Search results

Acceleration vs. social promotion in special education

Popular belief holds that accelerated programs are not good for gifted students. This article shows that these students actually excel with support from their teachers and parents.

Format: article

By Jennifer Job.

And justice for all: The Trail of Tears, Mexican deportation, and Japanese internment

Many textbooks mention the Trail of Tears, but fail to mention that this early displacement of an ethnic minority is only the one of many legally-sanctioned forced relocations. This lesson will address the displacement of American Indians through the Trail of Tears, the forced deportation of Mexican Americans during the Great Depression, and the internment of Japanese American citizens during WWII.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Patricia Camp.

Change in a democratic society (Lesson 1 of 3)

This lesson will demonstrate how art can imitate society. Students will learn about democracy in America through an examination of and a Paideia seminar on "The Sword of Damocles," an oil painting by British painter Richard Westall. This lesson should be used after a study of colonial times in America and through the American Revolution.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 Social Studies)

By Sharyn West.

Changes in a democratic society (Lesson 2 of 3)

This lesson is the post-seminar activity to follow Changes in a Democratic Society, Lesson 1. Students will participate in tiered assignments reflecting on the Westall painting, "The Sword of Damocles," and the prior day's Paideia seminar on that painting.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 Social Studies)

By Sharyn West.

Changes in a democratic society (Lesson 3 of 3)

This lesson is a follow-up to Changes in a Democratic Society, Lessons 1 and 2. Students will reflect upon and respond to a sculpture by Auguste Rodin, "Monument for the Defense of Paris." Permission has been granted by Ackland Art Museum to use the following sculptures: "Monument for the Defense of Paris" (Auguste Rodin) and "Wisdom Supporting Liberty" (Aime-Jules Dalou).

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 Social Studies)

By Karen Wagoner.

Civil rights wax museum project

In this lesson plan, students will choose African Americans prominent in the Civil Rights Movement and research aspects of their lives. They will create timelines of their subjects' lives and a speech about their subjects, emphasizing why they are remembered today.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Sabrina Lewandowski.

Differentiated instruction

An introduction to LEARN NC's resources for differentiating instruction for a variety of student populations.

Format: bibliography

Differentiation

Differentiation is the practice of tailoring instruction to diverse learners based on student readiness, interest, and learning styles. This article discusses the four areas in which teachers can differentiate instruction and includes links to resources that support differentiation.

Format: article

By Jennifer Job.

Differentiation with real-world perspectives

Using classroom footage and teacher interviews, this video explores the practice of creating assignments based on real-world perspectives. Teachers from elementary, middle, and high school discuss how a variety of populations can benefit from this approach,...

Format: video/video

Economics: Market surveys

This lesson plan is for an accelerated, academically gifted 4th/5th grade combination class. The unit of study is economics (social studies). This lesson was designed as a supplemental lesson for a unit I taught called Mini-Society (supported by the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership). I taught this unit for the first time this year after attending a workshop at Chapel Hill, NC. This lesson enhances the Mini-Society unit in which children create their own businesses.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Mathematics and Social Studies)

By Denise Delp.

Gifted?

It is important for gifted children to be with other gifted children, the more often the better.

Format: article

By Cathy Kroninger.

Inclusion in the 21st-century classroom: Differentiating with technology

In Reaching every learner: Differentiating instruction in theory and practice, page 7

While most teachers recognize the need to differentiate instruction, many face barriers in implementation. These barriers include lack of time to prepare lessons, the need to cover a wide range of content in a small amount of time, and extensive classroom management needs. This article advocates for using technology as a means to overcome some of these barriers.

Format: article/best practice

By Bobby Hobgood, Ed.D. and Lauren Ormsby.

Reaching every learner: Differentiating instruction in theory and practice

This series of articles, which balance theory, research, and practice, address a variety of topics within differentiation through text, graphics, and video.

Format: series (multiple pages)

Tiering to avoid tears: Developing assignments that address all learners' needs

In Reaching every learner: Differentiating instruction in theory and practice, page 2

This article presents an approach to differentiated instruction in which teachers create tiered assignments for three groups of students: 1) Students who are not yet ready for that grade level's instruction, 2) Students who are just ready, and 3) Students who are ready to go beyond. Includes step-by-step instructions and a list of ten criteria by which to modify assignments.

Format: article/best practice

By Linda Pigott Robinson.

Two paths to knowledge

For students who who always finish their class work early or want more information than you have time to give, try curriculum compacting.

Format: article

By Waverly Harrell.

Understanding twice-exceptional students

This article discusses the twice-exceptional student, defined as a student with both gifts and a learning disability. The author lists three categories of twice-exceptional students, addresses the challenges involved in identifying these students' exceptionalities, shares strategies for teaching twice-exceptional students, and emphasizes the importance of supporting the students' social skills.

Format: article/best practice

By Jennifer Job.

Who cares?: Using real-world perspectives to engage academically gifted learners

In Reaching every learner: Differentiating instruction in theory and practice, page 5

This article shares strategies for engaging gifted learners by creating assignments in which students adopt real-world perspectives on curriculum objectives. The result, the author suggests, is rich, rigorous, challenging learning for those who are ready to go beyond proficiency. Includes step-by-step instructions and sample assignments.

Format: article/best practice

By Linda Pigott Robinson.

Resources on the web

Council for Exceptional Children

“The CEC works both with policy educators and legislators at all levels to develop programs, policies, and initiatives that promote:Educational practices that appropriately identify students from diverse cultures who receive special education and/or... (Learn more)

Format: website

Educators Reference Desk

Organized by subject, this core educational reference collection provides instructional and pedagogical resources relevant to all educators. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: Information Institute of Syracuse

Future Problem Solving Program International

Fostering creativity is the goal of this organization, which hosts competitions and meetings for students to participate in creative problem solving. (Learn more)

Format: website/activity