Education Commons^™

"She Stands For Freedom": A Thematic Unit Plan For 4th And 5th Graders, Jeremiah Sammons

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

According to researchers such as Bell (1984) and Fisher (1991), few activities are more powerful for developing historical empathy than engaging students in role-play. This thematic unit plan for fourth and fifth grade children integrates the learning objectives and skills required by the Common Core standards. It consists of a two-act play, The Golden Door, and sample lesson plans that include assessments. Beginning with the Statue of Liberty, the original theatrical work will introduce numerous historical figures as well as interesting historical tidbits, and familiarize students with famous women (as opposed to men), while also allowing teachers an opportunity to …

"An Easy Switch": A Descriptive Case Study Exploring The Shift Toward Informational Text Accompanying The Implementation Of Common Core State Standards In Five Primary Classrooms, Heather Denise Kindall

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive case study was to discover how the newly implemented Common Core State Standards (CCSS) may have changed teachers' practices and philosophies regarding literacy instruction and to determine which teaching strategies were being presented in regard to informational text in the studied Kindergarten through second grade classrooms.

The research was conducted in five classrooms within one elementary school in the mid-Southern United States. The study design involved semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and teacher-reported lesson plans over a fourteen week data collection period. The aim of this research was to portray a vivid description of the implementation …