Each Teacher Resource Includes:

• A master chart of contents that outlines for every lesson the core activity, differentiated learning, materials, and curriculum correlation aligned to national science (NSTA) and social studies (NCSS) standards.
• Lesson 1 of each guide is designed as an introductory lesson to engage prior knowledge and introduce core concepts and vocabulary.
• The rest of the lessons provide differentiated activities for:
  • Enrichment learning to support the learning of highly motivated or gifted learners.
  • Integrated learning to engage students in verbal, written, and artistic expression.
  • Hands-on learning that involves kinesthetic learning or creative thinking to support the learning needs of both average and struggling learners.
• Each lesson begins with a prelesson assessment strategy and key vocabulary. Follow-up assessment rubrics are also suggested in the Teacher Notes. Additional activities using the corresponding Wall Map are also included.
• Activities are designed to be interdisciplinary and include suggestions for cooperative as well as independent work.
• All lessons focus on higher-level thinking skills as outlined by Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.
• Strategies for addressing reading skills are listed under the Teacher Notes and are integrated into activities. These strategies are based on best practices for reading strategies as outlined by the National Institute for Literacy.
• Comprehension strategies are integrated into activities and are listed under Teacher Notes and throughout the guides. These strategies fall into six categories: making predictions, summarizing, questioning, inferential thinking, content, and imagery.
• Numerous assessment strategies are provided including reproducible Blackline Masters (BLM) which can be used for formative and summative assessment. Students are encouraged to use the BLM entitled "How are We Doing?" for self- and peer-assessment.

PDF is a cross-platform file format that may be viewed without the application that created it. PDF files can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader.