Mathematics and Science in Middle Level Classrooms

Integrating disciplines to encourage exploration and discovery.

AMLE's This We Believe calls for teachers to be engaged in active, purposeful learning in which students have the opportunity to engage in meaningful questions, formulate conjectures and hypotheses, and explore...

Author: Devin M. Levin, Elizabeth Fleming, Carolina Napp-Avelli, Amber Storer
Number of views (25314)/Comments (0)/

Topics: Curriculum Organizational Structures STEM

Tags: Curriculum Integration Science Math Interdisciplinary Teaching

"Hands-Joined" Projects

A framework for co-developing projects with teachers and students.

Ask a middle school teacher to explain why student-centered projects are a logical choice for young adolescents and you are bound to hear about the numerous ways in which these projects provide students with...

Author: Jessica Demink-Carthew, Jeremy DeMink
Number of views (20158)/Comments (2)/

Topics: Curriculum Teaching

Tags: Project Based Learning Democratic Classroom Inquiry-based Learning

Creating Makers, Not Spaces

Move the desks out of the way, pull up a piece of rug, and invent something using the engineering process and leftover parts. Just like anything else, the Internet provides a plethora of ideas to define and design...

Author: Frank Pileiro, Frank Rudnesky, Peter Davis
Number of views (19686)/Comments (0)/

Topics: Curriculum Teaching

Tags: Student Engagement Inquiry-based Learning Problem-solving

Standards—Merely a Good Place to Start

Standards are important—but just a starting point

It used to be that the school or district leader’s answer to the fundamental question, “What are the most important things for me to teach this year?” invariably was, “Check your...

Author: Guy Gambone
Number of views (19422)/Comments (0)/

Topics: Curriculum Teaching

Tags: Social Studies

Integrating Curriculum for Meaningful Learning

In most schools, integrated curriculum is more a hit-and-miss practice than a full-scale, all-out commitment. To accomplish the goal of ensuring that “all teachers can identify the connections among ideas and...

Author: Sue B. Vansant
Number of views (74294)/Comments (2)/

Topics: Curriculum Teaching Teaming

Tags: Literature Math Reading Social Studies Integrated Curriculum

Why Johnny Can't Sing, Dance, Saw, or Bake

For decades we’ve heard why Johnny can’t read, write, or do simple math. Whenever there is a crisis in American education, we tend to rally the troops to make drastic changes so Johnny can finally learn...

Author: Jack Berckemeyer
Number of views (30977)/Comments (6)/

Topics: Curriculum Middle School Concept

Tags: Arts Education Jack Berckemeyer Electives

PBL: Learning How to Learn

Project-based learning is about more than "doing projects."

We teach children to ask questions at a very early age, then we send them into the secondary school classroom where we ask them to quietly absorb information without questioning it. Project-based learning (PBL)...

Author: Rachel Erickson
Number of views (52587)/Comments (7)/

Topics: Curriculum Teaching

Tags: Project Based Learning

Exploring Science Through Fine Arts

Integrating the fine arts into science instruction promotes differentiation and encourages exploration.

The middle school years are a pivotal time in students’ understanding of and enthusiasm for science, according to the National Science Teachers Association. Science must be something that students do, not...

Author: Judy Beck, Laura Kaufmann, & Cece Toole
Number of views (63752)/Comments (5)/

Topics: Curriculum Teaching

Tags: Science Arts Education Interdisciplinary Teaching

Using Chants and Cadences to Promote Literacy Across the Curriculum

Chants and cadences engage students in creative writing and critical thinking.

Daniel (a pseudonym) had benefitted greatly from the idea that students can creatively represent their ideas in a content area in ways other than traditional spoken and written responses. He was a preservice...

Author: Lisa Ciecierski & William P. Bintz
Number of views (62456)/Comments (4)/

Topics: At-risk/RTI Curriculum Differentiated Instruction Diversity and Social Equity Language Arts and Literacy Professional Preparation Research STEM Teaching

Tags: Reading Writing Literacy

Weaving STEM, Exploration, and Community Service

There is an epidemic plaguing our country. It's creeping through our communities and into many of our schools. It's not the flu. It's the number of young people who are dropping out of school at alarming rates,...

Author: Alyssa Hawkins and Scott Richardson
Number of views (26209)/Comments (5)/

Topics: Curriculum Family and Community STEM Teaching

Tags: Student Motivation Service Learning Dropout Prevention

Association for Middle Level Education

Browse by Topic: Curriculum

Mathematics and Science in Middle Level Classrooms

Integrating disciplines to encourage exploration and discovery.

"Hands-Joined" Projects

A framework for co-developing projects with teachers and students.

Creating Makers, Not Spaces

Standards—Merely a Good Place to Start

Standards are important—but just a starting point

Integrating Curriculum for Meaningful Learning

Why Johnny Can't Sing, Dance, Saw, or Bake

PBL: Learning How to Learn

Project-based learning is about more than "doing projects."

Exploring Science Through Fine Arts

Integrating the fine arts into science instruction promotes differentiation and encourages exploration.

Using Chants and Cadences to Promote Literacy Across the Curriculum

Chants and cadences engage students in creative writing and critical thinking.

Weaving STEM, Exploration, and Community Service

Related Resources

This We Believe

Owning Up

Topic Matter Experts

Bobb Darnell

Cathryn Berger Kaye

Judith Conk

Kim Campbell

Rick Herrig

Nancy Doda

Rick Wormeli