Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning
The "Reading Realities: Using E-Readers to Engage and Support Students' Critical Reading Skills" professional development focuses on using Kindle e-readers and Google Expeditions to support student reading engagement. Research suggests that students are more eager to read when using an e-reader or mobile... Read more »
Created by: Lindsay Hawkins
Date Updated: July 5th, 2024
In this interactive session, participants will explore a career roadmap and experience a mini-virtual career expo. Participants will leave with a variety of ideas about implementing virtual career experiences in their own GEAR UP programs. Read more »
Created by: Lindsey Link
Date Updated: May 29th, 2024
This 120-minute professional development focuses on understanding how virtual reality (VR) can take teaching and learning to a higher level through real-world connections, 21st-century skills, and critical thinking. Participants will explore VR, and then use VR resources to create a lesson or classroom... Read more »
Created by: Mandy Green
Date Updated: February 28th, 2024
This session examines the barriers, benefits, and process of creating lessons that touch on standards from more than one subject area. Participants view samples of student products from multidisciplinary lessons, analyze a K20 LEARN lesson, and work to create ideas for collaborative lessons in their... Read more »
Created by: Ryan Rahhal
Date Updated: February 10th, 2023
In this professional development session, participants will evaluate vocabulary students might encounter in college and career readiness programming. Participants will engage in strategies that reinforce authentic vocabulary instruction of Tier 2 words. Read more »
Created by: Shelby Blackwood
Date Updated: October 11th, 2023
In this professional development, participants learn about one of the K20 Center’s IDEALS, Student-Centered Learning Climate. Participants use Mentimeter to share experiences from their time as a student that they feel reflected a learning climate or approach that was student-centered. Through card... Read more »
Created by: Mariah Warren
Date Updated: July 17th, 2024
The Meet Your New AI Assistant session focuses on the use of AI technology to enhance teaching practices that increase student engagement and academic performance. In addition, participants will explore ways to use AI technology to streamline administrative tasks and increase their capacity to focus... Read more »
Created by: Jared Whaley
Date Updated: March 1st, 2024
The Leading Educators in Authentic Development (LEAD) workshop is a series of professional learning sessions that develop teachers’ skills in leading professional development at their school sites. This workshop features four sessions over a two-day period. This first session, Leading Educators in Authentic... Read more »
Created by: Mariah Warren
Date Updated: November 11th, 2024
This session dives into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential to revolutionize student success. It is designed to explore how various AI tools can extend educators' and counselors' reach beyond the classroom, providing personalized support and streamlining administrative tasks.... Read more »
Created by: Allie Bishop
Date Updated: September 13th, 2024
5E Lesson Writing Session 2: Developing 5E Lessons focuses participants on examining different authentic lesson activities, placing them in appropriate components of authenticity, and reflecting on designing activities that are highly engaging for students. Read more »
Created by: Daniel Schwarz
Date Updated: August 28th, 2024
In this professional development session, educators explore the benefits of acknowledging students' cultural backgrounds in the classroom. Participants explore lessons, strategies, and activities that integrate diverse perspectives and experiences. By the end of the session, participants develop a personal... Read more »
Created by: Mariana DeLoera
Date Updated: March 26th, 2025
Centered on the phenomenon of the Blue Fugates, students will explore how recessive traits increase in a population using a Punnett square activity, genotype/phenotype ratios and allele frequency calculations, and pedigree analysis. By the end of the lesson they will be able to explain how social, genetic,... Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
Date Updated: June 21st, 2022
Recessive Gene Inheritance
Students will employ a variety of reading strategies to analyze the poem, "The New Colossus." Their analysis will determine the author's perspective. This lesson also offers technology options for teachers, who may choose to use a Kindle E-reader, Google Doc, or Google Expeditions. While this lesson... Read more »
Created by: Susan McHale
Date Updated: November 27th, 2024
Determining Author's Perspective
This lesson focuses on eliminating the emotional fear of mathematics by allowing students to evaluate where they are on the math spectrum and identify their goals moving forward. Students explore math concepts taught in past years and analyze their math knowledge to assess their relationship with mathematics.... Read more »
