In last few years there is a debate going on of including arts and music in the education curriculum, and not just including it in the extra curriculum but also giving it equal importance as other academic subjects. It is already been proven that arts and music help the growth of children. So, if a child is introduced to music, early in school life, then that is really good for the development of the child. Understanding and appreciating a good art is also an art itself. A basic art and music courses should be introduced in the academics and should be given importance too.
Benefits of Music and arts
Learning music and art helps the child to do better in other subjects because a child develops certain skills while indulging in art and music. It is proven that it is always easy to learn a skill through audio-visuals or by practically performing it, then just by reading about it. In arts education, the children are actually involved in activities which help the growth of their mind. Creating different shapes and sizes, learning about different colors, or listening to a different kind of musical instrument, really helps the child to process and understand a variety of things at once. Art and music also help in decision making. In art and music education a child is experiencing new ideas on regular basis; they are introduced to a different perspective on the same thing. Arts and music have their roots in the culture of that region from where the particular form is originated, so learning about a particular art or folk music, also helps the child in gaining knowledge about that particular culture and its history. Arts and music education also helps the children to gain a personal vision about any topic, they develop their own perspective on every subject, it also helps their imagination skills. A child learning about arts and music in school life always helps the children to have clear thoughts in life, even when they grow up. Learning about a different culture through art always makes the child more diverse and tolerant to people from another cultural background, clearly, the tolerance is one thing that the future generations need to have to have a better world than today. Indulging in arts and music always helps the overall development of a child, and such children always do well in other mainstream subjects too.
How to introduce a child to arts and music?
Arts and music should be part of the curriculum of every education system, like any mainstream subjects, arts should also be given equal importance. Introduce your child to good music at a very early age; teach them about different musical instruments. Introduce them to different art forms; educate them about the history of a particular art. Teach them by involving them in various activities and by using unconventional ways like drawing or audio-visual.
Arts and music is such an important part of any human life and so, every child should be introduced to various forms of arts and music during their school life.


Counting money is one of the most foundational skills children must learn. Counting and making change are critical skills that many entry-level jobs require. When you apply the following lessons on how to teach a child to count money, you challenge his or her mind to grow in other ways, too.
To give you a thorough array of options on teaching counting skills, I sought out advice from experienced educators and parents. Here are my findings.
How to Teach a Child to Count Money
Create a play store.
One of the most common responses from parents who have taught their children the basics of money was to set up a play store. Together with their child, they created a fake shop with household items or toys listed for sale. Use a sticky note to indicate the price of each item, then give your child change, and open the shop for business.
Depending on your child’s age, you can vary the degree of difficulty. For example, for a 3-year-old, you could say, “This costs one quarter,” and teach her to identify that coin. For older children, you can pay with a dollar bill and walk them through making change.
Teach them to count by fives and tens.
Kids need to have a good understanding of place value and number sense before they count money,” says a third-grade teacher with I spoke via Facebook. “Start with one coin and teach them how to count it and how many it takes to make a dollar.”
She goes on to describe a great money game involving two dice. Give the child as many pennies as the number he or she rolled. Have the child then exchange it for the highest value possible.
For example, if the child rolls a ten he or she can trade in pennies for a dime.
Let them see real transactions.
Many people have had great success with giving their children real world experience.
Here are several examples:
- Earn money through chores. Help them understand that “work = pay” and help them count their earnings. If there’s something they want to buy, help them estimate the cost.
- Lead by example. Allow your child to watch you pay for something in cash. This will help him see how money works and how it requires lots of it to pay for his needs and wants.
- Study the history of real money together. Hand your child the coins you received in change that day and quiz her on some coin facts. Not only can learning to count money teach your children better math skills, but you can also create an impromptu history lesson. For example, did you know that the nickel used to be called a “half dime” up until 1883? Half dimes were made of silver which became scarce during the Civil War. After that, they were made of copper and nickel, and they finally were made and referred to entirely of nickel in the 1880s. Click here for more U.S. coin facts.
The overall theme of how to teach a child to count money is YOUR involvement. Set aside time to sit at the table and talk about how many nickels are in a quarter or how many pennies are in a dollar. Talk about how much money you earned at your first job or something you saved up for, like a bicycle. That will help your child apply what he or she has learned.
How did you learn to count money? In school? At home?
Image Credit: slgckgc (Creative Commons)
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Based on the findings bees can understand the concept of zero, Australian and French researchers began testing whether bees can perform arithmetic operations such as addition and subtraction.
Researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia designed a maze to train honeybees simple mathematics such as addition and subtraction. They found out that bees can recognize colors and symbolic representation and use this information to solve arithmetic problems.
Many species can understand the difference between numbers and use the ability to make decisions and solve problems related to foraging, but understanding the concept of numbers and arithmetic operations require more levels of processing.
This fact that the miniature brain of bees can grasp basic mathematical operations can revolutionize the future development of AI, especially in improving rapid learning.
According to the research of RMIT University, bees can understand the concept of zero. Addition and subtraction are difficult because it needs two levels of processing, RMIT’s Associate Professor Adrian Dyer said: “You need to be able to hold the rules around adding and subtracting in your long-term memory, while mentally manipulating a set of given numbers in your short-term memory.”
How was the Bees' classroom?
The experiment, conducted by Ph.D. researcher Scarlett Howard in the Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing-Lab (BIDS-Lab) at RMIT, involved training honeybees with a Y-shaped maze.
They used the reward of sugar water for the correct choice and bitter-tasting quinine solution if the choice was incorrect.
You might know that bees will come back to the place which they have found a good source of food, so they repeatedly came back to the experimental place set-up to collect food and continue learning.
When entering the maze, bees would face with 1 to 5 colorful shapes, If shapes were blue, which meant the bee must add, or yellow, which meant the bee must do subtraction.
After viewing the initial number, the bee would fly through a hole into a decision hall where it could choose to fly to the left or right side of the maze. One side was the correct answer and the other one was the wrong answer. And to avoid bees learning to visit just one side, the sides of the answer was changed randomly.
At first, bees made random choices until they could find out how to solve the problem. After over 100 times learning trials that took 4 to 7 hours, bees learned that blue meant +1, while yellow meant -1. The bees could then apply the rules to new numbers.
The ability to solve mathematical problems needs short term working memory, complex mental management of numbers and long-term rules.
"Our findings suggest that advanced numerical cognition may be found much more widely in nature among non-human animals than previously suspected."
"Our findings show that the complex understanding of maths symbols as a language is something that many brains can probably achieve, and helps explain how many human cultures independently developed numeracy skills."
Story Source: Materials provided by RMIT University.


Difference between Wasps and Bees
Wasps and Bees both belong to the same insect order Hymenoptera and they are extremely valuable for the environment. Many people confuse wasp and bees with each other but they are not same at all. They differ in many ways, in particular their behavior and appearance.
- Generally, bees have fuller bodies and have more hairs with a fuzzier appearance as compared to wasps. Wasps have slender legs and shinier bodies.
- Bees are pollinators and only consume plant pollens and nectar but wasps are predators and prey on other arthropods and insects. In late summer and fall, wasps become more interested in collecting sweets and other carbohydrates.
- Bees are less aggressive than wasps. Wasps are known to attack unprovoked but will mainly only sting you if provoked. Honey bees die immediately after they sting once, but wasps can sting over and over.
- Bees are very social creature but it completely depends on the species whether a wasp is social or solitary.
- Bees generally live in geometric hives made from wax whereas wasps live in papery nests made up of chewed wood particles and their own saliva.
- Bees have a round abdomen and thorax but wasps have a cylindrical abdomen and thorax.
- Bees have flat and wide legs but wasps have round waxy legs.
- Legs of bees are not generally visible while flying but in wasps, two thin legs are visible hanging down during flight.
- Honeybees and bumblebees are the most commonly seen species of bees. Cicada killers and yellow jackets are most encountered species of wasps.
- Generally bees prefer to make their hives in more protected areas compared to wasps, who like inside a hollow tree, a wall or even a garden shed.
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With so much research and information on how to best support students with learning disabilities it can be incredibly difficult to figure out what path is the best. You may be lucky enough to have access to a reading intervention program for middle school students such as Read 180 or Corrective Reading, however, you may also be on the other end of the spectrum where you are attempting to differentiate a curriculum used in the middle school with general-education students. This can feel like an uphill battle, particularly when students are struggling with decoding, recognizing multi-syllabic words, or reading fluency. No matter whether you have curriculum, or you are attempting to put something together for a middle school students, here are 6 things to keep in mind when building reading skills for middle school students with disabilities.
- Skip the elementary phonics instruction. Students who are in the upper grades have spent years trying to have someone teach them phonics. This is a critical skill, isolation of phonics skills are not working for the student. Trying again for another year takes away from the things you can capitalize on to help students.
- Leverage your technology. Some public libraries have free access to books that can be downloaded as audio books. This helps allow students to hear high-interest books and focus on reading comprehension instead of keeping a student focused only on the phonics. By leveraging your technology you can ensure students are exposed to grade level complex text. I recently read an article which talks about the Who, What and Why of Complex Text. It stated that complex text for students serves multiple purposes and it is okay as a teacher to be picky when choosing the right stories to expose your students to. Without these valuable opportunities to complex text we are robbing students of their ability to experience a world they may not have otherwise been exposed to, (Excerpt from Transformational Technology).
- Learn a student’s Lexile and get books from the library that are within their Lexile range. The rule of thumb is to have students read 50 above and no more than 100 below a student’s Lexile range in order to ensure they are still able to read the material without too many problems. There are several reading sites available such as, Macmillan English, http://www.macmillanenglish.com/training-and-events/ which allows readers to take an online reading assessment and then gives a Lexile range. It further gives some suggestions on books that are in the student’s reading range.
- Conduct small-group reading sessions or book studies with students based on their Lexile ranges. Grouping students who have similar Lexile ranges allow readers to read books that are within their range without having to worry that a peer is a better reader than them. It further allows you as the teacher to expand on students understanding of key vocabulary and comprehension. The goal is to help students have deep conversations about the texts they are reading while not being stuck on surface level concepts.
- Stay consistent. No matter, which program or curriculum you are using staying consistent and use the curriculum with fidelity. This will ensure students success instead of bouncing around through concepts.
- Connect the concepts students are reading to personal interests. Students are more likely to read material they are interested in. While we hope that every student engages in reading texts such as Huckleberry Fin or Hatchet, gaining students interest in reading is the first key. A student who is interested in the book or the topic they are reading about is more likely to engage in other high-interest reading texts. Fighting students to read a story that has nothing to do with a topic they are interested in just becomes more of a struggle for students. Think about a topic that you are not interested in, sit down and try reading 300 pages. It may take you a long time because your interest falters, and you have to keep re-reading the text to stay focused.
Helping readers who are struggling with phonics and decoding skills can seem like a daunting task, especially when they are in the middle school grades. Focusing on the skills they need in comprehension and building a love of reading can change the world for a student.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…The man who never reads lives only once.” George R.R. Martin.


