LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

CEU courses open for enrollment

Biodiversity in Your Backyard
Designed especially for teachers of elementary-aged students, this course will expand your life science content knowledge with material aligned to the NC Standard Course of Study. You will have two classrooms during this course–-this interactive, online classroom and your own backyard!
Take this course: Begins March 9.

From the education reference

personal growth plan
Teacher description of goals set for personal professional growth, including both long- and short-term goals. Many states provide a template for organizing growth plans, often aligned to professional standards (for example, INTASC or school improvement plans). Teachers select professional development, in-service, and continuing education opportunities to help them achieve personal growth goals.
Individualized Education Plan
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, mandates that each student with a disability who is enrolled in the Exceptional Children's (EC) program have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The goal of IDEA is to educate students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment possible. IEPs describe how the school plans to educate each EC student while accommodating the student's disability. IEPs often specify modifications to be provided by teachers.
personal growth plan
Teacher description of goals set for personal professional growth, including both long- and short-term goals. Many states provide a template for organizing growth plans, often aligned to professional standards (for example, INTASC or school improvement plans). Teachers select professional development, in-service, and continuing education opportunities to help them achieve personal growth goals.
school improvement plan
Comprehensive school-based plan outlining goals and objectives for ongoing school improvement. Specific measures are determined on a state-by-state basis.
character education
Educational initiative that promotes integration of core moral and civic values in the curriculum.
comprehensive sex education
Sex education programs that teach about abstinence and contraception. Comprehensive sex education includes discussions of human anatomy, reproduction, and sexually transmitted diseases.
aesthetics education
Teaching students to critically view art so as to become more reflective and discriminating in their opinions of various art forms.
aesthetic education
Education that recognizes the interconnectedness of body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Enabling students to express perceptions, feelings and ideas through reflective shaping of media including paint, clay, music, spoken or written words, and bodies in movement.
bilingual education
Classes taught in a combination of a students’ first language and English, geared toward helping student with limited English proficiency (LEP) become proficient in English as a second language (ESL). Students in bilingual programs receive part of their daily instruction in English and part in a second language. Significant portions of the school day are devoted to ESL instruction, in which each student receives intensive assistance in learning English.
gifted education
Educational programs designed to offer enriched opportunities for students identified as having the highest academic potential, including additional classes, programs, or services. Gifted students are considered to have the capacity to achieve beyond the norm based either on IQ scores, demonstrated ability in the classroom, or both.
multicultural education
Education philosophy and curriculum that expands traditional white Western European curricula, highlighting themes and subjects from diverse cultural, ethnic, racial, and gender perspectives. An important focus of multicultural education is to create equal educational opportunities so that all students can succeed in an increasingly diverse and pluralistic society.
distance education
Instructional delivery option that takes advantage of various space or technology resources. Distance education enhances options for students to access educational resources to overcome geographic, mobility, or time constraints.
experiential education
Instructional approach based on the idea that ideal learning occurs through experience. Learning tasks require the active participation of the student in hands-on opportunities and must connect content to the student's life.
special education
Programs serving students with mental and physical disabilities. Special education programs provide individualized education plans that detail services children will receive.
abstinence-only education
Curriculum that teaches abstention from sexual activity until marriage.
year-round education
Model of education in which students attend school throughout the year with regular short breaks.
banking model of education
Model of education in which teachers "deposit" information and skills into students. The emphasis is on memorization of basic facts rather than on understanding and critical thinking. The idea of the banking model was articulated and critiqued by Brazilian liberation theologist Paulo Freire in Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970).
comprehensive sex education
Sex education programs that teach about abstinence and contraception. Comprehensive sex education includes discussions of human anatomy, reproduction, and sexually transmitted diseases.
continuing education unit
Nationally recognized unit of measurement for participation in non-credit continuing education programs. One CEU is recognized as 10 contact hours of participation in a continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship.
Brown versus Board of Education
Landmark decision of the U. S. Supreme Court (1954) that affirmed the constitutional guarantee of equal opportunity in education. Arguing that the doctrine of "separate but equal" facilities had no place in the American system of education, the court ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
1975 federal law (amended in 1997) under which schools must guarantee that all children with disabilities receive "free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment." The statute requires that children with disabilities be educated with children who are not disabled, and that removal from the regular classroom may occur only when the nature or severity of the disability interferes with the successful delivery of aid and services.

