C6. Note 3: If you are working in a group, discuss first how the number line gets filled up and why we need more numbers than just the counting numbers. This question will be revisited in the next session. Instructions for non-interactive…

section: Part A: Models for Multiples and Factors (75 minutes)

…right of the existing rectangles. The dimensions are now 72 by 72 — and you’ve made a square! Use the following Interactive Activity to answer Problem A5. The 72-by-72 square is the smallest square that can be tiled with a 24-by-36 rectangle. Therefore, the LCM of 24 and 36 is 72. For a non-interactive version…

section: Part B: Histograms (30 minutes)

…  You have just created a frequency histogram! The following Interactive Activity reviews the transitions between the various displays of data you’ve worked with so far in this session, using the 26 data values from Part A. (This interactive has been disabled.) Problem B1 What advantages does a histogram have over a stem and leaf…

unit: About the Learning Math Courses

…credits and copyright information. Patterns, Functions, and Algebra Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability Geometry Number and Operations Measurement Overall Objectives To help teachers better understand mathematics content To provide engaging explorations of mathematics using video, interactive activities, and problem solving To encourage teachers to view mathematics as more than rote sets of rules and procedures…

section: Part C: Bags, Blocks, and Balance (30 minutes)

…or different from, your own strategy for these problems? Watch the video segment after you have completed the Bags and Blocks interactive activity and compare your strategy with Sue-Anne’s. If you get stuck during the activity, you can watch the video segment to help you. Will Sue-Anne’s strategy work for any balance puzzle? Will yours?…

unit: Arbiter Activity

…their writing grow through your comments – or are they still making the same errors? In this interactive, you will have a chance to look closely at the ways in which you assess student writing. To what do you pay the most attention? Are there other methods or emphases that you might incorporate into you…

Annenberg Learner partners with South LA Best Buy Teen Tech Center and Russell Westbrook Middle School to expand access to technology

…participated in a 10-week interactive animation workshop, where they learned about the history of cartoons and animation, 12 rules of animation, and used software to create original animated art. For the upcoming spring semester, students will go behind the scenes on the set of a podcast with YouTube Creators Club.   SLA BBTTC, Annenberg Learner,…

section: Part C: Comparative Experimental Studies (65 minutes)

…that the subject can recall. In this version of the experiment, we will show the list of non-words (List B) before the list of words. The subject’s final score is the number of words (or non-words) he or she was able to correctly recall. To perform a non-interactive version of this activity, you’ll need a…

section: Part D: Bias in Sampling (20 minutes)

…since every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. See Note 5. In this Interactive Activity, you will have the opportunity to see if you can personally select a sample that is representative of a particular population. Here are 60 circles. Can you select five circles that best represent the size…

video: Becoming Readers and Writers

Classroom Profile Teacher: Sheila Owen Years Teaching: 10 School: Wellwood School, Beaumont, CA Grade: Kindergarten Class Size: 21 Students Lesson Dates: October 18 and 19, 2001 “I believe that the best thing a teacher can do is to watch her students. And so kid watching is what I do… so that we are immediately following…

section: Part E: Measuring Variation (45 minutes)

…compare it to the MADs of Line Plots A and B.         In This Part: Working with the MAD Use the Interactive Activity below or your paper/poster board to answer the questions in Problems E4-E6. You will be asked to form several arrangements with a specified total for the absolute deviations. You…

session: Fluency and Word Study

…knowledge, and word analysis skills in effective, interactive, and engaged reading. Learning Goals At the end of this session, you will better understand how to: provide opportunities to practice fluent reading model and demonstrate fluent reading for your students plan instruction that allows all students to engage in high-success reading select and teach vocabulary to…

Have You Flipped Your Classroom Yet?

…many resources for teachers interested in implementing a flipped classroom. Since a flipped classroom does not necessarily introduce all core concepts via video lectures, Annenberg’s online student interactives can serve a similar purpose and be completed by students as ‘homework.’ For example, there are three interactives (Stem Plots, Wafer Thickness, and Control Charts) at the…

section: Before You Watch | Writing

Session Preparation To prepare for this workshop session, you will review the key terms, identify the strategies that you already use, review the key terms, and then read two articles on effective writing instruction. Key Terms: Editing High-stakes assessment Interactive journal Kid culture Portfolios Revision Text types   Notebook What Do You Do? Writing is…

section: Part D: Ordering Hats: (35 minutes)

…of data values in each interval. The following Interactive Activity uses the hat-size data from Part D to allow you to review these tabular and graphic representations of your data. Click through each representation to see how the display in one format relates to the display in the other format. All of these methods are…

section: Art: Burning Man Effigy

…of the Burning Man has been fertile ground for outsider and visionary art. A permanent organization, The Black Rock Arts Foundation, now offers grants for artists, sponsors interactive art projects at Burning Man, and supports art that carries the values of Burning Man culture (e.g., impermanence, experimentation, and inclusiveness) into the broader community. True to…

unit: Ultimate Recycling Machine

MIDDLE SCHOOL – LEVEL 2 The Ultimate Recycling Machine is an interactive learning experience that teaches principles of engineering. The aim is to get kids thinking about structures and devices they can build to meet the goal, three points of contact, and the bottle ending in the bin. MATERIALS NEEDED FOR BINS: ❏ Cardboard tubes…

section: Part D: Deviations from the Mean (30 minutes)

…the Interactive Activity or your paper/poster board to display the line plots below (again, for 9 stacks of coins, with a mean of 5). Problem D2 Create a line plot with these deviations from the mean = 5: (-4), (-3), (-2), (-1), (0), (+1), (+2), (+3), (+4) Problem D3 Create a line plot with these…

You Don’t Have to Be an Adult to Write a Novel

…imitation helps students develop their own voice by building their confidence. Younger students learn about the crucial elements that make up a story using the fairytale Cinderella in an online interactive. Students explore the function of characters, conflict, and resolution as they break apart this well-known childhood story. Image: bluelela / 123RF Stock Photo  …

unit: SOHO Bingo

Project Structure Engage/Explain: This is a simple and fun build and can be used as an interactive game to check understanding or test review. Construct the Bingo Boards using SOHO Bricks. The board size can be scaled up or down by adding or subtracting brick plates. Choose board size for child. Have child cut and…

section: Part C: Factors (35 minutes)

…of 12 is 22 • 3. Note that we could have started the factor tree with the factors 3 and 4, and we would have derived the same prime factorization, 22 • 3. Problem C1 This is the non-interactive version of Problem C1: Complete the following tables to explore the factors and prime factorization of…

section: Part D: Fitting Lines to Data (60 minutes)

…the line that minimizes the sum of the squared errors. In the following Interactive Activity, you will see how these squares can be represented graphically. The least squares line is the line that minimizes the total area of all the squares formed when the vertical distance from the data points to the line is used…

section: Part B: Data Measurement and Variation (65 minutes)

