Here is an approach to planning absolutely terrific units and projects: Develop at least one every summer.
Although I wanted every unit to be great from the start, I never had the energy during the school year to upgrade all of them to my imagined perfection—too much grading, supervising, attending, meeting and recording got in the way. But by strengthening and enriching one at a time, I finally developed a repertoire of plans I could be proud of.
Look for music, books, poetry, community resources—anything that could inspire and inform students and teachers, too. One year we cataloged everything within walking distance of the school—retirement home, library, community radio station, cemetery– because we could take students there without the expense of busing. Over the next several years we used all those locations and others in improved units that took students beyond classroom walls.
These days we can also turn to virtual communities. This month I’ve collected a few sites that might inspire you to add something extra special to a plan you are currently pondering.
Music
In May of 2011, The Library of Congress announced America’s Jukebox. You can access it at http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/. It contains thousands of American songs spanning more than a century. Use songs to introduce lessons or reinforce lectures. The Library of Congress also offers links to to dozens of performing arts resources at www.loc.gov/rr/perform/new.internet.resources.html.
What could you do with free sheet music for 19th and early 20th century songs? You can select from 3042 pieces of sheet music if you visit http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/hasm.
Project-Based Learning
If you are ready to try project-based learning but aren’t sure how to begin, why not have student teams create educational websites? The ThinkQuest website offers an international competition giving students an audience beyond the teacher and a purpose beyond a grade. You will find links to more than 7000 ideas and activities across many content areas at www.thinkquest.org. Access the competition at www.thinkquest.org/competition.
Math
If you teach math to grades 3-12, you can find lessons, problems, video, lesson plans, instructional tools and more at the Math Forum@ Drexel. Check it out at http://mathforum.org.
Language Arts
ReadWriteThink gives educators, parents and after-school professionals access to best practices in reading and language arts instruction by offering free materials. For downloadable plans and other resources, go to www.readwritethink.org.
Art
If you want to expand teaching and learning in the arts, The Kennedy Center offers 180 lesson plans across artistic disciplines through their “How To” finder, plus multimedia resources and interactive activities. You can explore the riches they offer at http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org.
Science
Detailed lesson plans, historic documents, a “career finder” and lots more is provided at the National Institute of Health website. Go to http://science-education.nih.gov.
History
For oral history, find resources at www.loc.folklife/edresources/ed-teacherstudent.html. To access information from The Smithsonian go to http://historyexplorer.american history.si.edu/lessonindex.asp. To get study guides from the History Channel visit http://www.history.com/shows/classroom articles/study-guides.
Ecology, Economics, and your own peace of mind
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