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The First Year
Essays on the author's experiences in her first year of teaching: the mistakes she made, what she learned from them, and how she used them to become a better teacher — and how other first-year teachers can, too.
Format: book (multiple pages)
Lumbee learning
In Teaching about North Carolina American Indians, page 3.2
Introduction Education for the Lumbee tribe has always been important. After Reconstruction ended and the state of North Carolina began its journey to educate its people, no provisions were made for American Indians. Segregated schools provided education...
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 and 8 English Language Arts and Second Languages)
By Gazelia Carter.
The law and disabilities
A brief overview of two major laws — the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 — that protect students with disabilities in schools.
By Margaret P. Weiss.
In the spirit of... (museum visit)
This is an integrated unit that focuses on masks in cultures as reflections of individual spirits. This lesson focuses on students' observations of masks while visiting a museum.
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Visual Arts Education and Social Studies)
By Shannon Kelly.
Integrating computer use into a Trainable Mentally Disabled Level IV curriculum.
Students involved in the Trainable Mentally Disabled program will use computers to supplement reading and personal information skills being taught as part of the implementation of student's Individual Education Plan. This activity will also allow students to reinforce fine-motor, visual-motor and behavioral skills.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Computer/Technology Skills)
By Suzanne Morris.
Mr. Griggs' Work
The students will learn about the importance of responsibility, dependability, punctuality, honesty, and effort in the workplace through the reading of the book Mr. Griggs' Work. The students will have the opportunity to explore these character traits in their own work setting.
Format: lesson plan (grade K–5 Guidance)
By William Hodge.
Quad soccer
This is a fun variation of indoor soccer. There are four goals and teams instead of only two.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Healthful Living)
By Clay Mohr.
Beginning vaulting
This lesson will help students learn the basics of an approach, various vaults, and landing techniques.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Healthful Living)
By Kathy Kress.
Conflict resolution/Self-discipline
Students will define the character trait self-discipline by listening to the story Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes. They will then learn a 3R strategy: Retreat, Rethink, and React, in order to handle conflicts. This strategy can be applied to the events in this story.
Format: lesson plan (grade K–5 Guidance)
Global education as good pedagogy
A wide variety of teaching strategies and resources pass under the name of global education. This article provides strategies for evaluating global education and ensuring that it focuses on students' academic success.
By Suzanne Gulledge.
Creating community in the classroom: Part 1 (setting goals )
This series of lessons is designed to help develop a sense of classroom community. Group goal-setting, brainstorming, peer feedback, group decision-making, positive reinforcement, and positive peer pressure are used to create a safe, supportive environment for learning in the classroom.

In Part 1, students are introduced to the goal-setting process. They will practice the first step of the process as they set individual and class behavioral goals.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1–8 Guidance)
By Pat Nystrom.
Team tag
Students communicate, collaborate, and commit to their team and to the team's strategy. A team's desire for hard work and unselfishness makes for their success.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Healthful Living)
By B.A. Byerly.
North Carolina women and the Progressive Movement
This lesson includes primary sources from Documenting the American South specifically related to North Carolina women involved in reform movements characteristic of the Progressive era. For the most part, these documents detail women's work in education-related reform and describe the creation of schools for women in the state. They also demonstrate that, as was true in the rest of the nation, the progressive, female reformers of N.C. were segregated based on race and socio-economic status.
Format: lesson plan (grade 11–12 Social Studies)
By Meghan Mcglinn.
LEARN NC Virtual Mentoring Program
LEARN NC mentors are experts in their subject matter and have effectively mentored teachers in their own school systems. Whatever the challenge, LEARN NC will be there from the first day of class through the final bell of the year.
What do you see? (pre-visit)
This lesson introduces students to the importance of making accurate, detailed scientific observations, and the value of learning about others' views and perspectives regarding a specific topic or event. It also serves as an activity to prepare students for a visit to the Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, NC (or any museum, real or virtual). This lesson is the first of three lessons that build upon each other, using the Ackland Art Museum as the focus.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)
By Reagan West.
So many choices, so little time
This lesson will introduce students to Theoretical and Experimental Probability using Crazy Choices and Spinner, a resource of Shodor Education Foundation, Inc. Permission has been granted for the use of the materials as part of the workshop Interactivate Your Bored Math Students.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)
By Beth Jorgensen.
Getting along with others
This lesson introduces the key concepts of cooperation, peer relations, interpersonal skills, getting along with others, and team-building.
Format: lesson plan (grade K–5 Guidance)
By Scott Ertl.
North Carolina powwow
In Teaching about North Carolina American Indians, page 5.2
Introduction American Indians who have lived in North Carolina have contributed to and continue to contribute to the development of the state. Correcting the stereotypes found in movies & inaccurate literature is necessary for thinking skills development....
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)
By Linda Tabor.
Seeds of change
This lesson plan offers middle school students an overview of the physical and emotional changes of adolescence. Students will explore emotions experienced each day and how these emotions can impact behavior. Students will examine their school behaviors and identify ways to change negative behaviors into positive behaviors.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Guidance)
What do you see? (post-visit)
In this lesson, students will use observations and reflections made while visiting the Ackland Art Museum to draw conclusions about interpreting artwork (and other works/events), make quality scientific observations, and see how these concepts are related. Students will be reproducing artwork they viewed at the museum, sharing their personal interpretations of various works, and analyzing how the presentation of information (in any situation) can influence our interpretations of a work or event. This lesson is the final lesson in the series of lessons, "What Do YOU See?", which uses the Ackland Art Museum as a resource.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Visual Arts Education and English Language Arts)
By Reagan West.