Browse best practices

Alternative discussion formats

Class discussions often take one of two forms — either question-and-answer sessions, in which the teacher throws out questions and students answer them, or debates. Both of these formats are useful, but adding a few more ideas to your teaching repertoire can make for more variety in the classroom and provide more opportunities for engaging discussions. This edition explains how to manage dicussions in the form of a public relations campaign, a trial, a talk show, or the design of monuments, memorials, and museum exhibits.

Format: series (multiple pages)

CareerStart lessons: Grade six

This collection of lessons aligns the sixth grade curriculum in math, science, English language arts, and social studies with potential career opportunities.

Format: (multiple pages)

Children's literature promotes understanding

Bibliotherapy and critical literacy are two ways to use books to help children better understand themselves, others, and the world around them. This article explains both strategies and provides resources for selecting appropriate books.

Format: article

By Melissa Thibault.

Educator's Guides: North Carolina Digital History

Best practices, process guides, worksheets, and other resources for teaching with LEARN NC's digital textbook of North Carolina history.

Format: (multiple pages)

The George Moses Horton Project: Celebrating a triumph of literacy

The only American poet to publish books of poems while living in slavery, George Moses Horton is an inspiration for the power of literacy in our lives.

By Marjorie Hudson.

History and literature on trial

In Alternative discussion formats, page 3

In Educator's Guides: North Carolina Digital History, page 4.3

Putting historical or literary figures on trial makes a lively and challenging alternative to a class debate.

Format: activity

By Kathryn Walbert.

Monuments and memorials

In Alternative discussion formats, page 5

In Educator's Guides: North Carolina Digital History, page 4.5

Creating monuments or memorials for historical and literary figures encourages students to think creatively and provides a lively structure for an in-class discussion.

Format: activity

By Kathryn Walbert.

A public relations campaign

In Alternative discussion formats, page 4

In Educator's Guides: North Carolina Digital History, page 4.4

By creating a PR campaign for a historial or literary figure, students can practice a wide range of thinking skills.

Format: activity

By Kathryn Walbert.

Reading for relevance in literature

A unit-length instructional plan for using graphic organizers to promote active reading of novels, using The Count of Monte Cristo as an example.

By Suzanne Micallef.

Reading is for the boys (and girls)!

This WebQuest for teachers looks at the difficult issue of how to get — and keep — boys interested in reading. It guides you through the research, then looks at text selection and pedagogy and helps you find specific strategies for narrowing the adolescent "literacy gap."

Format: article

By Kimberly Bowen.

The talk show

In Alternative discussion formats, page 2

In Educator's Guides: North Carolina Digital History, page 4.2

The talk show is a format with which students are already familiar, and it provides the structure for a great discussion.

Format: activity

By Kathryn Walbert.

What good is Beowulf?

High school students can follow the English language's evolution in Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales, and they can focus on words and their meaning as they compare translations.

By Jo Barbara Taylor.

Resources on the web

EDSITEment - All Subject Categories

This site provides links to lesson plans in the subject areas of Art & Culture, Foreign Languages, History & Social Studies and Literature & Language Arts. Each broad category is broken into numerous subcategories pertaining to the general subject. For... (Learn more)

Format: website

Provided by: National Edowment for the Humanities

KidBibs

A web site devoted to bringing kids and books together that offers reading lists, thematic ideas, and calendar-related events to celebrate literacy and learning. (Learn more)

Format: website/activity

Provided by: KidBibs International

National Humanities Center – Toolbox Library

This rich resource provides teachers with American history topics and content that they can use in their classroom to enhance their curriculum. Well organized, user friendly and easy to navigate. Some content is still under construction. (Learn more)

Format: website/general

Provided by: National Humanities Center

NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes: School Teachers

This site provides information on awards to full-time teachers and home-schooling parents to attend institutes and seminars on a variety historical and literary topics. Award amounts vary depending on the length of the program. (Learn more)

Format: website/general

North Carolina School Library Media Association

Book Awards, Links for Media Specialists, Conference information and more from the professional organization for North Carolina's Media Specialists. (Learn more)

Format: website/general

Provided by: North Carolina School Library Media Association

The Roman Republic and Getorix

This site devoted to the Roman Republic and works by Judith Geary. Includes downloadable materials from the SREB/NCDPI recommended novel, Getorix: The Eagle and The Bull, and the related curriculum Getorix’s World. (Learn more)

Format: website/general

Provided by: Judith Geary

Scholastic Books for Children & Young Adults

In this portion of their larger site, Scholastic provides resources and information on their books and authors for children and young adults. (Learn more)

Format: website/activity

Provided by: Scholastic Inc.

School Library Journal

This companion site for the print version of School Library Journal provides stories, articles, reviews, and other helpful information for the school media specialist and classroom teacher. (Learn more)

Format: website/general

Provided by: Reed Business Information