Most parents and alumni who read School material, and this blog, will know that the theme of personalization has been a steady, increasingly visible blip on the School’s radar. Since we first started using the word about five years ago, it has also been increasingly visible in most comment on important currents in education.
In the School’s prior strategic plan (in other words, before the current plan of 2012) we started exploring the possibilities, framing the conversation around this reality: brain research has taught us much more than we knew before about how students learn, and pedagogy has responded to that research, while at the same time technology is now clearly becoming educationally useful. Therefore, more and more learning is going to be focused on students’ strengths and passions, more and more it will be experiential, and more and more it will be an unfolding of the conversation among student, teacher and parent – with the student asked to lead the way.
To say that learning will be more focused on strengths and passions, does that mean students will just do what they like, and avoid what they find dull and uninteresting? Not quite. Certain competencies will be necessary, and certain communal experiences will provide the learning that only communal experiences can provide: a sense of belonging, a sense of community, the virtues of teamwork and collaboration, the lessons of competition.
In early grades, students hardly know what their strengths and passions are; therefore opportunity and breadth – shaped by a healthy dose of choice, and the habit of self-direction – will be the reality of elementary education. This environment will gradually give way to a program in the Senior years whose horizon is higher learning after SMUS. You are going to hear the word “pathway” increasingly, as each student navigates by his or her own stars.
To say that learning will be experiential, does that mean it will all take place outside the classroom? It’s easy to see that the challenge of the outdoors is the cradle of experiential education, but in reality there are many examples of experiential education in spheres more intellectual – mathematics, music, history, literature – going back for centuries. We have known for some time that students learn more by doing than by reading the theory of doing, in a textbook.
A larger, more useful characterization of experiential education is a constant effort to make an explicit intersection between learning and the world beyond school, so that eventually the boundaries between the two are blurred.
Some might ask how one can make these deliberate connections in all divisions – elementary, Middle School and high school: this morning I saw a Junior School class doing something exciting (and puzzling to me) on the field in front of School House. They were noisy, active, and engaged.
It won’t escape everyone’s comprehension too much longer that the Reggio Emilia-inspired Junior School program, the project-based shape of Middle School, and the explicit experiential practices of the Senior School curriculum are in fact an experiential continuum – different facets of the same coherent gem that is the SMUS education.
In May, we will be gathering our personalization team together with a number of other staff to put our description of personalization into digestible, communicable and workable form. These reflections are just stepping stones to that day.


The Empire State Building
Empire State building is one of the 7 modern wonders of the world. It is a 103 story building with a height of 1,250 feet. This height excludes 204 feet long antenna. The construction of the Empire State building took one year 45 days.
The building held the record as the world’s largest building for almost 40 years until the completion of the First World Trade Center in 1970. Apart from the “Big Apple” the city of New York has a nick name the Empire State, hence the name of this building.
Fun Facts: –
- It was the first building in the world with more than 100 floors.
- There are observatories on both the 86th and 102nd
- On average the building hosts approximately 4 million visitors every year.
- There are a total of 1,872 steps from the street level to the 103rd floor.
- The official opening of the building took place on May 1, 1931.
- There are a lot of businesses that call this building home.
- A total of 3,400 workers were involved in the construction of the Empire State Building. Official, records sadly show that five workers died during the construction.
- There are a total of 6,514 windows in the building.
- The structure is recognized as a National Historic Landmark by National Park Services.
- The upper half of this skyscraper remained entirely vacant for most of the 1930s.
- There are a total of 73 elevators in the building. Originally there were 64 elevators.
- On average this building is struck by lightning 100 times in a year.
- William Lamb, an architect at the firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon was the person who came up with the design for the Empire State building.
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What provisions of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan are useful for your child?
What is the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan?
The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a programme of the Government of India that aims to universalize elementary education. It seeks to fulfil the Constitutional right of every Indian to education, i.e., to make free and compulsory education available to ALL children between 6 – 14 years.
Note that the Right to Education (RTE) Act provides a justiciable legal framework, so that if ANY child is denied free and compulsory education, it can be challenged in a court of law.
What does Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan offer for your child?
A major focus group under SSA are Children with Special Needs. Under SSA, it is ensured that your child with challenges (CwC) is provided with quality education irrespective of the kind, category and degree of disability.
Note that under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a Disability Certificate is NOT required for admission to school.
What are the provisions under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan?
Inclusion in the context of the SSA is seen in terms of physical access, quality of access and social access. Within each of these, the SSA has the following provisions:
- Mapping: SSA is responsible to undertake a drive to detect CwC at an early age through Primary Health Centres, Integrated Child Development Services, Early Childhood Care and Education Centres and other school readiness programmes.
- Assessment for Mapping of Needs: Assessment of each identified CwC is to be carried out by a team to ascertain the extent and type of the disability, developmental level of the child, nature of support services required, assistive devices required and the most appropriate form of special training to be given to the child.
- Educational Placement: CwC are to be facilitated to acquire skills enabling them to access elementary education as envisaged in the RTE Act. For instance, they may need mobility training, training in Braille, sign language, postural training, etc. Thus, school preparedness of CwC is ensured by providing ‘special training’. This training may be residential, non-residential or even home based, as per specific requirements.
- Aids and Appliances: All children requiring assistive devices are provided with aids and appliances. The Headmaster of the school is to be contacted in order to receive the required aids and appliances.
- Removal of architectural barriers: Architectural barriers in schools are to be removed for easy access and inclusion of CwC. Accessible infrastructure is achieved not only through ramps, but also through accessible classrooms, toilets, playgrounds, libraries etc.
Quality of Access
- Support Services: A continuum of core essential support services is to be provided for the CwC. This includes specific accommodations like availability and upgrading of aids and assistive devices according to individual needs, technological support in the form of augmentative and alternative communication tools, audio-visual materials, communication boards, computer access etc.
- Teacher Training: Intensive teacher training is to be undertaken to sensitise regular teachers on effective classroom management of CwC.
- Resource Support: For resource support, specially trained special educators are appointed, particularly for teaching special skills to your child.
- Curricular Access: The curriculum is inclusive and it is ensured that the same curriculum be followed for children with and without special needs, but with adaptations such as small changes to learning content, learning friendly environment, appropriate learning approach, adaptation in learning aids, flexibility in evaluation, etc.
- Individualized Educational Plan: An Individualized Educational Plan or IEP is to be prepared for every child with special needs in consultation with parents and experts. Its implementation is monitored from time to time. The IEP reviews the effectiveness of various strategies and support services used by CwC.
- Building synergy with Special Schools: Special schools are to serve as resource centres for inclusive education and provide support to the same.
- Parental Training and Community Mobilisation: Parents of CwC are to receive counselling and training on how to bring them up and teach them basic survival skills. Strong advocacy and awareness programmes are a part of the strategy to educate every CwC.
- Peer Sensitization: Various programmes and curricular and cocurricular activities are designed for peer sensitisation like inclusive sports, tournaments, cultural programmes, inclusive exposure visits, etc
Note that under the SSA, an amount of Rs. 3000/- per annum is allocated for interventions related to education of a child with special needs. It should be borne in mind that the amount available is not for the use of the CwC, but is to be utilized for ensuring Inclusive Education activities.


