You'll C-E-R a difference in classroom achievement after using a helpful lesson. Designed for economics, civics, government, and US history classes, participants practice using the CER model to craft arguments about primary and secondary...

What do a cheetah, Audi commercial, and air have in common? They're all topics of an engaging inquiry-based, hands-on workshop for educators about background knowledge, reading strategies, the CER model, and argumentative writing. The...

Why is it important to use precise language? Participants explore this question in the fourth activity in a series of 15 on effective instruction. Perfect for all content areas, the activity promotes appropriate language choice through...

Is a college education necessary for success in today's world? The class investigates the question, along with others at the end of the sixth workshop in a 15-part series. The lesson has four parts with multiple activities and...

How can opinions slant facts? Workshop participants learn how to examine primary and secondary sources and identify the author's point of view. They also examine how visual art impacts the meaning and rhetoric of sources. Full of...

Are video games sports? Pupils investigate this question as well as various nonfiction selections to learn more about claims and the support that defines them. All of the selections mimic the rigor on state tests and encourage close...

How have educational standards evolved? Educators of adults examine expectations in the 10th workshop out of 15 to better determine how standards have grown. Participants respond to a variety of sample questions to determine how they...

This downloadable resource developed by Jamie Jacobs and edited by Karen Almond will engage students in comparing and contrasting two sets of paired informational passages. Students will compare and contrast articles about coyotes and...

This 1-2 hour module provides an introduction to the key shifts required by the CCSS for Literacy in the content areas: history / social studies, science, and technical subjects.

This 1-2 hour module provides participants with an introduction to the key shifts required by the Common Core State Standards for ELA / Literacy.

A document explaining the biggest changes in mathematics and ELA / Literacy and a quick reference card on the shifts.

This 1-1.5 hour module provides background information necessary to understanding how the Common Core State Standards play a role in improving education. It answers the question: How are these standards different than the latest versions...

Through close examination of the Publishers' Criteria in ELA / Literacy for Grades 3-12, this 1-2 hour module intends to give teachers and administrators a deeper understanding of the Standards and their implication for instructional...

Erik Palmer explains that the Common Core State Standards place importance on speaking effectively in a variety of scenarios, both formal and informal. He notes that students need to have broadly applicable oral communication skills....

View a video with the basics of Common Core Mathematics. Teachers and students discussing the benefits of the new standards.

Article provides excellent tips and strategies for building comprehension and critical thinking skills in Social Studies. It describes some of the challenges students have with reading and understanding their textbooks.

Comprehensive discussion on how to edit material on computers. Explains how to perform functions in 2 general areas: spell check and search & replace. Also explains difference between doing this "on paper" and on computer. W.11-12.6...

These teacher practices correlate with the Common Core English Language ArtsLiteracy State Standards for Kindergarten and are intended to give teachers guidance as they carefully, and systematically plan for language arts literacy...

This activity and discussion guide uses the book "Picture Day Perfect" to teach multiple common core state standards for language arts. Included in this instructional activity are discussion questions, a craft project, printable...

A short explanation of the importance of using precise word choice in writing and using context clues to help you understand the meaning of precise words when reading. Click on Model to for an example with explanation and then click on...

A short example of using context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar content words. Click on Practice to practice using context clues.

An explanation of summarizing a selection along with a link to a model summarizing activity.

A short explanation of how to use explicit details in an informational text to make inferences. Click on Model at the bottom right to see a model with examples.

A short explanation of how summarize an informational text. Click on the Model link to see an example summary with explanation.