Teaching and learning in grades 4-8

Performance Tasks and Rubrics for MS Math

Why should we use performance tasks in math class? How do we adapt them for formative or summative assessment? How do we create effective rubrics? The authors provide answers in a step-by-step guide featuring many examples, says veteran math teacher Jan Roberts.

Make This the Year You Launch Genius Hour

For teachers who have considered implementing a Genius Hour program but haven’t quite made it to launch, passion-based learning experts and #geniushour chat leaders Gallit Zvi and Denise Krebs have organized a wealth of tips and resources to get you started.

Design Thinking in the History Classroom

Can history teachers apply Design Thinking ideas to a subject often taught as a progression of facts? Jody Passanisi thinks so. “What could be more relevant than looking for solutions to challenges that were created in the past and are still having impact today?”

How to Debug a STEM Lesson Plan

Expert Anne Jolly suggests a running assessment of your STEM lessons as the new school year begins to make sure your students are engaged, working well in teams, and involved in engineering solutions to meaningful problems. Try her Lesson Plan Debugger!

PPT: Teach Students about Writer’s Notebook

Middle grades writers can learn about the writer’s notebook used by many professional writers and get tips about creating a notebook of their own in this Powerpoint slide set developed for teachers by literacy coach Juli Kendall.

Strategies to Integrate Science and Literacy

Grounded in research, teacher experience, and purposeful techniques, Reading Science will help educators guide students to scientific literacy. Linda Biondi says the book would make an excellent group study for disciplinary teams focused on academic literacy.

Hiring the Best Staff for Your School

What makes an educator a good fit for a school? While knowledge, skills and abilities are essential, candidates also need the right attitudes and dispositions. Rick Jetter’s narrative interview approach can help reveal those aspects, Allison Wilson says.

Mastering Global Literacy in the Classroom

Teachers beginning to think about how they can bring the world into their classroom will find that Mastering Global Literacy gives them helpful frameworks for understanding why teaching global competence to students is important, says ESL expert Susan Schwartz.