This article explores the work of "Rethinking Schools" (RS). RS is at one and the same time a grassroots movement of teacher-activists, a quarterly journal, and a publishing house. For almost four decades the movement has sought to enact Freirean-inspired curricular/pedagogical initiatives within US public schooling. What makes the work…

Reading is an "invisible" skill, making it challenging to address in a college classroom. Yet, it is fundamental to disciplinary thought. Inspired by the "signature pedagogies" conversation, I wanted to find ways to make more visible in my classroom what I do when I work with readings. This gave rise to several questions: How…

"It must be nice to have summers off." Only other teachers know just how short summer is, with much of August devoted to planning for the new school year. This article offers 17 fresh ideas for exploring, making money, and preparing for next year. Plus, a reading list that hits all the marks!

English-Spanish cognates are words that possess identical or nearly identical spellings and meanings in both English and Spanish as a result of being derived mainly from Latin and Greek. Of major importance is the fact that many of the more than 20,000 cognates in English are academic vocabulary words, terms essential for comprehending school…

Between recent threats by a Florida pastor to burn the Quran, the nation's ongoing presence in Afghanistan, and protests at the planned site for Park 51, an Islamic community center and mosque set to be built two blocks from the World Trade Center site, the topic of Islam is a tricky one, especially in K-12 schools, say many educators. For…

A little imagination, a little drama, a little mystery. Using the guided inquiry model in this updated, second edition, students become detectives at Information Headquarters. They solve a mystery-and enhance their problem-solving and literacy skills. Middle school is a crucial time in the development of problem-solving, critical-thinking, and…

The author has been teaching Introduction to Sociology for several years, and each semester new students bring their own perspectives to the study of sociology, making the content fresh and new. In order to help students understand sociological concepts in more experiential ways and to give them a glimpse into a culture that may be different from…

This book provides research, practical methods, detailed strategies, and resources for read-aloud, shared, guided, and independent reading. In addition, the author outlines solutions for many of the literacy dilemmas that teachers face every day: (1) understanding what gets in the way of reading; (2) rethinking and reorganizing time and resources;…

Units of work represent an effort on the part of the school to relate subject matter and the development of skills in the organization of children's learning about important interests, topics, or problems. The units are made by teachers with their children and are designed to fit the situation in which they are to be used. There is no single…

The reorganization of the curriculum and the necessary assembling of proper materials of instruction attendant thereto are probably receiving more of the attention of educational leaders at the present moment than any other school problem. The Bureau of Education is endeavoring to be of assistance to those attempting a solution of this important…