1
Single-Gender Education: A Handbook for Teachers and Principals
2 Table of Content
About the Authors 5 Purpose 6 Overview of Gender Differences: 7 Sensory Processing 7 Memory/Emotional Processing 8 Stress 8 Information Processing 11 Getting Started 15 Beginning Activities 15 Choice 17 Student Selection 18 Curriculum and Assessment 19 Activities for Getting Parents on Board with Single-Gender Classes 20 Information Meetings 21 Brochures 21 Book Studies 21 Newsletters and Websites 22 Community Awareness Activities 22 Parent Questionnaire 22 Classroom Management 24 Daily Schedule, Organization, and Physical Layout 24 Sample Primary Boys’ Daily Schedule 25 Sample Primary Girls’ Daily Schedule 26 Sample Intermediate Boys' Daily Schedule 27 Sample Intermediate Girls' Daily Schedule 28 Classroom Design and Set-up 30 Rules and Procedures 34 Classroom Dynamics 34 Brain Breaks 35 Parent Communications 37 Content Strategies 39 Boy Pedagogy 41 Girl Pedagogy 43 Lesson Planning 47 Primary Science 47 Primary Math 49 Primary Social Studies 50 Primary Reading 52 Primary Writing 53 Primary Math 55
3 Intermediate Math 56 Intermediate Social Studies 58 Intermediate Science 60 Intermediate Writing 61 APPENDIX A 63 CONTENT AREA WEBSITE AND RESOURCES 63 I. Teacher Websites 64 II. Science Websites 65 III. Content Related Websites 67 IV. State Academic Standards 71 V. Gender Specific Web Resources 76 VI. Recommended Trade Books 77 APPENDIX B 84 Placement Letter/Correspondence 84 Single-Gender Choice Brochure 89 Single-Gender Option Flier 91 APPENDIX C 93 Brain Break Suggestions 93 Appendix D 94 Parent Survey 94 APPENDIX E 95 References 95 Reference Books 96 Newspaper and Magazine References 98
4 About the Authors
This manual was a collaborative effort between members of the Nina B Hollis Institute for Educational Reform and many single-gender teachers at Woodward Avenue Elementary in Deland, Florida. The teachers who contributed to this manual include Melissa Holyfield- Bass, Laurie LaMondie, Jodi Lewitt, Karen Medlin, Mary Catherine Michaels, Shari Mesibov, and Joanne Rodkey (principal of Woodward when the single-gender program began).
The Nina B Hollis Institute for Educational Reform housed at Stetson University includes Elizabeth Dershimer, Elizabeth Heins, Douglas MacIsaac, Kathy Piechura-Couture, and Mercedes Tichenor. The Hollis Institute is responsible for the background information as well as for compiling and editing the manual. Any questions or comments should be directed to the Nina B Hollis Institute (386) 717-2144 or visit us on the web at http://www.ninabhollis.com.
5 Purpose
Although single-gender classrooms or same-sex classes have been around for centuries, most public schools no longer offer this type of classroom configuration.
However, resurgence in single-gender classes has begun. To some this movement may seem like a step backward, but to others (i.e. National Association of Single Sex Public
Education) this movement is an educational revolution based on new scientific evidence relating to how boys and girls learn. We view single-gender education as a viable option for parents and believe it can be beneficial for many students. We offer this handbook as a way to share what we’ve learned about single-gender education over the years.
This handbook is compiled by teachers and researchers who began an initiative over seven years ago with single-gender classrooms in a public elementary school. In the following chapters, we describe gender-specific research that supports our instructional practices. We also include suggestions and ideas for getting started, classroom management, and lesson delivery. We hope you will find the research-based practices and other innovative ideas included in this handbook useful in your classrooms.
6 Overview of Gender Differences:
Scientific research has shown that there are biological and maturational differences in the way boys’ and girls’ brains develop and process information. These differences can be grouped into four categories:
• sensory processing,
• memory/emotional processing,
• stress, and
• information processing
Sensory Processing
The most widely researched area in animal and human studies that relates to the sex-differences is sensory processing. For example, boys’ eyes are wired for movement, whereas girls’ eyes are wired for detail and color. This variance is due to sex differences within the eye structure. A boy’s eye will have many M cells, which are responsible for tracking objects. Girls’ eyes are rich in P cells allowing them to see great detail and color variation.
Hearing is another sensory area in which boys and girls differ. Girls tend to hear higher frequency ranges more acutely than boys. The ability to hear higher frequencies is important for speech discrimination, which is advantageous for girls in the area of reading and language (Sax, 2010). However, boys are much better at echolocation. In other words, boys are able to follow a sound much more accurately than girls, thus a moving teacher will be heard by the boys.
Researchers have also found differences in smell and taste (Doty, 1985); however, these do not impact the classroom as much as the other senses. 7
Memory/Emotional Processing
Emotion and stress are also processed differently in males and females. Gabrieli,
(2008) through his research at MIT, has found that men and women process emotions in different regions of the brain. The impact of these differences allows men to separate the emotion from the memory, whereas women code the memory and emotion together
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/22671626#22652909). For women, remembering is feeling. Silveri et al. (2006) found that both young boys’ and girls’ emotions are localized in the amygdale (a primitive area of the brain). If you ask kindergarteners how they feel when they are upset, they will typically say, “mad.” If you ask an older girl the same question, she may say frustrated, upset or disappointed. Silveri et al found that as girls mature they are able to make cognitive connections between the amygdale and the cerebral cortex allowing girls to think about their emotions. However, the boys’ emotions seem to be stuck in the amygdale. If you ask an adult male how he feels, he will typically say “mad,” “excited,” or “I don’t care.” It is rare for a man to classify his emotions. Yet, as teachers we often ask boys to identify a character’s emotions. For example, we may ask, “How do you think Charlotte felt?” When a boy is given this type of question, he typically says, “I hate this…how do I know how she feels…what do I care?” However, if you ask him what he would do if he were Charlotte he is off and running. Boys are able to talk about actions, but not emotions.
Stress
Stress is also affected by the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for secreting hormones into the blood system. As humans we 8 secrete the same hormones; however, different sexes release differing amounts. These differences typically cause boys to become excited after a stressful situation and cause girls to become nauseous. Some researchers caution over emphasizing the autonomic nervous system data because most of the research was done on adults and animals and cannot be substantiated for children. However, we have found that children’s behavior appears to support these findings.
Reponses to stress greatly effect how teachers manage classrooms and deal with an anxious or excited child. Because of the stress associated with fear of failure, girls many times find it difficult to take risks (either physically or intellectually). Many times girls are not as quick to raise their hands in class for fear that they might be wrong. They often will copy the teacher’s design instead of venturing out on their own. However, it is usually the opposite in the all-boys classroom. As one teacher of an all-boys’ class said,
“I would be happy if the boys’ projects remotely looked like my example.”
Typically boys tend to over estimate their abilities (Stipek, 1984). For example, on occasions we have surveyed boys regarding their grades and most of them believe they aced the test or that they were awesome. This risk taking or lack of risk taking manifests itself positively and negatively. On the negative side, if Johnny jumped a ravine and made it safely across, but the next five boys ended in the bottom of the ravine, the seventh boy would say Johnny made it and off he’d go (ignoring the five at the bottom of the ravine). On the positive side, boys will learn much through experimentation and failure. However, we need to make sure we channel their natural risk-taking disposition (Ginsburg & Miller, 1982). toward the positive and steer them away from the negative, or at least make it safe. The opposite is true for the girls. Girls typically underestimate their abilities. Girls usually rationalize good reasons why they
9 shouldn’t take unneeded risks. We believe without experimentation and failure, girls may miss opportunities for discovery learning.
Hormones may also contribute to test performance. High stakes testing in itself is a highly stressful endeavor. Boys who enter the situation overly confident may have an unfair advantage when it comes to testing. Males secrete more adrenaline and like their animal counterparts (e.g. mice) do better when under a little stress. Experiments with mice show how these hormones may affect us differently. Researchers trained both male and female mice in mazes. Both sexes learned the maze well and were able to retrieve the cheese from different parts of the maze with speed and accuracy. Next, the researchers decided to stress the mice by putting a piece of Plexiglas on top of the maze for a short period of time and placing a cat on the Plexiglas. Male mice ran very quickly through the maze and in record speed were able to retrieve the cheese. On the other hand, the female mice’s speed and accuracy decreased. Females hid in the corner and became very still instead of going after the cheese. The longer the stress on the female mice, the more likely they were to freeze and hide. Male mice, however, never had the fright response, but rather exhibited the flight response. Even after the stress was removed for a period of time, the female mice did not perform to the pre-stress level. It seemed like the female mice had to relearn parts of the maze. This did not happen to the male mice until their movement was restricted.
The researchers fastened straight jackets on the mice and then exposed them to stress. Once again all the mice had been extremely proficient prior to the stress. After the stress was removed and the mice were allowed to run the maze, the restricted male mice had completely forgotten the maze. Although we cannot make sweeping comparisons to our small furry friends, we do know that human males and females react differently under
10 stress. Women under stress typically secrete more oxytocin causing blood flow to remain in the core of the body. Therefore, blood is not flowing as fast to the brain or extremities.
This may contribute to forgetting. Prior to tests in all-girls classes, we have them run to the fence and back behind the school. By having the girls run to the fence, blood is rushing to their extremities. Other teachers have taught girls to squeeze a stress ball or tense and release muscles as a way to lower stress. These de-stressing activities get the blood moving.
Movement is also used in the all-boys classrooms. The boys were allowed to stand, rock and use stress balls while taking a test. However, the purpose here is to reduce adrenaline. We use movement with boys because we don’t want to put them in straightjackets during times of assessments. Boys’ brains go into what neurologists call
“a rest state” many times per day. You’ll notice this when you look at who is drifting off, zoning out, or even trying to sleep through class. You’ll also notice that some of the boys will try to avoid their own rest state by tapping pencils, pulling at their hair, or hitting a classmate with a spitball. For some boys, especially those with behavioral issues, these self-stimulating and disruptive behaviors are part of emotional or psychological issues.
For many boys, they are male brains trying to stay awake in classrooms that are not set up appropriately (Radley, 2008).
Information Processing
Researchers (Hogan, 1976; Harris, 1975) found that boys and girls process information differently and in different regions of the brain. As noted in the chart below, girls process language on both sides of the brain, which gives them an early advantage in effective communication. If you ask any preschool or kindergarten teacher, he or she will agree that most girls come to school with much more developed language skills than their 11 male counterparts. Men learn language, but even as adults, only process language on the right side of the brain. Studies of adults, however, show little if any difference in language ability once adulthood is reached.
On the other hand, boys have an advantage in spatial relationships and mental representation of objects when they enter school. These and other spatial tasks give males the advantage in mathematical reasoning. Boys process spatial relationships on both sides of the brain whereas girls only use the right side. By adulthood these spatial differences are negligible. We considered how these developmental and processing differences affected children’s self-esteem and attitudes toward processes like reading and math. In our early studies of single-gender classes we found that as early as first and second grade girls were labeling themselves as poor in math. In reality, girls’ brains may not be developmentally ready for math at this age. The developmental delay may be due to brain function and the disadvantage of not processing spatially on both sides of the brain. The same can be said for boys who struggle with reading and have delayed language skills at this age.
We know from longitudinal studies that children can overcome these differences, but many begin believing that they are “poor” readers or “hate” math. In first grade girls classes, we point out to the girls how they develop differently and that their brains are just not ready for math yet. We use more hands-on manipulatives to compensate for this developmental delay in our female classes and give girls physical representations of objects so that they do not have to rely on mental images. We have watched girls’ math scores rise dramatically as they mature. Later we transition to mental math and help the girls develop mental mathematical models. In male classes, in addition to using manipulatives, we introduce mental math much earlier. In reading, we scaffold
12 instruction to alleviate the pressure of not being the best reader. We made sure that we surround them with reading material that is boy-friendly. We have found that non-faction books are highly popular in the early grades. After they are hooked on reading we then introduce the boys to novels that foster a love for reading.
