curriculum writing

Helping Students Define Primary Source Documents

The primary source document has recently received more and more attention in national and state standards for all education levels. And for the gifted student, the primary source document can stimulate and challenge a population of students who are sometimes bored by textbooks that regurgitate important sources in pedantic and watered-down language. Still, incorporating the primary source document into the curriculum can prove to be challenging for teachers charged with this task. For, you might ask, what “exactly” is a primary...

Pinterest for Educators

The most popular bulletin board for pictures and photographs in social media today is Pinterest. It follows a scrapbook-styled interface designed for communicative sharing, the focal points of each company differ. Pinterest was primarily used for sharing favored material goods and inspired ideas; but now, it is also intended for dispersing educational tools and learning resources. Pinterest for educators helps to easily design online content and craft a set of lessons using this powerful image-based platform. They take a topic...

Kinds of Writing

Do you want to spicen up the kinds of writing that you assign to your class? Do you want to give your students a list of choices from which they can choose? Here’s a fabulous list to get your juices flowing:A ads (for magazines, newspapers, yellow pages) advice columns allegories anecdotes announcements answers anthems appendices apologies assumptions autobiographies awardsB ballads beauty tips bedtime stories beginnings billboards bloopers blurbs books book jackets book reviews broadsheets brochures bulletins bumper stickersC calendar...

Open-Ended Questions

Research has shown time and time again that if we pose a close-ended question, our students will elicit a minimal amount of answers. However, we can draft the same question using the following question starters that provoke higher level thinking coupled with brainstorming.In the beginning, you will find that it is hard to draft an open-ended question. However, with time, it will become easier and easier until it becomes a habit. So, how do you break the habit? Use this simple...

Essential and Guiding Questions

Using essential and guiding questions certainly binds a unit of study together, bringing a clearer focus to the lesson. Originally introduced by Heidi Hayes Jacobs, we modified the practice and infused it into our Exploring History series back in 2000. We are finding that more and more people ask for a clear explanation of how to draft these questions for each unit of study.The Essential QuestionWhat is an essential question? Simply put, the essential question:is a definition question, serving as...

Pic-Jour Math: Pictorial Journal Writing in Mathematics to Understand Pi

Come every fall, teachers of mathematics are confronted with oversized classes filled with students who vary in both their learning style and their way of communicating what they have learned. Teachers are challenged to recognize and exploit those differences or risk bored or confused students who lack any true mathematical understanding and may end up manipulating numerical symbols and equations by rote.Both experience and research in the past twenty years have demonstrated the clear effectiveness of using a multimodal, interactive approach...

The Link Between Art and Mathematics

There would seem to be an implausible relationship between art and mathematics. After all, the two domains seem to depend on vastly different thinking patterns. We do not question the interrelationship between science and mathematics, and the scientific process is clearly contingent on mathematics. How then did Ferguson (1977) manage to put together a historical review linking art and technology? Ferguson’s research indicates that inventors and art are more closely affiliated than either group would have us believe.Ferguson cites many examples...

Bridging the Standards Across the Curriculum with Portfolios

From the Middle School JournalThose of us who are involved in education, in whatever capacity, can sense the stirrings. Parents are voicing concerns about the adequacy of their children’s education. The business community and American industries question whether the quality of education will prepare youngsters for the realities of the workplace. Corporations question whether schools are preparing America’s youth to cope with the demands of an increasingly technological environment. It is now imperative that the next several generations of...

How to Address a Political Cartoon for Clearer Interpretation

A Letter to the Editor: Social Education on Political CartoonsI applaud Ray Heitzmann’s article , which discusses the use of political cartoons in the classroom. I am always in search of good sources and am glad to find a detailed list included in the article.According to Dr. Heitzmann, teachers often find that their students have trouble deciphering political cartoons. In preparation for the new state document-based essay questions, I have devised an easy-to-use format for students to follow:Read the question on...

Thematic Guiding Questions Pertinent to Adolescents

from Social Studies Strategies for Active LearnersOftentimes teachers struggle with whether or not to teach Social Studies chronologically or thematically. Well, the teacher can easily do both, using their sequential course of study as a primary strategy coupled with a thematic study as a support strategy! We examined different themes that are pertinent to adolescents and generated a list of choices from which teachers can choose. A teacher may decide on one or two themes that are addressed throughout...

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Helping Students Define Primary Source Documents

Pinterest for Educators

Kinds of Writing

Open-Ended Questions

Essential and Guiding Questions

Pic-Jour Math: Pictorial Journal Writing in Mathematics to Understand Pi

The Link Between Art and Mathematics

Bridging the Standards Across the Curriculum with Portfolios

How to Address a Political Cartoon for Clearer Interpretation

Thematic Guiding Questions Pertinent to Adolescents

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