Three Ways Reading Lessons Will Change After the Common Core

Timothy Shanahan, a must-read for everything Common Core- and literacy-related, discusses how reading lessons will change after the implementation of the new Common Core State Standards. 

First, Shanahan notes, the new standards will dissuade teachers from the (fallacious) practice of matching students with books based on their reading levels in favor of having students grapple with challenging texts. Second, the Common Core will cut back on pre-reading … Read more »

Today in History: The Washington Monument opens to the public in 1888

On October 9, 1888, the Washington Monument officially opened to the public. The beloved monument to America’s first president attracts more than half a million visitors each year, and was briefly the world’s tallest structure.

In the immediate aftermath of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress supported the creation of equestrian statues honoring George Washington. In 1832, the 100th anniversary of Washington’s birth, the Washington National Monument Society was … Read more »

October Newsletter: Teaching Resources for Columbus Day

Our October newsletter is out. Learn about our teaching resources for Columbus Day, find other October milestones, and get ideas for aligning your curriculum with the Common Core State Standards. Not getting our monthly newsletter? Sign up today!

Today in History: Strong victory for Patriot militia at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780

In October 1780, during the the American Revolutionary War, British Army officer General Lord Cornwallis sought to invade North Carolina. Major Patrick Ferguson was sent to North Carolina to recruit loyalist militia, stopping in rural York Country, South Carolina. The newly organized Loyalist militia was met with strong opposition by frontiersmen under Colonel William Campbell of Virginia, who defeated the Loyalist forces on Kings Mountain.

Kings Mountain is a rocky forested … Read more »

Blogger Spotlight: Getting Tough

Why tough teachers get good results: Joanne Lipman argues it’s time to revive old-fashioned education. 

Teachers as historians: Read Drew Bledsoe’s discussion of public history and the teaching profession, couched in the history of the battle of Chickamauga during the Civil War.

Flash Fiction! Try this lesson idea from Amanda Christy Brown and Katherine Schulten encouraging your students to write short pieces of fiction.

How do you teach the Constitution? Read … Read more »

October 3: Today in History: Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage is published in book form in 1895

On October 3, 1895, The Red Badge of Courage, the first American novel to portray the Civil War from the perspective of a soldier, was published in book form. The enormously popular short novel was originally published by a newspaper one section at a time.

Stephen Crane was born in 1871 in Newark, New Jersey to a religious family; his father, Jonathan Townley Crane, served as a minister in … Read more »

Introducing Charles Cooper, 2012 Humanities Texas Teacher of the Year

Today, we’re introducing the first member of our new teacher advisory council: Charles Cooper. In a brief interview, Charles shares his thoughts about using technology in the classroom, the importance of civic education, and how to model serious class discussion.

Charles is a government teacher at Northwest High School in Justin, Texas. He also teaches at Northwest Texas Community College. Charles earned his BA in Education from the University of North … Read more »