Recently, a kindergarten teacher who has taught mixed and single-gender classes commented on these differences. In the beginning of the year in her all-boys class she worried about how the boys performed on early literacy skills only to find that at the end of the year most boys exceeded the state expectations. However, when she taught in the all-girls kindergarten class she had to borrow reading and writing activities from the second-grade teacher because most of the girls at this age read well above grade level.
She also commented that she never had such growth while teaching in mixed-gender classes. We believe that if teachers do not teach based on these biological and developmental differences, they jeopardize optimal learning for all students.
The chart below summarizes basic sex differences in boys and girls. We refer to these differences throughout the handbook, but provide this as a quick reference sheet.
13
Girls Boys Sensory Processing Eyes Girls’ eyes will be rich in P a eyes are rich in M cells, cells, which allows them to see which is responsible for great detail and distinguish tracking objects. color variation. Ears Girls as a group have greater Boys are better at sound hearing sensitivity, greater localization, detecting susceptibility to noise exposure binaural beats, and detecting at high frequencies, shorter signals in complex masking latencies in their auditory tasks than are females. brain-stem responses Smell Girls are able to identify odors Boys have a harder time more accurately. identifying odors. Motor skills Young girls exhibit better fine Young boys exhibit better motor skills (drawing, picking gross motor skills (running, small objects) jumping, kicking) Information processing Language Girls process language on both Boys process language sides of their brains. primarily on the right side of the brain Object rotation Girls process objects and the Boys process objects and rotation of the objects on the rotation of the objects on left side of their brain both sides of their brains. Memory/Emotional processing Feelings Girls after the age of seven Boys (85%) process process emotion in the feelings/emotions in the amygdala (a primal part of the amygdale, thus they do not brain) and the cerebral cortex think about how they feel. (responsible for higher level thinking) Memory Girls process memories with Boys process memories and the emotion. Encoding the emotions separately. The memory in the left-side of the emotion is processed in the brain left side of the amygdale but stored in the right. They are able to separate emotion from the detail. Stress Autonomic When under stress girls’ When under stress boys’ nervous parasympathetic nervous sympathetic nervous system system system kicks in, the chemicals kicks in and the chemicals oxytocin and acetylcholine are adrenaline and secreted. This causes decreased norepinephrine are secreted. blood flow to the brain, and This causes fight or flight— often causes nausea. can increase memory and learning. Restricting movement can cause lose of learning.
14 Getting Started
Undertaking a single-gender program takes time. It is recommended that faculty have extensive professional development to learn about and examine information on single-gender teaching strategies and programs before beginning such an initiative. If possible, visits to school sites and attendance at conferences provide wonderful insights into what makes a successful program.
Beginning Activities
Prior to providing a program, the school may need to seek approval from the school district. Districts may require a presentation before the local school board and generally want a rationale for the program. The following chart, Why Consider Single-
Gender Classes, includes information that we’ve used to provide a rationale for single- gender programs.
Data driven decisions usually include achievement levels of boys and girls as well as behavioral information on attendance and referrals. These data are usually requested before decisions are made to begin new programs (and for programs to continue).
Further, activities such as community meetings with parents and various civic groups
(i.e., Lions or Rotary Clubs), allow people to learn about the program, advantages to this option, as well as which boys or girls may benefit from such a setting. In addition, the school should provide letters to parents, brochures with the program overview, school meetings to address questions and concerns, and information on the school website. (See
Appendix B for student/parent letters and brochures. Templates are available on accompanying CD). More tips for getting parents involved are presented later in the handbook. 15 Why Consider Single-Gender Classes
1. The brains of girls and boys differ in important ways. These differences are genetically programmed and are present at birth. Brains can be identified by gender as early as 24 weeks into pregnancy. The areas of the brain involved in language, in spatial memory, in motor coordination and fine motor skills develop in a different order, time, and rate in girls compared to boys.
2. Girls and boys have different learning styles in part because of those innate, biologically programmed differences in the way the brain works. As a result, single-gender classes have unique advantages for girls and boys.
3. Boys are falling behind academically and fewer are attending college. While research has shown that both boys and girls do better in single-gender schools, boys benefit the most academically at the elementary level. Learning Differences 1. Girls are more likely to try new things when boys are not around. This is especially true for things that are usually thought of as “boy” areas (e.g. math, science, technology).
2. Greater learning occurs when girls are grouped with other girls. Studies have shown that pairing a girl with a boy together on a task can reduce the girl’s performance by as much as 50%.
3. Girls will naturally break into groups of 3-4 to work on problems. Boys are more competitive.
4. Girls can talk about emotions better than boys. They find it easier to share their feelings. They enjoy books about relationships, while boys tend to prefer action books.
5. Role-playing activities work better for girls.
6. Boys tend to prefer non-fiction over fiction.
7. Navigational task are handled in different parts of the brain. For girls it is in the cerebral cortex, the same general section that is responsible for language. For boys it is the hippocampus. This has significance for learning topics requiring spatial understanding, such as geometry, number theory, and algebra.
8. Girls use the right and left hemispheres to process language; boys use only the left hemisphere.
9. Girls need a classroom that is safe, comfortable, and welcoming. Boys need a classroom that is loud and lively.
10. Stress can have a positive effect on learning for boys. It usually has a negative effect on learning for girls.
11. Girls tend to be teacher-pleasers. Teachers have to work harder to engage boys, making it more critical to capitalize on their interests.
12. Girls mature faster than boys. On a MRI scan, the brain of a 17- year old boy looks more like the brain of an 11-year old girls.
13. Girls have a sense of hearing that is 2 to 4 times better than boys, depending on the frequency.
14. Girls are more likely to be excessively critical in evaluating their own academic performance; boys tend to have unrealistically high estimates of their own academic abilities and accomplishments
16 We have found the following steps useful when beginning a single-gender program:
1. Submit waiver proposal to School Advisory Council 2. Identify interested teachers at school site 3. Set up visits to schools currently implementing single-gender classes 4. Hold parent meetings for grade levels impacted 5. Submit waiver request to school board 6. Offer option to parents (letter mailed home with report card at end of year). 7. Form classes while paying attention to heterogeneous grouping
Choice
Families should be given the opportunity to opt-in or opt-out of programs. One method is to have parents opt into these classrooms before the school year begins. This works best in schools where the student population is stable and the community does not have a lot of mobility. It is not the best method when parents do not have sufficient prior knowledge about these classes or if parents are new to the locale. Various districts have constructed classes such that students are assigned to single-gender classes before the school year begins. Parents then have the opportunity to remove their child from this setting (opt-out) if it is not the best educational fit. The opt-out model is best if you would like to collect research datum, as it is easier to use stratified random sampling.
You can randomly assign students to the all-boys, all-girls, and mixed classes. You can stratify the sample by ensuring that classes are balanced academically, socially, and economically.
Educators should also be given the choice of teaching in a single-gender class.
These individuals should embrace the differences in learning and teaching styles and recognize that they may be better suited for teaching boys or girls. While administrators may observe behaviors they think would make the individual a better teacher of boys or girls, it is important to allow the educator to make the final decision. Programs where
17 teachers have been told they are teaching single-gender classes without any personal input are doomed. Innovative educators who are risk takers generally do well in these classes. As with many educational programs, the quality of the teacher impacts the success of the students. These classes will not transform an average teacher into a stellar teacher.
Student Selection
Administrators need to maintain similar student profiles across single and mixed gender classes. Academic and social characteristics should be balanced so that each class has a mix of academic levels and behaviors. All the behavior problems should not be placed in an all-boys class and all the ultra-feminine girls placed in another. Such selections perpetuate gender stereotypes and should be avoided. In addition, the ages of the children should be considered so that all of the youngest of any grade level are not in one class, but spread among the older students. It is important to remember that single- gender classes are not an option for every boy or every girl. Fifteen to twenty percent of the population does not conform to typical gender learning styles. If your school is large enough, you can comprise classes for these students. If not, these students may perform better in mixed-gender classes where the teacher has received professional development on gender teaching pedagogy. If teachers are knowledgeable about gender teaching strategies, they often are the best sources for which children should be placed in these rooms. They can identify students who work well in less structured environments or those who prefer a quieter atmosphere with defined work areas. For those students entering kindergarten, some type of screening or interview may be necessary to determine which students would best fit in these classes. No method is foolproof so some movement among classes may be necessary the first weeks of school. 18
Curriculum and Assessment
Before program implementation, teachers should immerse themselves in teaching strategies and how to incorporate diverse techniques within the curriculum. The first years will see significant growth in how teachers address these learning differences in boy or girl classes. On-going discussions and book studies of the best strategies are essential. Teachers often find that their colleague has a solution to a particular concern they have. Discussions centered on lesson pacing, movement, learning activities and grouping patterns are extremely helpful. Assessment should also be carefully planned before the classes begin. Typical assessments include some measures of academic success, standardized and curriculum-based. Further, measures of students’ attitude, as well as, teachers’ and parents’ attitudes should be measured. In addition, it is important that data on discipline referrals, attendance, and tardiness be closely monitored. The chart below identifies general guidelines that should be considered prior to initiating a single-gender program.
19
Checklist for Gender Specific Classrooms
q Ongoing faculty development
q Involvement of School/Parent Advisory Council
q Community meetings (parent and community groups)
q Letters, brochure, information to parents
q Choice program parents and teachers
q Student selection
q Similar student profile across single and mixed gender classes
q Choice program for teachers
q District waiver
q Data driven
q Curriculum and assessment planning and development
Activities for Getting Parents on Board with Single-Gender Classes
As schools begin to design and implement single-gender programs, an important question for teachers and administrators is, “How do we get parents on board with single-gender classrooms?” The activities described below are various ways to communicate and educate parents about single-gender education.
20 Information Meetings
Information meetings should be held for parents. Information should provide a description of the program, research-based benefits of single-gender classes, faculty training in teaching single-gender classes, the options parents have for student placement, how the placement process works, and how teaching strategies and student activities are similar or different from the mixed (coeducational) classes. In addition to specific informational meetings where parents can learn more about the single-gender program, periodic updates on the single-gender program can occur during the School Advisory
Council (SAC) meeting and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings.
Brochures
Two of the most frequently asked questions by parents are: How will a single- gender classroom benefit my child? How is a single-gender classroom different from a mixed-gender classroom? These questions, along with other pertinent program information, can be answered in a single-gender brochure. Brochures should be available for parents in the main office, and distributed at open house nights and PTA meetings. If there is a high-percentage of ESOL students at the school, the brochure should also be available in other languages.
Book Studies
Parents respond positively when they are provided with the opportunity to participate in more formal activities such as book studies on how boys and girls learn differently. Based on parent interest, a parent book study that focuses on current brain research and single-gender pedagogy can be provided. Teachers, administrators, or parents can lead the book study. The sessions may generate many questions by parents
21 that can be easily discussed and answered in this format. This type of activity allows all parents to learn about single-gender education and should not be limited to those parents who may have children enrolled in these programs.
Newsletters and Websites
School newsletters and websites provide other ways for parents to learn about single-gender programs. In our newsletter, events and awards are highlighted allowing not only parents, but also people in the community to learn about this program.
Newsletter articles also include the research and rationale behind single-gender education.
Community Awareness Activities
We believe it is important for schools to take every opportunity to increase awareness in the community about new educational programs. For example, we participate in local holiday parades holding a school banner that highlights the single- gender program. We also participate in school board meetings where we present information about the single-gender classrooms, research collected, and program implementation. These meetings usually include parents, civic leaders, reporters, and businesses, which help strengthen our outreach efforts.