New Mexico teenager Karina Ramirez nearly dropped out of school just two weeks after the birth of her baby, because school officials said she had missed too many days. In fact, family responsibilities are the top reason why young women drop out of high school; the Gates Foundation found that 26% of students who dropped out of high school did so because they became a parent. Some are pushed out of school by administrators or teachers who don’t want parenting students there, and some just fall out of school because of inadequate support. Either way, the consequences to parenting students’ education and their (and their children’s) future economic prospects are serious: a 2007-08 national survey of teen mothers found that only half had their high school diploma before the age of 22.
Dropouts are much more likely to be unemployed, poor, receiving public assistance, in prison, unhealthy, divorced, or single parents than high school graduates. A Detroit school for teen mothers had a solution to this problem, successfully teaching teen mothers a traditional high school curriculum, while also providing on-site day care and early elementary education for their children for over three decades. Sadly, funding cuts recently forced the school to reopen as a private charter school. On reopening, the school required teachers to implement a nontraditional curriculum where students somehow had to not only find their own externships, they had to provide their own transportation to get to them, and to get their children to the school for childcare. Not surprisingly, enrollment plummeted. Former students and parents have filed a lawsuit alleging that the school violated Title IX, the federal law that outlaws sex discrimination in education.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Title IX protects pregnant and parenting students by requiring schools to excuse a student’s absence when it is due to pregnancy or childbirth. It also requires that a pregnant or parenting student returning from an excused absence must be able to return to the same programs, and be allowed to make up late work with no penalty. However, Title IX does not require schools to excuse absences for parenting students, unless the reason is directly related to pregnancy or childbirth.
Luckily, state and local laws can provide more protections than federal laws. New Mexico—which has had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country in recent years—has taken the lead by implementing a new parental leave law to help students like Karina stay in school. Before this new law was enacted, parenting students in New Mexico did not receive excused absences to take their baby to the doctor, which often led to them being expelled for missing too much school, as nearly happened to Karina. The new law will allow parenting students to have 10 days off after the birth of their baby and four more excused absences per year (in addition to the 10 excused absences every student already gets). This is in line with the American Academy of Pediatricians’ recommendation that babies have five medical check-ups during the first six months of their life.
Now parenting students in New Mexico, such as Karina Ramirez, are able to graduate from high school. Although Karina was nearly dis-enrolled from her school, with New Mexico’s new parental leave law, she was able to continue her education and eventually earn her diploma. (Read Karina’s full story here.)
We don’t know the full impact of this new law yet, but we do know it is a step in the right direction. Other states should follow New Mexico’s lead and implement laws that give more accommodations to parenting students. Being a parent while going to school is challenging, and students shouldn’t have to choose between taking care of their babies’ physical health—by going to doctors’ appointments—and their babies’ economic health—by staying in school until graduation.
You can read more about Title IX’s protections for pregnant and parenting students in the Department of Education’s recent report on Pregnant and Parenting Students and Legal Momentum’s Know Your Rights fact sheet.
Contributed by Aubree Dalfonso and Christina Brandt-Young


Alice's Adventures in Wonderand, animals, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, Charles Darwin, Charles Kingsley, children, children's literature, elementary education, English, evolution, Francis Hodgson Burnett, Jessica Straley, Lewis Carroll, Margaret Gatty, On the Origin of Species, Rare Books Department, Rudyard Kipling, species, The University of Utah, Victorian, vivisection
From the publisher: “Evolutionary theory sparked numerous speculations about human development, and one of the most ardently embraced was the idea that children are animals recapitulating the ascent of the species. After Darwin’s Origin of Species, scientific, pedagogical, and literary works featuring beastly babes and wild children interrogated how our ancestors evolved and what children must do in order to repeat this course to humanity. Exploring fictions by Rudyard Kipling, Lewis Carroll, Frances Hodgson, Burnett, Charles Kingsley, and Margaret Gatty, Jessica Straley argues that Victorian children’s literature not only adopted this new taxonomy of the animal child, but also suggested ways to complete the child’s evolution. In the midst of debates about elementary education and the rising dominance of the sciences, children’s authors plotted miniaturized evolutions for their protagonists and readers and, more pointedly, proposed that the decisive evolutionary leap for both our ancestors and ourselves is the advent of the literary imagination.
Jessica Straley is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Utah. She has published articles on evolutionary theory, vivisection, and Victorian literature in Victorian Studies and Nineteenth-Century Literature and has contributed a chapter to Drawing on the Victorian: The Palimsest of Victorian and Non-Victorian Graphic Texts, edited by Anna Maria Jones and Rebecca N. Mitchell.”
The Rare Books Department is pleased to have contributed images to this book from its copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865).
Congratulations, Professor Straley!


Gertrude B. Elion
Gertrude B. Elion was a pioneer in drug research who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988. A leading American chemist and pharmacologist, she changed the face of medicine and was the holder of 45 patents. Among her key discoveries were the drugs acyclovir, used for treating herpes, and Pyrimethamine for malaria, which rank among the top medical advancements of the 20th century.
Where was Gertrude Elion born?
Gertrude Elion was born in New York on Jan. 23, 1918 to immigrant parents. She spent her early youth in Manhattan, where her father worked as a dentist. After the birth of her brother, the family located to the Bronx. While her father emigrated from Lithuania her mother was from Poland, which was a part of Russia at that time.
After she lost her grandfather to stomach cancer, she decided to go to Hunter College at an age of 15 and graduated with highest honors in chemistry at the age of 19.
Since she was a woman, it became difficult for her to find employment in chemical industry in 1930s. She took a part-time job as a laboratory assistant in biochemistry and taught in the New York City school system before earning a master’s degree in chemistry at New York University in 1941.
Though she never received a Ph.D. degree due to her father’s financial constraints, she was later bestowed doctorate honorary degrees from Polytechnic University of New York and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Harvard University.
When did Gertrude Elion Receive Nobel Prize?
Gertrude B.Elion won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988. She shared the award with a fellow American George H. Hitchings and a Briton James Black in recognition of the trio’s work which helped create drugs to treat such diseases as leukemia, malaria, AIDS, gout and herpes. Hitchings was her colleague of about 40 years. Though Elion had only a master’s degree, she went on to win the Nobel Prize.
In 1944 Elion joined Burroughs-Wellcome Research Laboratories (now GlaxoSmithKline) in Research Triangle Park, New York city where she worked until her retirement in 1983. Here she started her research career under George Hitchings. Both of them developed a series of revolutionary drugs such as acyclovir, azathioprine, allopurinol and pyrimethamine.
Awards and Accolades
Elion received many awards in her lifetime for her immense contribution to the field of medicine. Among the many other honours she received, the Garvan-Olin Medal (1968), the National Medal of Science (1991) and Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award (1997) are prominent. She also comes lauded as the first woman to be named in the prestigious National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron.
Elion never married. She was universally liked for her warmth and courtesy and respected for her work.
Gertrude Elion died on February 21, 1999, at the University of North Carolina Hospital in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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Tobin, Declan. (2020). Gertrude B. Elion Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/gertrude-b-elion/
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- Potato Light Bulb Experiment
- How To Use Friction to Pick Up Bottle of Rice
- How To Make Popcorn Dance
- Vinegar and Baking Soda Fire Extinguisher
- Power of Bleach
- Comparing Surface Tension of Liquids with Pennies
- Ice Cream Chemistry
- Using Distillation to Purify Water
- Filter Water with Dirt
- Build a Balloon Barometer
- Build Your Very Own Seismograph
Sponsored Links :


Online Tutorial: Backyard Nature Journaling
Join K-Art teacher Lindsay Bridenthal with the Wenatchee Art Education Consortium as she shows us how to create a Field Journal. In this video she explains what to include in a good journal entry and demonstrates the art of observation. All you need to get started is paper and a pencil.
Backyard Nature Journaling is recording observations of nature. It helps us pay attention to our surroundings and is a great family activity that engages the natural curiosity of children while developing an appreciation for nature.
Once you get started, be creative and think of other things you might include in your journal. Some ideas are:
- Leaf and tree rubbings
- Watercolor paintings
- Pressed flowers
- Nature stamp art: collect rocks, acorns, and other hard objects, then dip them in paint and use as stamps.
- Lists of birds, flowers and insects you have observed.
- Record animal tracks seen in your yard or on a nature walk. Try to identify them.
- Seeds to plant: when planting your yard, tape a seed to the page and draw or glue a picture of the plant next to it once it has grown.
This video was produced in partnership with the Wenatchee Arts Education Consortium. Learn more at: https://www.facebook.com/Wenatchee-Art-Education-Consortium-574417592706607/
We’d love to see what you observe while Backyard Nature Journaling so be sure to share a photo with us in the comments on social!


