Integrating STEM education within the elementary school science curriculum in Ontario, Canada, elevated the expectation for elementary preservice teachers to teach STEM skills such as problem-solving through coding. Research shows that educational robotics can promote STEM knowledge and skills. This mixed methods study investigates the effect of…

In this article, we chronicle the development and implementation of a multilingual drama workshop for teacher candidates within the framework of a course titled "Supporting English Language Learners," as part of the Master of Teaching Program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. This course takes a decidedly critical…

This study explores the integration of Design Thinking into the Key Stage 3 Design and Technology (D&T) curriculum at a school in North-West England, focusing on fostering 21st-Century Skills alongside subject-specific knowledge. The research draws on a multiple case study approach derived from the 'Solving Genuine Problems for Authentic Users…

This article focuses on cluster teachers' differentiation of their classroom instructional practices within an urban setting. Data were gathered from classroom observations of the learning task, questioning, and the classroom environment; ratings of observations using the "Classroom Instructional Practices Scale;" and interviews with…

Direct vocabulary instruction of Tier 2 and Tier 3 words in intermediate-grade curricula is an important tool of literacy instruction because English is a language grafted from many roots and has not developed a one-to-one phoneme-grapheme correspondence. In addition to knowing graphemes and phonemes, students must formally learn words that cross…

This article investigates how affluent students made sense of social justice issues that were embedded in mathematics learning activities. I present 2 case studies of such activities at the intermediate and secondary levels in 2 different schools. The analysis draws on video records and classroom artifacts and applies the theoretical framework of…

Students in intermediate and middle level grades are often caught up in the exciting visual images and auditory stimuli that are a part of all their everyday communication and learning experiences. As a group of students who are growing intellectually and socially in the midst of, and through, predominantly media messages, they require reading and…

Presents a critical thinking unit designed to teach students in grades 4-6 to identify propaganda techniques in advertising and to create and evaluate original advertisements. Objectives, directions, and a series of five activities are outlined. Various propaganda techniques are defined. (MES)

A good way to introduce students to the subject of peace and friendship is to celebrate the International Day of Peace. Activities in language arts, media/drama, physical education, art/music, social studies, and science/math are suggested. A list of resources concludes the article. (MT)

A six-week unit in the study of poetry and the practice of poetics for gifted intermediate students is outlined with daily unit descriptions and information about the principles being applied. The unit results in a poetry anthology for publication. (CL)

The author describes a fifth grade gifted class biography project based on J. Renzulli's Interest-A-Lyzer which asked students to choose three people from the past and three from the present they would invite to the class as teachers. (SB)

Outlines 39 multidisciplinary learning activities about the circus, 19 for the primary grades and 20 for the middle grades. (SJL)

Describes a class activity designed to teach students in grades five and six the importance of using an encyclopedia index. (MES)

The article describes the theory of synectics, an idea producing process, and shows how upper elementary gifted students can be taught to use synectics in more effective problem solving. Steps in the synectics process are reviewed. (CL)

The history of a neighborhood vacant lot was undertaken by gifted fifth graders. Investigative skills developed included collecting raw data, categorizing data, and reaching conclusions based on the information. Procedures included observing, listing, looking, sketching, note taking, map making, and interviewing. Findings were published in a book…