“I’m just like my country, I’m young scrappy and hungry, and I’m not throwing away my shot,” sings Alexander Hamilton in the Broadway show on his part in American history. Jody Passanisi & Shara Peters are enthusiastically sharing “Hamilton” with their 8th graders.
Dale Russakoff’s The Prize recounts what happens to Newark NJ schools when Gov. Chris Christie, Mayor Cory Booker and Supt. Cami Anderson take a $100 million gift from Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and invest in corporate reform. Matt Renwick says it’s a must read.
It's Not Easy Being Tween / Teacher's Legacy
by Cheryl Mizerny · Published 11/01/2015 · Last modified 11/28/2019
When a graduate class requires Cheryl Mizerny to consider her personal teaching legacy, she finds herself reflecting on how her students will remember their experiences in her classroom. She hopes they will recall joy, challenge, caring, empowerment and inspiration.
In their follow-up to Notice & Note, Kylene Beers & Robert Probst consider the importance of stance, the power of signposts & the role of strategies in helping students become effective readers of nonfiction in every subject. Teacher Linda Biondi celebrates their success.
Future of History / History & Current Events
by Sarah Cooper · Published 10/18/2015 · Last modified 11/22/2019
FDR’s “Four Freedoms” speech in 1941 versus Donald Trump’s debate performances this year: meaningful connection or unfair comparison? Sarah Cooper describes her recent lesson and presents her new ground rules for history and current event mashups.
Educators may be reluctant to try memoir writing with middle grades students, but the rewards are considerable, says 8th grade teacher-author Jake Wizner. He shares three insights that can help guide teachers as they enrich the student writing experience.
As working adults, our kids will deal with dilemmas involving wholesome food, cloning, climate change, drones, clean water, availability of medicines, genetic testing, and more. Is STEM study preparing students to make decisions that meet ethical standards?
Field trips don’t have to be elaborate, says school leader Mike Janatovich, but they are important for young adolescents who are still making connections between academic content and the real world. He shares ideas and tips to plan an outing this fall.
As a school leader, consultant Frank Buck’s experience was that “if I wanted to launch something new, re-tool something old, or do some course correction, October was my best shot.” Here, Buck suggests several organizational ideas to pursue during the October Oasis.
STEM By Design / STEM Teacher Development
by Anne Jolly · Published 09/27/2015 · Last modified 11/14/2019
The expectation among non-educators seems to be that if teachers would just do their jobs, the supply of STEM professionals would be more than adequate. Award winning science teacher and STEM curriculum consultant Anne Jolly finds this position naive, at best.
