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

research cycle
Research method that emphasizes information problem-solving and positions students as information producers (versus information consumers). Students repeatedly revisit stages in the research cycle as they refine data gathering processes.
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."
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.
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.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

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.
Weathering the water cycle: Conclusion
This lesson concludes the unit "Weathering the Water Cycle." As a result of this unit, students will understand that the water cycle is a continuous cycle made up of the three stages; evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Computer/Technology Skills)
By Cathie Hill, Jackie Parker, and Karen Neilson.
The life cycle of a seed
This lesson integrates science into the language arts block. Students will read about plant life cycle events and then write their own books about the life cycle of a plant.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts and Science)
By Joni Kight.
Observing the water cycle
Initially, students will observe a demonstration of the water cycle and apply the information gained through the demonstration. Then students will measure and graph rainfall for two weeks.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 and 5 Mathematics and Science)
By Priscilla Nutt.
Weathering the water cycle: Condensation
This lesson introduces students to condensation as one phase of the water cycle. Through the use of the four lessons in this series in which students will learn that the water cycle is a continuous cycle.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Science)
By Cathie Hill, Jackie Parker, and Karen Neilson.
Experiential education
This article explains the history and theory of experiential education, which combines active learning with concrete experiences, abstract concepts, and reflection in an effort to engage all learning styles.
Format: article
By Heather Coffey.
Water and Weather
From just looking at cloud formations to building a weather station, this sampling of resources help students learn all about climate, weather, and the water cycle.
Format: bibliography/help
Rock around the rock cycle
Students will study the rock cycle to understand the relationship between the three types of rocks, sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous, and the conditions needed to transform one type of rock into another. This hopefully will be accomplished through visual learning with computer activities and the demonstration and through auditory learning with the discussion. The student can then apply the knowledge they learned through a story.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Science)
By Mark Clinkscales and Carrie Palmer.
Round and Round It Goes; Water, Where It Stops Nobody Knows
The hydrologic cycle is the process, powered by the sun, which identifies the constant, endless movement of water from the atmosphere to the earth to the ground water, to the rivers to the oceans and back into the atmosphere. This experimental lab lesson will show the process of the hydrologic cycle as it relates to the earth's atmosphere by showing three different scenarios,the first scenario (the control), container A, shows the hydrologic cycle with no contaminates. The second scenario, container B, shows the hydrologic cycle with the earth's soil contaminated. The third scenario, container C, demonstrates the hydologic cycle with the air polluted. These three situations will give the student an idea of how the atmosphere and the growth of plant life are affected by different contaminants in the earth.This lesson will, in fact, investigate the hydrologic cycle experimentally.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Science)
By Mark Clinkscales and Carrie Palmer.
Butterfly cycle
Students will understand the life cycle of the butterfly and create various art activities that would model metamorphosis.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and Science)
By Becky Woolard.
Weathering the water cycle: Evaporation
Students will learn that evaporation is one of the three stages of the water cycle. The other three lessons in this series on condensation, precipitation, and the water cycle will allow the students to explore all stages.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Science)
By Cathie Hill, Jackie Parker, and Karen Neilson.
The drought causes conservation
The students will use their knowledge of the importance of water to learn about the hydrosphere. The drought being experienced will be explored through graphs and a personal plan for water conservation.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts and Science)
By Linda Cummer.
Weathering the water cycle: Precipitation
Students will learn that precipitation is one of the three stages of the water cycle and how it relates to the other stages.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 and 5 Science)
By Cathie Hill, Jackie Parker, and Karen Neilson.
Butterfly metamorphosis
This is an integrated lesson which is introduced using the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Butterfly metamorphosis is explored through art, math, and writing.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and Science)
By Laura Byers.
Sorting seeds
This lesson will engage students in manipulating, sorting, counting, and graphing seeds. The students will be involved in the creation of a graph using the computer.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Mathematics)
By Mary Jackson.
From seed to plant
This lesson will give students an opportunity to learn about seed parts, how a plant grows, and to compare plants.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Science)
By Gretchen Barkowitz.
An integrated lesson comparing the butterfly and frog life cycles
Students will build on their prior knowledge about the butterfly life cycle to compare and contrast the life cycles of butterflies and frogs. Students will locate butterflies on the school grounds and create pictographs and models of fractions to explain their findings mathematically. Students will also use a variety of resources to read about and study the food, space and air needed by butterflies and frogs to grow. They will create visual and written products to demonstrate their findings.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 English Language Development, Mathematics, and Science)
By Martha Dobson and Margaret Monds.
Plants and Trees
This selection of resources helps teach students about the importance of plants and trees to animals and humans. They also explain how how they grow, their structure and the elements they need to flourish.
Format: bibliography/help
Plant and Animal Interdependence
Plants and animals depend upon each other for survival. These model resources explain the importance of this delicate chain of life.
Format: bibliography/help
Learning about rocks
In this lesson, students will be engaged in hands-on experiences while they explore rocks.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Mathematics and Science)
By Debbie Hansman.