This book shares the findings of a study of one teacher, Ann, and her eighth-grade classes of 123 readers who participated in a multicultural literature unit. A feature of the study was that the majority of the students were white--that is, the dominant culture--and studied novels representing nondominant cultures. The study's purpose was to find…

A study explored the impact of student voices on a preservice "teaching language arts in elementary schools" methods course when students have the opportunity to negotiate and expand the notions of content, structure, and assessment of a course, especially with the infusion of media/technology as a vehicle of instruction and assessment.…

This study, written in both English and Spanish, examined the decision-making process of Hispanic families living in the United States who have a child with a hearing loss. Twenty-nine families in four different geographical areas shared their experiences in learning about their child's disability, searching for appropriate interventions, and…

The Exceptional Athlete Matters (World T.E.A.M.) Sports (WTS) brings individuals together to undertake unique athletic events throughout the world to encourage, promote, and develop opportunities in sports for people, with and without disabilities. This classroom program on character education provides teachers with lesson plans on three themes…

Parents and community members who want to improve their schools are often told that things "must" be done a certain way because of rules and regulations. Often union contracts are blamed for why certain changes cannot be made. Union contracts may not be the barrier to change, however; management inaction may be the real culprit. This…

A central goal of America Reads Challenge sites is to serve children who most need help in reading. This booklet provides tip sheets on finding and serving economically disadvantaged Title I children, children with disabilities, linguistically and culturally diverse children, migrant children, and preschool children so that they can benefit from…

In 1875, a man fishing in the isolated Trout River of California discovered several large gold nuggets. This lesson plan asks fourth-grade students to develop a plan to avoid another 1849 gold rush. The plan is to design a new town while considering transportation, housing, food and goods for the miners, and the preservation of the area's…

Examining some of the cognitive tools accompanying development of oral language in young children--tools that are somewhat suppressed with literacy development--can lead to educational principles that transcend the traditional focus on either the knowledge base or the child's mind. Of particular importance are the use of stories to give affective…

Against the backdrop of the Asian economic crisis, this study examined the range of education programs for migrant workers in six Asian countries. Surveys were returned from 145 migrant worker support organizations in three host countries--Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan--and three sending countries--the Philippines, Indonesia, and India. The…

The Arctic is covered with ice and snow for most of the year. Animals that live in Alaska's arctic region must be able to survive long winters and very cold temperatures. Surprisingly, many animals live in the harsh, cold climate. This first-grade activity plan helps students learn about the animals of the far north. The plan gives six steps for…

For social studies teachers, good social studies requires good reading, writing, and mathematics skills. In addition, the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) administers reading, writing, and mathematics assessments to students at specific grade levels. Through many years of working together with their classes and with the "We the…

This unit of study is geared toward a heterogeneous eighth grade language arts class. The unit's goal is to show students that the American story chronicled in "My Brother Sam Is Dead" is not simply a story about a series of events that occurred in the past but about taking pride in your heritage and not being afraid to fight back when…

In 2002, the Michigan State Board of Education asked the Department of Education to develop grade-by-grade "content expectations" in reading/English language arts and mathematics to provide guidance to local educators and parents and serve as the basis for annual assessments required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of…

This report presents national, regional, and state profiles of the target population for adult education, that is, those individuals aged 16 years and over, who have not attained a high school diploma or equivalent and are not currently enrolled in school. The tables contained in this report describe the following characteristics of the target…

Students will benefit from this unique preschool framework that integrates individually appropriate practices, literacy activities, play, and explicit instruction into content area lessons. Included are chapters on Oral language development; Phonological awareness; Early reading and writing; Print concepts; Instruction in content areas; and…