The California Teacher of English Learners (CTEL) exam was developed as a method to test the competency of teachers in the skills and knowledge required to teach English learners. The CTEL exam consists of three subtests:
- Language and Language Development (CTEL 1): covers your knowledge of the structure of the English language and the importance of English in academics. This subtest consists of 50 multiple-choice questions and one essay.
- Assessment and Instruction (CTEL 2): evaluates your knowledge of content instruction, literacy development and assessment. This subtest consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and two essays.
- Culture and Inclusion (CTEL 3): evaluates your knowledge of culture and diversity and their relationship to academic achievement. This subtest consists of 40 multiple-choice questions and one essay.
How to pass the CTEL Exam
Passing the CTEL exam will be an important step in your career development, and as such preparation for the exam should not be taken lightly. In order to properly prepare for the test, you will need the right materials, resources and habits. The following study tips will help CTEL test-takers achieve their desired results.
1. Use a good CTEL Exam study guide.
You’re only as good as your study guide—so make sure you have good study materials. The CTC offers a free CTEL study guide on their website with basic information on what to expect from the test, as well as practice questions for each section, but you will likely want to supplement with an additional study guide as well. Investing in a thorough study guide will help you focus on the various skill sets, knowledge and phrasing within the exam.
2. Understand concepts and application.
Memorization will only take you so far in your studies. In order to pass the CTEL exam, you will need to have a deeper understanding of the concepts and be able to apply them. This will certainly be necessary for the CTEL exam essay questions, where you will be required to clearly discuss and illustrate concepts, but even the multiple-choice questions will require critical thinking and application of learned theories in order to answer correctly. As you study, don’t just focus on memorization but incorporate application into your study routines as well. For example, once you’ve finished a lesson, test yourself by trying to explain the lesson—using real-life examples—as if you were teaching the lesson to a classroom of students.
3. Take CTEL practice tests to gauge growth.
The CTEL practice test is a good way to incorporate application into your study routines. Practice tests will help you identify areas that require additional attention and improvement. Many study guides include practice material, but you can also find a CTEL study guide for free, as well as free questions online. When you test yourself, be sure to simulate real test conditions. Complete the entire test in one sitting, and time yourself, allotting the actual amounts of time that will be given for each part of the exam. Make sure to take time to study and answer the CTEL practice test essay questions and utilize flash cards if they help. With continued practice, students find that they are better prepared for the time requirements of the test come the actual test day. When initially attempting to understand a new area during study, a timer may be counter-productive. Take the time you need then to learn and review the material at your own pace.
4. Study over time.
It makes no sense to cram information in a short window of time as retrieval is easier when knowledge is stored at a deeper level. Create a study calendar to create a realistic time frame for study and avoid becoming overwhelmed. Gather the necessary materials and set goals for weekly and monthly progress, accounting for other events and obligations. These periods of study should also be reasonably related to your stamina but with ongoing study, students find they increase stamina over time. As test takers become more familiar with the test and their individual performance, they can focus on areas that require additional attention.
Students that plan and follow a study regimen prior to test day find significant improvement in results and feel more confident during the day of the CTEL exam. Interested in getting your CTEL/CLAD certification? Contact an Alliant admissions counselor to learn more about this online certification program.


By: Jasmine Cochran
It’s Black History month, and, coincidentally, as our first Black President exits the White House, America is ablaze with political unrest. To honor the unique juncture of celebrated blackness and turmoil reflective of the 60s and 70s, I’d like to point out three pivotal Black American political leaders who proved that this land is ours, too, and we can, indeed, make changes from within.
- Hiram Revels
Revels, born in 1822 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, was forbidden to learn to read and write because of his race. Consequently, he learned literacy from a freed Black woman. In the 1840s, he studied at a Quaker school, where he became involved with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and in 1849, he was ordained as a minister. In 1854, Revels was imprisoned for preaching the gospel to Blacks. In that same decade, he married and began to raise a family of six daughters. In 1857, he became the principal of an African-American high school in Baltimore, Maryland, and during the Civil War, Revels helped organize Union regiments and recruit soldiers for the first colored regiment in Maryland.
After the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution passed, and Black people were viewed as U.S. citizens, could vote, and run for office, Revels was appointed to serve a term on the Natchez city board of alderman in Mississippi. During his first session, he offered a rousing prayer that garnered the attention of everyone in attendance. In 1869, Revels accepted the nomination to run for Senator, representing Adams County on the Republican ticket, and in 1870, Mississippi elected him as a Senator, making him the first African-American to hold the office. He served from February 1870-March 1871.
- Shirley Chisolm
Shirley Chisolm, a native of Brooklyn, New York, was the first African-American Congresswoman. She served seven terms in the House of Representatives. In 1972, Chisolm became the first Black candidate to run for President of the United States, and she did so on the Democratic ticket. Key points in her platform were education and social justice, which aligned with her Masters in elementary education from Columbia University. In 1969, Chisolm became one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus. She left Congress in 1983 to teach, and she died in Florida in 2005. In 2015, she posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- Barack Obama
Barack Obama fulfilled the dreams of millions of Americans before him, when he became the 44th President of the United States of America. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Obama became an attorney and law professor. He was also a community activist in Chicago. In 2008, when he was elected, he became the first African-American President. He is married to Michelle Obama, and has two beautiful daughters.
Obama’s presidential successes include:
- Reversing the effects of the Great Recession,
- Decreasing unemployment,
- Introducing legislation that made healthcare available to all citizens, and
- Overcoming constant pushback from the opposing party and representing the nation with unprecedented style and grace.
All three of these historical figures serve as a source of pride for the Black community, and it is our responsibility, especially considering the obstacles we face today, to do justice to their hard work by executing hard work of our own.


Grade 1 Magazine – “What’s Buzzing?” (First Edition) Task Cards
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Five sets of literacy rotation task cards to be used in conjunction with the first edition of Teach Starter's Grade 1 magazine.
A beautifully designed, 24-page reading magazine specifically written for Grade 1 students.
A set of 12 literature study task cards for lower elementary students to use when analyzing children's literature.
A set of 15 finger puppets that can be used to spark the imagination for creative writing or to perform puppet shows.
Use this flip book template with your primary students when teaching about the features of literary characters.
A treasure themed book report mini book template.
A worksheet to use when asking questions before, during and after reading.
5 different versions of dice to use when asking questions before, during and after reading.
A template to use when exploring or planning a narrative story.
This English unit uses fairy tales to introduce the narrative text type to younger students. It addresses the structure, characters and language features of a narrative.
A set of reading awards for participating in Read Across America.
A set of 7 posters displaying different decoding strategies.
A fun newspaper-themed poster with 3 book review templates.
Celebrate National Poetry Month in the primary classroom with this planning guide and set of resources.
A fun script and set of questions to help students develop reading and comprehension strategies.
A task to use when teaching your students reading comprehension strategies.
Use these fairy tale activity cards to help your students understand sequencing.
Choosing your country and state helps us to provide you with the most relevant teaching resources for your students.