…the time it takes for a minute to pass? 2. Collect Data Use the following Interactive Activity (Flash version discontinued) to collect data on this question yourself, and try this experiment with a few friends. Use a stopwatch. Have two or more subjects engage in a conversation, and ask one of them to let you…

section: Interview with Robert Crabtree

…what are the major causes amongst many known causes that have a bigger impact than others. Ecosystems are multi-causal interactive systems. Rarely is it a single, simple cause that is what we’re looking for. It’s usually complicated. And those factors that are important vary over space and time. We’re looking at patterns over space and…

Annenberg Learner Teams Up with LAUSD and Discovery Education to Launch New Partnership

…engage with Annenberg Learner’s educational content. To help educators integrate their new digital resources into instruction in the coming school year, Discovery Education will provide Los Angeles Unified teachers dedicated professional learning. Through these interactive professional development sessions, participants will learn best practices for using their new digital resources. Effective professional development will maximize the…

unit: Case Studies

These four case studies are interactivities based on actual scientific research projects carried out by leading teams in the field. Each case study takes the participant through a series of steps in a research project — just follow the step-by-step instructions to test a hypothesis or analyze data. The case studies provide an interactive experience…

section: Extend Your Knowledge | Fluency and Word Study

Examine the Topic Fluent reading, an important goal of literacy instruction, promotes comprehension and personal response to reading. What are the components of fluent reading? How can teachers provide instruction and practice in fluency to ensure effective and interactive comprehension? Read the following statements on the role of fluency in reading instruction. Think about how…

section: Public Policy and the Federal Budget — Other Lessons

Dividing the Federal Pie For a simplified version of the lesson taught by Leslie Martin, visit http://www.kowaldesign.com/budget. Here you will find an interactive site that allows students to select from among several predetermined percentages for each of the following expenditure categories: State Department, Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Social…

unit: El Pueblo: The Watts Towers

…work and learning process Reflect on your understanding of solid materials throughout this process You will be evaluated on How you collaborate with your team The detail and completeness of your design Your project plan Your explanation of how and why you included certain elements in your design Your interactive notebook responses Your final presentation…

section: Part B: Fractions With Cuisenaire Rods (45 minutes)

…(1/2)?” There are three whites in a light green. Similarly, to divide 1/6 by 1/2, we need to ask, “How many light greens (1/2) are there in a white (1/6)?” There is 1/3 of a light green in a white. See Note 6 below. In This Part: Try It Yourself Use the following Interactive Activity…

Resources to Frame Discussions of COVID-19

…researchers can forecast and evaluate the effects of climate change on densely populated developing nations. Dr. Martha Farnsworth Richie, former Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, talks about the types of tradeoffs that will be necessary as population density increases and sea levels rise. Disease Lab  Disease Lab is an interactive activity contained within the…

Lens on Literacy

We all agree that learning to read is a critical step in a child’s education. But teaching children to read is controversial. In classrooms, legislatures, universities, school districts — even courtrooms — there is debate about what makes a good literacy program. Is phonics the answer? Whole language? A mix of both? Amid the controversy,…

video: 100 Days of Reading

Shari Frost’s First- and Second-Grade Class Teacher: Shari Frost Years Teaching: 20 School: Norwood Park Elementary School, Chicago, IL Grades: First and Second Class Size: 23 Students Lesson Dates: February 14 and 15 “Life in school reflects what happens in the world. When something is going on in the world it creeps into your classroom….

video: Overview

video: Learning From Others: Learning in a Social Context

“Vygotsky understood that all learning is social – that we don’t actually end up doing most of our learning all by ourselves in our own heads; that we work with others, we assist one another to learn. Teachers can help students learn by consciously teaching within their zone of proximal development – right in that…

interactive: Interactive: Control Chart

interactive: Interactive: Chemistry Timeline

interactive: Interactive: Control a Haber-Bosch Ammonia Plant

interactive: Interactive: The Chemistry of Running

interactive: Interactive: Stemplots

interactive: Interactive: Wafer Thickness

video: Learning As We Grow: Development and Learning

“As children develop, the ways in which they learn change. If teachers are tuned to those sequences of development, then they can be more thoughtful about how they design their lessons, how they pace instruction, how they move kids along from one concept to the next. Doing these things will build students’ ability to think…

Key Terms | Teaching Reading: K-2 Workshop

program: Energy: Capture, Storage, and Transformation

Introduction #2575 Photographer: NASA/SDO/AIA Source: NASA/SDO/AIA Energy. We know it when we see its effects but have a hard time explaining it. If you ask students to picture the concept of energy, they might conjure up the images in this collection. They might have difficulty explaining how the photographs represent energy, however. Students can understand…

unit: Big Ideas in Literacy – Science

Introduction Disciplinary literacy in science is challenging and highly rewarding. It involves more than what we traditionally think of as reading and writing, encompassing interpreting graphs, following evidence presented in a video, understanding how teams work, judging the quality of an online source of information, writing a blog or contributing to a shared digital document,…

video: Science Literacy: Reading and Writing Diagrams

Students use models to explain how the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, and Earth determine Moon phases, eclipses, and tides. They also explore the importance of diagrams in communicating information. Teacher: Mike Viney School: Blevins Middle School, Fort Collins, CO Grade: 8 Discipline: Science Lesson Topic: Moon phases and misleading diagrams Lesson Month: May…

video: Kinetics and Nuclear Chemistry – Rates of Reaction

From an instantaneous explosion to the slow rusting of iron, the rates at which different chemical reactions proceed can vary tremendously depending on several factors, including temperature and concentration. Sometimes, like with the rotting of food, chemists want to slow down reaction rates. But often, the goal is to speed them up—and one way to…

video: Exploring Borderlands

Chicana writer Gloria Anzaldúa tells us that the border is “una herida abierta [an open wound] where the lifeblood of two worlds is merging to form a third country — a border culture.” This program explores the literature of the Chicano borderlands and its beginnings in the literature of Spanish colonization….

video: Research and Discovery: Shirley Sterling and Laura Tohe

At the Skokomish reservation in Washington State, Sally Brownfield and her eighth-grade students study the literature and issues related to the Indian boarding school program through community involvement and self-examination. Brownfield begins with her students’ questions and supports them through a cycle of investigation, discussion, presentation, and reflection as they seek answers. The students use…

workshop: Engaging With Communities

Our goal is to prepare students to not only take what they have learned in the classroom and use it outside the classroom, but to take the love of that language and the interest in the culture that has happened in the classroom and take it into a community where they can continue learning it….

