School districts that have adopted the 3Ls™ approach to provide rigorous instruction for English learners (ELs) have, invariably, had to make a case for what this approach offers, how it reflects best practices in English language development (ELD) instruction, and how it meets the needs of English learners. They have also had to make explicit…

An after-school enrichment activity offered to sixth-grade students gave a group of 10 students an opportunity to explore the effects of the California drought in their community using an engaging scientific device: the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). Although this activity was specifically designed for a small after-school enrichment group, it…

Through the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative, states and territories have collaborated in the development of a common core of standards in English Language Arts and mathematics for grades kindergarten through twelve that are now being adopted by states. Designed not only for the purpose of providing strong, shared expectations, the…

This review of teaching standards in six states updates a 2009 review (White, Makkonen, and Stewart 2009) by incorporating California's recently adopted teaching standards alongside those from Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. The previous review was developed at the request of key education agencies in California to inform the…

Inspired by his ability to teach algebra to low-income and mostly African American and Latino urban students--and have them outscore the state averages for high-income and Caucasian students on standardized tests--Kadhir "Raja" Rajagopal, the 2011 California Teacher of the Year, provides you with a model for teaching that unleashes the…

Foreign Currency Exchange is the largest business in the world. The New York Institute of Finance estimates that somewhere around 1.5 trillion dollars changes hands every 24 hours. The trading of international currencies has made overnight millionaires. No other marketplace in the world can give a person more significant opportunity to make money…

This lesson plan is concerned with early humankind and its development into human societies. It presents four topics for Unit I: (1) cave art; (2) paleontological discoveries; (3) evolution from hunting-gathering to farming; and (4) development of language. It also suggests completion time for each topic; addresses the uses and significance of the…

In this unit, students develop concepts of "time" as they place events in temporal order. The focus is on the routine events of a school day, the days of a week, the months of a year, and the use of a calendar. The 4-week unit provides background information for the teacher, presents literacy links, identifies materials needed, and…

This high school learning activity tasks students to plan and produce a black history video focusing on the Harlem Renaissance. The video is to include historical and cultural background, photographs, and interviews with prominent African Americans associated with that period. The activity describes the process; lists resources; gives learning…

Since the early 1600s, millions of people have came to the United States from all over the world. At that time, Native American Indians inhabited the land, but they too had come from elsewhere 30,000 years earlier. Why did they come and what was their arrival like? "Your Acting Company" (the class) has been selected to present a play at…

For this kindergarten classroom activity, students are asked to pretend they have just won a trip to four historical sites: (1) Lincoln Memorial; (2) Mount Rushmore; (3) White House; and (4) Statue of Liberty. The activity instructs the students to keep a journal of the trip (taken via the Internet) so that a presentation can be given to the class…

This activity for students in grade 12 aims to increase their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and its fundamental ideas: checks and balances, separation of powers, Bill of Rights, and the amendments. Students judge the constitutional powers of each brand of government by participating in the power game. The activity explains how the game is…

This illustrated activity for primary students features the life and accomplishments of Booker T. Washington. This educator began his life as a plantation slave and later founded Tuskegee Institute, one of the first colleges that African Americans could attend. The activity tells how Booker T. Washington and his students built the Tuskegee…

In this activity students (in pairs) become explorers and map readers tracing the best land routes to travel between select U.S. cities. They learn who were the first known explorers who broke the trails and who were the first groups of people to follow the trails. The activity tasks each pair of students with instructions to determine the…

In kindergarten, students learn the symbols of the alphabet and numeric symbols. This unit is designed to help students understand what patriotic symbols are and that the nation and the state have symbols and icons to represent thoughts, feelings, emotions, and physical objects. Exposure to different national and state symbols helps students…