In this article, the authors (a mathematics educator and a literacy educator) offer a framework to engage students with mathematics and children's literature through a read-aloud experience in which teacher and students engage with the text while problem solving. The authors describe the narrative-first approach as a strategy during which the…

This article provides a brief overview of the instructional strategy known as team-based learning (TBL). It then focuses specifically on the use of one of its integral components in a biblical studies classroom--namely, the "4S application task." The 4S application task, which is one of the fundamental pieces of the learning experience…

Research shows primary teachers report negative dispositions towards teaching mathematics, impacting their confidence and student outcomes. One approach to improve teacher and student enthusiasm is using picturebooks. While research supports the use of picturebooks in mathematics learning, specific guidance for teachers to implement this practice…

Engineering design-based learning entered the discourse of science education with the release of the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013). Since that time there has been a focused effort to embed engineering design and engineering-based thinking in elementary school experiences. As thinking like an engineer is…

Boaler (2016) asserted that problem posing is the "essence of real mathematics", yet many students do not have opportunities to pose and then solve their own mathematical questions. Rather, students spend their time solving tasks someone else posed--often their teacher or textbook. To promote problem posing, the author designed,…

Teachers can use literature written for the young adolescent as a powerful tool for establishing and enhancing the community in the classroom that is arguably a necessity for learning to occur. In order for the young adolescent to be successful in the school classroom, a shared sense of community must exist. The students must feel connected to,…

Supporting a sustainable world in a situation of war is the background to this study. Additionally, interdisciplinarity forms a part of the dialogical ecosystem of searching for suitable solutions in a complex reality. For such purposes, in this contribution, the co-authors reflect on an actual instance of war. The first author provides a…

A sense of disillusionment grips many doctoral students as they face financial distress, lack of adequate mentorship, concern about job prospects, and other challenges. The Old Testament book of Malachi is a little-recognized resource for students struggling with feelings of disillusionment. Malachi's audience faced disappointment after joyfully…

This article describes a new and unique context for integrating STEM and literacy instruction--Novel Engineering. Oftentimes, STEM design challenges are focused on developing solutions to the big problems that humans face such as cleaning up oil spills or contrived situations in which children are tasked with building solutions to hypothetical…

Children's literature can provide useful contexts for teaching mathematics. In this article, the authors discuss the use of the children's book "Measuring Penny" (Leedy 1997) to support Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010) related to length measurement. The authors first describe three types of misconceptions…

Makerspaces, collaborative workspaces stocked with materials and tools for creating, building, designing, and learning, are becoming more and more common in schools and, in particular, in school libraries. Makerspaces in the school library allow for connections between making and literacy. Indeed, such connections are authentic and natural as…

In this article teachers will find a rationale and examples for connections between literature and other disciplines, such as history, science, art, political science, philosophy, and psychology. The article addresses the goal of the Connections standard, as defined by the "World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages" (W-RSFLL)…

How can the best of mathematical problem-based learning be applied toward literature classes? Daniel Sussman, an English teacher at Moorestown Friends School in New Jersey, discusses how he uses problem solving tactics to encourage close, critical reading of fiction texts in his Jewish literature and poetry classes. He explores the challenges of…

This column includes activities inspired by children's literature. Through two different stories, students are introduced to the process--including the frustrations--of designing something to solve a problem. The experiences of the books' characters are brought into the classroom by having students engage in an engineering and design process. The…

In this article the authors describe an instructional unit designed and taught in two classes of kindergarten children. The goals of the unit were to present a "driving question" to motivate the process of statistical investigation, to genuinely engage children in the stages of statistical investigation, and to facilitate them in…