video: Equilibrium and Advanced Thermodynamics: Balance in Chemical Reactions

Light a match and chemical change happens in a one-way process: Reactants are transformed into products. But there are many chemical reactions called “equilibrium reactions” that operate in both directions: with reactants and products always present. The Unit 9 video will show how chemical equilibrium works, the essential role it plays in the function of…

video: Modernist Portraits

Jazz filled the air and wailed against the night. Caught in the sway, American prose writers sought out the forbidden – the slang, the dialects, and the rhythms of the folk and of everyday life. Writers such as Hemingway, Stein, and Fitzgerald forged a new style: one which silhouetted the geometry of language, crisp in…

video: Understanding Media: The Inside Story

video: Applying Themes and Disciplines

video: Historical and Cultural Context: Christopher Paul Curtis

Laina Jones and her sixth-grade students in Dorchester, Massachusetts explore The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. Jones uses nonfiction, documentary film, and historical photographs to contextualize the events in the novel and the civil rights movement. The students make deep connections to the literature through drama, poetry, and creative writing…

section: Examine the Topic | Using Assessment To Guide Instruction

Extend Your Knowledge In this section, you will expand your understanding of assessment practices that inform your instruction. You will compare the ideas from the workshop video with passages from various publications. Read and respond to the ideas presented as they relate to your own teaching practices. Classroom assessment in kindergarten through second grade requires…

video: Teaching for Understanding

video: Exploring Unity and Diversity

video: Engaging Students in Active Learning

video: Assessing Students’ Learning

section: Examine the Topic | Connecting School and Home

Extend Your Knowledge In this section, you will expand your understanding of connecting school and home literacy. You will compare the ideas from the workshop video with passages from various publications. Read and respond to the ideas presented as they relate to your own experiences. One of the most frequently offered suggestions teachers give to…

video: Making Connections

unit: Introduction

Introduction To Online Text By Christopher Stubbs  …

section: Public Policy and the Federal Budget — Teacher Perspectives

Teacher Perspectives: Leslie Martin Leslie Martin teaches a two-semester course on economic, legal, and political systems to ninth-grade students at West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North Carolina. The course is called a freshman seminar in recognition of the fact that more than half of these students are considered gifted. These interview excerpts relate to…

video: Human Population Dynamics Video

     …

section: Part C: Quadperson (45 minutes)

In This Part Playing with Quadperson Analyzing the Results Graphs of Proportional Relationships Playing with Quadperson This activity compares the effects of absolute and relative comparisons on a picture. Think about what would happen to a drawing if every line were made half as long. Would it look like the same picture at all? What…

unit: Learning Challenges

Each session of The Learning Classroom generally concentrates on a single learning theory and describes how it might be applied in a classroom. We all know that teaching is much more complicated than that, because learning theories overlap and work together. The Learning Challenges here will help you integrate the ideas presented across different sessions….

section: Constitutional Convention — Student Perspectives

At the time these students were interviewed they were seniors at Benjamin Banneker Senior High School in Washington, D.C., where they were enrolled in an AP Comparative Government course taught by Matt Johnson. The interviews were conducted in connection with their participation in a simulation in which students worked in cooperative groups to develop a…

unit: Bringing It All Together – Mathematics

Introduction You have now had a number of opportunities to consider what it looks like to incorporate the disciplinary literacy practices of reading, writing, speaking, and listening into mathematics classrooms. As a way to revisit what it means to engage in these disciplinary literacy practices, solve the Harvesting the Field Problem [PDF], drawing on the…

section: Assignments + Projects

section: Part B: Inverse Proportions (60 minutes)

In This Part Splitting a Prize Ms. Anwar’s Backyard Another Inverse Proportion Splitting a Prize Imagine that the teachers in your school decide to play the lottery together. If they win, the prize is $800,000. Problem B1 is a table that shows how much each teacher will get, depending on how many of them contribute…

Practice: Respond to Student Writing

The following drafts allow you to evaluate authentic samples of student pieces written in three different genres. Each time you identify a strength or weakness in one of the samples, you will be able to compare your assessment with detailed comments from another teacher. These comments also indicate how the teacher might respond to a…

video: Using Resources

unit: What Is Disciplinary Literacy?

INTRODUCTION When students enter middle and high school, their teachers expect that they have learned the basic skills and strategies for reading and comprehending text. Students who are still working to develop these proficiencies may need assistance from their classroom teachers and, in some cases, from specialists in reading or special education, to support their…

section: Part D: Counting Stairs (60 minutes)

Problem D1 Here is a problem in which you can use patterns to make predictions. Count the number of blocks in each of the following staircases. You can use cubes or blocks to construct the stairs. Then devise as many general methods as you can for predicting the number of blocks in any staircase. If…

video: Feelings Count: Emotions and Learning

“How students feel affects whether and how they can learn. If they’re anxious or fearful they’re not going to be able to take in information. Teachers not only can learn to create a safe environment they can learn to develop emotional intelligence. The students actually gain the skills of managing their emotions, solving conflicts, and…

unit: Building a Community of Writers

How can you nurture and support the confidence of all students and help them forge unique writing identities? This workshop explores the essential characteristics of a successful writing community and shows examples of teachers who build community in their classrooms through a variety of ways. I think it’s amazing what kids can do at this…

video: Statistics As Problem Solving

In This Session Part A: A Problem-Solving Process Part B: Data Measurement and Variation Part C: Bias in Measurement Part D: Bias in Sampling Homework Statistics is a problem-solving process that seeks answers to questions through data. In this session, we begin to explore the problem-solving process of statistics and to investigate how data vary….

section: Controversial Public Policy Issues — Teacher Perspectives

JoEllen Ambrose, who has been teaching social studies for 23 years, teaches law to seniors at Champlin Park High School in Champlin, Minnesota. In these interview excerpts, she talks about her approach to discussing controversial issues in the classroom. The particular issue her class debated was racial profiling. The discussion was governed by a formal…

lesson: Part C: Trigonometry (35 minutes)

In this part Right Triangle Ratios Trigonometric Functions Right Triangles Ratios The word “trigonometry” is enough to strike fear into the hearts of many high school students. But it simply means “triangle measuring.” A trigon is another name for a triangle — think pentagon and hexagon, for example — and “-metry” means “measuring,” just as…

unit: Reading and Analyzing Texts

interactive: Experiencing Discipline-Specific Texts

interactive: Close Reading Activity

section: Assignments + Projects

interactive: Identifying Reading Strategies

unit: Reading In Science

video: Analyzing a Culture — The Story Continues

PROGRAM AT A GLANCE School FAIR School (Fine Arts Interdisciplinary Resource School) Location Crystal, MN Grade 6 Disciplines Visual Art Social Studies Language Arts Description Students analyze artifacts and create exhibitions. The Integrated Instruction Rick Wright, 6th-Grade Teacher After spring break, the creation part of the unit is over. The kids bundle up all of…

section: Assignments + Projects

video: Population and Resource Distribution

Video Summary: How are resources divided among the world’s population? Who are the “haves” and the “have nots”? What is life like for each group? What actions can citizens of the world take to rectify inequities? To help her students understand the complex issues surrounding the distribution of resources throughout the world, Becky Forristal uses…

video: Engagement and Dialogue: Judith Ortiz Cofer and Nikki Grimes

The program begins with a profile of the writer Judith Ortiz Cofer and then moves to Vista, California, where Akiko Morimoto and her eighth-grade students read short stories by Ortiz Cofer. They respond personally to the works, examine the author’s use of figurative language, and then make intertextual connections with books they’ve read throughout the…

section: Commentary

video: Social Justice and Action: Alma Flor Ada, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Paul Yee

