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Full-Text Articles in Education

World Changers: Social Justice At The Heart Of Middle School Language Arts Curriculum, Mackenzie Mcclain Dec 2021

World Changers: Social Justice At The Heart Of Middle School Language Arts Curriculum, Mackenzie Mcclain

Honors Theses

English classrooms, at their best, are safe places for adolescents to critically engage with difficult issues presented in novels and the real world. One such issue is human trafficking, which is expected to soon become the world’s most profitable criminal industry (Knudsen, 2015). Incorporating values and instructional approaches from social justice pedagogy, I have designed a sixth-grade language arts unit plan about human trafficking based upon Francesco D’Adamo’s novel, Iqbal (2003). My purpose was to create resources, such as standards-based learning objectives, text sets, lesson plans, and student projects to use in my own classroom, as well as for teachers …


Elementary School Library Collections: A Content Analysis Of Science Trade Books, Sandra W. Watson, Sheila F. Baker Aug 2021

Elementary School Library Collections: A Content Analysis Of Science Trade Books, Sandra W. Watson, Sheila F. Baker

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

In this study, science trade books from the libraries of 10 elementary schools across the United States were evaluated using the modified Hunsader rubric for their overall quality pertaining to science content, literacy, and critical literacy criteria. Findings indicate that 62% of the books met the overall science content criterion, 99% met the overall literacy criterion, and 41% met the overall critical literacy criterion. The majority of science trade books in each school were life science books, and the majority of books across all schools were 18–23 years old, with many being much older. Implications and recommendations are provided.


The Evolution Of An Elementary Writing Workshop: Fostering Teacher Efficacy And Authentic Authorship In Young Writers, Jennifer Green, Kayla Steber Mar 2021

The Evolution Of An Elementary Writing Workshop: Fostering Teacher Efficacy And Authentic Authorship In Young Writers, Jennifer Green, Kayla Steber

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Building confidence and efficacy in young writers is critical to long-term academic success, but for many teachers, writing is a complex and challenging discipline to teach. This exploratory case study examines the evolution of a writing workshop in an elementary classroom and the partnership between an instructional coach and teacher. Observational data shed light on the phenomena of student motivation, teacher efficacy, and culturally responsive approaches to writing. Collaborative teaching methods and careful attention to the principles of writing workshop contributed to an enriching journey for the coach, the teacher, and her third-grade students. A portrait of their lived experiences …


"Are We Excavating Today?" A Portrait Of Vocabulary-Enhanced Intervention Practices, Deborah Kardane Jan 2021

"Are We Excavating Today?" A Portrait Of Vocabulary-Enhanced Intervention Practices, Deborah Kardane

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This case study focused on the design and implementation of a third-grade vocabulary-enhanced reading intervention for below grade–level readers. The activities aimed to simultaneously engage students in tending to phonological, orthographic, syntactical, and semantic elements of new vocabulary words while also taking into account the vital role that collaboration and social interaction play in student learning. Descriptive statistics were integrated with qualitative methods focusing on language use in order to paint a complete portrait of students’ and teachers’ experiences with revised instructional practices. Findings suggest vocabulary instruction in an intervention setting can encourage student collaboration and social interaction while providing …