Background: A key research gap in current STEM education lies in the need for a more in-depth exploration of STEM teachers as curriculum designers, particularly in how they collaborate in designing STEM curricula and their roles within that process. This study selected two high-performing STEM teaching teams for investigation and employed a…

Purpose: This article describes an effort to ease the tension between boundary spanning roles for interns participating in a yearlong Professional Development School (PDS) program. In order to do this, the structure of a Social Studies Methods course was revised to mimic a professional learning community (PLC) and assignments were not evaluated…

"This We Believe" advocates the use of a curriculum that maximizes early adolescent learning by integrating multiple disciplines rather than teaching them in isolation. The development of an interdisciplinary curricular unit is a common assignment in middle grades teacher education programs that seek to prepare teacher candidates to…

To be digitally literate, an individual must be able to effectively make and share meaning in different modes and formats, effectively create, collaborate, and communicate in digital environments, and understand how and when technology can support these processes. However, K-5 teachers lack resources that adequately support their digital literacy…

"Teaching Intercultural Citizenship Across the Curriculum: The Role of Language Education" explores how language educators can advocate for and illustrate the importance of language education not only for their students' education but also for their ability to solve complex problems we urgently need to address. This book introduces…

Activities that focus on already familiar concepts are good starting points when designing early childhood music lessons. The author uses teachable moments, a spider in the classroom and a rainstorm, to design interdisciplinary preschool group activities that teach music, math, and science concepts. Dynamics and tempo are the music concepts that…

A comparative education analysis between the competence-based curriculum deployed at the Deusto University and the Tiradentes University was done. The analysis has focused on the following aspects: Educational theories; Curriculum design; Psycho-pedagogical guidelines; Teaching, learning and evaluation methodologies; Planning of execution;…

The authors describe a model for embedding science communication into the science curriculum without displacing science content. They describe the rationale, development, design, and implementation of two courses taught by science faculty addressing these criteria. They also outline the evaluation plan for these courses, which emphasize broad…

Describes the "Amazing Discoveries" approach for integrating social-science subject matter into a stand-alone science program, as well as interdisciplinary units that include science, for adolescents with mild disabilities. Discusses the rationale for expanding the curriculum to include social sciences and provides sample experiments. (CR)

This digest provides a basic introduction to the national standards in foreign language learning, essentially a set of content standards that define what students should know and be able to do in foreign language instruction in a K-12 sequence. First, background on the development of the standards is provided, and a description of the standards'…

Argues that use of theme-based curricula for preschool children is developmentally appropriate, provides an integrated approach to teaching and learning, enhances learning, and yields high levels of achievement. Provides supporting data from brain research and learning psychology. Includes a sample thematic unit and guidance for creating thematic…

Prepared by the General Education (GE) Review Steering Committee of Massachusetts' Bunker Hill Community College in 1991, this guide provides a model of a Capstone course, a component of the College's newly developed GE Cornerstone Curriculum. Chapter 1 reviews the purpose of Capstone, a mandatory interdisciplinary course designed to integrate the…

This book provides 12 theme-based model lessons for gifted students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Introductory material addresses ways to integrate middle school curricula with established national standards and principles of differentiated curriculum. Each lesson follows a five-part outline: (1)motivation (stimulating the learner); (2) input (providing…

This user's guide presents an interdisciplinary teaching approach for middle school instruction in the area of African-American history. It emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity and the need for tolerance to allow students to see racial harmony as a step to global peace. The guide is divided into four sections that encompass…

This manual for Junior High Environmental and Outdoor Education courses specifically addresses the special needs of adolescent students. A program development model is organized around six elements: (1) outdoor core; (2) personal and group development; (3) environmental core; (4) outdoor expeditions; (5) environmental investigations; and (6)…