“The only way to save your ma is to marry me…”Josie and her ma were desperate to save their farm. George wanted their farm and Josie wanted to know why. Something wasn’t right.Praying for the Lord to guide and protect her, she impulsively buys a newspaper, secretly responding to an ad for a mail-order bride.While feeling at peace about her decision, George becomes forceful about their marriage.When disaster leaves them destitute, they escape...

A cutting-edge model for 21st century curriculum and instructionHow can you spot a thinking child? Look at the eyes: they’ll light up, signaling that transformative moment when your student has finally grasped that big idea behind critical academic content. If experiences like this are all too rare in your school, then you need a curriculum and instruction model that’s more inquiry-driven and idea-centered. Now.H. Lynn Erickson and Lois Lanning dem...

Think Beyond the Facts!Knowing the facts is not enough. If we want students to develop intellectually, creatively problem-solve, and grapple with complexity, the key is in conceptual understanding. A Concept-Based curriculum recaptures students’ innate curiosity about the world and provides the thrilling feeling of engaging one’s mind.This updated edition introduces the newest thought leadership in Concept-Based Curriculum and Inst...

Interrupt the status quo of activity-based PD to enable real professional learning by focusing on learning, collaborative inquiry, and instructional leadership in schools.

What are "essential questions," and how do they differ from other kinds of questions? What's so great about them? Why should you design and use essential questions in your classroom?Essential questions (EQs) help target standards as you organize curriculum content into coherent units that yield focused and thoughtful learning. In the classroom, EQs are used to stimulate students' discussions and promote a deeper understanding of the content.Whether you are an Understanding ...

Although much has changed in schools in recent years, the power of differentiated instruction remains the same—and the need for it has only increased.Today's classroom is more diverse, more inclusive, and more plugged into technology than ever before. And it's led by teachers under enormous pressure to help decidedly unstandardized students meet an expanding set of rigorous, standardized learning targets. In this updated second edition of her best-selling classic work, Carol Ann To...

Transform your mathematics instruction with this rich collection of formative assessment techniquesAward-winning author Page Keeley and mathematics expert Cheryl Rose Tobey apply the successful format of Keeley′s best-selling Science Formative Assessment to mathematics. They provide 75 formative assessment strategies and show teachers how to use them to inform instructional planning and better meet the needs of all students. Research shows that fo...

Try going a week without hearing a call for a massive overhaul of our educational system. Parents, students, educators, bureaucrats, pundits . . . everyone says something must be done. But what? And who should do it?In this environment, school leaders must build bridges for change. As the system now stands, many students spend great portions of their lives feeling inferior if they struggle, invisible if they already know the material, problematic if they're not a child of ...

"Students of all ages and stages of development can profit from the clarity that Thinking Maps provide."—Bena Kallick, Co-DirectorInstitute for Habits of Mind, Westport, CT"This is one of the rare books that links research and practice to show the true impact of a specific instructional approach on student learning. The research, experiences from the field, vignettes, and work samples are excellent."—Giselle O. Martin-Kniep, PresidentLe...

Is your creative, intelligent, vibrant child struggling in school? Did you have a similar experience when you were in school? You or your child may be visual learners. In a test heavy education system, more and more children are underachieving, feeling lost and misunderstood. Because, schools are focused on teaching left-brain auditory learners and our right-brain visual kids are not getting what they need to succeed.In Being Visual, Bette Fetter, the founder of Young Remb...

In Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind, noted educators Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick present a comprehensive guide to shaping schools around Habits of Mind. The habits are a repertoire of behaviors that help both students and teachers successfully navigate the various challenges and problems they encounter in the classroom and in everyday life. The Habits of Mind include* Persisting* Managing impulsivity* Listening with understanding and empathy

Carol Ann Tomlinson and Tonya R. Moon take an in-depth look at assessment and show how differentiation can improve the process in all grade levels and subject areas. After discussing differentiation in general, the authors focus on how differentiation applies to various forms of assessment--pre-assessment, formative assessment, and summative assessment--and to grading and report cards. Readers learn how differentiation can--Capture student interest and increase motivation--...