Recent Gallup Polls uncovered the fact that the percentage of respondents who believe there is too much emphasis on testing is increasing, while the percentage who believe that the amount of emphasis is appropriate is declining. The public sees work in class and homework as significantly more important than tests in measuring student achievement…

Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that adapting part of a novel into a dramatic reading makes students more intimate with the author's intentions and craft; and that a part of a novel may lend itself to various oral interpretations. The main activity…

Based on characters in the Arthurian legend, this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that many writers have told the tale of King Arthur and the people around him, including Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, and Mordred. The main activity of the lesson involves students writing a dramatic monologue supposedly composed…

Based on Arthur Miller' play "The Crucible," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that in 17th-century New England, people were persecuted for allegedly practicing witchcraft; students of this period have looked into the allegations and offer alternatives to witchcraft to explain the people's behavior; and…

This paper provides the framework for the kindergarten through grade 12 study of English Language Arts in Alabama's public schools. Content standards in this document define the minimum requirements. Content standards are aligned with applicable assessments at each grade level including writing assessments, Alabama High School Graduation Exam, and…

Integrated art history and language arts activities are presented in this curriculum guide. The art history content is chronologically organized by units: (1) "Art of the Ancient World"; (2) "Arts of the East and Africa"; (3) "Art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance"; (4) "Five European Masters"; (5) "Impressionism and Post-Impressionism"; (6)…

Civic writing is an intellectual skill that is needed for effective and responsible participation in civil society and government. This Digest examines the concept of civic writing, identifies its purposes in democratic citizenship, and discusses how to teach it. Civic writing includes formal legal writing (speeches, petitions, resolutions),…

Intended for English teachers and written for the way most teachers read, this guide is highly structured for ease of use. The guide addresses teaching the entire English curriculum--covering everything from basic reading and writing to digital literacy, media literacy, and integrated instruction. Its 28 chapters are clearly subdivided, lessons…

A study examined how to increase active participation in a language arts class, based on the belief that such an increase would lead to better test scores and better learning. Subjects included a class of 30 homogeneously grouped accelerated sixth grade students, which meets five days a week for 90-minute periods. During the study, the class was…

The ultimate purpose of the language arts standards presented in this document is to ensure that all students be offered the opportunities, the encouragement, and the vision to develop the language skills they need to pursue lifelong goals, including finding personal enrichment and participating as informed members of society. The language arts…

This manual is about the assessment, evaluation, and documentation of literacy development and growth in a student's early years of public schooling in North Carolina and is aligned with and complements the state's revised English Language Arts Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies. The manual offers a perspective for change and…

This study investigated the literature physical education (PE) specialists used and how they integrated PE and language arts. The researcher kept a journal to record books, poems, and ideas of ways to integrate to two disciplines. She sent a survey to 10 PE teachers that asked what books they used and how they integrated language arts and PE. She…

All over the world educators work towards social justice in a variety of classroom projects. How might teachers of English language arts be informed by this variety of projects--all of which involve young people and their teachers exploring relationships between language and power? Theoretically, protagonists of critical literacies have many…

The Texas State Board of Education adopted the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum to ensure that all students meet the challenges of life in the new century. The information in this guide summarizes the TEKS expectations at each grade level in the foundation areas of English Language Arts and Reading, Mathematics, Science, and…

Success for All is the most extensively researched of all comprehensive reform models for Title I elementary schools. It incorporates scientifically based principles of reading, cooperative learning, professional development, tutoring, and family support. Schools in Upstate New York using the Success for All reading program continue to make…