Universal Design (UD) involves the creation of accessible, flexible products that are functional for a wide population of users. Our problem-based learning exercise challenges student teams to create products and services guided by the principles of UD. After teams generate their new product concept, a spokesperson from each team pitches it in…

Do you work tirelessly to make your math lessons meaningful, challenging, accessible, and engaging? Do you spend hours you don't have searching for, adapting, and creating tasks to provide rich experiences for your students that supplement your mathematics curriculum? Help has arrived! "Classroom Ready-Rich Math Tasks for Grades 2-3"…

Do you work tirelessly to make your math lessons meaningful, challenging, accessible, and engaging? Do you spend hours you don't have searching for, adapting, and creating tasks to provide rich experiences for your students that supplement your mathematics curriculum? Help has arrived! "Classroom Ready-Rich Math Tasks for Grades 4-5"…

"Human Impacts on Our Climate" outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K-12 classrooms. This interdisciplinary, three-lesson…

Empower students to become creative, well-rounded citizens who are prepared to meet and overcome real-world challenges. With "Teaching for Transfer," you'll discover a road map for reconfiguring K-12 classroom instruction to ensure learners can expertly apply their knowledge and skills to new contexts. The resource includes ample…

Professionals throughout the education system are recognizing that standardized testing is holding students back. Schools tend to view children as "outcomes" rather than as "individuals" who require guidance on thinking critically and creatively. "Awesome Math" focuses on team-based problem solving to teach discrete…

The NGSS MS-ETS1 Engineering Design (1-4) is the focus of the article. Development of a challenging problem-based activity that is an improvement over the traditional egg drop competition is emphasized. Quantification of data collected and real-world relevance are two activity components that are viewed as improvements over the egg drop. The…

If you've ever asked yourself whether problem-based learning (PBL) can bring new life to both your teaching and your students' learning, here's your answer: Yes. This all-in-one guide will help you engage your students in scenarios that represent real-world science in all its messy, thought-provoking glory. The scenarios will prompt K-12 students…

"Problem-Based Learning in the Physical Science Classroom, K-12" will help your students truly understand concepts such as motion, energy, and magnetism in true-to-life contexts. The book offers a comprehensive description of why, how, and when to implement problem-based learning (PBL) in your curriculum. Its 14 developmentally…

"Mathematical Thinking: From Assessment Items to Challenging Tasks" is a compilation of 36 problem-based lessons that encourage students to engage in productive struggle and deep thinking. Its 36 full-length lessons for grades 2-8 are each inspired by an actual test item from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).…

"Problem-Based Learning in the Life Science Classroom, K-12" offers a great new way to ignite your creativity. Authors Tom McConnell, Joyce Parker, and Janet Eberhardt show you how to engage students with scenarios that represent real-world science in all its messy, thought-provoking glory. The scenarios prompt K-12 learners to immerse…

The power of 3D printing technology has grown exponentially in just the past few years--people around the world are using 3D printers to prepare food, create tailored clothing, build cars and homes, and advance the medical field in ways that never seemed possible. In classrooms across the nation, 3D printers have become increasingly common because…

Teaching design to middle and high school students can be challenging. One of the first procedures in teaching design is to help students gather information that will be useful in the design phase. An early stage of engineering design as described by Lewis (2005), calls for the designer to establish the state of the art of the problem. During this…

This article presents a hands-on experiment that covers many areas of high school mathematics. Included are the notions of patterns, proof, triangular numbers and various aspects of problem solving. The problem involves the arrangements of a school of fish using split peas or buttons to represent the fish. (Contains 4 figures.)

This is a must-have resource for all K-12 teachers and administrators who want to really make the best use of available technologies. Written by Doug Johnson, an expert in educational technology, "The Classroom Teacher's Technology Survival Guide" is replete with practical tips teachers can easily use to engage their students and make their…