Laura Alvarez and her bilingual fourth- and fifth-grade students in Oakland, California examine different perspectives and experiences of immigrants, and then formulate and defend positions on issues with which they connect personally. They examine My Name Is María Isabel by Alma Flor Ada, Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Tales from Gold Mountain by…

video: Engagement and Dialogue: Julia Alvarez, James McBride, Lensey Namioka, and more

In New York City, Carol O’Donnell and her seventh-grade students explore themes of multiple worlds and dual identities. They read poetry by Diana Chang and Naomi Shihab Nye; James McBride’s memoir, The Color of Water; and essays and short stories by Gish Jen, Khoi Luu, Lensey Namioka, and Julia Alvarez; and watch Tina Lee perform…

video: Providing Feedback on Student Writing

Student writing demands reaction — from both teachers and other members of the writing community. But what kind of interaction is most powerful and rewarding? The teachers, researchers, and authors tackle this issue in this session, talking about and demonstrating effective ways to conference and comment on student work and direct other members of the…

video: Different Audiences

This session begins by examining the “self” most writers address, showing how the concept of writing for an audience is threaded throughout the dynamic and nonlinear processes of writing. From there, the session looks to a wider range of audiences, examining the demands the student writer encounters in addressing audiences in language arts and other…

video: Thinking About Thinking: Metacognition

“We can teach children to think about their thinking in ways that help them understand what they know and what they don’t know and what they’d like to learn, and to help them reflect on their learning and to evaluate their work against a continuum that they’re on. All of those kinds of thinking actually…

video: Research and Discovery: Edwidge Danticat, An Na, Laurence Yep, and more

In Clayton, Missouri, Kathryn Mitchell Pierce’s sixth-grade students read works that explore issues of historical and contemporary immigration. Pierce uses “text sets” of multicultural picture books, poetry, and nonfiction to introduce the students to a wide range of perspectives and to set the stage for their novel study. The Students choose, and then discuss in…

video: Historical and Cultural Context: Langston Hughes and Christopher Moore

video: Social Justice and Action: Joseph Bruchac and Francisco Jiménez

This program begins with profiles of the featured authors, then moves on to Chicago, Illinois, where Lisa Espinosa’s seventh-grade students explore themes of representation through literature, documentary film, and photography. The students look critically at past and current media depictions of African Americans, Latino/as, and Native Americans, and examine ways in which artists and writers…

unit: Different Learners, Different Minds

section: Electoral Politics — Student Perspectives

The students whose interview comments are excerpted below were enrolled in Jose Velazquez’s Law in Action course at University High School in Newark, New Jersey, when this program was videotaped. Here they discuss their experiences participating in the Student Voices Project, in which they identified and researched issues of importance to youth, studied the positions…

video: Writer’s Journal

  Classroom Profile Teacher: John Sinnett Years Teaching: 23 School: Collins Elementary School, Houston, TX Grade: Kindergarten Class Size: 16 Students Lesson Dates: November 14 and 1 “I want them to start thinking in kindergarten about how they need to make some kind of plan in their head for their writing. I have them draw…

unit: Design a Lunar Thermos

Middle school learners will be guided through a series of challenges that follow the engineering design cycle. Join NASA on an adventure through solving an engineering challenge to design a thermos to keep water warm in space. Each step of the engineering design cycle will be performed by the learner. OBJECTIVE To demonstrate an understanding…

video: Teaching Social Studies

video: Mathematics in the Real World: An Epidemiologist

Introduction The Real World videos in the Reading and Writing in the Disciplines course support teachers’ daily efforts to effectively teach students using the Common Core State Standards as benchmarks for success. Through stories of professionals working toward social justice in different disciplines, these videos can serve as a tool for showing students the role…

unit: Design a Lunar Thermos

K-2 Learners will be guided through a series of challenges that follow the engineering design cycle. Join NASA on an adeventure through solving an engineering challenge to design a thermos to keep water warm in space. Each step of the engineering design cycle will be performed by the learner. OBJECTIVE To demonstrate an understanding of…

video: The Transformative Power of Music

video: Building Oral Language

Classroom Profile Teacher: Cindy Wilson Years Teaching: 25 School: Josiah Quincy Elementary School, Boston, MA Grade: Kindergarten Class Size: 24 Students Lesson Dates: February 6 and 8 “Many of the people who come into my classroom — casual observers — do not notice that many of my children have lots of learning and behavior issues….

unit: Reading in Mathematics

section: Online Textbook

Online Text by Robert Austin The videos and online textbook units can be used independently. When using both, it is possible to start with either one. Watching the video first, and then reading the unit from the online textbook is recommended. Each unit was written by a prominent physicist who describes the cutting edge advances…

unit: Bringing It All Together – English

Introduction Brenda Green, executive director of the Center for Black Literature, ends her weekly radio show by saying: “The reader is always writing and the writer is always reading. Keep reading; keep writing.” This closing remark conveys our understanding of the close relationship between reading and writing. This section considers important elements of lesson design…

video: History in the Real World: A Documentary Filmmaker

Introduction The Real World videos in the Reading and Writing in the Disciplines course support teachers’ daily efforts to effectively teach students using the Common Core State Standards as benchmarks for success. Through stories of professionals working toward social justice in different disciplines, these videos can serve as a tool for showing students the role…

video: Algebraic Thinking

In This Session Part A: A Framework for Algebraic Thinking Part B: Reasoning About Situations Part C: Qualitative Graphs Homework In this initial session, we will explore algebraic thinking first by developing a definition of what it means to think algebraically, then by using algebraic thinking skills to make sense of different situations.1   Learning…

unit: Writing in Science

interactive: Practice: Introducción – La Gavia

video: Quadratic Functions

Quadratic functions model a number of real-world situations. They describe the path of a ball in flight, represent a cross section of a headlight’s reflector, and enable business people to forecast sales….

video: Different Purposes

Purpose directly relates to the form or genre selected to express writers’ ideas. In this session, the teachers examine this relationship, presenting classroom examples of students working in many genres, including persuasive writing, memoir, and poetry. Their subsequent analysis underscores what students can learn by examining commonalities and differences among genres and the value of…

video: Usage and Mechanics

This session focuses directly on key questions of grammar and mechanics: When should student writers and reviewers of student work pay attention to usage and mechanics? Does teaching grammar in context really work? Why should these things matter? Grammar experts add to the conversation, analyzing its role in communication and providing ways to bridge the…

video: Science in the Real World: A Biotech Startup

Introduction The Real World videos in the Reading and Writing in the Disciplines course support teachers’ daily efforts to effectively teach students using the Common Core State Standards as benchmarks for success. Through stories of professionals working toward social justice in different disciplines, these videos can serve as a tool for showing students the role…

section: Things Fall Apart – Connections

In the Images of World Literature slideshow, you saw images inspired by Things Fall Apart. Here at Connections, you can find varied interpretations, analyses, and performances of Okonkwo’s story….

