There is growing consensus that the process of planning mathematics lessons is as complex as teaching them, yet there is limited research on this. This paper reports on one aspect of a project examining issues in primary teachers' mathematics planning. The results, taken from a questionnaire completed by 62 primary teachers, indicate that when…

The "Testable Question Relay" was created as part of a fourth-grade unit on conducting science experiments. In the relay, student teams raced to "outfit a scientist" by correctly categorizing questions as testable or untestable and earning scientific tools. This activity assists upper-elementary students in recognizing the components of good…

In fourth grade, North Carolina students are required to write their own personal narratives. The teachers felt that telling a story would be a great stepping stone toward writing one. Rather than focusing on grammar and the mechanics of writing, students could focus on story development and creativity. In this article, the author describes how…

Few reports have been published about the deliberations on classroom curriculum conducted by teachers. This qualitative case-study explored the curriculum deliberations of three fourth-grade teachers who met weekly to plan social studies and science lessons. The teachers participated voluntarily and routinely produced viable plans for the coming…