Parent Questionnaire
We believe it is important that parents have opportunities to provide us with information as well. We seek parent input by distributing parent questionnaires. The parent questionnaire examines perspectives on how the single-gender program impacts their children. Survey items allow parents to comment on children’s motivation, interest in trying new ways to learn, attitude about school, and interest in various academic 22 subjects. Results from the survey provide important feedback regarding the work we do in single-gender classrooms and help evaluate the program effectiveness. We value parent input and surveying parents on a regular basis enhances the home/school partnership. See Appendix D for a sample parent survey.
23 Classroom Management
Effective teachers are successful in motivating and managing their students. In single-gender classes, effective teachers must incorporate the hardwired differences between boys and girls to create optimal environments that facilitate student behavior and achievement. In an all-boys classroom, teachers focus on harnessing the boys’ natural physical energy through brain breaks and building self-esteem in reading and writing by teaching through movement. They can also focus on fostering respect and instilling the qualities associated with becoming a “man.” The teachers of girls can harness the girls’ natural verbal energy and promote girls supporting girls. They can also build self-esteem in math and science by encouraging risk-taking. In this section, sample schedules, room layouts, daily procedures, classroom dynamics, brain breaks, and parent communication are presented. We hope this section will allow you to “see” how single-gender classrooms are organized and managed.
Daily Schedule, Organization, and Physical Layout
To create effective learning environments, teachers must examine their daily schedules, organization and physical layouts of the classroom. For example, boys need space as many lessons incorporate movement while the all-girls classrooms tend to foster social interactions. Structure and organization are important in both boys and girls classrooms. If possible, allow students to enter your room early, as both need time to talk to you and each other. Boys need as much time in the morning as girls to talk; however, the subject matter and depth of these conversations are different. Boys will generally talk about their latest cuts and bruises or sporting event while girls want to tell you every
24 detail of how they spent their evenings. Having these conversations before class makes it much easier for the students to settle in and work once the school day formally begins.
Also, the additional time allows the boys to get organized. Sample daily schedules for primary and intermediate classrooms are listed below.
Sample Primary Boys’ Daily Schedule
Time Activity 7:50-8:00 Greet the boys at the door and collect their folders. Boys will show battle scars and quick anecdotes of time away from the teacher. Boys put up backpack, get a sharpened pencil, and sit at desk to do morning work while listening to the morning news. 8:00-9:20 Math 9:20-9:30 Writing
9:30-10:05 Special Area 10:05- 10:40 Writing while eating snack (chew and do) 10:40-12:00 Language Arts Block 12:00-12:30 Lunch 12:30-12:45 Read Aloud 12:45-1:00 Recess 1:00-1:50 Science/Social studies 1:50-2:55 Centers Four centers 15minutes each. Typical centers would include math, computers, vocabulary kit, and science or social studies 2:55-3:05 Boys do their classroom jobs. 3:05 Dismissal
25 Sample Primary Girls’ Daily Schedule
Time Activity 7:45-8:00 Warm-ups 8:00-8:10 Bathroom Break 8:10-10:10 Reading: Teacher Read Aloud, Whole & Small Groups, Center
10:10-10:45 Lang. Arts/Writing 10:45-11:45 Math 11:45-11:50 Bathroom Break 11:50-12:25 Special Area 12:25-12:40 Recess 12:44-1:14 Lunch 1:14-1:25 Bathroom Break
1:25-2:05 Science
2:05-2:45 Social Studies 2:45-3:00 Distribute Homework/Clean Up 3:05 Dismissal
26 Sample Intermediate Boys' Daily Schedule
Time Activity
7:50 - 8:10 Seatwork/Attendance/Lunch count/Morning News 8:10 - 9:00 Math 9:00 - 9:10 Restroom & Drink Break/Talk time & Silent Speed Ball Game 9:10 - 9:55 Writing 9:55 - 10:05 Dodge Ball
10:05 - 10:25 Reading - Whole Group Instruction 10:25 - 11:20 Literacy centers and teacher guided small group instruction 11:20 - 11:29 Restroom & Drink Break/Talk time 11:30 - 12:00 Lunch 12:00 - 12:15 Recess/Restroom & Drink Break 12:15 - 12:30 Teacher Read-Aloud (boys may draw while listening)
12:35 - 1:05 Special Area (Music, Art, Library, PE) 1:05 - 1:25 Social Studies 1:25 - 1:30 Restroom & Drinks Break/Talk time & Silent Speed Ball Game 1:30 - 2:05 Science 2:05 - 2:55 Math Centers/Technology (math computer games) 2:55 - 3:05 Assign Homework, Clean Room and Prepare for Dismissal
27
Sample Intermediate Girls' Daily Schedule
Time Activity 7:50 - 8:10 Seatwork/Attendance/Lunch count/Morning News 8:10 - 9:10 Math 9:10 - 9:55 Writing 9:55 - 10:25 Reading - Whole Group Instruction
10:25 - 11:20 Reading Groups & Centers Centers: Readers' Theater, Computers, Literature Circles, Teacher Guided Small Group 11:20 - 11:29 Restroom & Drinks Break/Talk time
11:30 - 12:00 Lunch
12:00 - 12:15 Recess/Restroom & Drink Break
12:15 - 12:30 Teacher Read-Aloud (girls may lie on floor while listening)
12:35 - 1:05 Special Area (Music, Art, Library, PE)
1:05 – 1:25 Social Studies 1:25 – 2:05 Science 2:05 – 2:55 Math Centers/Technology (math computer games) 2:55 – 3:05 Assign Homework, Clean Room and Prepare for Dismissal
From the first day of class, it is important to review your daily schedule with the girls. As you have noticed above, it is essential to incorporate whole group bathroom breaks into your daily routines for girls. Otherwise, sending the girls in pairs to the restroom may become a revolving door (with some girls doing the “potty” dance as if it is an emergency). However, there is no quick solution to an all-girls class bathroom break.
It can typically take a class about 10-15 minutes (on a good day). It is sometimes
28 necessary to ‘hurry’ the girls along, because they will check their hair, how their clothes look or just talk to their classmates. Some girl teachers have a mirror in the classroom.
Be sure to have your daily schedule posted somewhere in the classroom where the girls are able to observe it, such as a bulletin board.
When arranging classrooms for girls and boys, it’s important to keep some things in mind. For example, boys need lots of space for movement (and space for the teacher to move). Boys also benefit from having a variety of seating choices in the room, such as bean bags with clipboards, bucket chairs, gaming rockers, and traditional desks.
Teachers find it most successful to have assigned seating in groups for girls
(tables work well). This arrangement emphasizes the “team” concept. Further, girls tend to thrive on the social aspect of this arrangement. Also, positive peer pressure works as an advantage in this situation. Teams earn points for homework completion, behavior, and manners. Teachers can change seat assignments when necessary.
Students love to see their work hanging on the wall, especially the girls.
Although it is not feasible to hang every paper/project on the wall, it is important to hang representations of good work for each student sometime throughout the year.
29 Classroom Design and Set-up
Chalk board/overhead screen Writing Classroom Center Library TV
Overhead C o u c h C h a l k
B o a r d
S c i e n c e
C e n t e L r i s t e Empty Empty n i n g
C e n t e r
Reading Table
Teacher’s Desk
30 Publishing Center
R e a d i n g
C o u c h
Chalk board/overhead screen Reading Tent T V W Overhead r i t i n g
P a p e S r c i e W n h c i e t e C b e n o t a e r r d
r Computer Arrange desks side-by-side in a U-Shape. Boys that Stations display exemplary behavior earn the privilege to sit inside the U.
Math Tubs
Reading Table
Student Cubbies
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Carpeted Area for Whole Group Instruction/Small Group Centers
Captains are group leaders that are in charge of the “on-task” behavior of the members of their team. Their team sits directly in front of them in rows. Team members can go to the captain if they have a question or problem while the teacher is busy.
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33 Rules and Procedures
Teachers must provide consistency and treat all students fairly. This is best accomplished by rules and procedures that outline important behavioral guidelines and routines. Points, stickers, classroom jobs, or special privileges can provide motivation for boys and girls. Boys particularly enjoy tangible rewards and team points while girls tend to thrive on social recognition and teacher approval. While both need to begin the year with specific teaching of the rules and procedures for the classroom, boys will need constant and consistent reminders of the classroom management system. There should be a rule or procedure for everything in the all- boys class. If teachers do not provide the structure, the boys will create their own rules and guidelines.
Although structure and organization are just as crucial for girls classes as it is in boys classes, it is equally as important to be flexible and ready to “go with the flow” with the girls. It is critical to have procedures set in place for just about everything that can come up in a typical school day, but remember in an all-girls class unforeseen events seem to have a way of occurring. It is important to handle these unforeseen events in a timely manner; quickly discuss it with the girls (if appropriate – girls have a need to know “why?”) and get right back on task.
Classroom Dynamics
Teachers of girls should watch for the hidden social agenda. Girls are teacher-pleasers and often teachers are unaware of the “mean girl” phenomenon, which can occur very early in these classes. We have witnessed the “mean girl” phenomenon as early as kindergarten. There is generally one “queen bee” that determines the social networks, or pecking order, of the class.
This behavior can lead to girls being ostracized or bullied by others in the class; this occurs when one dictates the behavior of others. Typically girls will threaten not to be friends with them if
34 they do not follow “orders.” It is important for teachers to be aware of these girl behaviors and incorporate team-building activities into the daily schedule.
Conversely, boy relationships are built around activities and boy leaders may change according to the activity. Boys have a definite hierarchy within the classroom. If the teacher does not assume the alpha male role, there will be a social struggle among the boys to gain control. However, teachers must allow for activities where boys can assume leadership roles sometime during the day. Leadership roles could be on the playground, during group work, or in specific content areas (science expert). Establishing credible leadership immediately is paramount in an all-boys classroom; it is difficult to come back and try to establish this relationship later. The key to managing boys is fairness and consistency. If boys believe that discipline is consistent and fair, they will take responsibility, ownership, and except consequences for their behavior.
Girls are more apt to be teacher-pleasers than boys. Teachers should encourage girls to use their imagination and not provide too many examples of what is expected (girls tend to copy the teacher’s example). The girls need the constant reminder that it’s okay to make mistakes.
It’s really important to build their confidence, while explaining that it is human nature to make mistakes. Teachers also make mistakes.
Brain Breaks
Brain breaks are important in both the boys and girls classroom, but for different reasons.
As we learned earlier, boys are hardwired for movement and brain breaks allow boys to move.
For girls, brain breaks should allow for risk-taking and movement to reduce stress. Brain breaks are recommended after most subject areas. The length and intensity of the break depends on how focused the lesson is. For example, after a 45 minute writing lesson where the boys have to
35 sit and stay focused, the break will last at least 15 minutes (enough time for a game of dodge ball or kickball can take place). If a break is given after a 90-minute center rotation, a break may only last 10 minutes since students had the opportunity to move during the lesson.
A break of any kind in the all-boys class is preceded by the following statement/directions, “Boys we will now take a break. At this time you will pick up any trash and throw it out, sharpen your pencils, get a drink and use the restroom. You will not be allowed to do these things during class time so make sure you do them now (of course there will be the occasional emergency). When you come back we will play a quick game of silent speedball.
When you are out of the game you may sit at your seat and eat your snack”. The game, talk time, and snack time depend on the time of day and the lesson (sample non-movement brain- breaks can be found Appendix C).
Break time for girls should focus on risk-taking and team building activities. For example, physical activities can push the comfort zone of girls that promote risk-taking.
Classroom dance moves and puzzles have worked well in the all-girls classroom. Activities that highlight team building allow teachers to assess social networks and develop the leadership skills of the girls. However, it is important for teachers to pay close attention to the social undertones during these breaks and confront any “mean girl” behaviors. Brain breaks may incorporate exercise, social time, and enhancement of content. Examples of common activities include dodge ball, four corners, hot potato, kickball, organized dance activities, running, Simon Says, silent speedball, and Tai Bo. Non-movement type activities include board games, Sudoku, and flashcards. Below is a suggested brain break timeline by grade level.