interactive: Carbon Lab

section: Civic Engagement — Essential Readings

Standards of Quality for School-Based and Community-Based Service Learning prepared by the Alliance for Service Learning in Education Reform The Alliance for Service Learning in Education Reform is affiliated with the Close-Up Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia. In this article, the Alliance sets out a variety of key principles schools should consider prior to starting a…

interactive: Demographics Lab

video: Patterns in Context

In This Session Part A: What Do You See? Part B: Patterns in Situations Part C: Different Uses of Variables Part D: Counting Stairs Part E: Summing Up Homework In Session 1, we began to develop a definition of algebraic thinking. We used mathematical thinking tools to reason about situations, and we used pictures, charts,…

interactive: Disease Lab

section: Civic Engagement — Student Perspectives

The students whose interview comments are excerpted below were juniors and seniors enrolled in a human geography course at Anoka High School in Anoka, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. They each participated in a service learning project in which they were to identify a community problem, select a student partner with a similar interest, identify…

interactive: Ecology Lab

interactive: Energy Lab

section: Public Policy and the Federal Budget — Lesson Plan

The Lesson Plan section contains everything you will need to fully understand the featured lesson. It has the following sections: Context presents background information on the teacher, the school, and the course in which the lesson was taught; Lesson-Specific Standards identifies the national standards from the Center for Civic Education and the National Council for…

video: Pulling It All Together: Creating Classrooms and Schools That Support Learning

“As our standards go up, as we aim to educate all kids effectively, we need to put together all of the pieces of learning theory that we’ve acquired over this last century into settings where kids are supported – where they’re scaffolded, where they’re challenged, where they’re motivated, where they have the opportunity to learn…

unit: Atmosphere

video: Converging Cultures

Throughout history, economic needs, material desires, and political ambitions have brought people from different cultures and communities into contact, sometimes across great distances. Whether clashes or cooperative endeavors, these convergences have brought about the exchange of knowledge and ideas. In the visual arts, they have led to creative juxtapositions, hybrid styles, innovative forms, and the…

video: William Finds His Base: A Student Case Study

Student Case Study: William Student: 2nd grade, age 7, July Birthday School: Hemenway Elementary School, Framingham, MA Teacher: Stacey Soto Class Size: 24 Students “I remember the first book we read, and William said, ‘I can read this whole thing!’ All of a sudden, a light bulb went on. His writing increased, his mechanics increased,…

video: Thalia Learns the Details: A Student Case Study

Student Case Study: Thalia Student: Kindergarten, age 5, August Birthday School: Amigos, Cambridge, MA Teachers: Jim St. Clair and Maria Castro Class Size: 36 students in two classes “Thalia’s very interested in the idea of literacy and she’s interested in books. It’s the details she’s a little bit fuzzy on. That’s a big part of…

workshop: Delivering the Message

One of the most useful aspects of having a real audience in presentational communication is that the audience will provide gaps that students can investigate, understand, explore, and then write about or talk about. — Paul Kei Matsuda Assistant Professor of English University of New Hampshire Learning Goals How do you organize an effective written…

video: Variables and Patterns of Change

Part 1: Translating Words Into Symbols Translating words into symbols is equivalent to modeling a situation using an equation and variables. Similarly, algebraic equations and inequalities can represent the quantitative relationship between two or more objects. Part 2: Linear Equations Linear equations can be used to model situations involving one or more unknowns. A linear…

interactive: History of Psychology

interactive: Control the U.S. Debt!

section: Teaching Strategies

section: Assignments + Projects

section: Part C: Function Machines (35 minutes)

In This Part About Function Machines Running a Function Machine Function Machines and Undoing About Function Machines When thinking about inputs and outputs, you are thinking about algorithms as functions: You input a number into the algorithm, follow the prescribed steps, and get an output. To be a function, there are two requirements. First, the…

unit: Oceans

video: Blended Learning: Evaluating Source Material

In this lesson on the Industrial Revolution, Andrea Gambino Rhodes assigns primary and secondary source material to student groups based on personal interests. Together, students develop their skills of annotation, sourcing, corroboration, and class discussion to evaluate the source materials at hand. Teacher: Andrea Gambino Rhodes School: Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School, Raleigh, NC Grade:…

unit: Different Brains

lesson: Featured Classroom: Ariel Owen and Jeff Parrish; Walnut Creek, CA

Ariel Owen and Jeff Parrish; Walnut Creek, CA “I think it’s really hard to learn something new — just phenomenally hard to learn a concept that you’ve never been introduced to before and then to be tested on it. And to have some compassion and respect for what it is that we’re asking these kids…

section: Online Textbook

section: Expert Interview Transcript: James Carrington, Ph.D.

Director, Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology Director of the Oregon State University’s Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology. Carrington’s lab conducts research on how viruses and host plants interact, using the model organism Arabidopsis. He uses genetic, genomic, and proteomic strategies to understand RNA silencing pathways, virus recognition events, and cellular targets for various…

video: Real World Mathematics Collaboration

Students in Stephanie Brown’s class work together in teams to problem solve and develop a system of equations for a trigonometry proof. Teacher: Stephanie Brown School: Point Loma High School, San Diego, CA Grade: 10 Discipline: Mathematics (Geometry) Lesson Topic: Proofs of the Pythagorean theorem Lesson Month: January/February Number of Students: 34…

lesson: Part A: Quick Images (10 minutes)

Picturing, both on paper and in your mind, is an important part of geometric reasoning. You can learn the mathematics of making accurate drawings, drawings from which you can reason. You can also learn to pay more attention to the geometry you see and to visualize with your mind. This activity works best when done…

unit: Design a Lunar Thermos

Grade 3-5 learners will be guided through a series of challenges that follow the engineering design cycle. Join NASA on an adventure through solving an engineering challenge to design a thermos to keep water warm in space. Each step of the engineering design cycle will be performed by the learner. OBJECTIVE To demonstrate an understanding…

section: Part D: Quadratic Functions (25 minutes)

In This Part Quadratic Functions and Differences Summary Quadratic Functions and Differences You know that for linear functions, the difference between successive outputs is a constant. For exponential functions, the ratio between successive outputs is a constant. Is there some similar pattern for quadratic functions? The next few problems will help you decide. Note 12…

unit: Many Planets, One Earth

video: Writing for Mathematics Understanding

Stephanie Brown’s students first work individually and then in groups to construct viable mathematical arguments by critiquing each other’s reasoning. Teacher: Stephanie Brown School: Point Loma High School, San Diego, CA Grade: 10 Discipline: Mathematics (Geometry) Lesson Topic: Proofs of the Pythagorean theorem Lesson Month: January/February Number of Students: 34 Full Details…

video: Blended Learning: Purposeful Instruction

Andrea Gambino Rhodes discusses the ways in which she chooses primary sources to frame her lesson to engage students, such as by using an infographic and selecting sources according to student strengths and interests. Teacher: Andrea Gambino Rhodes School: Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School, Raleigh, NC Grade: 7 Discipline: History/Social Studies Lesson Topic: Innovation in…

video: Assessment-Driven Instruction

Hildi Perez’s First-Grade Class Teacher: Hildi Perez Years Teaching: 7 School: Young Achievers School for Science and Mathematics, Boston, MA Grade: First Class Size: 20 Students Lesson Dates: December 11 and 12 “Reading is more than having one skill … reading is about having a balance of different skills. We need to work on making…

unit: Big Ideas in Literacy – History/Social Studies

Introduction Welcome to the history/social studies content-specific units on disciplinary literacy. These next four units explore disciplinary literacy in history as an approach to teaching history and social studies. Unit 5 will introduce useful concepts and tools that promote disciplinary literacy. Units 6 and 7 will focus on specific reading and writing practices, respectively. Unit…

section: Controversial Public Policy Issues — Student Perspectives

The students whose interview comments are excerpted here were seniors enrolled in a one-semester law course at Champlin Park High School in Champlin, Minnesota. Here they discuss their experience participating in a structured academic controversy on the topic of racial profiling.

