Teaching Methods and Strategies Teacher Resources

Middle schoolers explore how the grouping of organisms based on their shared derived characters forms the basis of a cladogram.

Students, in groups, classify furniture, share their categories and rationales, then note how their different schemes vary, perfectly logical and useful, but completely arbitrary.

Middle schoolers read and discuss selected and edited excerpts from the essays of Stephen Jay Gould on the subject of contrivances.

High schoolers compare/constrast DNA sequence data for a portion of the rat GULO gene to the corresponding sequence in the inactive GULO gene in humans, chimpanzees, orangutans, and crab-eating macaques by identifying the shared...

Ninth graders identify current knowledge of dramatic literature and develop a schema for discussing an performing dramatic literature.

Eighth graders study the visual aspects of poetry and write a poem using the white space to form a poem into the shape of a plus sign.

Students examine the various combinations that contemporary extended families take on. They identify how strong communication skills are important to the health of the family after reading a an excerpt from a first-person fictional journal.

Students study facts about living with asthma. They examine medical treatments and lifestyle changes that can improve the life of asthmatics. They determine the cause and effect relationship.

Students explore the myths and legends of the Ancient Greek and Romans in the ten lessons of this unit. Students compare and contrast the myths and the cultures that created them. Norse myths are included in this unit.

Students discover how Varian Fry rescued people in Vichy France during World War II; and realize the difficulties and dangers Fry faced. This lesson plan has websites and a play imbedded in it for student use.

Ninth graders study the geography and culture in ten Southeast Asian countries. They examine the development of the culture of these countries and how it is affected by their geographic locations.

Young scholars analyze and discuss various sculptures by the artist Andrea Arroyo. They discuss ways artists use symbols to express abstract ideas, design and create a plasticine plaque, and write a journal response.

Students view different sculptures from artist Ronald Baron. They discuss what the sculpture depicts. They are to create a thank you trophy for someone they know. They are to focus on that person's special qualities.

Students view different pieces of art from artist Candida Alvarez. They discuss what the art means to them. They create their own mobiles showing what they would like out of their education.

Students examine the types of sounds sculptures make. They create their own sculpture that make sound using everyday materials.

Students examine art by Christopher Janney. They discuss what the art is showing and what it means to them. They create their own piece of interactive art.

Students examine a sculpture walkway by artist Jackie Ferrara and discuss the relationship of materials to function. They analyze the sculpture and answer discussion questions, and design and construct a model of a walkway for the school.

Students examine artwork by artist Ernst Herter. They discuss what the art means to them. They create a collage to represent a poem of their chosing. They discover how literature is used as an inspiration for art.

Young scholars examine art by artist by Tom Rollins. They discuss the painting and what it means to them. They create their own models of apartment complexes based on ideas from literature.

Students examine sculptures which include animal figures made of different metals. They create their own sculptures of watches to represent a phrase about time.

Students position thier bodies in the same position as sculptures they see. They discuss why the sculpture chose that position. They design fountains for a public area using the myth of Pandora's Box.

Students examine different pieces of art that are considered murals. They discuss the differences between paintings and murals. They design and paint their own murals for different sites in their school.

Students conduct research on a chosen African-American artist. They research how the artist's community influenced his art, analyze how themes are conveyed through the art, and create a collage depicting the artist's themes.

Students interpret information from the video "The Lost Children of Rockdale County" through a series of written questions and answers, and group discussion and evaluate the parameters of parental responsibility in the lives of teenagers.