36 Suggested Brain Break/Movement Schedule
Kindergarten Brain/Movement break every 15 minutes
1st Grade Brain/Movement break every 20 minutes
2nd Grade Brain/Movement break every 25 minutes
3rd Grade Brain/Movement break every 30 minutes
4th Grade Brain/Movement break every 35 minutes
5th Grade Brain/Movement break every 40 minutes
6th-8th At least one time during content area subjects
Parent Communications
It’s important to keep communications open with parents. Teachers must maintain constant communication, whether it is daily or weekly communication: notes/ behavior plans, emails, phone calls or a class webpage. Parents need to be kept informed.
37 The table below outlines brain-based differences and how they impact classroom management.
Classroom Management
Boys Girls Keep things moving in the classroom. Rules and procedures need to be set and Change activities frequently followed. Routine is preferred. Hearing Girls’ sense of hearing is more acute – at Boys hear less well than girls least four times. Direct, challenging, and quick witted Girls hearing is much more acute than boys. responses works well for most boys. Soft reminders (e.g. ladies remember) and quiet reprimands work well with girls. If your voice is too loud it is likely that some of the girls may perceive you as yelling or yelling at them. Using more direct and formal terms of address is often appropriate when working with boys. Addressing one another as "Mr." introduces an element of formality that may enhance class discipline. Boys will read orally but may not read aloud with expression. Slow down when Girls enjoy reading orally with expression reading orally to boys. Seeing Tracking visual stimulation (more Detail explanation needed) • Color-texture • ↓for management • Visual cues • ↑ within learning content Product – Process – Detailed directions step by step Need detailed directions Tricks of the trade: Small-group learning works well with most e.g., read book upside-down girls. Girls will naturally break up in groups of three and four to work on problems. Let Boys like independent work. They are them. If you're assigning class presentations, competitive and will work together as a let two girls give a joint presentation. The team. They often overestimate their format of one student giving a presentation to abilities. an entire class doesn't work as well (for girls) as two students giving a joint presentation. Group work should be structured, directed, and with a purpose. (adapted from Sax)
38 Content Strategies
Effective single-gender teachers understand how girls and boys learn differently and choose strategies that support these learning differences. The charts below connect gender differences to pedagogical implications. When designing lessons in single-gender classrooms, teachers must remember that the content remains the same for both girls and boys, but the lesson delivery will be different.
Girls Pedagogical Implications Girls move more of the emotive material Girls need time to process their feelings and can easily upward to the upper brain, where complex identify the emotions of others. This can manifest itself in thought occurs. much classroom drama. Plan for and provide a positive outlet. With writing girls’ character development will be highly developed, however, their plot (action) needs to be further addressed. Girls see color and texture. Girls’ eyes are Drawing and sight development allow for better object wired for detail. discrimination (What is it?). Girls draw nouns. We must add action and teach them how to write with action. Girls often acquire complex verbal skills Start mathematics and science exploration with hand-on earlier than boys do, and use both sides of experiments. Walk the girls through each step. Encourage their brains to process language. But girls exploration. Let girls talk and discuss material before, often need concrete objects to understand during and after a lesson. math at a young age.
Girls hear better and pick up more sensory A loud reprimanding voice used in a mixed gender class input than boys. may be too loud or assertive for an all-girls class.
Girls find it easier to learn in limited space, Allowing girls to stand or move is fine, but not needed as not needing to spread out their work as much as boys. Girls many times will prefer to work in much as boys. groups. Girls have a different stress response than boys. Girls do not generally need to move around Girls do not necessarily have the fight or flight response as much while learning. and will ignore the problem and hope it goes away.
Girls are less likely to take risks and tend Girls are motivated by encouragement. Pointing out to underestimate their abilities. failure can backfire. Help girls set goals and make an action plan to reach the goal. Most girls do not get pleasure from the thrill of the risk, but rather from the thrill of success.
Girls think about emotions and try to Content explained through social structures provide understand the motive behind the action. intrigue and help with understanding.
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Boys Implications Boys move more emotive material down When questioning a boy instead of asking him how he from the limbic system to the brain stem, “feels,” ask him what he would do. Boys process where fight or flight is stored. They tend to emotion through action. This applies to both academic rely heavily on nonverbal communication, questioning and behavior management. and are less likely to verbalize emotions.
Boys acquire spatial/mathematical skills Teachers of boys need to spend more time building on earlier than girls and can do math mentally. the strengths of mental math using math manipulatives with boys as needed.
Boys’ eyes are wired for movement. Teachers of boys need to use visuals and keep the pace of the lesson at a rapid rate. Boys draw verbs.
Boys tend to use more space when they learn, Desks at the younger age should be optional. especially at younger ages. Alternative seating (rocker or bucket chairs, bean bags) or allowing the student to stand during the day is advisable.
Boys need movement to stimulate their Centers with hands-on learning should be utilized as brains and manage and relieve impulsive much as possible. Allow for movement breaks such as behavior. calisthenics or Tae Bo.
Boys do not hear or smell as well as girls. The teacher’s voice needs to be commanding. When addressing the behavior of boys a boy teacher should stand side-by-side to discuss the child’s behavior. When teaching writing teachers should focus on character and detail development.
Boys are natural risk-takers and often over- In science allow for exploration. This is a natural way estimate their abilities. for boys to take monitored risks. Danger has a pleasant feeling.
With boys you must give them accurate data and help them create a plan to reach their goals as they often over-estimate their performance. If one boy jumps a ravine and nine others fail to make it across, a boy will say….so and so made it so can I.
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Boy Pedagogy
Boys need specific directions about lesson materials. It is advisable at the beginning of the year to do single-step directions and hand out only one item at a time. As the year progresses you can gradually add more steps and items, but be prepared to pull back if things start getting out of hand. Write the assignment on the board prior to passing out all of the materials.
Remember boys need to see the big picture so alert them to your goals and objectives. Boys cue in at different times and if only oral directions are given some will miss them. If directions are written on the board, this alleviates the need to repeat yourself—just point to it. After a while those who do not maintain pace with the teacher will know where to look for the information.
Make sure your directions are bare bones. Give direct, specific and minimal instruction.
Movement should be integrated into most of your lessons. In the beginning of the year, you may spend twice as much time planning movement activities than academic content. These movements should be related to the content and be separate from brain breaks. Many content areas lend themselves to movement. Allowing the boys to move can reinforce the content area and strengthen learning. For example, when teaching different types of triangles (equilateral, scalene, isosceles) give the boys ropes and in triads have them create the different triangles.
Boys tend to be top-down thinkers. They like to see the big picture and often want to know just the nitty-gritty. This can be troublesome if you teach in a logical sequential order or give step-by-step direct instruction. Boys typically will think that they know how to complete a task and will tune out during the lesson. Then they tune in only to realize that they missed the part that they didn’t know. This can be very frustrating to the teacher and can lead to undue scolding. Allow the boys to move ahead, while monitoring their progress, can thwart this.
41 Teams work well in all- boys classrooms. These teams can be set up in a competitive manner. This allows opportunities for the boys to be the alpha-dog. It also creates a sense of camaraderie. Teams can be setup so that different boys can be leaders based on the task or team configuration. In one of our classes after a student-teacher conference a student was told that he might be held back due to poor academic performance (It is a Florida state rule that children in third grade who score below a certain criteria must be retained). The young man came back to his team and informed them that he may not be moving on with the rest of the team. The others were appalled and said, “No, we will not leave one of our own behind.” They quizzed him and worked with him before and after school on his reading and mathematics. When the statewide assessment came, they gave him pep talks and reassured him that he would be moving on with his team. When the scores were posted, and the child made passing scores, his team carried him out to the playground to celebrate.
Another pedagogical aspect of teaching in an all-boys class relates to pace. Teachers in the boys class have discussed how much quicker the pace is in an all-boys class. The boys want to move rapidly from topic to topic and want the instructional tempo to move quickly. As with directions pacing needs to be monitored and teachers need to be adept at changing tempo based on learning. We have found that group response systems, choral response systems, or individual white boards allow for teachers to monitor learning quickly.
In mathematics boys have a biological advantage in the early years. They are able to mentally manipulate objects, which is beneficial to mathematical reasoning. Therefore, math manipulatives may not be as essential as they are in mixed-gender classes. When manipulatives become projectiles or action figures it is time to take them away.
42 As noted in the gender differences overview, the male brain is wired to take risks and often does not judge the danger involved with certain activities. It is not the teacher’s job to stifle this natural ability but rather channel it into appropriate areas. These natural tendencies often lead to remarkable discoveries and learning.
Girl Pedagogy
We often hear from teachers of girls that they haven’t had to change how they taught when moving from a mixed-gender to a single-gender classroom. This is not unusual because teachers teach the way they learn best; therefore, female teachers naturally organize their classroom instruction to serve girls’ strengths. As previously mentioned girls are not natural risk takers. Many female teachers themselves are not comfortable taking risks. However, if you are a female you must push yourself and the girls you teach, to take academic risks. There have been times when we have asked the teachers of the girls to do a risk-taking activity and they have said,
“No!” We have to remind them that it is important for the girls to learn to take risks and that it is okay to fail. So, encourage academic risk taking, praise divergent thinking and failure—step out of your own comfort zone.
We often describe the girls as “school ready”. This characterization stems from the observation that kindergarten girls come in with behaviors that favor school success. They are able to sit still and are more emotionally mature than their male counterparts. They also have a more mature grasp on language and language usage. This allows for the teachers to cover more advanced language concepts in the primary grades. Girls need more hands-on, concrete examples involving numbers and mathematical concepts. They also can learn logical thinking
43 through verbal language instead of computational language. Teachers should use life examples and stories to introduce mathematical concepts. Girls like to answer the question why.
Most girls process learning from the bottom up. They like the lesson delivery to be logical-sequential and are content to follow the teacher’s step-by-step example. In our experience, many teachers in the all-girls classrooms have stopped showing a model prior to instruction because they get 18 copies of the original model. In the girls classroom we encourage divergent thinking and praise alternative solutions.
Group work is also essential in the all-girls classroom. Cooperative teams are designed to foster collaboration and teamwork, not competition. The goal is reflection and growth. We have found that some girls will lose a competition if they fear that a friend will be upset and others will exhibit “mean girl” behavior to ensure that the “favorites” win. A 2007 study by the
Workplace Bullying Institute found that 37 percent of the U.S. workforce reported being bullied at work. Among those who mistreat their co-workers, women were more likely to target other women (71 percent), compared to men who bully other men (54 percent.) Barash (2007), a gender studies professor, and others state that it is a dirty secret that women don’t support one another. Therefore, women supporting women or girls supporting girls has to become an integral part of the all-girls class curriculum. Putting the girls in teams and praising teamwork and support can help girls climb the academic ladder and, later in life, the corporate ladder.
Oxytocin is a hormone involved with bonding and in establishing and maintaining relationships (Carter et al., 1998). Girls have higher levels of oxytocin (sometimes referred to as the “tend and befriend” hormone) in their systems then do boys and this is one reason why personal and social relationships are important to girls. Teachers should incorporate this relationship connection into lessons and activities. For example, history comes alive for girls
44 when they research the life of Susan B. Anthony or Rosa Parks through diary entries and journals that explore the emotional and relational side of these heroic women. Creating opportunities for girls to work on activities in groups is another way to build upon the relationship bonding of girls. Likewise, girls may be more attracted to activities that have a social interactive component built into them. For example, a study conducted by Kaitlin Kelleher (2009) reports that middle school girls spent 42% more time using programming software with an interactive and relationship based storytelling focus (human characters walk, speak, and interact with objects in their environment) then did girls who used a comparable programming software without this level of storytelling.
In the chart below, a variety of characteristics are listed that may help single-gender teachers develop lessons. Following the chart are sample lessons/activities that teachers have used in single-gender classrooms. Additional content resources and websites can be found in
Appendix A.