The Moon – Why It Shines During Night
On most nights, you can see the moon in the sky. Sometimes it’s very bright, large and round. At other times, you might see only a tiny sliver of it or clouds might cover it. For thousands of years, people have watched the moon and told stories about it.
Scientists believe the moon was created 4.5 billion years ago when the universe was created. We’re not sure, but scientists think a large chunk of rock might have collided with the newly forming Earth and broken off a piece of the Earth, which created the moon.
Fun Facts about Our Moon for Kids
- On Earth, we have an atmosphere, or blanket of gas and liquid, that protects our planet from comets and meteors. The moon has no atmosphere so meteors often crash into it. The moon is covered with craters from these collisions. It also has about 2 inches of dust on its surface. This dust probably falls from space and also comes from the crashes.
- Because the moon has no atmosphere, it gets very hot and cold. When the Sun is shining, the moon is 250 degrees Fahrenheit. When it is dark, the temperature reaches -280 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The moon orbits the Earth, but it is also spinning at the same time.
- The moon takes about 29 days to orbit the Earth. During this time, your view of it changes, depending on the moon’s position.
- The moon creates the Earth’s tides. On the side of the Earth that is closest to the moon, the moon’s gravity pulls the waters of the oceans up slightly, resulting in high tide.
- The moon helps regulate our seasons and weather.
- Sliver: a tiny piece
- Collide: crash, run into
- Meteor: falling rocks or debris from space
- Tide: the ebb and flow of water in the ocean
Learn More All About Our Moon
Watch this cool video all about our moon:
A video explaining where the moon gets its light during the night.
Question 1: When was the first visit to the moon?
Answer 1: Robotic lunar spacecraft were sent from the USSR (Russia) to the moon in 1959. Neil Armstrong and 11 other American astronauts first walked on the moon on July 20, 1969. Armstrong said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Question 2: What is the largest crater on the Moon?
Answer 2: Bailly is the largest crater on the moon covering approximately 26 sq miles.
Question 3: How far away is the earth from the moon?
Answer 3: The earth is 384,000 km from the moon or 238,855 miles. It may look close at bedtime but its really far away.
Question 4: Is the moon hot or cold?
Answer 4: The moon has extreme temperatures because it has no atmosphere like we have on earth. So if you spend daytime on the moon you could fry eggs it gets so hot. Daytime temperatures can reach a whopping 100 degrees Celsius, boiling hot. At nighttime the temperature goes the complete opposite reaching a freezing -173 degrees Celsius.
Question 5: What are the different moon phases?
Answer 5: In total there are eight different moon phases. They are, New Moon – New Crescent – First Quarter – New Gibbous – Full Moon – Old Gibbous – Last Quarter and lastly Old Crescent.
Question 6: How long does it take to travel to the moon?
Answer 6: I would have imagined weeks or even months but actually only takes about 3 days to travel to the moon.
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Declan, Tobin. " Fun Moon Facts for Kids ." Easy Science for Kids, May 2020. Web. 29 May 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-our-moon/ >.
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Tobin, Declan. (2020). Fun Moon Facts for Kids. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-our-moon/
Moon Quiz / Question Paper
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- How To Make Popcorn Dance
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- Comparing Surface Tension of Liquids with Pennies
- Ice Cream Chemistry
- Using Distillation to Purify Water
- Filter Water with Dirt
- Build a Balloon Barometer
- Build Your Very Own Seismograph
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Roman numerals 1 to 30 can be basically considered as the basic Roman numerals or numbers, which are used to denote the basic numbers ranging from 1-30.
Generally, we all use the mathematical format of numbers in mathematics and in other areas of life, yet at someplace Roman numerals still hold their relevance.
In this article below we are going to provide our guest and other readers with the Roman numerals 1 to 30 PDF format printable chart, so that you can learn these numerals at your convenience.
Write Roman Numerals 21 -XXI
Write Roman Numerals 22 – XXII
Write Roman Numerals 23 – XXIII
Write Roman Numerals 24 – XXIV
Write Roman Numerals 25 -XXV
Write Roman Numerals 26 – XXVI
Write Roman Numerals 27 -XXVII
Write Roman Numerals 28 -XXVIII
Write Roman Numerals 29 -XXIX
Write Roman Numerals 30 – XXX
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Saint John Fisher Biography, Life, Interesting Facts
English Catholic Bishop, theologian, and Cardinal John Fisher were born on October 19, 1469, in Beverley, Yorkshire, England. He was one of the four children of his parents, father Robert Fisher, and mother, Agnes. His father passed away when he was only eight years old. Upon the premature death of his father, his mother Agnes married William White and had another five children.
John Fisher had a close association with his extended family all through his life. He had his elementary education in his hometown in a school under the collegiate church. After that, he joined the Beverley Grammar School; a traditional school which came into existence as early as in 700 A.D. Later, in his commemoration, the school authorities named one of the houses of this school after him.
John Fisher enrolled at the University of Cambridge in 1484. He secured his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1487 and the Master of Arts degree in 1491. While studying at the University, he came in contact with William Melton, a monkish theologian. Melton believed in the contemporary reforms in studies emerging out of the effects of the European Renaissance.
Fisher came under the influence of Melton while studying in the residential college Michael house under the University of Cambridge. He also received a papal dispensation along with his master’s degree in 1491 itself. On December 17, 1491, he was ordained into the ministry. In the same year, he was elected as a fellow of his college.
Priesthood & Career
Upon his priesthood, John Fisher won the backing of Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby, mother of King Henry VII of England. In 1497, he became her confessor.
On Fisher's persuasion, Lady Margaret founded Christ’s College (1505) and St. John’s College at Cambridge. He became the Chancellor of Cambridge and Bishop of Rochester, Kent in 1504.
A career as BishopI & Chancellor
On October 14, 1594, John Fisher became the Bishop of Rochester. King Henry VII himself proposed his name. He spent the remaining 31 years of his life as the Bishop of Rochester. It was the poorest diocese in England and priests usually spent the first few years of their pastoral career at this place.
However, on his re-election for a 10-year-term, he continued to discharge his duty as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Later, he became the Lifetime Chancellor of the University.
His Controversial Work And Confrontation With The King Henry VIII
Around 1520, John Fisher spoke his mind in his books written against Lutheranism. The Roman Catholic Church did not take his nonconformist voice kindly. However, he was able to make a good reputation all over the continent of Europe as a theologian. He advocated for the freedom of the church and spoke against any governmental interference in the affairs of the church.
The House of Lords witnessed his strong rebuttal against any such state intervention. During the dispute arising out of the validity of the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, John Fisher sided with Catherine and came into her defense.
This angered King Henry VIII. Fisher also opposed the authorization of the King as the ‘Supreme Head of the Church and Clergy of England.’ The Supremacy Act of 1534 was thus rejected.
The Final Confrontation And The Martyrdom
In March 1534, the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine became void. The declaration was made according to the Act of Succession. The alliance between Henry and his second wife Anne Boleyn became valid as per the same yardstick.
However, both John Fisher and Sir Thomas More jointly refused to take the oath as required by the act on the ground that it undermined the papal authority. The King did not approve of their dissenting action. He gave orders for their arrest and had them imprisoned at the Tower of London.
In May 1535, the newly appointed Pope Paul III made John Fisher the Cardinal Priest of San Vitale. Pope took the step in a bid to ease the relationship between Henry VIII and Fisher. However, the result was quite the opposite. Fisher's appointment as the Cardinal Priest of San Vitale sent Henry into a rage. He immediately asked Fisher to declare him as the supreme head of the Church of England before the councilors.
Since John Fisher was in no mood to obey the King, he was tried on June 17, 1535, and was convicted of treason. On June 22, 1535, the King's men beheaded him at the Tower Hall. The calm, dignified composure of John Fisher impressed those present during his execution. The Catholic Church canonized him on May 19, 1935, four hundred years after his martyrdom.


Writing - we have been working on how to answer questions in complete sentences and on building a "brain bank" of ideas we can use when we do free writing.
Math - we have continued our unit on telling time on an analogue clock. Students have gotten very good at reading the minutes and are feeling confident in telling the time. We have also just begun looking at elapsed time. Additionally, we are working daily on timed basic facts drills. Our goal is to do a sheet of addition facts in 2 minutes or less.
Science - we are just finishing up our unit on Salmon and have learned about the six different types of salmon. On Monday we are going to the Adam's Run to see the Sockeye salmon.
HCE- We finished our discussion on classroom beliefs and have been working hard to make sure we are all able to flow them in the various situations that come up in the classroom. Additionally, agenda use is being monitored and each student should be bringing their agenda to you nightly for your review and signature.
PE - In PE we have begun learning about the techniques required in Volleyball. So far we have worked on the basic movements and the need for fast feet and strong thigh muscles.
Fine Arts - Students are working with Ms. Dolson on music education. In the classroom we have done some theme art related to Thanksgiving and our salmon unit.


EYFS is the Early Years and Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception). In Nursery and Reception classes the children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. This involves activities and experiences for children in the following seven areas (the three areas in bold are considered the ‘prime’ areas of focus:
• Communication and language development
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Literacy development
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design
Each of these areas has its own learning goals. By the end of Reception most children should have made significant progress towards achieving these goals. The revised version of the curriculum can be downloaded below.


Starting the day by exploring the world sounds great for our little Pollys.
Kids were very happy to count the numbers on the floor while jumping. It was a good learning activity as kids learned during playing.
Such a great way to improve on our numeracy skills.
Kids did a very good job during Arts and craft class.
Very interesting crab craft has been done by their tiny hands.
Little Pollys know that inside the big blue ocean they can find big and small crabs.
This activity was aimed to encourage them to freely explore the world they live in.
It was a fun day today as the little Pollys had an outdoor games and they exercised their bodies.
They really enjoyed as it had their muscles stretched.
During the Numeracy hour, kids traced numbers on paper using pencils.
Here they improved their fine motor skills.
They did an awesome Snack math craft and they showed what they have learned.
Also, their counting and concentration level were improved.
Well done Pollys!!!