video: Cassandra Becomes a Fluent Reader: A Student Case Study

Student Case Study: Cassandra Student: 1st grade, age 6, November Birthday School: Young Achievers School for Science and Mathematics, Boston, MA Teacher: Hildi Perez Class Size: 20 Students “When I think about Cassandra back in September and where she was, and how hard she’s worked throughout all this time to get where she is, there…

video: Connecting Skills to Text

Charmon Evans’s First-Grade Class Teacher: Charmon Evans Years Teaching: 9 School: Richard E. Bard Elementary School, Port Hueneme, CA Grade: First Class Size: 20 Students Lesson Dates: October 23 and 24 “There can be a balance between good literature, an exciting classroom environment, and skills-based learning. We all know that’s important, we’ve got to teach…

section: Teaching Strategies: Affective Domain

Affective refers to those actions that result from and are influenced by emotions. Consequently, the affective domain relates to emotions, attitudes, appreciations, and values. It is highly personal to learning, demonstrated by behaviors indicating attitudes of interest, attention, concern, and responsibility. According to the National Guidelines for Educating EMS (Emergency Medical Service) Instructors, the following…

video: Promoting Readers As Leaders

Valerie Kostandos’s First-Grade Class Teacher: Valerie Kostandos Years Teaching: 20 School: Decius Beebe School, Melrose, MA Grade: First Class Size: 20 Students Lesson Dates: November 5 and 6 “What I would like my students to get by the end of this year is to become independent readers and writers — to want to take risks…

section: Examine the Topic | Creating a Literate Community

Extend Your Knowledge In this section, you will expand your understanding of a literate classroom community by comparing the ideas from the workshop video with passages from various publications. Read and respond to the ideas presented as they relate to your own teaching practices. Primary reading teachers have two challenges: designing a classroom environment that…

video: Students Making Choices

Becky Pursley’s First-Grade Class Teacher: Becky Pursley Years Teaching: 14 School: Barton Hills Elementary School, Austin, TX Grade: First Class Size: 18 Students Lesson Dates: November 12 and 13 “I hope all first graders learn how to unlock words, use all parts of literature to make connections to their own lives, and make meaning from…

section: Assignments + Projects

video: Staying on Topic

Martha Duran-Contreras’s Second-Grade Class Teacher: Martha Duran-Contreras Years Teaching: 22 School: Will Rogers School, Santa Monica, CA Grade: Second Class Size: 22 Students Lesson Dates: October 16 and 17 “Creating a community of learners is the most important thing I do all year long. Because in establishing a community for them I make the students…

interactive: Evolution of Túngara Frog Mating Calls

video: History and Memory

Art has been a medium through which people have not only documented, but also shaped history—both past and future. Periodically, individuals, groups, and societies have also drawn on or appropriated artistic forms of the past to make statements in and about the present. Art can commemorate existence, achievements, and failures, and it can be used…

interactive: Designing Cancer Drugs: Development of Gleevec

interactive: Applied Genetic Modification

video: Risk, Reward, Responsibility: Ethics in Business

The numbers are in, and executives at Casablanca Cruise Lines (CCL) discover that the company can save as much as 80 million dollars if asbestos is removed from their ships by a company based in the former Soviet republic of Novastan, rather than by a U.S. company. But the Novastani standards of worker safety are…

section: Teaching Strategies: Alternative Assessment

The educational community today is focusing more and more on assessment. High school exit examinations are being used to determine whether a student has attained the minimum level of education required to graduate. While correct in theory – students should meet certain minimum standards – large-scale standardized tests only provide a glimpse of a student’s…

workshop: Planning for Assessment

[Students] want to believe that every performance they complete, regardless of what that task or product might be, that they’re working to get better over time. Assessments are their opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skill, and understanding. – Allison Zmuda, education consultant, Understanding by Design Learning Goals How do you plan and carry out an assessment…

video: Number Theory

In This Session: Part A: Models for Multiples and Factors Part B: Looking for Prime Numbers Homework As part of our exploration of number theory, we will look at two models for finding least common multiples and greatest common factors: the Venn diagram model and the area model. Later in the session, we will explore…

video: Bringing Artists to Your Community

Visiting musician Michael Stanwood works with third-grade teacher Sandi Waitman at Idalia School in Idalia, Colorado. In rural Idalia, Colorado, 150 miles from Denver, two visiting artists work with teachers to enhance learning at tiny Idalia School: Theatre artist Birgitta De Pree involves a kindergarten class in a storytelling activity that engages the imagination while…

interactive: 3 Read Strategy

interactive: Relationship Between Scientific Graphics and Text

interactive: Representing Different Styles of Data

video: Close Reading of a Primary Source

Ann Pember’s students discuss the meaning and role of the USA Patriot Act after reading an article from the New York Times. Teacher: Ann Pember School: Malden High School, Malden, MA Grade: 9 Discipline: History (U.S. History 1/U.S. Social Studies) Lesson Topic: The constitutionality of the Patriot Act Lesson Month: December Number of Students: 30…

interactive: Adapting and Modifying Sources

unit: Reading Like a Writer

How can you use literature in your writing workshop and teach students to look for writing strategies as they read? In this workshop, you will learn how to use “touchstone” and “mentor” texts to teach students new writing techniques. By watching classroom examples, you will also see how teachers immerse students in literary genres and…

video: The Energy in Chemical Reactions: Thermodynamics and Enthalpy

The phrase “chemical reaction” conjures up images of explosions, bubbling gases, flames, and smoke. So many chemical reactions have visible results because energy is being transferred from one form to another—the realm of thermodynamics. Thermodynamics provides rules for predicting the progress of a reaction and for harnessing the energy released. It is key to solving…

unit: About This Course

Reading and writing are no longer the sole responsibility of the English classroom, but a critical part of how students explore and understand complex concepts across all disciplines. By examining general disciplinary literacy strategies and practices—and then focusing more deeply on their own discipline—middle and high school teachers will gain insight into how to support…

interactive: Practice: Puerto Rico

interactive: Making Sense of Mathematics Text

section: Part B: Slope (40 minutes)