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Reading Girls Reading Boys Primary Primary Girls come into school wanting to read and Movement write Motivate to read Highly motivated Read for information (non-fiction) Playing school – make believe play Intermediate Intermediate Focus on narrative writing Expository Details Action and adventure Relationships Events, places (spatial) Series books Math Girls Math Boys Structured End results Scheduled How? Detailed Provide manipulatives if needed Why? Verbalize math Relating lessons to one’s life (nature – Numbers and patterns provide soft opening) Deductive Connect numbers to stories Directions – break it down Inductive –inquiry oriented Minimize multi tasking Girls need set up – modeling, all the details Get to the meat and potatoes.
Science Girls Science Boys
Talk and visual Visual – text graphic Projects – experiments Hands on – experiential connections Why – does it drive? Teach vocabulary (verbs-actions) connect – Steps and procedures pictures Sensitivity – nurturing – poor critters Involve the body – tossing ball Predator and prey relationships Experiments – explore and use Time to talk – random questions (drawing Model and let them do it straws) Expect inertia Total physical response – movement Boys like to draw but not color Risk taking – encourage divergent thinking
Social Studies Girls Social Studies Boys Group projects Group projects Oral reading Oral reading Role playing – creative dramatics – story Role playing – creative dramatics – story dramatization dramatization History personal perspective History event and actions Mapping - detailed story - girls Mapping - Directional – boys (landmarks yes but not the details)
46 Lesson Planning
Primary Science Topic: Three States of Matter Description for Girls
Begin the lesson with a discussion to tap students’ prior knowledge on their five senses as they will be using their senses to observe the three states of matter. (e.g., How many senses are there? What are your five senses? What/how do you use your sense of smell? Taste? Touch? Sight? Hearing?). The teacher will briefly explain the activity the students are about to do using three balloons: Balloon 1 is non-inflated, Balloon 2 is filled with water, and Balloon 3 is filled with air. The teacher will divide the girls into groups of four (prior to the lesson, the teacher will arrange desks so the girls are facing their group members). The girls will have to decide which girl will be the recorder, writing down their observations. The teacher will reiterate that spelling doesn’t count to the girls prior to beginning their group activity, as they will get overly concerned with the spelling of their words The teacher will, while modeling, show the girls how to tri-fold their paper and label the columns: Balloon 1, Balloon 2, and Balloon 3. The small groups will discuss the differences between the three balloons, while the recorder writes down their findings. The teacher will then lead a whole group discussion on the differences between the three balloons, using the terms solid, liquid and gas and asking questions that compare and contrast the various balloons. Students will share their observations.
During scheduled bathroom break and various transition times throughout the day, the girls will observe and record the various states of matter they see throughout the school. The students will share their findings with the teacher, while the teacher records their findings on butcher paper at the end of the day.
Description for Boys
Begin by engaging the class in an informal discussion (e.g., Does anyone know what matter is?) TELL the boys that there are three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. Provide examples of the three states of matter, asking if anyone knows what state of matter each example represents. Show an example of solid (e.g. non-inflated balloon) and ask the boys if they can list other types of solids. Do the same for liquids and gases, using two balloons, one filled with water and another filled with air. The teacher will lead the boys in an Edu-ball Game (Teacher directed concept/vocabulary game. With boys standing, the teacher tosses a soft ball (Nerf, squishy, cloth) to a specific boy (call name first to avoid collisions) and asks question relating to either an example matter or a vocabulary word/definition. Boy tosses ball back to teacher after giving answer. If the wrong answer is given the same question is asked of another boy and then the ball is tossed back to the first boy so that he may answer the question correctly). Boys respond well to this type of activity.
The teacher will outline each step/procedure in the states of matter activity. DO NOT BEGIN an activity with boys if there is not enough time to complete it.
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List steps of activity allowing each boy to complete his own balloons that have already been modeled by the teacher (balloon 1 is non-inflated, balloon 2 is filled with water, and balloon 3 is filled with air). Boys will compare the differences and similarities. Let the boys complete the activity while the teacher circulates around room monitoring their behavior and making observations.
In small groups, boys will complete the form below using a tri-fold piece of paper (it’s important for primary boys to have the headings written for them). Boys will work in small groups and hand in one paper for the group.
Solids Liquids Gases List properties of solids List properties of liquids List properties of gases
List examples of solids List examples of liquids List examples of gases
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Primary Math
Topic: Identifying Fractions
Description for Girls
The teacher will begin with an introduction of the lesson by selecting five girls to come to the front of the classroom to show the meaning of a numerator and denominator based on teacher directions (the teacher will begin with a whole group, asking” How many girls are standing in the front of the room? The teacher would write the number on the board. The teacher will instruct one of the students standing to move away from the group. “How many girls are now standing in the front of the room?” The teacher then writes that number on the board, creating a fraction, asking the students “What do we call this when a smaller number is written on top of a larger number?”). The teacher will ask for volunteers to define fraction (a number that names part of a whole or part of a group), numerator (part of the whole), denominator (whole group) and whole (the complete thing; all of the parts making up a thing).
The teacher will have four fraction circles (cut into 1 whole, ½, ¼, ⅛) prepared for the students and index cards readily available. The girls will assemble the four fraction circles by fitting the four sections together. Once assembled, they will use index cards to label each circle. It may be necessary for the teacher to have a small group in the back of the room. However, when the girls see their peers sitting with the teacher, they may decide they also need assistance when they really understand the fraction concepts. It’s at the teacher’s discretion to ask, “Are they really stuck or do they just want the teacher’s attention?” Remember, girls are teacher-pleasers and they like to sit next to the teacher. To the girls, sitting next to the teacher is a reward.
Description for Boys
The teacher will begin the lesson using the fraction bars on the overhead, showing the boys how to manipulate the different parts of the whole. The teacher will define fraction (a number that names part of a whole or part of a group), numerator (part of the whole), denominator (whole group) and whole (the complete thing; all of the parts making up a thing).
Using red and yellow chips and fraction cards, the students will work with a partner. The partner will set out red and yellow chips, no more than eight. The other student will match the fraction card with the red and yellow chips. Also, using a fraction card, the other student can use the chips to make the fraction. The teacher will set the timer with a designated time for the boys to complete the activity. The teacher will answer any individual questions and may work with small groups of students that need additional assistance.
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Primary Social Studies
Topic: Goods and Services
Description for Girls
The teacher will display magazine photos on the board of various goods and services. The teacher will ask the students to brainstorm ways in which the photos could be organized and what they have in common. There should be two groups: goods and services. The students will describe what they think makes things goods and what makes them services. The teacher will define goods (“Goods are the things that people make or grow”) and services (“Services are activities that people do to help other people”).
The teacher will distribute construction paper to students and instruct them to make a picture chart showing goods and services. The students will be instructed to fold it like a hamburger, label each half, and then begin drawing.
Goods Services
The teacher will pass out a Venn Diagram to each student. In small groups, the students will orally discuss what they have learned about goods and services. Each student will complete the Venn Diagram.
Goods Both Services
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Description for Boys
The teacher will lead an Edu-Ball Game to introduce the concepts and differences of goods and services. The teacher will have all the boys stand throughout the room. The teacher tells the boys the two words they are going to learn today: goods and services -- goods are the things that people make or grow and services are activities that people do to help other people. The teacher will give the boys a situation giving the entire class time to think of the answer, the teacher will call out a boy’s name and toss a soft ball to the boy, he will answer it, and will throw the ball back stating whether it is a good or a service. The teacher can also ask the boys to give her an example of a good or service. This game typically lasts about 12 minutes.
The boys will be creating a t-chart and record five goods and five services.
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Primary Reading
Topic: Letter Names
Description for Girls
The teacher will read-aloud Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The teacher will ask the girls to sit in a circle and sing the Alphabet song or any other type of alphabet song. The second time you sing it, have the girls stand up when you sing the first letter of their names. Then sing again and they sit down as you sing their letter. Call out two letters. Girls whose names begin with those letters change places. The girls then move to their assigned places on the carpet. (They can sit in three rows with the girls who need extra assistance sitting in the first row.) Then an individual letter is introduced or the alphabet is reviewed. Various activities are available for the girls to complete.
Treasure Hunt. In pairs students take clipboards and walk around the room looking for the target letter. When they find it they copy down the word and circle the target letter.
Magnetic Letters. Put the letters in a basket on the floor. Students work in pairs picking a letter and identifying it. They may work together to complete an alphabet or each complete her own.
Letter Beads. Put the letter beads in a container. Working in pairs the girls take turns picking a bead and if she can name the letter she can string it.
Lesson Description for Boys
The teacher will read-aloud Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The teacher will ask the boys to stand in a circle. Have the boys march to an alphabet song. Repeat this activity having each boy step forward (“front and center”) when you chant the first letter of his name. “Sound off” each boy steps forward and says the first letter of his name. The boys sit down. Then an individual letter is introduced or the alphabet is reviewed. Take a beanbag with the target letter on it and toss it to a student. He names the letter and throws it back to the teacher. This activity can be repeated as long as interest is maintained. A type of “Hot Potato” can also be played. (Alphabet beanbags are used frequently in the all-boys class. One of my favorite games is to let the boys throw three beanbags and then sound out the resulting word or nonsense word). Various activities are available for the boys to complete.
Treasure Hunt. Let the boys look for the target letter around the room.
Letter Inspector. In pairs or small groups let the boys use magnifying glasses to find the target letter or pictures of things that begin with that letter in magazines or books.
Letter Blocks. Put the alphabet blocks in a container. The boys will work in pairs. Each boy will choose a block and identify the letter on it. If he is correct he can add it to his stack.
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A Teacher’s Reflection on Writing
One thing I have noticed about the single-gender kindergarten classes is that the girls come into school already interested in writing and very motivated to learn more about it. They enjoy writing and have been doing it at home with glittery crayons, feathery pens and sparkly notebooks for some time. Boys on the other hand generally begin school less interested in writing, have less informal experience with it and are less likely to choose it when allowed to select an activity in the classroom. During Free Choice the girls would ask, “Can I write?” I might have been thinking to myself, “Don’t you want to play?” but I always say “Of course! What are you going to write about?” Girls usually have better fine motor development than the boys at this age, which also makes writing easier for them.
Primary Writing
Description for Girls
Girls are very interested in anything about themselves and about their friends and I have capitalized on that in teaching writing. Each day I select one student to be the subject of our “news” for the day. For example, if Heather mentioned during sharing time that she went out to dinner, I might question her further and we would come up with a story about it. I write the stories on a large chart. With the students helping to sound out the words I might write: Heather went out for dinner. She went with her family. They ate pizza. The girl illustrates her story and all the stories are kept for re-reading at other times. The girls also reference the stories for spelling when they are writing independently.
After shared writing the girls return to their seats for independent writing. Their writing journals are kept in magazine racks marked with the color of their table. The Helper for the day puts the racks on the correct tables. Students begin writing independently. Some students choose to write first and others choose to draw first. (This past year however some girls spent the entire time drawing so if you have serious Picassos in your room, you will have to set some limits.)
As students complete their writings they meet with me individually. This way I can do specific skill lessons and work with each girl on exactly what she needs. Two or three times a week we have a sharing time when they read their stories to the whole class. As the girls become more competent and confident writers they have writing partners. They meet with a peer who plays my role asking questions that refine writing conventions such as “Did you use periods?” as well as questions that expand content such as “What happened next?”
A writing station is always an option during workstations. Sometimes the girls may select their own topics to write about and other times the topic is assigned. Story starters such as pictures from magazines and calendars, stencils, toys and other real objects are available. The girls also enjoy making cards and writing letters to other people.
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Description for Boys
Boys like to write about things they do. Have a short talk time to generate ideas for a group story. I write the stories on a large chart. With the students helping to sound out the words I might write: Bill and Drew like to ride bikes Bill goes fast. Drew likes to do jumps.
