Students come to class with ideas about science content and the practices used to generate knowledge. Their lived experience provides them with basic ideas about how the world works. Tapping into their innate understandings and testing their ideas allows them to construct a more accurate understanding. Research shows that all students are ready to…

Engaging students in designing, testing, and revising engineering models using mathematical representation of data from scientific investigations helps them embody the science and engineering practices highlighted in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States, 2013). The practices of modeling, conducting failure analysis,…

The Puppy Love problem asked fifth and sixth grade students to use their prior knowledge of measures of central tendency to determine a data set when given the mean, mode, median, and range of the set. The problem discussed in this article is a task with a higher level of cognitive demand because it requires that students (1) explore and…

Despite the numerous benefits that stem from a coherent mathematical understanding, it is uncommon for teachers to encourage students to form a developed web of mathematical connections (Mousley, 1999). Additionally, when students explain their thinking, they frequently do not state how their reasoning connects to prior knowledge. This obscures…

As teachers and leaders move forward in implementing the Common Core State Standards within classrooms across 46 states, it is essential to consider the question of what knowledge is included in the English Language Arts Standards, and what knowledge is not present. The authors of the Common Core delineate an increasingly complex body of knowledge…

What happens in the first week of school could very well set the stage for the rest of the school year. Setting high standards for science activities based in inquiry can start on the first day of science class and develop as the year unfolds. With the use of simple, readily available, inexpensive materials, an efficient mystery box lesson can be…

English Language Learners (ELLs) have an increasing presence in the nations' classrooms. From 1991 to 2004 the number of ELLs nearly doubled in grades K-12. Furthermore, new forms of accountability have school personnel concerned with the progress--or lack of progress--of the ELLs. "Principles and Standards" also reflects this concern: The Equity…

An understanding of proof does not start in a high school geometry course. Rather, attention to logical reasoning throughout a student's school experience can help the development of proof readiness. In the spirit of problem solving, the author has begun to use some Japanese logic puzzles other than sudoku to help students develop additional…

Two experts on education offer a rich and diverse selection of children's literature and teaching strategies for the K-8 mathematics classroom. To date, a vast majority of classrooms continue to fall short in the implementation and direction of NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (PSSM), in part because most of these classrooms…

Even at the dawn of the 21st century, the sexual education of children in America is controlled by attitudes and myths about sexual learning that, in reality, date back hundreds of years. And despite the strong, vibrant, and progressive traditions, many independent schools also remain well behind the curve on this vital aspect of children's lives.…

Did you know that the water you use today is the same water that was used millions of years ago? How is this possible? Water is continuously replenished through a naturally occurring process known as the water cycle. To help students learn about this important concept, an eight-day unit was created for fifth-grade students to explore the water…

Making connections is always an important task for teachers. Science teachers are encouraged to connect new learning with students' prior knowledge, learning with student interests, learning with cultural experiences, and classroom activities across academic disciplines. Strategies that facilitate these connections help teachers enrich and enhance…

The purpose of this practice brief is to provide schools, districts, and states with background knowledge about best practices for older students who struggle to read. It focuses on the reading skills that adolescents need to more fully access content-area curricula and, in turn, secure a productive future. The authors define adolescent reading as…

It is a challenge for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to integrate language, social understanding, and emotional intent of messages to understand their social world. They often have deficits in language and social cognition and difficulty interpreting and labeling emotions and incorporating or integrating each of these aspects of…

In San Diego, California, 800 public school students from the inner city are attending a program called School in the Park (SITP), for approximately one-fourth of their 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-grade education. This unique program blends rigorous academic standards (formal learning) with hands-on, experiential curricula (informal learning), using…