A surprising conversation with her young daughter inspired author Brandie Bohney to incorporate mentor texts to help students make sense of convention rules. Since struggling and reluctant readers tend to also be struggling and reluctant writers, the author designed activities that would concentrate on the conventions students most needed to…

It is difficult to overstate the power of visual images, particularly historical primary source photos, to provide a window into the past. Here, the authors outline how educators can utilize historic photos to provide students with a deeper understanding of the past. When students do not see their heritage and culture represented in images, the…

This article is about a year-long teaching and research project conducted with 696 4th graders (mostly 10-year olds) and their 36 teachers in Wyoming/USA. The researchers employed an action research approach. They planned and taught a two-day, Wyoming-themed, interdisciplinary unit, "We Are Wyoming", which integrated Social Studies,…

The invention of aviation has made it possible for people to travel faster and farther than ever before, and has led to a global increase in connection of commerce, people, and ideas. However, economic growth and social changes have also led to challenges for the aviation industry. NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) works…

The English Language Arts Common Core State Standards and corresponding assessments brought about many changes for educators, their literacy instruction, and the literacy learning of their students. This study examined the day-to-day literacy instruction of two primary grade teachers during their first year of full CCSS implementation. Engestr?m's…

"Using the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts With Gifted and Advanced Learners" provides teachers and administrators examples and strategies to implement the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with advanced learners at all stages of development in K-12 schools. The book describes--and demonstrates with specific examples…

This publication helps educators create differentiated reading instruction experiences for their students by showing the relationship between two distinct resources: Student Center Activities (SCAs) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSSs). Reading specialists, reading coaches, and teachers will find this document useful in lesson planning, as…

The research reported in this paper explores the applicability and efficacy of a variant of problem-based learning, the Preparation for Future Learning (PFL) approach, to teaching and learning within the context of a cross-curricular, middle school data literacy unit called "Thinking with Data" (TWD). A quasi-experimental design was used…

Learn how to increase rigor so that all students can reach higher levels of learning! With this new edition of a teacher-tested best seller, you get practical ideas for increasing text complexity, providing scaffolding during reading instruction, creating open-ended projects, and much more. The enhanced second edition provides important…

The popular reality television show "Amazing Race" involves participants searching for clues and completing tasks as they progress on a journey all over the world. Inspired by the show, the author incorporated some of the tasks from "Amazing Race" with geocaching, a game in which participants use a Global Positioning System…

"New Standards" is a collaboration between the Learning Research and Development Center and the National Center on Education and the Economy, in partnership with states and urban districts, working to build an assessment system with which to measure students' progress toward meeting national standards at internationally benchmarked levels. The New…

"New Standards" is the result of a collaboration between the Learning Research and Development Center and the National Center on Education and the Economy, in partnership with states and urban districts, working to build an assessment system with which to measure students' progress toward meeting national standards at internationally…

"New Standards" is the result of a collaboration between the Learning Research and Development Center and the National Center on Education and the Economy, in partnership with states and urban districts, working to build an assessment system with which to measure students' progress toward meeting national standards at internationally benchmarked…

The 1999 version of the "North Carolina English Language Arts Standard Course of Study" (SCoS) specifies grade-by-grade standards for students in grades K-12. As a complement to SCoS, "In the Right Direction" is intended to help teachers take the next steps. While not comprehensive or prescriptive, this document should help…

Based on the philosophy that a high school graduate is a young person who has become a fluent communicator and reflective thinker whose knowledge and skills meet the high standards necessary to interact in a rapidly changing world, this language arts curriculum is designed to foster the development of literacy abilities by providing experiences in…