For independent writing activities you can have the boys write about the same topic that the group story was about or allow them to choose their own topics. Boys like action so you can’t go wrong with planning an activity to do first and then writing about it. For example take the boys outside and let each boy find a bug to observe for a few minutes. (For any old-timers out there, this used to be called the Language Experience Approach.) Then the boys return to their seats for independent writing. Their writing journals are kept in pouches on the back of their chairs and pencils and crayons are stored in caddies in the middle of the tables. Students begin writing independently. The teacher circulates around the room assisting individual students.
A writing station is always an option during workstations. Sometimes the boys may write about whatever they want to and other times you will want to give them the topic. Story starters such as pictures from magazines and calendars, stencils, toys and other real objects are available.
54
Primary Math
Topic: Fractions
Description for Girls
Engage the girls by telling a story problem that includes them. Bring in a large cookie. Say, “I have one cookie. Knock, knock, knock, Child’s name has come over to visit. I want to share my cookie with her. How many pieces do I need to divide my cookie into?” Allow responses and encourage students to explain their answers. Repeat the script with another girls name, and ask, “Now how many pieces do I need to divide the cookie into?” Have students reply. Repeat script and follow – up questions. After students answer make a great show of cutting the cookie into four obviously unequal pieces. You are likely to hear outcries of “ That’s not fair!” Discuss why it isn’t fair. Summarize the concept that for something to be divided in half both pieces have to be the same size.
Have on hand a variety of paper shapes. One at a time cut a shape into two pieces. Have the students tell whether or not each shape has been cut into half. Pass out the shapes that were cut in half. Give one half to each girl. The girls will match up the shapes to find their work partner and return to their tables. Demonstrate how to trace a shape stencil and cut it out. Fold it in half and cut on the fold. Give each pair of girls some stencils, paper, a large piece of paper, scissors, and glue. Direct the girls to cut shapes in half and to make a design with the resulting shapes.
Description for Boys
Have a set of shape flashcards prepared. The flashcards show either the shape cut in half or just cut in two pieces. Have the boys stand in a straight row in front of you. When the teacher holds up a flashcard the boys take two steps forward if it shows a shape cut in half and one step back if the flashcard shows the shape cut in two pieces. The game is over when the students reach the teacher. Have the boys return to their seats.
Boys often times have weaker fine motor skills than the girls, so they may need more practice in this area. Model how to trace a shape stencil. Cut out the shape and demonstrate how to fold it in half. Then cut it on the fold. Pass out shape stencils and paper. Have the boys trace the shape stencil and cut it out. Then they will fold it in half and cut it on the fold. Collect the shapes and place them in the Puzzle Center.
55 Intermediate Math
Topic: Fractions
Description for Girls
Take a survey of what the girls did the weekend before. Chart results of survey. Take the two most common activities. Convert them into fractions using common denominators, for example in a class of 20 girls; 7 girls went to the mall, 5 girls went to their friend’s house, 4 girls stayed home and 4 girls went to the movies. Therefore 7/20 and 5/20 would represent the 2 most common activities. (Note make mathematics relate to girls’ real world.)
Using two different colors (color and details matter to the girls) of counters, use the information surveyed to group the counters representing the 2 most common activities. Compare the number of counters. Have students write answers in the form of fractions, and order the fractions from smallest to largest.
Summarize the lesson by having students discuss which fraction is greater 2/3 or 5/6? Ask why using fraction bars would be helpful.
To extend the concept using the computer and a website like http://www.gamequarium.com/fractions.html -- the fractions rings are very visual and also use lots of color)
Writing Have students write a problem in which they would need to add mixed numbers such as doubling a recipe. Have them explain how to solve the problem both with and without fraction bars.
Science Give students a recipe for trail mix that serves 5. Have small groups figure out how much of each ingredient would be needed to serve the whole class. Allow each group to add one ingredient to the mixture. Share and enjoy.
56 Description for Boys
Begin by modeling a problem, give them the opportunity to complete the problem on their own, then work through the problem on the board showing them to draw fractions bars if they can’t figure out the problem. “When in doubt, draw it out.”
Summarize the lesson by having students discuss which fraction is greater ⅔ or ⅚? Explain how you would find your answer using fraction bars.
To extend the concept, incorporate a site like http://www.gamequarium.com/fractions.html (use the ice cream shop for the boys, it is timed and has cost response for wrong answers).
Science Group students. Give students a recipe for making “slime” that is enough to make for one person. (3/4 cup borax, 3/4 cup water, 3/4 cup white glue). Have small groups figure out how much of each ingredient would be needed for their whole group. Let them make “slime” enough for their group. Allow them time to play with their creation.
57
Intermediate Social Studies
Topic: Florida History (WWI)
Description for Girls
Ask students what kinds of roles they think women played in the war. Point out women took on jobs in factories and nursing in the Armed Forces as well as office clerks and ambulance drivers. Point out that during World War I, large numbers of airplanes were used in battle for the first time. Florida was a major center for aviation when the US entered the war. In fact, the first airplane passenger service in the world began operating between Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Girls pair up and make “question-and-answer cards” for each key concept. Have pairs exchange cards and answer the questions they receive.
Using a timeline as a reference, students will make a mural that shows the important events in the growth of Florida’s aviation industry. Have them include illustrations for each event. To extend concept and further critical thinking, ask student pairs to write three newspaper headlines for articles, which may have been published during the period covered in the lesson.
Role-Play a Scene Ask students to present a dramatization in which a contemporary student reporter interviews people who witnessed a key event in World War I. Students can do additional research using classroom or Internet resources. After assigning roles and writing dialogue, students present the scenes in class.
Write a Story Ask students to write narrative stories, which tell about one of the events or people discussed in the unit. Students can illustrate their stories. Have students read their stories aloud. Display the stories on a class bulletin board.
Description for Boys
Discuss with students that Key West, the site of a US Naval Air Station, is located on a coral island about 200 miles southwest of the mainland. In the 1800’s, pirates and fishermen lived in the Key West area. Point out that during World War I, large numbers of airplanes were used in battle for the first time. Florida was a major center for aviation when the US entered the war. In fact, the first airplane passenger service in the world began operating between Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Boys pair up and identify main ideas in the lesson. Ask them to make “question-and-answer cards” for each key concept. Have pairs exchange cards and answer the questions they receive.
58 Using a timeline as a reference, ask students to make trading cards using cardstock and markers or colored pencils which show the important events in the growth of Florida’s aviation industry. Have them include illustrations on the front and key details on the back. To extend concept and further critical thinking, have students draw or trace a map of Florida. Ask them to show the locations of the events discussed in the lesson and write a short caption describing each event. Encourage students to use the library or Internet to find out about other important aviation events in Florida and add them to the map.
Math Word Problems Write the following information about the population in Florida on the board:
Year Population 1900 528,542 1910 752,619 1920 968,470 1930 1,468,211 1940 1,897,414 1950 2,771,305 1960 4,951,560
Volunteers read each number aloud. In pairs, students write two or three word problems based on the data. For example, “How many more people lived in Florida in 1960 then in 1900?” Compile the problems and have the class solve them.
Create Class Books Ask students to identify important events covered in the lesson. Have each student choose one of the events, and write a description. Then have students who have written about the same event work together to create illustrations. Have students compile their descriptions and illustrations into a book including a cover for their book with title and an illustration. Display the books in the classroom library as a collection “Florida in the 20th Century.”
59
Intermediate Science
Topic: Three States of Matter
Description for Girls
As an introduction to the lesson ask questions such as: o Have you ever made ice? o What is it made of? o Is water liquid or solid? o Is ice solid or liquid? Explain that water has three states: solid, liquid, and gas.
Place an ice cube in a cup and use a hair dryer to heat the ice. As the ice begins to melt, discuss with the class what is happening in the cup and what states of matter the ice cube is going through. As the ice melts and the water begins to boil point out it started as a solid, changed to water, and then is a gas as the steam rises. Focus on “why” questions, such as “Why is this change happening?”
Model for the students the way particles in a solid move in one place back and forth. Stand in front of the class and, keeping feet still, move slowly back in forth in one place. Then, model how the particles in a liquid move (slowly glide around the room). Finally, model how the particles in a gas move (run in place and move arms wildly). After all modeling has taken place students will stand and mimic the particles of the state of matter the teacher says. This is a sort of “Simon Says” game.
In small groups, have students compare and contrast the movement of particles in the states of matter using a Venn Diagram, thinking map, or some other graphic organizer.
To extend concept and further critical thinking, assign homework to the students to locate in their home objects representative of each state of matter.
Description for Boys
Using a globe or world map, ask students to determine location of where water is most likely to be found in a solid state. Explain that water has three states: solid, liquid, and gas. Teacher will hold up pictures and ask students to identify the states of matter. Students will already have a 3- columned chart with the different headings “solid”, “liquid”, and “gas”. Students will fill in chart with examples based on the pictures. Real-life objects may also be used for this activity.
Model for the students the way particles in a solid move in one place back and forth. Stand in front of the class and, keeping feet still, move slowly back in forth in one place. Then, model how the particles in a liquid move (slowly glide around the room). Finally, model how the particles in a gas move (run in place and move arms wildly). After all modeling has taken place
60 students will stand and mimic the particles of the state of matter the teacher says. This is a sort of “Simon Says” game. To keep the boys’ attention, quickly jump from one state to another.
In small groups, boys will play a matching game by matching pictures to states of matter using vocabulary cards. To extend concept and further critical thinking, assign students to locate in their home objects representative of each state of matter for homework.
Intermediate Writing
Description for Girls
Introduce the concept of showing sentences during shared reading or Read Aloud time. A great book for this is Fox’s Night Noises. This story is about an old woman, Lily Laceby, and her dog, Butch Aggie, who are at home one stormy night. Unusual sounds keep waking the dog throughout the night. Stop reading after the description of Lily. Ask students, “What does this tell us about Lily Laceby?” Allow time for students to answer. Point out to students that the author describes in great detail that Lily is old without ever using the word “old”. Ask why they think the author does this.
Model on the overhead/board changing sentences that tell into sentences that show. Example: Tell: The girl was crying really hard. Show: The girl let out a howl that could wake the dead. Tears poured from her eyes and her face turned beet red. She pounded her little fists on the floor and threw her toys across the room. I knew we were in for a long, long afternoon.
Give class/small groups examples of telling sentences and have them transform them into showing sentences. Possible suggestions for practice include: • The kids were disrespectful to the teacher. • The mall was crowded in December. • My birthday party is going to be the best ever.
Students will choose a “work in progress” from their writing folder to review and add a “show don’t tell” elaboration.
Have each student write an example of a telling sentence. Allow them to choose a partner to trade papers with. Have them develop the telling sentence into a showing sentence. Allow them to illustrate their new sentence.
Description for Boys
Introduce the concept of showing sentences during shared reading or Read Aloud time. A great book for this is J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. In Chapter 3 J.K. Rowling does a good job describing the time after a storm has hit. Ask students to recall examples from the text. Allow time for students to answer. Point out to students that the author describes in great detail the
61 storm without ever using the word “storm”. Ask how else they think the author could have done this.
Model on the overhead/board changing sentences that tell into sentences that show. Example: Tell: The boy was very frightened. Show: The boy shrieked in terror and threw his hands up to protect himself. Even though his legs felt like they had turned to jelly, he jumped to his feet and tried to get out of the monster’s reach.
Give class/small groups examples of telling sentences and have them transform them into showing sentences. Possible Suggestions for practice: • The kids were disrespectful to the teacher. • I have a fun hobby. • My pet got away.
Students will choose a “work in progress” from their writing folder to review and add a “show don’t tell” elaboration.
Have each student write an example of a telling sentence. Allow them to choose a partner to trade papers with. Have them develop the telling sentence into a showing sentence. Allow them to illustrate their new sentence.