In This Part Thinking About Slope Comparing Slopes Slopes and Architecture Thinking About Slope Slope is an important concept in mathematics, and in Part B we’ll explore how it is used to solve problems. Note 5   Problem B1 Take a minute to think about what you already know about slope. What does it mean?…

interactive: Practice: México

unit: Online Textbook

section: Put It Into Practice | Word Study and Fluency

Choose Activities In this section, you will apply what you have learned to your own teaching. The three activities are designed to assist you in developing resources for your word study instruction. Choose one or more from the list below to practice in your classroom. Activity 1. Match Rimes With Books Identify common rimes in…

section: Part A: Area and Perimeter (45 minutes)

Constant Perimeter If you have 72 ft. of fencing and you want to use it to make a rectangular pen for your Highland terrier, you must consider both the perimeter of the pen and its area. What relationships exist between these two measures? Do shapes with the same perimeter have the same area? Let’s investigate…

video: Before You Watch | Teaching Writing as a Process

Video Summary The video for this session examines how to teach writing as a process. Dr. Jeanne R. Paratore begins her lecture by distinguishing between the different forms of writing and the various purposes for writing. She reviews the stages of the writing process and outlines the classroom practices that develop students’ writing. The workshop…

unit: Ecosystems

unit: Human Population Dynamics

video: Supporting Claims with Evidence and Reasoning

Chemistry teacher Martin Berryman shows how to help students write strong claims based on evidence, reason, and the interpretation of data. Teacher: Martin Berryman School: Malden High School, Malden, MA Grade: 10 Discipline: Science (Chemistry) Lesson Topic: Gravimetric analysis Lesson Month: December Number of Students: 32…

interactive: The Genetics of Resistance to HIV Infection

unit: Reading: Big Ideas

Introduction Reading is a complex process that involves interactions among the reader, the text, and the context. Meaning does not reside solely on a page of text, with the intent that the reader will extract meaning from that page. Rather, meaning is actively constructed by what the reader brings to the text and how this…

video: Creating a Culture of Collaboration

Martin Berryman explains how peer-to-peer collaboration fosters teamwork and understanding. Teacher: Martin Berryman School: Malden High School, Malden, MA Grade: 10 Discipline: Science (Chemistry) Lesson Topic: Gravimetric analysis Lesson Month: December Number of Students: 32…

lesson: What Is Life? | A Closer Look

Look for the following topics in the video, indicated by the on-screen icon. Cells Organic Molecules Extremophiles Teaching Tips Scientist at Work Curriculum Resources  …

session: French: Comparing Communities

CLASSROOM AT A GLANCE Teacher Ghislaine Tulou Language French III Grades 9-12 School McLean High School, McLean, Virginia Lesson Date March 21 Class Size 26 Schedule 94 minutes every other day Video Summary In this lesson, students discuss community life at home and abroad and practice new grammatical structures. First, students share what they like…

interactive: American Passages Archive

section: Assignments + Projects

lesson: Part B: Linkage-Strip Constructions (40 minutes)

In this part: Constructing Triangles Constructing Quadrilaterals Properties of Triangles. A triangle has three sides, but not just any set of three lengths will make a triangle. Use linkage-strips to answer Problems B1-B5. Note 3 Constructing Triangles Problem B1 Fill in the table below. Try to build triangles with the given lengths. Write “yes” or…

interactive: Practice: España

interactive: Practice: Argentina

section: Exploring Borderlands – Activities

unit: Reasons for Writing

In this workshop you will explore practices that motivate students to write and help them develop into independent, motivated writers. These effective practices include allowing students to make their own choices about their writing, helping them keep a writer’s notebook in which to record their thoughts and draw inspiration, and providing opportunities for students to…

workshop: Meaningful Interpretation

Invoking the interpretive mode is one of the most creative ways to make a text personal to all kinds of learners. Every student in a classroom can come to appreciate a text on his or her own level. – Virginia Scott Chair of French and Italian Vanderbilt University Learning Goals How can you build your…

workshop: Person to Person

Classroom interaction is simple. It is the talk that occurs in classrooms between teachers and students and among students. It’s also a very complex thing in that it is the primary medium by which learning occurs in classrooms, and that’s any kind of classroom, be it a history classroom or a math classroom or a…

section: Assignments + Projects

workshop: Subjects Matter

By creating content-based activities, you create a context in which there’s a reason to learn the language, there’s a reason to learn the grammar, there’s a reason to learn the vocabulary. And you’re not putting the students in the position of waiting until they know the language well enough to be able to talk about…

workshop: Rooted in Culture

I think the fruits of exploring [the appropriate ways to interact with native speakers] helps to lead the individual not only to learn more about the target language and its culture, but, through comparisons and reflection and introspection, to discover more about one’s own language and one’s own culture. — Alvino Fantini, School for International…

workshop: Valuing Diversity in Learners

When learners come into the classroom, they don’t divest themselves of their cultural experiences or their linguistic background. They bring all of that with them to the classroom. So it’s incumbent upon the teacher to accommodate that wide array of learners. – Marjorie Hall Haley, Ph.D., Associate Professor, George Mason University Learning Goals How do…

section: Examine the Topic | Teaching Writing as a Process

Extend Your Knowledge In this section, you will expand your understanding of writing instruction by comparing the ideas from the workshop video with passages from various publications. Read and respond to the ideas presented as they relate to your own teaching practices. Teachers in grades K-2 plan writing instruction by reflecting on the purposes for…

section: Lesson Plan 1: Left Hand, Right Hand – Solving Systems of Equations

Overview: In this lesson, students compare the speed at which they write with their left hand to the speed at which they write with their right hand. The experiment serves as a vehicle to help students develop a conceptual understanding of the three different types of possible solutions to a system of two equations with…

video: Contemporary History

video: Addressing the Diverse Needs of Students

In this Program Theatre A visiting theatre artist draws on the different learning styles of ninth-graders to help them understand and embrace the playwriting process. Visual Art A visual art teacher brings together honors art students and students with disabilities, so they can learn from each other.   Music As a music teacher works with…

video: Capital and Labor

video: Exploring Geography Through African History

Video Summary: How do you teach students about a world region as large and as culturally diverse as the continent of Africa? Seventh-grade teacher Lisa Farrow begins by focusing on the roles that geography and economics have played in shaping Africa’s history. On the first day of this two-day lesson, Ms. Farrow gives each pair…

video: Making the Most of Community Resources

In This Program Theatre A visiting theatre artist helps playwriting students develop monologues based on interviews with people in the neighborhood. Music A band teacher invites alumni and local professional musicians to sit in with her classes, giving students strong musical role models.   Dance A guest choreographer challenges students with her working style and…

video: Landmark Supreme Court Cases

Video Summary: Is flag burning an acceptable expression of free speech? Should evidence obtained without a search warrant be admissible in court? What constitutes a “clear and present danger” in wartime? Wendy Ewbank and her students use two simulation exercises to examine the nature of individual rights and the role of the Supreme Court in…

video: FDR and the Depression

unit: Reading in English

section: Part C: Problems That Illustrate Measurement Reasoning (55 minutes)

In this part, you’ll look at several problems that are appropriate for students in grades 6-8. For each problem, answer the below questions. If time allows, obtain the necessary materials and solve the problems.   Questions to Answer: What is the measurement content in the problem? What are the big ideas that you want students…

video: What Roles Do Students Take On?

