In this session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of meaningful Bell Ringers through the modeling of interdisciplinary instructional strategies. Participants are asked to a) address superficial uses of Bell Ringers and more meaningful uses of Bell Ringers, b) actively engage in authentic... Read more »
In this lesson, students learn to effectively identify and analyze themes in both fiction and nonfiction texts. Students evaluate universal theme sets then find examples of these themes in articles and passages from literature. Finally, students demonstrate their understanding of theme statements by... Read more »
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In this lesson on how plants grow and develop, students will research specific plant behaviors and perform classroom investigations to learn how the environment affects plant growth. Students will focus on using evidence to explain their ideas and make predictions. (Funding provided by USDA Project... Read more »
Growth and Development of Organisms
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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 »
Digestion and the Fossil Record
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Is lettuce interesting? The answer depends on whom you ask. Whether the subject of lettuce is personally captivating or not, a good essay on the subject requires a thesis statement to organize the text and to keep the reader oriented and focused. A strong thesis statement not only helps the reader,... Read more »
Writing a Thesis Statement
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