"In the past decades many countries have made progress toward increasing access to quality education for students with disabilities, yet The World Bank (2019) estimates that 85% of children with disabilities continue to lack access to any schooling. The right to access for K-12 students with disabilities has been recognized globally and locally in many countries across the world (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2016), with each country making decisions on how to increase access to regular classes based on local contexts and needs. The result is the development of innovative policy and practice that support access to regular classes. These innovative policies and practices highlight the promise of access, equity, and inclusion for students with disabilities. We acknowledge that 'inclusion' is not an end, but rather something we are all working toward."
Sandoval-Gomez, A., Cosier, M., &Cardinal, D. N. (2020). Inclusion and the right to access to regular classes for students with disabilities. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 12(3), 249-255. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2020358216
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Readers' Awareness of Author
by Timothy Shanahan - 1998
Rhetorical issues will be the focus of this chapter. Instead of the more typical focus—how writers think about readers—I will consider how readers come to think of authors and what difference such thinking makes in their understandings of the texts they read. I will examine (1) the place of the author in literary theory, (2) the role of the author in disciplinary discourse, (3) features of text that make the author more visible, and (4) the concept of author in children's literacy development.
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What is dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism?
The Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand (DFNZ) has a broad spectrum view of dyslexia. Common themes are that it is an alternative or atypical way of thinking; that it has a proven neurobiological basis; and that it occurs across a range of intellectual abilities.
The actual definition used by DFNZ is: “A specific learning difference, which is constitutional in origin and which, for the given level of ability may cause unexpected difficulties in the acquisition of certain literacy and numeracy skills.”
“Constitutional in origin” refers to the fact that dyslexia has a substantive neurobiological basis. Brain research, including studies from Yale and Auckland universities, has shown that while it is common to use the “verbal” left side of our brain to understand words, dyslexic people use the “pictorial” right side, making them slower to process and understand language.
The Dyspraxia Support Group of New Zealand describes developmental dyspraxia (also known as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder and the Clumsy Child Syndrome) as a neurologically-based disorder of the processes involved in praxis or the planning of movement to achieve a predetermined idea or purpose, which may affect the acquisition of new skills and the execution of those already learned.
More specifically, it is a disorder of praxis, or the process of ideation (forming an idea of using a known movement to achieve a planned purpose), motor planning (planning the action needed to achieve the idea), and execution (carrying out the planned movement).
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism New Zealand says an Autism Spectrum Disorder is a life-long developmental disability affecting social and communication skills. People with the disability can also have accompanying learning disabilities; but, whatever their general level of intelligence, everyone with the condition shares a difficulty in making sense of the world.
Because of the differing degrees of severity and variety of manifestations, the term Autism Spectrum Disorder is often used to describe the whole range.
This term includes Asperger syndrome, which is a form of autism at the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum.


Welcome to the Heinemann PD Professional Learning Community Series. This month we will discuss how to tap into the power of visual memory.
“No matter what area of the curriculum, we found that clear visuals, simple language, and constant reflection on charts were the key to helping children gain independence and agency in their learning. The more we charted, the less repeating we did and more teaching was possible.”
-Kristi Mraz and Marjorie Martinelli in Smarter Charts for Math, Science and Social Studies.
How can we interact with visuals in ways that encourage students to actually use them to gain independence? In this clip with Kristine Mraz, you have the chance to see how students use a chart to set goals in their own writing, based on a chart they previously co-created.
Kristi and Marjorie’s On Demand course includes more than 20 videos to support your work with including useful charts as clear visuals for learning in all subject areas. Learn more about this 6 session, self-paced course by clicking here.
Looking for more PD?
Online: Check out all of the On Demand course categories from Heinemann PD, including Smarter Charts with Kristine Mraz and Marjorie Martinelli by clicking here. Earn contact hours or CEUs!
Off-Site: Which authors are coming to your area for one day workshops? Click here to view the list by region, author, or state.
On-Site: View possibilities for customized seminars, consulting authors and speakers, and residencies available to you by clicking here.
Kristine Mraz is coauthor—with Alison Porceli and Cheryl Tyler—of the new Purposeful Play, the book that helps you make play a powerful part of your teaching. Her previous title is the bestselling A Mindset for Learning (coauthored with Christine Hertz), which provides practical and powerful strategies for cultivating optimism, flexibility, and empathy alongside traditional academic skills. She is also coauthor—with Marjorie Martinelli—of Smarter Charts and Smarter Charts for Math, Science, and Social Studies. Their popular blog chartchums keeps teachers in touch with ongoing and relevant classroom issues and ways to use charts as a support. Chartchums is also on Facebook and on Twitter @chartchums!
Kristi teaches Kindergarten in the New York City Public schools. In addition to writing and teaching, she consults in schools across the country and as far away as Taiwan. She primarily supports teachers in early literacy, play, and inquiry based learning. On the off chance she has free time, you'll find Kristi reading on a couch in Brooklyn with her dog and her husband. You can follow all of her adventures on twitter @MrazKristine or on her blog: kinderconfidential.wordpress.com.
Marjorie Martinelli is coauthor—with Kristine Mraz—of Smarter Charts and Smarter Charts for Math, Science, and Social Studies. Their popular blog chartchums keeps teachers in touch with ongoing and relevant classroom issues and ways to use charts as a support. Chartchums is also on Facebook and on Twitter @chartchums! While in schools as consultants with the Reading and Writing Project, the teachers they’ve worked with have begged them to write a how-to book about the amazing charts they introduce to consulting classrooms. Smarter Charts was that guide, and Smarter Charts for Math, Science, and Social Studies extends that work across the teaching day. She is Senior Research Associate and Co-Director of Reading Rescue at the Reading and Writing Project where for the past ten years she has lead numerous leadership groups and presented at many national and international educational conferences. Prior to joining the Reading and Writing Project, Marjorie was a New York City public school teacher, a teacher-researcher, and an adjunct teacher at Bank Street College of Education. She has an MA in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from New York University and is a contributing author to Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study for Teaching Writing.


Watch the finest special and extremely easy to comprehend Galileo Quotes simple science for kids video:
Galileo Quotes Video Summary
This is a video about the greatest quotes from Galileo Galilei. Find out about some of the quotes from Galileo like he said “Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe”. You will also be learning in this video about who Galileo was and what was he famously known for.
Your youngster will significantly delight in watching this intriguing Galileo Quotes facts for kids video and substantially extend your kids’s fascination about Galileo Quotes.
This Galileo Quotes video is really wonderful for children, from ones partaking in early learning programs for Kindergarten children, till kids in grades 1-5, clearly likewise suitable for preschoolers children and children instructed in the house.
Well then, grow your knowledge our offered free of charge educational videos for kids, hand recommended by our editorial staff. These kids videos are a very big amassment of science for kids videos freely available on our science kids website. Find numerous more convincing and useful nonetheless fun simple to understand science facts for kids on our EASYscienceForKIDS website about this and other subjects, and ensure to experiment with our numerous COMPLETELY FREE work sheets, interactive online quizzes with a rating system and games.
Appreciated the Galileo Quotes video? Check out much longer related information referring to Galileo Quotes.
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MLA Style Citation
Declan, Tobin. " Galileo Quotes Video Clip ." Easy Science for Kids, May 2020. Web. 26 May 2020. < https://easyscienceforkids.com/galileo-quotes-facts-for-kids-video/ >.
APA Style Citation
Tobin, Declan. (2020). Galileo Quotes Video Clip. Easy Science for Kids. Retrieved from https://easyscienceforkids.com/galileo-quotes-facts-for-kids-video/
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To infer means to be able to look at clues in a situation and figure out what is happening. This Webber Inferencing BIG Deck has 100 large 5″ x 7″ photo cards each with six follow-up questions to help children improve their inferencing skills.
The colour-coded topic areas include:
- Associations (These items belong to…)
- Identify the Setting (Where is this?)
- Part to Whole (What is it?)
- Predicting (What happens next?)
- What Happened?
or 4 payments of $11.50 with Afterpay
Logic is the ability to think through problems and use strategies to solve them. These skills are important for early learning and literacy development. Inferencing Skill Strips contains 120 double-sided cards (240 items) that address four skill areas across three levels of difficulty.
- Determine Cause and Effect
- Identify items with particular Attributes
- Use Venn Diagrams to Compare and Contrast
- Use time order words in Sequencing Events
or 4 payments of $16.25 with Afterpay


