An authentic, interdisciplinary, research and problem-based integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project may be ideal for encouraging scientific inquiry and developing teamwork among undergraduate students, but it also presents challenges. The authors describe how two interdisciplinary teams (n=6) of undergraduate…

The "Framework" (NRC 2012) and "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) require science teachers to think differently. Specifically, NGSS's performance expectations now require that three domains (disciplinary core ideas (DCI), crosscutting concepts (CCC), and scientific and engineering practices (SEP)) be…

This research investigated the potential for curricula at the intersection of the arts and the sciences to develop creative productivity of students. The purpose of this research was to develop a series of rubric assessments to evaluate the content and creative and higher order thinking on a variety of teacher-made lesson plans and student-made…

The purpose of this project was to examine the results of 8 key assessments that elementary and secondary teacher education candidates completed during their teacher education program. The participants for this project were 72 elementary and 49 secondary pre-service teaching candidates at a mid-sized urban university in the Midwest who were in the…

This ground-breaking book is the first to describe in detail how teachers, supported by university educators and education advisers, might plan and implement innovative ideas based on sound theoretical foundations. Focusing on the teaching and learning of intercultural communicative competence in foreign language classrooms in the USA, the authors…

This paper describes a particular lesson plan--the "Illustrating Project"--that has been successful for many classroom educators. The Illustrating Project calls for students, individually or in project groups, to illustrate some element of the curriculum via the media selected by the teacher. The selected media might be PowerPoint or some other…

"The Geography Teacher" provides hands-on reference and educative material for K-12 Geography teachers. The journal also pioneers innovative ideas for contemporary teaching methods, including lesson plans. This issue contains the following: (1) Ask Dr. de Blij (Dr. Harm de Blij); (2) Around the World in Eighty Days (Donald P. Albert);…

Describes projects and learning activities on photography that are useful for elementary and secondary school teachers. Highlights include Web sites; workshops; two specific projects; lesson plan sites on the Internet; photography contests; and trends relating to photography. (LRW)

Completed projects, student essays, and teaching assignments provide valuable information about teaching performance. (Author/MLF)

Identifies World Wide Web (Internet) sites useful for teachers. These include sites for locating lesson plans, conducting research or locating information sources, Web scavenger hunts, lesson enhancements, virtual field trips and explorations, sites that enhance collaboration, and sites for student research and for information about college…

Describes a unit that provides opportunities for students to examine the relationship between poetry and pictures as they select published poems, write their own poetry, and take photographs to accompany the poems in an anthology. Describes lesson one on intellectual property and copyright, and lesson two on appreciation. Includes a unit guide and…

Since Howard Gardner first published "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences" (1983), educators began applying his theory in classrooms. This article describes the varied curricular approaches--multiple-intelligence-based lesson designs, interdisciplinary curricula, student projects, innovative assessments, and apprenticeships--that…

Presents a lesson designed to enable the secondary student to formulate generalizations and to recognize the implications of global food production and consumption through the observation and analysis of thematic maps. Notes geographic skills and national standards addressed, materials needed, lesson objectives, teaching suggestions, and ideas for…

This article discusses how Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) can be taught to gifted students in grades 4-9 using hands-on activities that align to the National Science Standards. Principles of magnetic levitation, advantages of magnetic levitation, construction of a Maglev project, testing and evaluation of vehicles, and presentation of the unit are…

Presents a lesson outline in which students study the application of geography to the tourism industry by first discussing tourism, then researching various tourist destinations and comparing them. Notes the geographic skills and national standards addressed, materials needed, lesson objective, suggested teaching procedures, and a student handout.…