Practical Life holds profound significance within the Montessori philosophy, captivating educators and students alike. Here, Montessori beautifully connects these concepts of dignity and independence to the skills children learn in their Montessori classroom. The author has a particular interest in fiber arts and crafts, and in this article, the…

Virtual solutions of museums can be notably used to promote distance learning activities by providing information about their collections. However, the effective use of this potential depends mainly on the exact alignment of the learning activities with the educational goals. For this purpose, this study focuses on the analysis of pre-service…

Annual fieldtrip visits offer an excellent opportunity to engage teachers and students in learning opportunities that may not otherwise be available in their classrooms. Here we describe a collaborative project designed to support teacher engagement before, during, and after a classroom fieldtrip to a children's museum. We found that providing a…

The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast developed a Professional Learning Community (PLC) Facilitators Guide to support educators in the implementation of recommendations from the What Works Clearinghouse's. The practice guide focuses on the foundational reading skills that enable students to read words, relate those words to their…

The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast developed a Professional Learning Community (PLC) Facilitators Guide to support educators in the implementation of recommendations from the What Works Clearinghouse's. The practice guide focuses on the foundational reading skills that enable students to read words, relate those words to their…

With the advent of Common Core standards that focus on speaking and listening, discussion should be a tool in every elementary teacher's tool belt. As they discuss a topic, elementary students learn not just the content, but also the skills and social norms they need to become contributing members of our society. Discussion helps students to…

Research documents that the arts boost learning, build confidence, and motivate students to participate in class. How do we keep the performing arts alive in this era of increased accountability and decreased funding? Rekha S. Rajan sets the stage for a creative and practical solution with detailed, concrete examples of how to integrate the…

This hands-on science unit includes a beginners' and an advanced activity involving tree sap, as well as a brief description of a maple sap harvest. (CB)

Sample lessons are provided for helping gifted elementary students learn to accept and cope with the future. Lessons focus on time orientation, world views, and simple prediction. (CL)

The author describes lessons provided for regular class elementary students to help them understand disabilities and disabled persons. Objectives, materials needed, and activities are outlined for six lessons focusing on the following topics: individual differences, wheelchairs; devices that help people walk; amputation, artificial limbs, and…

The manual presents information on classroom activities designed for gifted elementary grade students. The activities are adaptable for either homogeneous or heterogeneous settings and allow for flexibility and open mindedness in programing. An introductory section discusses ways to differentiate the curriculum in content, process, and product.…

This guide is activity oriented and designed to provide environmental experiences for children in grades four through six which will involve them in making value judgments relative to their own community. Content covers problems dealing with air pollution, water pollution, solid wastes, and the aesthetics of visual pollution. Five to fourteen…

This article proposes a system for developing lesson plans which accommodate differences in student learning styles without jeopardizing the pace of learning. Four teaching styles (direct teaching, practice, reflection, application) are identified, and activities that work well with these styles are suggested. A sample lesson plan is included.…

The purpose of this book is to introduce the geoboard as an effective tool that can help young children understand geometry as they develop spatial sense and mathematical thinking. Activities are clustered into three main sections: beginning geoboard explorations, exploring polygons, and coordinates. Blackline masters are included. (MKR)