LEARN NC

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

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.
teacher research
Intentional and systematic inquiry by a teacher or teachers in order to improve classroom practice. Teacher researchers begin with a question about classroom life, design and implement a research plan, collect and analyze data, and adjust practice to better meet the needs of students.

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Literature biography project
Students will learn to develop the various processes used in researching and writing a biographical research paper, including brainstorming, note taking, outlining, creating a bibliography, and writing the final draft.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Information Skills)
By Sandra Dail.
Federal recognition for Lumbee Indians
In Teaching about North Carolina American Indians, page 2.9
Introduction North Carolina recognizes the Lumbee Indian Tribe; however, Federal recognition has not been given. Why? What are the criteria for recognition? What are the reasons for and against Lumbee recognition? This lesson uses a teacher-made debate...
Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 English Language Arts and Social Studies)
By Linda Tabor.
Research frenzy
Students will use a variety of reference materials to complete a trivia-question scavenger hunt assignment. Within the context of this assignment, students will be exposed to questions in many curriculum areas.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Information Skills)
By Jan King.
To know them is to teach them
We must maintain high standards and expectations, incorporate students' experiences into the curriculum, and use culturally relevant materials.
By Barbara Rush.
How to identify search terms in an index
Students will learn to use the index to determine if the source has information about a topic and, if so, how to find the information.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Information Skills)
By April Wells, Christina Klonne, Jennifer Tuttle, and and Julie Bingham.
Scientific inquiry
In Intrigue of the Past, page 1.8
In their study of scientific inquiry, students will use an activity sheet to make inferences about what activities go on at different places in school (desk, locker, etc.) and form an hypothesis about how space is used. They will also simulate how archaeologists learn about past people by designing and conducting a research project.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8–9 English Language Arts and Social Studies)
Analyzing Statistics S.S. Europe and Russia
Students will gather statistical information on countries in Europe and Russia from almanacs. The information will be recorded in a chart. Students will then take the information and make line or bar graphs. Students will analyze the information by answering higher level thinking questions.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Information Skills and Social Studies)
By J. Brown.
Jeopardy-style Media Vocabulary Game
This game will help students learn and review a variety of media terms in a non-threatening and fun way.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Information Skills)
By Myrna Price.
Teen job search
In CareerStart lessons: Grade eight, page 1.3
In this lesson plan, students research three jobs and draft a written response explaining how their skills and experiences have prepared them for those jobs.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts and Guidance)
By Andrea Fedon, Gail Frank, and Cindy Neininger.
Formulating questions to meet information needs of ELL students
This is a multi-activity lesson plan to teach the concept of asking engaging, researchable questions prior to reading. This leads to effective inquiries during project or research work in any content area. Using engaging questions creates a sense of connectedness by linking academic contents with students' personal concerns. The lesson is primarily designed for English language learners although it can be adapted for mainstream students. This lesson can also be modified for use with grades 4-8.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Development, Information Skills, and Social Studies)
By Deborah Wilkes, Kristi Triplett, and Karen Waller.
The Johnstown Flood: Cause and effect
In Where English and history meet: A collaboration guide, page 3
This lesson plan combines work with the Johnstown Flood, one of the most significant news events of the late nineteenth century, and the development of cause and effect argument.
By Karen Cobb Carroll, Ph.D., NBCT.
Polar bears and their adaptations
In this introductory activity, students will be introduced to the concept of adaptation by exploring how a polar bear's body adapts to survive in the harsh environment in which it lives.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Science)
By Heather Spradling.
Project-based learning
Project-based learning is a 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...
Format: article
By Heather Coffey.
Resource recon
Teams of students will search for the answers to questions using various information resources. The questions will be in categories such as: biography, current events, historical events, geography, language. Besides competing for the fastest answer, the students will learn (1) how to use the resource effectively and (2) which resource is best for finding different types of information.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–7 English Language Arts and Information Skills)
By Keith Dudley.
What are the amendments?
Before the reading of "I Want to Vote" in the Scott Foresman basal reader, I assigned each member of my class to look up a Constitutional Amendment. This was done in order to give the students a background in Amendments and the history of America. Following the assigning of the Amendments the students interviewed 10 adults to find out how many people are familiar with their Constitutional Amendments. One math extension is to graph the results of the students' interviews.
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies)
By Jeremy Luna.
Topics in Mathematics Education
In Preservice teacher education resources, page 4.2
Resources Specific to Math Math Teaching Methods Numbered Heads Together Numbered heads together is a cooperative strategy that offers an...
Format: article/teacher's guide
An introduction to teacher research
Every day, teachers develop lesson plans, evaluate student work, and share outcomes with students, parents, and administrators. Teacher research is simply a more intentional and systematic version of what good teachers already do. This article explains the basic process of teacher research, including formulation of a research question, data collection and analysis, and writing up your findings.
Format: article
By Amy Anderson.
Animal report
After studying the various animal groups, students write a report about an animal of their choosing using well-formed paragraphs.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Science)
By Kay Sims.
How to implement instruction with nonfiction
In this video, classroom footage and teacher interviews address best practices in teaching with informational text. This video is one in a three-part series about teaching with informational text. The other videos include: The...
Format: video/video
Persuasive writing: The importance of work permits
In CareerStart lessons: Grade eight, page 1.5
In this lesson, students will read about child labor laws and work permits, and will write a persuasive paper based on what they've learned.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)
By Andrea Fedon, Gail Frank, and Cindy Neininger.