Learning Goals The goals of this workshop are for you to: Identify the many roles students can take on as they engage in the artistic process Learn methods of responding to artworks that you can share with your students This workshop session examines the artistic process of creating, performing, and responding. In the program you’ll…

video: Understanding Stereotypes

Video Summary: How would you teach your students about stereotyping? You might begin by asking, What is a stereotype? What is the impact of stereotypes on our lives? What actions can we take to stop the perpetuation of stereotypes? These are a few of the questions that fourth- and fifth-grade students in Libby Sinclair’s class…

video: English in the Real World: A Sports Journalist

Introduction The Real World videos in the Reading and Writing in the Disciplines course support teachers’ daily efforts to effectively teach students using the Common Core State Standards as benchmarks for success. Through stories of professionals working toward social justice in different disciplines, these videos can serve as a tool for showing students the role…

video: What Are Connecting Concepts?

Learning Goals The goals of this workshop are for you to: Identify and discuss themes and concepts that can connect curriculum and instruction Practice creating activities that support common concepts and help bridge different disciplines This workshop session focuses on one of the keys to planning good integrated units—finding concepts that can connect learning in…

video: How People Learn: Introduction to Learning Theory

“Teaching is not simply random, and ad-hock and haphazard; there are some ways to actually shape your work that are likely to be more effective, because they respond to what learners are actually doing, thinking, and experiencing.” Linda Darling-Hammond Key Questions How do people learn? How can learning inform teaching practice? Learning Objectives History of…

unit: Conversations Among Writing Peers

How can peer conferencing help students in grades 3-5 become better writers? In this workshop, you will examine the various forms peer response might take in a writing workshop, the importance of an authentic audience for written work, and how peer conferencing can enhance writing skills in grades 3-5. You will also explore teaching strategies…

video: The Modern Presidency: Tools of Power

video: Linear Functions and Inequalities

Part 1: Linear Functions Linear functions are those that exhibit a constant rate of change, and their graphs form a straight line. They are also described as polynomial functions of degree one. Part 2: Linear Equations and Inequalities Solving linear equations and inequalities is typically a large part of the Algebra 1 curriculum. The mathematical…

video: Watch It, Do It, Know It: Cognitive Apprenticeship

“A cognitive apprenticeship sort of takes off from where candle-makers and cloth-makers left off in the days gone by, and says ‘How do we teach someone by modeling and demonstrating a way of thinking, a way of “working in our minds?” ” Linda Darling-Hammond Key Questions How can students learn to think strategically? How can…

video: Elections: The Maintenance of Democracy

video: Starting Out

“My job is to circulate and re-motivate kids when they stall [and] challenge them to take further steps in the discussion. Hopefully…I can keep them discussing and enjoying a poem; it helps push them to a higher level of understanding.” Jonathan Holden, 4th-Grade Teacher Nathan Hale Elementary School Roxbury, Massachusetts Students often don’t know how…

video: Industrial Supremacy

unit: Agriculture

video: China Through Mapping

Video Summary: In this lesson, Mimi Norton integrates world geography with the study of Chinese culture and history by engaging her young students in a variety of activities to locate natural and human-made landmarks on maps of China. To build background for this lesson, she has had the students create salt-dough maps of China and…

unit: Biodiversity Decline

video: Making Observations Like a Scientist

Catherine Rohrbaugh teaches students how to take notes and analyze text across different content areas to foster independent learning. Teacher: Catherine Rohrbaugh School: Dillard Drive Middle School, Raleigh, NC Grade: 7 Discipline: Science Lesson Topic: Creating a wet-mount slide Lesson Month: November Number of Students: 28…

unit: Energy Challenges

unit: Earth’s Changing Climate

unit: Looking Forward: Our Global Experiment

section: Put It Into Practice | Teaching Writing as a Process

Choose Activities In this section, you will apply what you have learned to your own teaching. The three activities are designed to assist you in developing resources for your writing instruction. Choose one or more of the activities from the list below. Activity 1. Assess Your Writing Program Review your current writing instruction, then implement…

timeline: Economic Timeline

video: Growth and Empire

video: Leaders, Community, and Citizens

Video Summary: How do you teach young students abstract concepts like the different levels and functions of government? First-grade teacher Cynthia Vaughn focuses on the connection between citizens, community issues, and civic leaders. Working as a class, students name the different elected positions in local, state, and national government (for example, mayor, governor, president), and…

video: Making a Difference Through Giving

Video Summary: How do you teach students to become effective citizens? How can young children make positive contributions to their community? Darlene Jones-Inge challenges her fourth- and fifth-grade students to think of realistic solutions to some of the problems facing their school, community, country, and the world. Ms. Jones-Inge begins with a class discussion about…

video: Exploring Our Town

PROGRAM AT A GLANCE School Hilltown Cooperative Charter School Location Haydenville, MA Grade 7, 8 Disciplines Theatre Music Visual Art Social Studies Language Arts Description Students delve into Thornton Wilder’s play Our Town. The Integrated Instruction Daniel Klatz, Education Coordinator Arts integration is part of how we conceive of learning in our school. So we…

video: The Rise of Capitalism

video: Celebrations of Light

Video Summary: Eileen Mesmer uses the theme of holidays to teach students about social studies. Throughout the year her class has read stories about different cultures’ holiday celebrations, prepared foods traditionally eaten during those holidays, learned holiday greetings in other languages, and studied artifacts related to the various holidays. Shifting the emphasis from how holiday…

video: The Reform Impulse

video: California Missions

Video Summary: “How can I teach my students California’s state history, integrate technology, and support a bilingual class?” This question prompted fourth-grade teacher Osvaldo Rubio to develop the lesson “California Missions.” The California Framework for state history requires students to learn about the geography of California; the social, political, cultural, and economic life of its…

video: The Coming of the Civil War

Simmering regional differences ignite an all-out crisis in the 1850s. Professor Martin teams with Professor Miller and historian Stephen Ambrose to chart the succession of incidents, from ‘Bloody Kansas’ to the shots on Fort Sumter, that inflame the conflict between North and South to the point of civil war….

video: Annotating Across Disciplines

Catherine Rohrbaugh teaches students how to take notes and analyze text across different content areas to foster independent learning. Teacher: Catherine Rohrbaugh School: Dillard Drive Middle School, Raleigh, NC Grade: 7 Discipline: Science Lesson Topic: Creating a wet-mount slide Lesson Month: November Number of Students: 28…

section: Patriotism and Foreign Policy — Teacher Perspectives

Alice Chandler teaches U.S. government to seniors at Duke Ellington High School of The Arts in Washington, D.C. She was interviewed in relationship to her lesson on patriotism and foreign policy in which the students worked in committees to design a Museum of Patriotism and Foreign Policy.

section: Online Textbook