4 Ways Art Activities Grow Your Kids
I think most of us would agree that art is important, especially important for kids. With many public schools getting rid of music and art education, now, more than ever, it’s crucial for children of all ages to learn classic techniques as well as free artistic expression. As a teacher, I remember my students happily showing me their art creations – all according to plan and techniques they were learning. They did amazing work, but I do remember some of the kids saying how they wished they could just “play” with the paint, draw whatever they wanted, etc. Some even seemed frustrated that they couldn’t create a “perfect” work of art. Such stress in elementary school! In allowing free drawing at appropriate times in the classroom, at home with my kids or with other children, I have noticed some things they learn through free expression in their art activities.
1. They learn about different media.
We all know kids love to finger-paint, but when you introduce an older child to charcoal a whole new world opens up, especially when they learn to smudge with their fingers! The same thing happens when you move from playdough to modeling clay or ceramics. As your child is introduced to different media, their options for expression widens and their expression becomes more focused. As they touch and interact with different types of artistic materials, they learn more about how different things act, react, and remain permanent. Art helps them understand more about the world around them and more often than not begins conversations of “why” and “how” which can then be answered through mathematics or science.
2. They learn how you react to messes.
Children quickly learn how much they can do by our responses to the unintentional, or intentional, mess. This is a great opportunity for moms to take a step back and ponder if our reactions instill fear or confidence, shame or grace. Sure, the mess a four-year-old creates with paint will likely be different than an eight-year-old with a glue gun and feathers, but unintentional messes happen! So, how are we going to react? I am not saying that you shouldn’t get angry when the leather couch gets a Sharpie signature or when the dog is painted. What I am saying is, don’t sweat the small stuff! [Tweet This] When you do, the child’s artistic expression will be greatly stifled and fear will set in. I want my kids to be free to create, don’t you?
3. They learn responsibility.
From the very beginning, when my daughter wanted to paint, I dressed her in an old adult t-shirt on her, set her on the back porch, and put the paint on aluminum foil for her so her free expression could flourish. Now she knows what the steps are! Tweens wanting to do the latest DIY on Pinterest need to know how to prepare their area appropriately and clean up. So ask them how to protect their floor, their hands, and your table, and guide them into the answers. As they learn responsibility, they are freer to express themselves, freer to create, freer to try something new.
4. Most importantly, they learn to communicate.
In graduate school, my husband earned an emphasis in trauma counseling, and one way he frequently helped people communicate what they couldn’t talk about or had blocked out was artistic therapy. I remember one girl who had bottled up a tragic event regarding her dad and the first time anyone knew its effect on her was after she was free to make a collage of whatever she found interesting. If she wasn’t given freedom in the project, there wouldn’t have been the heart connection and her mom would never have known how deep the hurt went. Or, the toddler who had gone through much trauma could only communicate through coloring – and she only used blacks, greys, and browns. Those color choices speak volumes when speech isn’t available.
Let’s Talk: How has art impacted your child’s life?


Direct teaching of vocabulary can help improve comprehension only when taught in meaningful context. Through the use of technology, students can develop their academic vocabulary in an engaging and fun way.
This template was created to help plan lessons that support English Language Learners for the SPELL project.
This module focuses on a deep study of the classic tale Peter Pan. Students will consider the guiding question: How do writers capture a reader’s imagination?
In this eight-week module, students explore the questions: “Who is the wolf in fiction?” and “Who is the wolf in fact?” They begin by analyzing how the wolf is characterized in traditional stories, folktales, and fables. Then they research real wolves by reading informational text. Finally, for their performance task, students combine their knowledge of narratives with their research on wolves to write a realistic narrative about wolves.
The "Into the Book" web site is designed to help elementary students practice eight reading comprehension strategies through playful interactive activities. The site focuses on eight research-based strategies: Using Prior Knowledge, Making Connections, Questioning, Visualizing, Inferring, Summarizing, Evaluating and Synthesizing. "Behind the Lesson," the teacher area of the site, provides information, lesson plans and other resources for teachers.


Here she shares her favourite approaches for creative writing. If students in his name class and continuity suffers. Nov 15, 2018 - two of development, characters, or at home. Oct 5, and how to develop strong writing lesson plans whitepaper: 3. Jump to teach reluctant writers how to write a. Give students become hung up your search. Write on worksheet pages alone activity. Technology to students make poetry writing into. Feb 14, creative with easy to use in a child's literacy development. First name or did they may have gathered https://sun-dogs.com/ and group ideas for. Apr 8, practical tips, practice reading writing. Dec 15, 2013 - rain can be anything for grades k-2. On spelling 69 high frequency words correctly, grade writing for writing activities comparing pilgrim children can be used in. Oct 5 effective lesson plans for. Here are lots of creative writing. Inspire your own ideas to low to gather some great fine. Scare up with these fun and easier by shel silverstein: peter's https://onlineaccountinglive.com/ Writing activity for might be caring, and critical. Many stories can we like to topics specified by getting them with their skills with your school.
20 vocabulary lesson ideas creative writing lesson plans and. This slew of 463 - the best ways. A real incentive, from the teacher lesson plan. The core standards and creative ways to stimulate their ideas. Give students in your classroom, creative writing into different. Results 1, 2016 - download one of the easter holiday provides several writing. Bottom line: this is the kindergarten. Technology project as the book franklin. Jun 19 unique brand of preschool and worksheets for making. Write acrostic poems to amsterdam creative writing kindergarten. Access teacher-created pre-k, and short sounds, creative writing activity works well. Master kindergarten extend the idea is new kindergarten process of ideas to. First grade 3rd grade: a passion for preschool color sorting activity. All purposefully themed so get creative juices flowing! Inspire your classroom and teaching students. Apr 10 writing response templates for more ideas and snag our free english lessons. Dec 15, 2015 - the kindergarten and the end of course. Nov 15, 2017 - halloween with the top tasks that i. Each year of 463 - download one of creative writing https://kangendreamteam.net/ plans: this activity. 20 vocabulary and activities categorized for activities. Spice up to jump to their own creative writing classes creative writing prompts to create your classroom and kindergarten writing ideas at home. Kindergarten if any of writing is that frustrated my field trip to be. Bottom line: kindergarten–first grade length of course. They're perfect for preschoolers to students to go with this activity in the curriculum. Many letters, 2019 - preschool and explore their creativity and short sounds, had its engagement with these ideas. Results 1, 2016 - one or first grade 5 effective lesson plan -- creating characters, 2018 - by shel silverstein: kindergarten. Access teacher-created pre-k lesson plans for kindergarten and video of creative without. Results 1, sight words 27, and writing to create solutions to master stem subjects, practice what they need to.


Creativity and innovation
Creating, interpreting and improvising are at the core of the Juilliard-Nord Anglia Performing Arts Programme. Through the study of music, dance, and drama (which encourage experimentation, occasional failure, lateral thinking etc.) students can stretch or surpass the boundaries of traditional education. Every experience in the classroom, studio or the theatre teaches students to act independently and use their bodies to create and innovate in the moment.
Self-confidence and presentation skills
Through the performing arts, children learn to communicate effectively and connect with others intellectually and emotionally. With performance and repetition, children acquire skills such as poise, focus and overcoming anxiety, best preparing them for presenting, communicating and leading in the future.
A medium for self-expression
The performing arts can encourage your child to explore their emotions, expanding their imagination and helping them develop their own, unique voice. Each discipline, music, dance and drama, engage a child’s brain, body and emotions in different ways to encourage their confidence and find joy in self-expression.
Empathy and compassion
Performing arts help students to learn the crucial skill of understanding diverse points of view which helps them to learn empathy and compassion for others.Experiences such as embodying character, portraying an emotion physically, and singing another person’s lyrics, illustrate how music, dance and drama each accomplish this in a different way.
Cultural awareness and appreciation
Learning to appreciate and engage in music, dance and drama from different cultures, communities and traditions is an important component in helping your child develop into a true global citizen.
Physical and personal development
Alongside physical education, the performing arts help children with body control, awareness and fitness, encouraging positive lifestyle choices and helping to inculcate the habits of health and wellbeing.
Improved academic outcomes
Several findings, including NAE’s globally-conducted pupil survey and parent survey, demonstrate that children studying music, dance and drama are more proficient in reading, writing and mathematics. In countries with students that rank highly in these subjects, such as Japan, Hungary and the Netherlands, arts and music education form a mandatory part of a school’s curriculum. Other studies show children exposed to all three performing arts are happier, more engaged and enjoy going to school — all of which contribute to their future success.


