Most readers of the Kappan will know that lesson study is a Japanese approach to teacher professional development that has recently become popular in the U.S. Indeed, lesson study activity has been spreading rapidly for several years and continues to proliferate today. However, to date, most of the discussion and research about U.S.-based lesson…

Recently, there has been a rapid proliferation of lesson study groups in the United States. Since deep knowledge about lesson study is rare in the U.S., it is likely that some of these groups have an incomplete understanding of this Japanese practice. Some may focus on structural aspects of the process of lesson study or may mimic its superficial…

Educators have been wrestling with copyright issues for some time. In fact, in developing the S.O.S. for Information Literacy site, the project team had to face the issue with respect to how to handle all those lesson plans in the database and all the images, clipart, and materials that educators upload to the database as support materials for…

Cognizant of the difficulty teachers face in attempting to integrate computers into instructional settings, the authors propose a new technology integration assessment strategy that can guide individual development or be used to track programmatic change. The Technology Integration Assessment Instrument (TIAI) explores seven dimensions of planning…

Laptop computers and Type II applications can provide powerful tools for elementary classrooms, especially if they are combined with authentic instruction. This article provides information and lessons learned from a laptop initiative in an urban elementary school. The goal of the initiative was to develop lesson plans and document techniques that…

Abstinence-based sexuality education includes a discussion about the various types of contraception available today. This lesson addresses the knowledge and skills identified in the National Health Education Standards, and can be used with two different audiences-students and teachers. Included in the lesson are step-by-step procedures, a…

This article, the first of a two-part series, introduces the living history program. This yearly, weeklong program features living portrayals of famous people, which becomes a catalyst for teaching curricular standards, as well as providing the spark for inquiry. Here, the authors describe how the yearly living history program was implemented and…

Chemistry teachers face constraints when trying to integrate cognitive and affective objectives, and hence thoughtful lesson planning is required to achieve the goal. Chemistry teachers can educate students to be knowledgeable about chemical concepts, processes and the benefits of responsible practice by the chemical industry, while being aware,…

"Developing Dynamic Units for EFL" describes how to develop a thematic unit that integrates skills in context, provides opportunities for learner autonomy, and is project-based and experiential. Planning includes identifying curriculum standards, thinking of a meaningful topic, brainstorming tasks, organizing the activities, and making…

In this article, the author discusses how some educators are turning to service-learning projects for charitable activities--and helping to foster connections between students and the human beings they aim to serve. The author highlights a program called Kids Can Make a Difference, also known simply as KIDS, as an example of how to turn food…

This article discusses the attitudes of math and science educators toward incorporating literacy activities into their teaching and offers suggestions for ways that teacher educators can encourage the integration of critical literacy principles into their lesson and unit planning. Emphases placed on textbooks, correct answers, multiple choice or…

This article describes the efforts of a combinatorial approach of Schools Around the World (SAW) and Understanding by Design (UbD) to create a foundation for lesson study efforts based on the Japanese model. UbD provides a framework for study units rich in essential content, assessment practices and well-crafted activities. SAW and lesson study…

In this article, the author recounts her experiences with the scripted teaching of reading and describes how her observations of scripted reading lessons changed her decision on preparing teachers to make informed instructional decisions based on their knowledge of reading as an orchestration of interrelated cognitive processes. Given the number…

Professors at the "Institucion Universitaria Colombo Americana" (UNICA) have aimed to deliver lessons for second language learners which integrate content and language, resulting in an "integrated lesson" design. The Center for Applied Linguistics (Washington, DC) recommends the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)…

Noting that most basic communication textbooks do not include a cultural diversity component, this paper presents 14 experiential exercises aimed to integrate the multicultural issues related to interpersonal communication topics. The various experiential activities are adapted from intercultural communication textbooks, cross-cultural training…