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APPENDIX A
CONTENT AREA WEBSITE AND RESOURCES
63 Content Area Resources
I. Teacher Websites
1. Elementary PowerPoint Presentations http://www.graves.k12.ky.us/powerpoints/elementary/
• This site contains over a hundred PowerPoint presentations that have been created by teachers for students in elementary school. This is a great place to start if you are creating a power point presentation of your own.
2. Enchanted Learning http://www.enchantedlearning.com/science/dictionary/
• This site is full of worksheets, color sheets, picture dictionaries and more. This link brings you to the science section but the site includes teacher resources for all subjects.
3. Graphic Organizer Templates http://gotoscience.com/Graphic_Organizers.html
• This is a great site to use when you need to create a graphic organizer.
4. Songs for Teaching http://songsforteaching.com/
• This web site offers a variety of songs in all disciplines. You can listen to the song online, print the lyrics or order an actual CD from this website.
5. Multiple Lessons and Interactive Tutorials on Earth, Life and Physical Science http://www.internet4classrooms.com/science_elem.htm
6. Hot Chalk Science Lesson Plans http://www.lessonplanspage.com/Science.htm http://www.lessonplanspage.com/articles/HomeScienceTools.html
64 • This site contains great lesson plans and experiments teachers can do with their student from K-12. You can also use this website directly with your students to help guide them on a science fair topic.
7. Exploratorium http://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/handson.html
• Great resource for just about everything. There are links for teachers, parents and students. Filled with simple labs. You do need to be aware that there are some lab ideas that would not be appropriate for elementary students. There is a cool cow eye dissection movie.
8. Steve Spangler http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/
• This is great website for experiments to do in your classroom. This page is full of ideas, video demonstrations, and products to purchase. This site allows you to register for an electronic newsletter, which will be sent to your email.
II. Science Websites
1. Ecosystems and the Environment: http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/lakes/index.htm
• This site offers students and teachers an opportunity to learn about different ecosystems. The site contains videos and wonderful pictures in order to bring the outdoors into the classroom.
2. Science Fair Websites: http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/ http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/resources.php
• These two sites are loaded with links that help guide students through the science fair process.
3. Cool Science for Curious Kids http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/
65 • This is a fun site created by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This site invites curious kids to explore questions in biology. This site will leave you curious about other topics not included.
4. Extreme Science http://www.extremescience.com/index.html
• This website will surely get your attention. This site is filled with videos, picture and information on topics in science that will interest any child. Topics include: space, sports and physics, environmental studies, biology and more.
5. FT Science and Technology Website http://www.ftexploring.com/
• This website is great for students or teachers. It contains concepts in science through a cartoon style.
6. Anatomy Online http://www.innerbody.com/index.html http://warriors.warren.k12.il.us/dburke/skeletalsystem.htm http://www.medtropolis.com/VBody.asp
• These sites include interactive diagrams on all of the body systems. The information is very high level but interacting with the diagrams is great for any age. The virtual body site includes lessons in both Spanish and English.
7. Build Your Own Roller Coaster http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/coaster/section1.html
• This sites teaches students cause and effect of ramp height speed. This site also shows students how kinetic and potential energy work.
8. Animal Adaptations http://teacher.scholastic.com/dirtrep/animal/index.htm
• Interactive website on adaptations
9. National Geographic for Kids
66 http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
• This websites has a combination of different content areas filled with games, videos and lessons. We especially love the videos. You can use these in classrooms that have projection systems. 10. Energy Quest http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/index.html
• This website is very interactive and filled with lessons on various topics covered in Energy.
11. Weather sites for kids: http://www.kidsdomain.com/kids/links/Weather.html
• This site contains multiple links that are both informative and interactive for parents, students and teachers.
12. The Why Files http://whyfiles.org/
• The “Why Files” is a site that explains the science behind the news. Teachers should select the articles they want students to read in order to make sure they are age appropriate.
III. Content Related Websites
Internet Resources Title Internet Address Description The Learning Worksheets and activities for http://www.learningpage.com Page elementary school children. Official site for the cartoons and live action shows hosted by PBS Kids http://www.pbskids.org PBS. Features games, stories, coloring pages, music, and show information. Publisher of children's books Scholastic and supplementary learning aids www.scholastic.com News for K-8. Information for teachers, students, and parents.
67 Holidays and special days as well as games, puzzles, Advent MI Kids http://www.mikids.com calendar, pictures to color. Lots of research links for kids K-6 and for teachers and parents too. Online home of the BBC, with extensive resource featuring BBC links to all the network's Children’s http://www.bbc.co.uk interactive and community Learning services, including entertainment, education, news Offers games, quizzes, contests, World and reference facts on topics Almanac for http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com like space, presidents, the Kids environment, and animals. Scientists report their research in journals, which are special booklets that enable scientists to share information with one National http://www.naturalinquirer.usda.gov another. This journal, the Inquirer Natural Inquirer, was created so that scientists can share their research with you and other middle school students.
Association Committed to the mission of for forging covenants in teaching
Supervision and learning for the success of http://www.ascd.org and all learners. Curriculum Development RubiStar is a tool to help the teacher who wants to use RubiStar! http://rubistar.4teachers.org rubrics, but does not have the time to develop them from scratch
68 Fact Monster is a free reference site for students, teachers, and parents. Get Fact Monster http://www.factmonster.com homework help and find facts on thousands of subjects, including sports. Offers kids a student dictionary, Word of the Day, and Merriam- interactive word games. Webster Word http://www.wordcentral.com Includes homework help and Central lesson plans for parents and teachers. Offers fun things for ESL Interesting learners like word games, Things for http://www.manythings.org tongue twisters, puzzles, ESL Students quizzes, slang dictionary, and proverbs. Offers Puzzlemaker software as well as free tools to help create Discovery http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com word search puzzles and games School for newsletters, flyers, handouts, or classroom assignments. Manuscript and cursive sample Handwriting sheets, as well as blank practice http://www.handwritingforkids.com For Kids worksheets. Also offers basic math worksheets. An Internet search guide for the Cybersleuth http://www.cybersleuth-kids.com K-12 students with subject links Kids and more. Math Fact Cafe provides the Math Fact http://www.mathfactcafe.com best math worksheets and Cafe flashcards for elementary grades Your corner bookstore in the global village with book reviews Bookloons http://www.bookloons.com across genres, columns and contests, and sections for teen books and children's books. The streaming video website Storyline http://www.storylineonline.net that features celebrity actors Online reading children’s books aloud. National Promotes energy awareness Energy through education and networks Education http://www.need.org of students, educators. Development Project
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Resource for educators and The Science http://sciencespot.net students. The Science Spot Classroom and the Kid Zone are to make ... Also check out the Lesson of the Week Archives! BrainPop is a subscription based website, that allows interested users a 14-day free trial. It provides core 500 curriculum movies with 10-question interactive quizzes, based on national standards, for students in grades K-12. The subjects BrainPop http://www.brainpop.com available are: Science, English, Math, Social Studies, Technology and Health and in both English and Spanish. It’s an interactive site that is both educational and entertaining for the students, while reinforcing skills that are being covered in the classroom. National Geographic Kids is National http://www.nationalgeographic.com filled with incredible videos and Geographic stories, fun games and activities.
The mission is to motivate boys
www.guysread.com to read by connecting them with Guys Read materials they will want to read, in ways they like to read. National Information for parents, Coalition of students, and teachers. www.ncgs.org Girls’’ Schools
70 National, not-for-profit youth Girls organization dedicated to www.girlsinc.org Incorporated inspiring all-girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Committed to providing National education, promotional Women’s materials, and informational www.nwhp.org History services to recognize and Project celebrate women's diverse lives and historic contributions. An online thesaurus and dictionary of over 145000 Visual www.visualthesaurus.com/ words that you explore using Thesaurus an interactive map. It's a tool for people who think visually.
IV. State Academic Standards
Alabama http://dcps.dc.gov/portal/site/DCPS/Teachingandlearning/Standards_by_Subject_Area.htm
Alaska http://www.eed.state.ak.us/standards/
Arizona http://www.ade.state.az.us/standards/contentstandards.asp
Arkansas http://arkansased.org/educators/curriculum/frameworks.html
California http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp
Colorado http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/documents/OSA/k12_standards.html
Connecticut http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2618&Q=320954&sdenav_gid=1757
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Delaware http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/staff/ci/DRC/drc_contentStandards.shtml
District of Columbia http://dcps.dc.gov/portal/site/DCPS/Teachingandlearning/Standards_by_Subject_Area.htm
Florida http://www.floridastandards.org/downloads.aspx
Georgia https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/BrowseGPS.aspx
Hawaii http://standardstoolkit.k12.hi.us/index.html
Idaho http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/content_standards/
Illinois http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/
Indiana http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/index.shtml
Iowa http://www.corecurriculum.iowa.gov/
Kansas http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1678
Kentucky http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Curriculum+Documents+and+Reso urces/Core+Content+for+Assessment/Core+Content+for+Assessment+4.1/
72 Louisiana http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/saa/1222.html
Maine http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/
Maryland http://www.mdk12.org/assessments/vsc/index.html
Massachusetts http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/
Michigan http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753---,00.html
Minnesota http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Academic_Excellence/Academic_Standards/index.html
Mississippi http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/Curriculum/index_1.htm
Missouri http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/GLE/
Montana http://opi.mt.gov/Curriculum/Index.html?gpm=1_8
Nebraska http://www.education.ne.gov/ndestandards/AcademicStandards.htm
Nevada http://www.doe.nv.gov/standards.html
New Hampshire http://www.education.nh.gov/spotlight/k12_ccss.htm
73 New Jersey http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/
New Mexico http://www.ped.state.nm.us/nmStandards.html
New York http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/cores.html
North Dakota http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/standard/content.shtm
North Carolina http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/
Ohio http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEPrimary.aspx?Page=2&TopicID=16 95&TopicRelationID=1696
Oklahoma http://www.sde.state.ok.us/Curriculum/PASS/default.html
Oregon http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=53
Pennsylvania http://www.pdesas.org/Standard/Views
Rhode Island http://www.ride.ri.gov/Instruction/stand_frameworks_default.aspx
South Carolina http://ed.sc.gov/agency/Standards-and-Learning/Academic-Standards/old/cso/
South Dakota
74 http://doe.sd.gov/contentstandards/index.asp
Tennessee http://www.tennessee.gov/education/curriculum.shtml
Texas http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148
Utah http://www.uen.org/core/
Vermont http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pubs/framework.html
Virginia http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/index.shtml
Washington http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/default.aspx
West Virginia http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/csos.html
Wisconsin http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/index.html
Wyoming http://edu.wyoming.gov/Programs/standards.aspx
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V. Gender Specific Web Resources
Girl Specific Boy Specific Website Description Website Description www.josietrue.com Join Josie as she travels www.howstuffworks.com Search to find out how back in time to rescue just about anything her inventor turned works teacher Ms. Trombone.
