LEARN NC

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

CEU courses open for enrollment

The Civil Rights Movement in Context
Investigate the precursors to the Civil Rights Movement, its leadership, its opposition, and its legacy, including lesser-studied events of the movement and primary sources.
Take this course: Begins February 2.

From the education reference

service learning
Intentional combination of community service objectives and learning opportunities that benefits both the recipient and provider of the service. Student service learning projects should be structured to link learning tasks to self-reflection so that they enrich learning, strengthen communities, and teach civic responsibility.
discovery learning
Learning that takes place, not through instruction, but through examination, analysis, or experimentation.
cooperative learning
Instructional method in which students work together in small, heterogeneous groups to complete a problem, project, or other instructional goal, while teachers act as guides or facilitators. This method works to reinforce a student’s own learning as well as the learning of his or her fellow group members.
collaborative learning
An umbrella term for the variety of approaches and models in education that involve the shared intellectual efforts by students working in small groups to accomplish a goal or complete a task.
learning contract
An agreement between a teacher and a student regarding how that student will achieve specified learning goals or objectives.
learning disability
A discrepancy between expected achievement and observed achievement, also known as "unexpected underachievement."
Dimensions of Learning model
Model of learning developed by Marzano et al (1988) that links content area knowledge, metacognition, and critical and creative thinking with a taxonomy of thinking skills and thinking processes.
project-based learning
Teaching approach that engages students in sustained, collaborative real-world investigations. Projects are organized around a driving question, and students participate in a variety of tasks that seek to meaningfully address this question.
problem-based learning
Model of instruction in which the teacher poses an authentic problem for student resolution. PBL may be one among many strategies in a classroom or an entire curricular and instructional approach. In the course of problem-solving, students work cooperatively in groups to learn content and skills related to real world problems. The teacher acts as a facilitator to learning.
digital game-based learning
Instructional method that incorporates educational content or learning principles into video games with the goal of engaging learners. Applications of digital game-based learning draw upon the constructivist theory of education.

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Learning styles: An introduction
Students will read about and discuss learning styles. They will take a pencil and paper assessment to investigate their own learning styles, and practice determining the learning style of others with a story telling activity.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Guidance)
By Pat Nystrom.
Fruit Loops with fractions
This activity provides access to using visual and hands-on practice in solving problems with fractions. By using cereal, each individual student will be able to work individually and as a group in using different methods of working with fractions, and practice their skills in addition, multiplication, division and subtraction. A prior knowledge of the basic multiplication tables and common multiples will be very advantageous in working through this activity.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)
By Deanne Davis.
Geometry and art: Art museum pre-visit
This lesson is the first of a three-part unit integrating math, writing and visual arts. In this discovery learning activity, students look at and compare two works of art. The paintings are quite different, but they contain many examples of geometric shapes. Students then complete a comment sheet, explaining what is similar and different about the works of art. This lesson can be used alone or used to prepare students for an art museum visit.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Visual Arts Education and English Language Arts)
By Loretta Hopper.
What does it mean?
In Teaching about North Carolina American Indians, page 3.5
Introduction Visual symbols can be important ways of communicating ideas. Individuals, corporations, communities, and organizations use logos, seals, flags, icons, and other visual symbols to represent their values, share their histories, and send...
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 and 8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)
By Gazelia Carter.
The learning cycle
A three-part model of scientific inquiry that encourages students to develop their own understanding of a scientific concept, explore and deepen that understanding, and then apply the concept to new situations.
Format: article/best practice
By David Walbert.
Rethinking Reports
Creative research-based assignments provide alternatives to the President Report, Animal Report, and Famous Person Report that ask students to think about old topics in new ways, work collaboratively, and develop products that support a variety of learning styles.
Format: series (multiple pages)
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.
Cross-checking: An early reading strategy
Beginning readers need to learn how to bring together two sources of information simultaneously. They have to think about what would make sense and think about letters/sounds; cross-checking. Most children prefer to do one or the other, but not both. Therefore, some children guess something that is sensible but ignore the visual (letter/sound) and others guess something which is close to the visual but makes no sense in the sentence. This activity will demonstrate how to cross check.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)
By Jane Kate Blackmon.
Resources for looking at art
A guide to some of the best websites, activities, and print resources for building visual literacy through the study of art.
Format: article
By Melissa Thibault.
“ottos mops” by Ernst Jandl
This lesson is designed for students to enjoy a short amusing poem, as well as refine their knowledge of short “o” and long “o” sounds, and use higher order thinking skills to analyze who or what otto and mops are.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Second Languages)
By Helga Fasciano.
Singing the "Song of Life"
This lesson requires students to use their reading, comprehension, and analysis skills to analyze a poem and respond creatively to the selection.
Format: lesson plan (grade 11 English Language Arts)
By Angela Taylor.
Reading picture books
Two strategies for helping children understand a story through illustrations.
By Melissa Thibault.
Slice it! Rotate it!: Volumes of revolution
The students will first view the animated slicing and rotating of various area about the x-axis or about different lines at internet sites. Then the student will complete a lab experience in which various food items will be examined as to what planar region created them.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Mathematics)
By Sharon Whitted.
Anthill number round-off
The purpose of this lesson is to give students a visual aid to help them round off numbers to the nearest ten or hundred.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)
By Phyllis Roberts.
Nothing exceptional
For teachers, the task is to determine which strategies will help students with learning disabilities succeed, both in our classrooms and beyond.
By Janet Ploghoft.
Asheville Art Museum
Through works of art in permanent and special exhibition, students will learn about the rich history of visual arts in North Carolina.
Format: article/field trip opportunity
Interpreting Diaries of the American South
Students will read diaries of individuals who lived in the American South from 1865-1917. After reading these diaries the students will use a visual means of displaying their interpretation. Visual presentations will be one of the following: shadow box, poster, PowerPoint using drawings done by the student, brochure, or presenting an item that would have been used during the time that their diary was written.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 English Language Arts)
By Rhonda Sneeden.
Caricature character tour
Students create a caricature of a literary character using magazine cutouts to practice reading for details and characterization.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9 English Language Arts)
By Janice Ianniello.
Welcome to the New World
This lesson provides students an opportunity to read and interpret writings of the late 1500's and to transfer the information provided in the writings into a visual medium as a means of understanding and interpretation. The lesson also provides students practice in persuasive techniques.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)
By Barbara Jean.
Undersea exploration
Students explore the lifeforms and land formations under the ocean. The three ocean levels and their respective lifeforms are investigated and discussed, focusing on shape, form, and color. Students will gain a better understanding of the connections between the science and arts curriculum.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Visual Arts Education, Dance Arts Education, and Music Education)
By Russ Johnson.