Created by: Brittany VanCleave
Date Updated: September 12th, 2024
A Mathematical Growth Mindset
In this lesson, students explore the concepts of statistics and probability in the context of basketball. Students play basketball in the classroom, gather data about shots made and missed, and calculate the probability of a successful shot. Students then step into the role of an NBA statistician and... Read more »
Created by: Amber Stokes
Date Updated: January 28th, 2025
Probability
Students will examine the book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Joffe Numeroff to learn about the conditional mood. After deconstructing, reconstructing, and creating their own conditional sentences, students will write collaborative Chain Stories in a narrative style similar to Joffe's book,... Read more »
Created by: Margaret Salesky
Date Updated: August 21st, 2024
Conditional Statements
In this fun and engaging lesson, students will learn what adjectives are and how they are used. Students will read or listen to the story "Dragons Love Tacos," by Adam Rubin. Then, students will engage in a learning game: they each pick a different kind of food and try to describe the food with adjectives... Read more »
Created by: Lindsey Link
Date Updated: August 4th, 2021
Adjectives
Comparing and Contrasting Today’s Classrooms with Classrooms from the Past
Students will explore and explain how primary sources can help us learn about history. The class will use photos from approximately 100 years ago to discover how past classrooms compare with today’s classrooms. Students will then explore possibilities for future classrooms and draw their vision of how... Read more »
Created by: Patricia Turner
Date Updated: February 10th, 2021
Comparing and Contrasting Today’s Classrooms with Classrooms from the Past
In this lesson, students will explore and explain why plants lean toward a window and discuss other adaptations of plants. This lesson can take up to six weeks if you choose to study the full plant growth cycle with students. Read more »
Created by: Delia Gietzen
Date Updated: April 2nd, 2021
Plant Adaptations, Growth, and Tropisms
Students will explore the relationship between the fossil record and the digestive system using coprolites (i.e., fossilized poop) as a phenomenon. Students will explain what coprolites can tell us about the diet of the organisms they came from by investigating the chemical and physical processes of... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: October 16th, 2024
Digestion and the Fossil Record
In this lesson, students will use primary and secondary sources to learn about history. Students will compare and contrast how primary and secondary sources can offer different views and perceptions of events. Students will demonstrate understanding by creating their own primary and secondary sources. Read more »
Created by: Patricia Turner
Date Updated: September 11th, 2024
Comparing Primary and Secondary Sources
In this lesson, students build on prior knowledge of solving equations to learn how to solve absolute value equations. Students then compare and contrast four types of equations including two-step, multi-step, literal, and absolute value equations. This is the fourth lesson in the four-part "Journey... Read more »
Created by: Amber Stokes
Date Updated: November 11th, 2024
Absolute Value Equations
In this lesson, students learn about the effects of high population density and explore what it would be like to live in one of the world's most densely populated areas—Tokyo, Japan—and its suburbs. Students will analyze pictures, population density maps, and a short article to grow their understanding... Read more »
Created by: Kristen Sublett
Date Updated: January 13th, 2025
Population Density of Japan
In this geometry lesson, students will recall vocabulary about a circle, use their knowledge of midpoint and distance formulas to write the equation of a circle, and explore the connection between the equation of a circle and the Pythagorean Theorem. This is a multimodality lesson, which means it includes... Read more »
Created by: Michell Eike
Date Updated: July 10th, 2024
Writing the Equation of a Circle
In this lesson, students will create a composition using a limited number of musical elements by selecting from a menu of pitches, dynamics, rhythms, and symbols. Students will then reflect on their experience and engage in a discussion concerning the benefits and drawbacks of musical limitations in... Read more »
Created by: James Doyle
Date Updated: June 6th, 2024
Embracing Musical Limitations in Songwriting
This is a lesson used to provide context for the Holocaust prior to teaching about the involvement of the United States and other Allied nations in the Nuremberg Trials. Students will watch a short film about the Holocaust called "Pigeon" and comment about what they notice. Next, students will use a... Read more »
Created by: Becky Lockler
