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Active Lessons for Active Brains

Teaching Boys and Other Experiential Learners, Grades 3–10

By: Abigail Norfleet James, Sandra Boyd Allison, Caitlin Zimmerman McKenzie

Capture students’ attention with this collection of mathematics, language arts, science, and classroom management strategies for experiential learners. Included are examples, visuals, and reproducibles.

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Product Details

Grade Level: 3-10
ISBN: 9781412986656
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2011
Page Count: 248
Publication date: March 14, 2011

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Description

"Active Lessons for Active Brains is a valuable resource for teachers in any content area and at any grade level."
—David Chadwell, Coordinator, Single-Gender Initiatives, Office of Public School Choice and Innovation, South Carolina Department of Education, Columbia, SC

"This book's lessons will help students develop into active learners and move from a teacher-directed classroom to one of student engagement, inquiry and critical thinking."
—Jay Greytok, Head of Middle School
The Haverford School, PA

What to do when their feet just can't keep still

If you're tired of repeating yourself to students who aren't listening, try a little less talk and a lot more action. The authors follow the best-selling Teaching the Male Brain and Teaching the Female Brain with this ready-to-use collection of mathematics, language arts, science, and classroom management strategies. Designed for active, hands-on learners—whether male or female—the text provides more than 70 specific lesson plans for addressing students' common challenges, already differentiated to match their experiential learning style. The many benefits include:

Increased student engagement
Improved retention of subject matter
Enhanced capacity to focus on tasks
A more orderly classroom

This resource contains a wealth of examples, visuals, and material that can be easily reproduced in the classroom. Suitable for upper elementary to high school students, lesson plans can be readily adapted to suit your curriculum. If you're ready for a solution that works, dive into this book and get moving!

Key features

This resource contains:

A brief overview of how boys and girls learn differently and why we need to differentiate to their learning styles.
Over 70 lesson plans and strategies for middle school classroom management, math, language arts, and study strategies.
A wealth of examples, visuals, and material that can be easily reproduced in the classroom.

Author(s)

Abigail Norfleet James

Abigail Norfleet James taught for many years in single-sex schools and consults on the subject of gendered teaching to school systems, colleges, and universities. Her area of expertise is developmental and educational psychology as applied to the gendered classroom. Prior to obtaining her doctorate from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education, she taught general science, biology, and psychology in both boys’ and girls’ schools.

Her previous publications include reports of research comparing the educational attitudes of male graduates of coed schools and single-sex schools, research describing the effects of gendered basic skills instruction, and a report of academic achievement of students in single gender programs. In addition, she has written on differentiated instruction at the elementary school level. She has presented workshops and papers at many educational conferences and works with teachers and parent groups in interpreting the world of gendered education.

Her professional affiliations include the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color, the Gender and Education Association, the International Boys’ Schools Coalition, and the National Association for Single-Sex Public Education (Advisory Board Member).

Sandra Boyd Allison

Sandra Boyd Allison is an experienced educator with thirty-five years teaching and consulting experience in curriculum instruction, secondary mathematics, and special education. She has presented at local, state, and international conferences and workshops. Her experience includes teaching positions in grades K-12, in single gender magnets, regular education classrooms, self-contained, resource and itinerant programs for the hearing impaired, learning disabilities, and mentally handicapped in public and private school sectors.

In addition to state certifications in secondary mathematics, elementary education, hearing impaired, gifted and talented, learning disabilities, and mentally handicapped, she has been recognized by her peers as Teacher of the Year and holds National Boards certification in AYA Mathematics. Allison received an undergraduate degree in elementary and special education from Winthrop University and a graduate degree in curriculum and instruction: math and science from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has received local, state and national grants from the state department of education in South Carolina, Metropolitan Life, and Time Warner Cable.

Allison’s expertise is in the implementation of innovative programs that are built around current models of instruction containing core lessons based on state standards. She is a collaborator with a special interest in creating cross-curricula, “real-world” lessons that combine her knowledge of mathematics with her lifelong interest in science, technology, the history of the United States, and the ancient works of the “great thinkers.”

Caitlin Zimmerman McKenzie

Caitlin Z. McKenzie is a teacher of language arts in single-gender middle schools. She obtained her master's degree in education specializing in language and literacy and is a doctoral candidate in curriculum studies at the University of South Carolina. She is a consultant in best practice strategies for teachers in single-gender classrooms. She has presented at national and regional conferences on teaching language arts in single gender classrooms.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Introduction

1. A Brief Look at Experiential Learners

The Active Brain: Male or Female

Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Study Strategies

2. Math

General Math

Algebra

Geometry

3. Language Arts

Reading

Writing and Grammar

4. Science

5. Study Strategies

Conclusion

References

Reviews

“James, Allison, and McKenzie provide teachers with concrete lessons that engage students, as well as research-based background on why these activities are needed. The included lessons give numerous examples of how teachers can approach the learning process to fully engage students. Active Lessons for Active Brains is a valuable resource for teachers in any content area and at any grade level.”

David Chadwell, Coordinator, Single-Gender Initiatives, Office of Public School Choice and Innovation
South Carolina Department of Education, Columbia, SC

"Active Lessons for Active Brains is a great resource for those new to teaching who may need some guidance, as well as those seasoned veterans looking for fresh lessons to enhance what they already do. Most teachers understand that there are multiple modalities that children use in order to learn and the best educators are masters at using all of them in the classroom. These lessons will help students develop into active learners and move from a teacher-directed classroom to one of student engagement, inquiry and critical thinking."

Jay Greytok, Head of Middle School
The Haverford School, PA

Other Titles in: Student Engagement & Motivation | Teaching Methods & Learning Styles | Brain-Friendly Teaching & Learning

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