In this article, the authors talk about the family and how students think of a family. They discuss a family defined in a law and various styles of families in reality. A lesson plan about "What is a Family?" is presented. (Contains 1 note.)

Recent remarks by Maryland's governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. referring to multiculturalism as "bunk" have rekindled the debate on multicultural studies as "soft" history and social science. Richard Vatz of Towson University, as reported in The Washington Times (23 May 2004), noted that "People support it (multiculturalism) without knowing what it…

Careful planning of lesson plans and units of study is important. Good planning does not mean success in teaching, but it certainly is salient to be well prepared each day for teaching pupils. It is unfortunate if teachers enter classrooms with little to show in the way of being prepared for teaching. Pupils do notice if a teacher is ill prepared…

In this article, the author relates how she and other art teachers developed a "living painting" lesson, an art lesson that incorporates art history and painting. The lesson was developed also in part to help new student-teachers plan a memorable lesson. With the living painting lesson, students will have to choose and recreate famous paintings…

A continuing debate in the field of education asks whether music should be taught as a separate discipline, having value in and of itself, or in conjunction with other subjects, valued only to the extent that it complements the learning of other material. Many contend that music is a frill and that its inclusion in a high school curriculum can be…

This research study examines the instructional practices of 10 middle grades teachers related to their use of manipulatives in teaching mathematics and their control of mathematics tools during instruction. Through 40 observations of teaching, 30 interviews, and an examination of 67 written documents (including teachers' plans and records),…

Paulo Freire developed critical pedagogy in Brazil in the 1960s to teach illiterate adults (or, as Freire calls them, "the oppressed") to read. Freire believed that teaching was a conversational exchange of information between the teacher and the student. He posed questions and problems to his students that caused them to take what they already…

Homophobia and gay-related teasing are already present among young children. This lesson introduces the term "prejudice" and places the concept of homophobia within the context of bullying and teasing with which 8-11 year olds are already familiar. The lesson builds empathy as children think about and discuss how they have felt when they have been…

There is great variety in the numerous mathematical lesson ideas that can arise from browsing through the newspaper. Since they depict recent, topical material that is constantly changing, newspapers provide an endless supply of new ideas with each new day. In this article, the author provides numerous suggestions as to how the newspaper can be…

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high-quality formative assessment tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Core Common State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Lessons from the first generation of standards-based reforms suggest that intense attention to high quality…

Objectives: This teaching idea is designed to increase students' understanding about the principles of a Coordinated School Health Program and apply these principles as they plan a community health program. As students work through the planning process, they will address many of the AAHPERD/AAHE Standards for Health Education Programs. Target…

This article proposes the Teacher Observation Programme for in-service teacher trainees. The program is reflective, collaborative, and builds confidence. It enables teachers to grow in their ability to self-evaluate. Trainees who have made decisions about their own observation, who have created and used their own observational tools, and who have…

Social-interactive Writing for English Language Learners (SWELL) is collaborative writing based on Topping's Paired Writing Method. The method was changed to meet the needs of English language learners. In both methods, pairs are formed according to proficiency, pairing a more advanced student (a Helper) with a less advanced one (a Writer). The…

The purpose of this research project was to improve the attendance of high school students using teacher initiatives. There were two teachers and about 140 students involved. The interventions used were improving lesson plans, developing better relationships with students and positive incentives. The students at this school had a history of very…

While students generally recognize that racism exists on an individual level, the instructor's challenge is to both elucidate patterns of discrimination and to expose their corollary: unearned and unrecognized systemic privilege of the dominant group. Unaware that their sense of entitlement advantages them at the expense of people of color, some…