In this research report we share results of a study of an adaptation of Lesson Study, a form of professional development typically used in Japanese elementary schools, with secondary mathematics teachers in the United States. We draw on Wenger's (1998) concept of "communities of practice" and Grossman, Wineberg, and Woolworth's (2001)…

The major purpose of this book is to introduce teachers (and by that the author means all types of teachers-classroom teachers, administrators, teacher aids, parents and coaches) to various individual and group thinking strategies related to specific questions and activities. This guide is a personal interpretation and critique of those strategies…

Teaching phonemic awareness can be boring and repetitive in the hands of a teacher who wishes to just use a workbook approach. This delightful book packs loads of fun into 75 lesson plans, providing educators with myriad creative strategies for integrating word study with children's picture books. Each lesson includes a read-aloud book…

This paper discusses the evolution, development, and thinking behind eight lesson plan formats. A Herbartian 5-step lesson plan (1980) involves teachers' understanding and use of students' previous knowledge. It includes preparation of previous learning, presentation of new materials, association of old and new ideas, generalization, and…

This guide contains information and activities designed to be used during National Wildlife Week. These curriculum materials are organized into three stages and offer a coherent progression from learning about natural communities through understanding human communities and human responsibilities for natural communities to offering opportunities…

The possibility of presenting a family communication course to large numbers of students and to students who cannot be present in the classroom makes interactive television a delivery mode worth considering. A family communication course was introduced experimentally at Northern Arizona University in Spring, 1983 and was designed around the…

With the growing numbers of English language learners in the schools, more and more educators are creating bilingual programs and opportunities for students to learn in their native languages while also perfecting their English skills. Writing is integral to these approaches, and learning to write well in Spanish often contributes to academic…

This lesson plan introduces students in grades 6-8 to Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophy of nonviolence and the teachings of Mohandas K. Gandhi that influenced King's views. After considering the political impact of this philosophy, students explore its relevance to personal life. In these 6 lessons students will: (1) examine the philosophy of…

In this lesson plan, students in grades 6-8 explore the role and impact of recent First Ladies through research and family interviews, then work in groups to present a documentary portrait to the class. Through these 7 lessons, students will: (1) learn about the political and non-political careers of recent First Ladies; (2) explore the…

This curriculum was developed for Job Corps Centers to introduce the principles of information technology. The goal was to make it flexible but comprehensive, and a variety of teaching strategies related to real-life situations in different types of businesses that students might face in a work environment were incorporated. Each module consists…

This curriculum was designed to provide teachers of psychology in secondary schools with information concerning teaching about child maltreatment. The materials contain information about child abuse and neglect that they can incorporate into their teaching. The curriculum contains a procedural outline that includes five lesson plans targeting the…

The activities in this manual are drawn from converging research evidence on the effectiveness of critical components to early reading success. These instructional elements include: phonological awareness, fluent reading in a variety of texts, comprehension strategies and vocabulary development, decoding strategies, and word analysis. The…

This study assessed Turkish elementary teachers' planning practices in terms of influences, problems, and effectiveness. Participants were 1,194 teachers from 210 schools. Teachers completed questionnaires that collected demographic data and explored their perceptions of instructional planning (types of plans, influences on these plans,…

This activity is designed to introduce to students the processes of plate tectonics and volcanism that resulted in the formation of the Hawaiian Islands and the difference between S waves and P waves. Students are expected to explain how seismic data recorded at different locations can be used to determine the epicenter of an earthquake, infer a…

This activity teaches about the complexity of ocean exploration, the technological applications and capabilities required for ocean exploration, the importance of teamwork in scientific research projects, and developing abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. The activity provides learning objectives, a list of needed materials, key…