This study examined urban elementary teachers' knowledge and practices in teaching science while supporting English language development of English language learning (ELL) students. As part of a larger 5-year research project in the United States, the study involved 38 third-grade teachers who participated in the first-year implementation of a…

Middle school history teachers confront the same challenge every day: how to convey the breadth and depth of a curriculum that spans centuries, countries, and cultures. In "Making History Mine", Sarah Cooper shows teachers how to use thematic instruction to link skills to content knowledge. By combining thought-provoking activities and rich…

The National Standards for Physical Education (National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2004) and many state physical education standards include a standard that is focused on development of movement patterns, which includes rhythmic skills. The newly adopted Physical Education Model Content Standards for California Public Schools…

This article intends to inform physical education teachers about the current research describing the relationship between physical education performance outcomes as identified by the national physical education standards (i.e., regular participation in physical activity, physical fitness, motor competence; National Association of Physical…

Holidays present the perfect opportunity for physical educators to utilize creative TAG (Teaching Active Games) games to offer maximum physical activity opportunities for their students. The TAG ideas in this article offer physical education teachers quick, instant activities that involve very little equipment, time management, or instruction. At…

The first in a series of long-awaited studies indicates that nationally certified teachers are more effective at raising their students' reading and math scores than are teachers who apply for the credential but do not receive it. Although critics have questioned the expenditure of state and district money on National Board for Professional…

This article features the Ultimate PE Challenge. The idea had been born when the fifth-grade teachers complained that teaching physical geography was boring, and the technology instructor simultaneously noticed a climbing wall in the gym. "Could physical education simulate the geographic characteristics and obstacles of North America?"…

Richard Murnane observes that the American ideal of equality of educational opportunity has for years been more the rhetoric than the reality of the nation's political life. Children living in poverty, he notes, tend to be concentrated in low-performing schools staffed by ill-equipped teachers. They are likely to leave school without the skills…

The author designed this book, like Volume I of the set, to give elementary school librarians a quick, enjoyable way to coordinate with teachers to teach information literacy and literacy skills aligned with national standards. The chapters in the book include: (1) Kindergarten Lesson Plans; (2) First-Grade Lesson Plans; (3) Second-Grade Lesson…

This policy research document is intended for Arkansas policymakers to use when examining possible changes to the Arkansas state assessment's alignment with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The 2009 NAEP test is not yet in existence, so the purpose of this report is to give policymakers a head start in determining where they…

This manual of ideas zeroes in on current picture book titles. It features reproducible worksheets, writing activities, related reading-based activities, and technology for grades three through five. The ideas have been tested in the authors' libraries and are linked to national curricular standards. Designed for school librarians, the book is…

In this companion to the "NASA SCI Files[TM]" episode "The Case of the Physical Fitness Challenge," the tree house detectives learn about anatomy, fitness and nutrition in preparation for the President's Challenge. The guide is divided into four segments aimed at grades 3-5, each of which includes an overview, a set of objectives, vocabulary to be…

In this companion to the "NASA SCI Files" episode "The Case of the Great Space Exploration," the tree house detectives learn about NASA's new vision for exploring space. In four segments aimed at grades 3-5, students learn about a variety of aspects of space exploration. Each segment of the guide includes an overview, a set of objectives,…

End-of-year student play days are frequently a tradition that provides elementary students an opportunity to be active in a fun, festive environment. Physical educators can use play days as a time to authentically assess their students while the students are enjoying the activities. Those planned by the students themselves have been found to be…

Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology was released in April 2000 by the International Technology Education Association (ITEA, 2000). This was the first attempt by the ITEA to set forth comprehensive specifications regarding what students should know and be able to do within each of four grade bands from…