This article explores the idea that teachers can improve their practice through reflection and action research. The author discusses the constructivist and socio-constructivist roots of action research. The case study explores the use of a project to improve learner autonomy and cooperation. Students made key decisions about the project content,…

Making math concepts understandable is a challenge--one that is more complex when a classroom includes students with learning difficulties. With this highly practical resource, teachers will have just what they need to teach a critical content area with confidence: research-based strategies that really work with students who have learning…

This article discusses how poetry can be used for teaching geography. The rational for using and writing poetry, its relationship to the National Standards for Geography, grade levels, pedagogical concerns associated with poetry writing, and subject integration are discussed. There are also classroom activities, sample discussion questions, lesson…

Most Americans are not very familiar with the first peoples of the Americas. Though some might argue that it is wholly unnecessary to have any knowledge about Native peoples, most would probably agree that some exposure to Native perspectives is a good thing for students. In this article, the author offers his perspective on the most important…

Knowing how teachers in China understand excellence in teaching is an important precursor to developing teaching standards. This study explores the conceptions of excellent teaching held by 20 middle school teachers in the north of China. A phenomenographic approach with grounded theory was used to interpret teachers' descriptions of a time when…

This book is designed to be a quick and easy resource for anyone teaching physics for the first time. Written after extensive research, this book is filled with reliable labs, demos and activities that work well in the classroom. Also included are lesson plans, diagrams, and teacher notes for every activity. The book is not the end--it is just a…

In evaluating the success of teacher development programs, valid and scalable measures of teaching practice are needed. We have developed and validated the Science Lesson Plan Analysis Instrument (SLPAI) for quantitative evaluation of teacher-generated multiday lesson plans. This paper presents the SLPAI as a complement to surveys and classroom…

This document provides a laboratory manual for an experiment whose objectives are: (1) measure the constant acceleration of a body; (2) calculate the moment of inertia for various symmetrical shape objects; and (3) use the moment of inertia to solve for the constant acceleration of the body. The paper includes a list of materials needed, theory,…

This manual contains a group of lesson plans designed for use with a slide series (not included here). Its purpose is to introduce students to the basic concepts and terminology used in the identification of deciduous trees and shrubs. The manual is composed of 12 lesson plans. The first lesson is an introduction to plant identification. The…

This companion book to Beyond the Bean Seed: Gardening Activities for Grades K-6 uses children's literature related to gardening, gardeners, designing gardens, multicultural literature, ecology, the environment, and the impact of plants on world economies and politics, to connect gardening in all its aspects to creativity, problem solving,…

For many summers the Radiation Science and Engineering Center at Pennsylvania State University has been the site of a Nuclear Concepts and Technological Issues Institute for secondary school science teachers. As a culminating activity of the institute teachers develop lesson plans, laboratory experiments, demonstrations, or other activities and…

This packet contains a children's workbook on boating safety and a guide for Coast Guard Auxiliary members making brief safety presentations to elementary school students, aged 5-10. Section I of the guide covers school arrangements (district approval requirements and relationships with teachers and administrators), recordkeeping, equipment to…

This packet contains a coloring book on water safety and a guide for Coast Guard Auxiliary members making brief presentations to preschool and elementary school students through Grade 4. The guide discusses school or site contact and approval, equipment and teaching aids to bring to the classroom, and suggestions to the beginning instructor on…

Reading strategies can be taught at various grade levels using songs as texts. The thought-provoking song "The Greatest Love of All," sung by Whitney Houston, was used with a group of sixth-grade students, using the Reading/Singing strategy. The steps in the reading lesson were: (1) motivate the children so they will eagerly anticipate…

This lesson plan is intended for use in conducting classes on photosynthesis. Presented first are an attention step/problem statement and a series of questions and answers designed to convey general information about photosynthesis. The following topics are among those discussed: the photosynthesis process and its importance, the organisms that…