Date Updated: August 24th, 2023
Introduction to the Holocaust
In this lesson, students will explore some culinary aspects of French culture to learn about stereotypes and how learning about other cultures affects our conception of others. Students will define the word “stereotype.” After doing so, they will share stereotypes they have regarding French food, watch... Read more »
Created by: Macey Dedmon
Date Updated: April 20th, 2023
Examining Stereotypes in French Cuisine
Escher's Terrific Tessellations: The Art of Tile Transformations
In this follow-up lesson to "Diamonds, Not Just a Girl's Best Friend," students explore an app that creates Escher-like drawings. Students discuss the principles of design in the drawings. Students discuss Escher and then discuss similarities of the Plains tribes art that precede Escher. Students reflect... Read more »
Created by: James Doyle
Date Updated: March 10th, 2025
Escher's Terrific Tessellations: The Art of Tile Transformations
In this lesson, students will explore Shark Tank pitches and business plans. They will learn how to create mathematical models for common formulas used in planning a business. Finally, groups will apply their knowledge to create their own business pitch and present it to the class and hopefully a panel... Read more »
Created by: Lydia Baker
Date Updated: August 29th, 2024
Draft a Business Plan Using Shark Tank
Students will define “stereotype.” After doing so, they will share stereotypes they have regarding Hispanic food, watch a few videos that will explain or dispel those stereotypes, and come to a consensus on whether stereotypes are useful. When they have finished the discussion, they will construct a... Read more »
Created by: James Doyle
Date Updated: September 22nd, 2023
Examining Stereotypes in Hispanic Cuisine
Humans have many artistic outlets for emotional expression. Songwriters have been known to use their craft to develop a reaction as a response to a specific situation. In this lesson, students will explore an author’s perspective using break-up songs. Students will complete a card sort comparing response/reaction... Read more »
Created by: Jennifer Hudson
Date Updated: April 28th, 2025
How Songwriters Use Inferences
In this technology lesson, students design and build a model home using their choice of either a 3D printer or laser cutter. To prepare, they brainstorm natural disasters, research architectural defenses, and explore the history of housing. Applying these concepts, they create and test homes designed... Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
Date Updated: March 6th, 2025
Laser Cutters vs. 3D Printers
What came first, the chicken or the egg? Oftentimes, Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) and Growth Mindset seem as if they are one and the same. During this activity, students will explore the importance of developing a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) in order to establish a Growth Mindset and will finally... Read more »
Created by: Lindsey Link
Date Updated: June 26th, 2024
In this activity, students will recall perimeter and area and apply their knowledge to ACT-style problems. These problems will require students to think in a way that is expected for college and career readiness. This includes both recalling essential skills and applying knowledge to solve area and... Read more »
Created by: Michell Eike
Date Updated: May 1st, 2025
Students work in groups to explore careers that use content that is specific to their courses. Students first complete a card sort to test their knowledge of careers and educational requirements before developing and presenting an informational report with a group about a career they are interested... Read more »
Created by: Lydia Baker
Date Updated: December 13th, 2023
This activity has students engage with the many possible paths available in post-secondary education. Students embark on a scavenger hunt in which they locate facts about the many post-secondary education options by discussing college journeys with teachers, viewing college journey boards, or locating... Read more »
Created by: Shelby Blackwood
Date Updated: February 26th, 2025
In Leadership Club, students will explore aspects of leadership and event management through designing, planning, and executing a variety of engaging student and family events. Students will improve leadership skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity as... Read more »
Created by: Shelby Blackwood
Date Updated: April 17th, 2025
This collection features tech tools and instructional strategies for supporting group awareness of learning. Group-constructed visual representations have been shown to affect knowledge acquisition significantly. When students see their learning and co-constructed knowledge as a group, it builds confidence... Read more »
Students practice summarizing by comparing/contrasting their work with an AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot. Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
February 26th, 2024