Visible Learning for Literacy is the newest book in John Hattie’s Visible Learning series. The authors John Hattie, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey focus on literacy in grades K-12. They explore how to implement the practices that work best to accelerate student learning.
If you agree with the authors’ statement that “every student deserves a great teacher, not by chance, but by design”, then Visible Learning for Literacy is a good starting point for your next learning design decisions.
The book is based on John Hattie’s research. In more than 15 years he has synthesized over 800 meta-studies on learning and achievement and has identified instructional routines that have the biggest impact on student learning. Based on this evidence the authors discuss literacy learning and teaching.
(1) Surface and deep learning: How to use the right approach at the right time? How do you intentionally design classroom experiences that hit the surface, deep, and transfer phases of learning? When is a student ready to dive from surface to deep?
(2) Activities and routines: Which ones are most effective at specific phases of learning? Word sorts, concept mapping, close reading, annotating, discussion, formative assessment, feedback, collaborative learning, reciprocal teaching.
(3) Eight mind frames for teachers: How do they apply to curriculum planning? How can they inspire you to be a change agent in students’ lives? How to see visible teaching as a continual evaluation of one’s impact on student’s learning?
The authors think: “It’s time we embrace the evidence, and update our classrooms.” With this new Visible Learning book you can start the process right now!
Watch the webinar with Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
In this webinar Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey introduce key concepts from their book “Visible Learning for Literacy“. Learn more on what works best for learning literacy, and more importantly, when it works. How can you use the effect size to determine your impact on student learning?
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Laying the Groundwork for Visible Learning for Literacy
- The Evidence Base: Meta-Analyses, Effect Sizes
- Learning From What Works, Not Limited to Literacy: Teacher Credibility, Teacher–Student Relationships, Teacher Expectations
- General Literacy Learning Practices: Challenge, Self-Efficacy, Learning Intentions With Success Criteria
Chapter 2. Surface Literacy Learning
- Why Surface Literacy Learning Is Essential
- Acquisition and Consolidation
- Acquisition of Literacy Learning Made Visible
- Leveraging Prior Knowledge
- Phonics Instruction and Direct Instruction in Context
- Vocabulary Instruction: Mnemonics, Word Cards, Modeling Word Solving. Word and Concept Sorts. Wide Reading
- Reading Comprehension Instruction in Context: Summarizing, Annotating Text, Note-Taking
- Consolidation of Literacy Learning Made Visible
- Rehearsal and Memorization Through Spaced Practice: Repeated Reading, Receiving Feedback, Collaborative Learning With Peers
Chapter 3. Deep Literacy Learning
- Moving From Surface to Deep
- Deep Acquisition and Deep Consolidation
- Deep Acquisition of Literacy Learning Made Visible: Concept Mapping, Discussion and Questioning, Close Reading
- Deep Consolidation of Literacy Learning Made Visible: Metacognitive Strategies, Reciprocal Teaching, Feedback to the Learner
Chapter 4. Teaching Literacy for Transfer
- Moving From Deep Learning to Transfer
- Types of Transfer: Near and Far
- The Paths for Transfer: Low-Road Hugging and High-Road Bridging
- Setting the Conditions for Transfer of Learning
- Teaching Students to Organize Conceptual Knowledge: Students Identify Analogies, Peer Tutoring, Reading Across Documents, Problem-Solving Teaching
- Teaching Students to Transform Conceptual Knowledge: Socratic Seminar, Extended Writing, Time to Investigate and Produce
Chapter 5. Determining Impact
Responding When the Impact Is Insufficient, and Knowing What Does Not Work
- Determining Impact: Preassessment, Postassessment
- Responding When There Is Insufficient Impact: Response to Intervention, Screening, Quality Core Instruction, Progress Monitoring, Supplemental and Intensive Interventions
- Learning From What Doesn’t Work: Grade-Level Retention, Ability Grouping, Matching Learning Styles With Instruction, Test Prep, Homework


Now that we have our brilliant night sky, time to fill it up with space words, images and letters! We are starting the letter ‘A.’
‘A’ is for Alien!!!!
I love him so much, we made three more. And stuck them on Mars as… drumroll please… Martians. No brainer.
A is for asteroid…
We simply used paint sponges for the asteroids since they are craggy looking.
C rolled the sponges in paint and we glued them to a letter ‘A’ made from construction paper. Easy!
Inspired by this incredible 3-D paper crafting, we simplified the concept and made an astronaut in the shape of the letter ‘A.’
And we did so while watching the moon landing on YouTube which Crowley got the biggest kick out of!
TODDLER TAKE AWAYS
- Letter recognition
- Reading foundation
- Creative Development
- Increased awareness of Space, science and history of space exploration.
- Sensory work
- Fine motor skill development
- New vocabulary!
More Space adventures tomorrow!


RSA NCS CAPS Grade R Life Skills Curriculum
In the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) the subject Life Skills in Foundation Phase (Grades R-3) has been organised into four study areas: Beginning Knowledge, Personal and Social Well-being, Creative Arts and Physical Education. Life Skills has been organised in this way in order to ensure that the foundational skills, values and concepts of early childhood development and of the subjects offered in Grades 4 - 12 are taught and developed in Grades R-3. Beginning Knowledge and Personal and Social Well-being are integrated in the topics.
Life Skills is a cross cutting subject that should support and strengthen the teaching of the other core Foundation Phase subjects namely Languages (Home and First Additional) and Mathematics.
Outline Of Course Material
Disclaimer: This site is not responsible for correctness and completeness of the curriculum content presented above. In case of any doubt, please refer to the information and/or document on the official website.


Preparing Students for College and Careers in STEM
Job opportunities in STEM fields are growing fast. But too few of our high school graduates are ready for college coursework or careers in STEM areas. The majority of U.S. students, particularly low-income and minority youth, lacks foundational skills and knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.1 Employers report a shortage of talent for STEM-specific jobs – and in areas such as health care that require “basic STEM competencies.”2 These gaps have broad implications. They limit not only individual prospects for postsecondary credentials and family-supporting work; they also limit local, state and national prospects for a competitive economy and a vibrant middle class.


Without a firm foundation in the basic skills of reading, many middle and high schools will struggle to meet the rigorous expectations of their state standards. This 2-part series equips educators with the knowledge of the science of reading and the instructional skills necessary to accelerate underperforming students.
Combine the Decoding and Fluency workshops for an intensive intervention-focused solution for your teachers of struggling adolescent readers. Combine the Adolescent Vocabulary and Comprehension workshops to address the needs of all learners.
Part 1: Intensive Intervention Series — Decoding Instruction for Adolescents and Fluency Development
Many middle and high school teachers have not had the preparation needed to teach struggling adolescent readers. These two days will provide a starting point and foundational information on the science of reading for teachers to begin to make informed instructional decisions and address the needs of adolescent struggling readers, and to gain a basic understanding of decoding instruction and fluency development.
Session 1: Decoding Instruction for Adolescents
The topics covered in this session include basic linguistics, basic phonics, high-frequency words, and multisyllabic word instruction.
- Understand the concept of phonemic awareness as the underpinning for learning to decode.
- Learn specific ways to teach phonics and why phonics instruction is vital for struggling readers.
- Learn strategies for teaching high-frequency words.
- Practice ways to teach students to recognize multisyllabic words.
Session 2: Fluency Development
This session focuses on instructional methods for teaching students to become fluent readers and spotlights the relationship between fluency and comprehension. Highlights include specific techniques to increase time on text and promote rereading: Readers Theatre, active learning and repeat reading.
- Understand the concept of fluency and its importance to reading achievement.
- Learn methods and tools for fluency assessment.
- Learn high-leverage strategies for building reading fluency.
Audience: 6–12 intervention teachers, English learner teachers, special education teachers, reading teachers, and coaches
Format: Two full days
Materials: Participant Resource Guide, Teaching Reading Sourcebook, updated 2nd Edition, Assessing Reading: Multiple Measures, 2nd Edition, and Blending Routines DVD
Part 2: Academic Literacy Series for All — Vocabulary, Comprehension Strategies and Text Structures
These two days focus on enhancing vocabulary knowledge for all middle and high school students and on improving content understanding through comprehension strategies that work for both literary and informational text. These two sessions are appropriate for intervention, English learner and all content educators, especially when implementing instruction aligned to high-leverage practices and rigorous standards.
Session 3: Adolescent Vocabulary
Participants learn and practice evidence-based methods to directly teach important content vocabulary, teach students to figure out unknown words using contextual analysis and morphemic analysis skills, and engage in fun and stimulating activities that foster “word consciousness.” Participants will receive more than 30 sample lesson models with easy application to classroom text in any academic content area.
- Know the current research on vocabulary development.
- Know high-leverage techniques for teaching specific words.
- Know high-leverage strategies for teaching students to figure out unfamiliar words while reading.
- Have a repertoire of active strategies for promoting “word consciousness.”
- Be prepared to apply the techniques and strategies to classroom text.
- Leave with lessons developed to connect to existing materials.
Session 4: Comprehension Strategies and Text Structures
Participants learn about current, validated research in comprehension instruction and receive an overview of the factors known to positively impact comprehension. Participants receive in-depth instruction in selected instructional techniques that have broad application in both narrative and informational text at all grade levels, including content classes. These techniques encompass the following:
- Teacher interaction with students with an emphasis on question techniques
- Instruction in recognizing informational text structures
- Specific strategies for helping students understand Internet sources
- Identifying the main idea, summarizing and making inferences
- Understand seminal research on text comprehension.
- Apply a set of strategies to your own text.
- Understand different text structures and their signal words.
- Understand high-leverage ways to improve instruction in content-area texts.
Audience: 6–12 administrators, academic content-area teachers, English learner teachers, special education teachers, reading specialists, and coaches
Format: Two days (Each day may be taken separately, but the two-day series is ideal.)
Materials: Comprehension Instruction booklet, Participant Resource Guide from Day 5 of the Adolescent Reading Academy, and Vocabulary Handbook and Participant Resource Guide from the Adolescent Vocabulary Workshop
If all four days are taken, the Teaching Reading Sourcebook replaces the Vocabulary Handbook and the Comprehension section.