This paper marks the second in a series of five reports detailing the work of the Optimizing Assessment for All (OAA) project at Brookings to strengthen education systems capacity to integrate 21st century skills into teaching and learning, using assessment as a lever for changing classroom practices. Twenty-first century skills (21CS) are now…

Working at the sixth grade level, the authors write about their effort to interest students in current events and their historical roots. This article outlines a series of learning experiences and assessments that the authors created for sixth grade students at Lockhart School in Massapequa, New York. These learning experiences culminated in a…

This article discusses the great interest in pirates in society today. Movies, toys, and stories are including stories of pirates and adventure more and more. In this article, the author suggests keeping the adventure going by sharing the exciting books described in this article with fourth- to sixth-grade students.