www.engineergirl.org This site brings attention Tikatok.com Write, illustrate, and to the opportunity that publish real books engineering represents to featuring aliens, robots, women and girls of all dragons, and more ages. www.agirlsworld.com Girls can find pen pals Miniclip.com He can help President from around the world Obama defend the planet from an alien invasion, or play another of the 300 free, mostly inane (but fun) games www.girlsinc.org Highlights the strengths GuysRead.com A site with a worthy of women and supports goal: to prove to book- girls averse boys that reading is not boring. http://www.girlshealth.gov/ Self-help website
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VI. Recommended Trade Books Subject Grade Title and Author Description Area M K-3 The Cheerios Count from 1 to 20 using a favorite cereal — Cheerios! Counting Book by This durable board book edition with colorful lifesize Barbara Barbieri fruit and cereal illustrations, and simple rhyming text McGrath will keep kids counting and matching their Cheerios with each turn of the page. M K-3 One Hundred This hilarious read-aloud picture book about 100 ants Hungry Ants by making their way to a picnic is a great way to introduce Elinor J. Pinczes students to counting, multiplication, and other math concepts. M 1-4 The Multiplication Innovative books to help students learn mathematical Wipe-Off Book by operations, spelling, and common sense about money. Alan Hartley Using the unique wipe-off format, children can test themselves over and over again. M K-4 The Grapes of Math The Grapes of Math will challenge all kids - and by Greg Tang parents, too – to open their minds and solve problems in new and unexpected ways. By looking for patterns, symmetries, and familiar number combinations displayed within eye-catching pictures, math will become easier and quicker - and more fun - than anyone could have ever imagined! M 2-5 Math Potatoes: Greg Tang is back with his bestselling approach to Mind-stretching addition and subtraction: problem solving. By solving Brain Food by Greg challenges that encourage kids to "group" numbers Tang; Harry Briggs rather than memorize formulas, even the most reluctant math learners are inspired to see math in a whole new way! SC/SS 2-3 The Magic Tree These research guides provide kids with more House Research information about various subjects as mummies, rain Guides by Mary Pope forests and the American Revolution. Activities that Osborn correspond with the books are available at www.magictreehouse.com SC K-4 A Day in Space by This book takes children aboard the space shuttle with Jolie Epstein; full-color photographs, an interview with an astronaut, Suzanne Lord and lots of facts to fuel young readers' space travel fantasies. SC 2-4 Grrr! By Melvin Why do lions roar? Which big cat likes to swim? Find Berger; Gilda Berger out the answers to these questions and more in this book by Melvin and Gilda Berger! SS 4-7 My Brother Martin Christine King Farris, older sister of the late Dr. King, by Christine King joins with celebrated illustrator Chris Soentpiet to tell Farriss the inspirational story of how one boyhood experience
77 SS K-3 A Picture Book of This lavishly illustrated book describes the life and Harriett Tubman by accomplishments of the woman who led slaves to David A. Alder freedom on the Underground Railroad. A brief chronology is included. SS K-3 Coming to America A succinct history of U.S. immigration for students at by Betsy Maestro all levels. Expressive watercolor illustrations capture the joy and anxiety of the successive waves of immigrants looking for a better life. SS K-4 All About Things This lively, colorful introduction to the world of jobs People Do by and other activities is filled with full-color illustrations Melanie Rice; Chris and easy-to-understand information. A book for Rice children to enjoy many times over. SS/SC K-12 National Geographic These nonfiction readers integrate core science content Reading Expeditions with literacy development. Over 70 titles available. Series Topics include life, Earth and physical science, the human body, science issues, and more. SS K-3 If You Made A Kellogg's cheerful illustrations help readers understand Million by Steven the complexities of working for pay, establishing a Kellogg budget, and managing one's income. This is a whimsical math and picture book about money, the world of work, and the basics of personal finance. R 2-4 How to Eat Fried Kids love Thomas Rockwell's story of Billy, who has to Worms by Thomas eat 15 worms in 15 days because of a bet. The worms Rockwell are supplied by his opponent, whose motto is "The bigger and juicier, the better!" Luckily, Billy's friends cook up the worms with ketchup and mustard, fried in butter and cornmeal, and even make an ice cream worm cake! R 3-5 Charlotte’s Web by Whether reading this beloved story for the first time or E.B. White revisiting the magic of an unlikely friendship between a bashful pig and his eight-legged protector, fans will fall in love with E.B. White's tale of love, loss, and renewal. This paperback edition includes rich color versions of Garth William's popular illustrations that let readers discover, as Charlotte and friends did, that Wilbur is indeed "some pig." R Charlie Bone and Henry Yewbeam and his younger brother, James, have the Time Twister by been sent to stay with their cousins at the Bloor's Jenny Nimmo Academy. It is one of the coldest days of the year, and all Henry wants to do is hide from his mean cousins and play marbles. He finds a nice, long hall and begins to roll his marbles. Then he discovers a marble that doesn't look familiar to him. Suddenly a series of strange events takes place. Henry begins to disappear. He quickly scribbles on the floor GIVE THE MARBLE TO JAMES, and then he vanishes from the year 1916. There is an entire series of Charlie Bone books.
78 R Kingdom Keepers by Using cutting-edge technology, five Florida teens have Ridley Pearson been transformed into Holographic Hosts at Disney World. Their images appear throughout the Magic Kingdom, giving visitors information about the various attractions. It all seems to be going well, until the participants begin having disturbing dreams that start affecting their everyday lives. They sneak in after the park has closed, and Wayne, a retired Imagineer, directs them in their fight against the Dark Side, embodied by Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. Audio- animatronic pirates from The Pirates of the Caribbean travel through the Magic Kingdom in the little cars from the Buzz Lightyear ride. The dolls from It's a Small World clamber into the boats and start biting the occupants. Cinderella's Castle is filled with an eye- popping array of staircases, à la Escher. There's a certain coolness factor for the notion that people could be both human and hologram at the same time, and the illicit thrill of seeing all the things you don't normally get to see (both real and imaginary) makes this a must- read for serious Disney fans. R 2-3 George’s Marvelous In a typically wicked Dahl outing, a lad named George Medicine by Roald does away with his nasty grandmother by giving her a Dahl concoction that he brews from a mixture that includes shampoo, shaving cream and floor polish. Ages 7-11. SS K-3 Akiak: A Tale From It is Iditarod day. Fifty-six dog teams will race through the Iditarodby 1,151 miles of rugged Alaskan terrain from Anchorage Robert J. Blake to Nome. Akiak knows these miles well. As lead dog, she has raced the incredible trail before, but never won. She is ten years old: if she is going to win, it must be now. K-3 Lilly's Purple Plastic Lilly loves everything about school, especially her cool Purse by Kevin teacher, Mr. Slinger. But when Lilly brings her purple Henkes plastic purse and its treasures to school and can't wait until sharing time, Mr. Slinger confiscates her prized possessions. Lilly's fury leads to revenge and then to remorse and she sets out to make amends. K-3 Nim and the War In her determination to prove that an American can win Effort by Milly Lee the contest for the war effort, Nim does something which leaves her Chinese grandfather both bewildered and proud. K-3 Owl Moon by Jane On a winter's night, under a full moon, a father and Yolen daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl.
79 K-3 Strega Nona by Strega Nona—"Grandma Witch"—is the source for Tomie de Paola potions, cures, magic, and comfort in her Calabrian town. Her magical ever-full pasta pot is especially intriguing to hungry Big Anthony. He is supposed to look after her house and tend her garden but one day, when she goes over the mountain to visit Strega Amelia, Big Anthony recites the magic verse over the pasta pot, with disastrous results. 4-7 Esperanza Rising by When Esperanza and Mama are forced to flee the Pam Munoz Ryan bountiful region of Aguascalientes, Mexico, to a Mexican farm labor camp in California, they must adjust to a life without fancy dresses and servants they were accustomed to on Rancho de las Rosas. Now they must confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression. When Mama falls ill and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must relinquish her hold on the past and learn to embrace a future ripe with the riches of family and community. 4-7 Number the Stars by The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one Lois Lowry of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a small flotilla to herd 7,000 Jews to Sweden. Lois Lowry fictionalizes a true-story account to bring this courageous tale to life. She brings the experience to life through the eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, whose family harbors her best friend, Ellen Rosen, on the eve of the round-up and helps smuggles Ellen's family out of the country. Number the Stars won the 1990 Newbery Medal. K-3 Miss Nelson is The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's Missing!by Harry G. good nature until she disappears and they are faced Allard with a substitute. "Rarely has the golden rule been so effectively interpreted for children." Smoky Nightby Eve This is a story about cats -- and people -- who couldn't Bunting get along until a smoky and fearful night brings them together. The Los Angeles riots made author Eve Bunting wonder about what riots meant to the children who live through them -- and what we can all learn from such upheavals. Winner of the 1995 Caldecott Medal.
80 The Snowy Day by This 1963 Caldecott Medal winner is the simple tale of Ezra Jack Keats a boy waking up to discover that snow has fallen during the night. Keats's illustrations, using cut-outs, watercolors, and collage, are strikingly beautiful in their understated color and composition. The little boy celebrates the snow-draped city with a day of humble adventures--experimenting with footprints, knocking snow from a tree, creating snow angels, and trying to save a snowball for the next day. Awakening to a winter wonderland is an ageless, ever-magical experience, and one made nearly visceral by Keats's gentle tribute. The True Story of “There has obviously been some kind of mistake," the Three Little Pigs writes Alexander T. Wolf from the pig penitentiary by A. Wolf and Jon where he's doing time for his alleged crimes of 10 years Scieszka ago. Here is the "real" story of the three little pigs whose houses are huffed and puffed to smithereens... from the wolf's perspective. This poor, much maligned wolf has gotten a bad rap. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, with a cold, innocently trying to borrow a cup of sugar to make his granny a cake. Is it his fault those ham dinners--rather, pigs-- build such flimsy homes? 4-7 Crispin: The Cross After being declared a "wolf's head" by his manor's of Lead by Avi corrupt steward for a crime he didn't commit (meaning that anyone can kill him like a common animal--and collect a reward), this timid boy has to flee a tiny village that's the only world he's ever known. But before our protagonist escapes, Avi makes sure that we're thoroughly briefed on the injustices of feudalism- -the countless taxes cottars must pay, the constant violence, the inability of a flawed church to protect its parishioners, etc. Avi then folds in the book's central mystery just as the boy is leaving: "Asta's son," as he's always been known, learns from the village priest that his Christian name is Crispin, and that his parents' origins--and fates--might be more perplexing than he ever imagined.
81 4-7 Holes by Louis " If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every Sacher day in the hot sun, it will turn him into a good boy." Such is the reigning philosophy at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility where there is no lake, and there are no happy campers. In place of what used to be "the largest lake in Texas" is now a dry, flat, sunburned wasteland, pocked with countless identical holes dug by boys improving their character. Stanley Yelnats, of palindromic name and ill-fated pedigree, has landed at Camp Green Lake because it seemed a better option than jail. No matter that his conviction was all a case of mistaken identity, the Yelnats family has become accustomed to a long history of bad luck, thanks to their "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great- grandfather!" Despite his innocence, Stanley is quickly enmeshed in the Camp Green Lake routine: rising before dawn to dig a hole five feet deep and five feet in diameter; learning how to get along with the Lord of the Flies-styled pack of boys in Group D; and fearing the warden, who paints her fingernails with rattlesnake venom. But when Stanley realizes that the boys may not just be digging to build character--that in fact the warden is seeking something specific--the plot gets as thick as the irony. Surviving the Laugh-out-loud funny. Jake Semple is a scary kid. Applewhites by Word has it that he burned down his old school and Stephanie S. Tolan then was kicked out of every other school in his home state. Only weeks into September, the middle school in Traybridge, North Carolina, has thrown him out, too. Now there's only one place left that will take him -- a home school run by the most outrageous, forgetful, chaotic, quarrelsome family you'll ever meet. Each and every Applewhite is an artist through and through -- except E.D., the smart, scruffy girl with a deep longing for order and predictability. E.D. and Jake, so nearly the same age, are quickly paired in the family's first experiment in "cooperative education." The two clash immediately, of course. The only thing they have in common is the determination to survive the family's eccentricities.
82 R 4-5 Bud, Not Buddy "It's funny how ideas are, in a lot of ways they're by Christopher Paul just like seeds. Both of them start real, real small Curtis and then... woop, zoop, sloop... before you can say Jack Robinson, they've gone and grown a lot bigger than you ever thought they could." So figures scrappy 10-year-old philosopher Bud-- "not Buddy"--Caldwell, an orphan on the run from abusive foster homes and Hoovervilles in 1930s Michigan. And the idea that's planted itself in his head is that Herman E. Calloway, standup- bass player for the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, is his father.
Guided only by a flier for one of Calloway's shows--a small, blue poster that had mysteriously upset his mother shortly before she died--Bud sets off to track down his supposed dad, a man he's never laid eyes on. And, being 10, