LEARN NC

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

CEU courses open for enrollment

Differentiating Instruction in Online Courses - Carolina Online Teacher Program
Tailor your online instruction to meet the unique learning styles of specific students. You'll develop differentiated components of your own online courses through practical assignments, and modify content, learning experiences, and assessments to address individual students' needs.
Take this course: Begins March 22.

From the education reference

alternative assessment
Assessment that measures student learning in forms other than traditional pencil-and-paper tests.
alternative teacher certification
Certification of teachers by means other than traditional four-year college and university education degree programs. Candidates for alternative certification hold a degree in the subject matter they will teach and meet abbreviated pedagogical coursework requirements, often during the first two years of teaching.
assessment
The process or means of evaluating a student’s knowledge or skills.
summative assessment
Evaluation administered at the conclusion of a unit of instruction to comprehensively assess student learning and the effectiveness of an instructional method or program.
formative assessment
A process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides explicit feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes. Formative assessment is a method of continually evaluating students’ academic needs and development within the classroom and precedes local benchmark assessments and state-mandated summative assessments.
authentic assessment
Assessment that seeks to evaluate students' abilities in "real-world" contexts, including the application and demonstration of skills and knowledge to authentic tasks or projects likely to be encountered in adult life.
performance assessment
Assessment that measures student performance on concrete tasks or activities as opposed to standardized multiple-choice tests. Students are expected to apply a range of skills and knowledge to solve a problem. Assessment is based not only on the results of the task but also on the processes of task performance.
portfolio assessment
Assessment that is based on a collection of student work (see portfolio), measuring student progress in a variety of skills in one class or over the course of a school year.
criterion-referenced assessment
Assessment that measures student knowledge and understanding in relation to specific standards or performance objectives. Criterion-referenced assessment measures students' performance in relation to standards, not in relation to other students; all students may earn the highest grade if all meet the established performance criteria.
norm-referenced assessment
An assessment designed to measure and compare individual students' performances or test results to those of an appropriate peer group (that is, norm group) at the classroom, local, or national level. Students with the best performance on a given assessment receive the highest grades.
problem-based assessment
Based on a problem-solving or problem-posing educational model, problem-based assessment involves the presentation of a problem the student must solve.
Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium
A consortium of state and national education agencies and organizations focused on the preparation, licensure, and professional development of teachers. INTASC is guided by the belief that student learning standards should drive the preparation and development of teachers.

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Topography of North Carolina and its influence on settlement
This lesson explores where North Carolina is in relation to the United States and North America. Also, we will explore the different regions of North Carolina and how the topography of the region affected settlement.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Development and Social Studies)
By Jessica Wilson and Tabitha Horton.
Solar energy hot box
This hands-on science lesson is great because it allows students to get out of their seats and move about, as well as allows students to work in cooperative groups. The teacher is more of a facilitator and students are more in charge of their own learning processes.
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Mathematics and Science)
By Nicole Albright.
Dictionary guide words: How do they guide us?
Students have difficulty locating words in a dictionary. This lesson will allow students to learn how to use guide words in a dictionary to locate words.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Anne Campbell and Carol Troutman.
Snap! Crackle! Box!
The student will create a new cereal and design an original box as their final for Art 1. This is a cumulative assignment incorporating the skills and techniques studied and developed throughout the course of the year.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Visual Arts Education and English Language Development)
By Joan Lansford and Peggy Peck.
Gardens all around
Students learn to appreciate the plants and animals that make their homes in the gardens of North Carolina.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Science)
By Bambi Heavner.
Poetry through music: "Smooth"
This lesson draws students into a study of poetry, using Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas' "Smooth" as an entry point.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Andrea Belletti.
All about trash
Students will discover which kinds of trash break down naturally and which do not when they make their own landfills.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Science)
By Dawn Gilbert.
Elements of a fable
In this lesson students will examine the elements of a fable. Students will use their understanding of fable elements to create an original fable and present it in dramatic form. This lesson includes modifications and alternative assessments for Advanced Limited English Proficient students.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Kate Boyce.
Now what? A President considers a career change
In Rethinking Reports, page 1.2
In this alternative to the dreaded "President Report," students write a resumé for an ex-president.
By Melissa Thibault and David Walbert.
Classification of matter
Students are introduced to the concept of different kinds of matter. Students create models of different substances to learn to identify the differences between elements, compounds, and mixtures. This lesson is developed so that teachers can use it with English as a Second Language students.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Development and Science)
By Anya Childs and Rhonda Garrett.
History of astronomy scavenger hunt
A unit on astronomy inevitably and rightfully begins with a look at the history of astronomy. This activity provides students with an opportunity to learn the basic facts of the history of astronomy by using the internet.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Science)
By Mark Clinkscales and Carrie Palmer.
Technology and stress on the environment
Students will build a bubble-powered rocket and “blast it off.” Students will examine the stress to their immediate environment, alternative choices, and the cost of repairing the damage. They will list other types of technology and possible environmental stress.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Science)
By Mark Clinkscales and Carrie Palmer.
The parts of a lesson plan
In Web Publishing & Collaboration Guide, page 1.4
If you're thinking of submitting a lesson plan to LEARN NC, this primer will acquaint you with the various parts of a lesson plan and explain what should be included.
Format: article/help
"Sonnet 130": Rude or reality?
This lesson focuses on Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130." It contains a copy of the sonnet, questions to use when discussing and analyzing the sonnet, and a creative component. This lesson has modifications for Novice Low Limited English Proficient students
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Elizabeth Mackie and Vicki Moats.
Justice for all?: To Kill a Mockingbird and A Time to Kill
Following a study of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, students will view the courtroom scenes in To Kill a Mockingbird and A Time to Kill and determine factors which influenced the verdicts in each trial.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Becky Ackert and Deborah Belknap.
Bubba: A Cinderella story
This lesson focuses on the whimsical interpretation of the Cinderella story. Students explore the story Bubba, the Cowboy Prince, through rich text and interpretations of the story.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and English Language Development)
By Jennifer Fessler and Karen Wright.
The effects of acid rain on the environment
This is an experiment in which groups of students are given healthy plants to water with different solutions of an acid rain mixture made in class. Students will document and present their findings. This lesson plan has modifications for an Intermediate Low English Language Learner (ESL student).
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 English Language Development and Science)
By Helen Beall and Heather Hughes-Buchanan.
Poisonous Plants and You
This lesson is designed to teach students to identify common poisonous plants. Using a K-W-L chart, the teacher will facilitate a brainstorming session to determine students' present knowledge of poisonous plants and what is to be learned. The activities in this lesson may be used in conjunction with textbook information on this subject.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Development and Information Skills)
By Regina Woodie.
Power sharing and the Lord Proprietors of North Carolina
This lesson examines the essential question: How did government instability under the Lord Proprietors effect the development of North Carolina? The lesson has been modified for novice low English language learners.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Development and Social Studies)
By Pamela Glover and Laura Packer.
History of atomic theory
This lesson is developed for a regular low level physical science class. In small groups, students will use media and written script to learn and teach each other about major contributions to the development of the atomic theory.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 English Language Development and Science)
By Anya Childs and Rhonda Garrett.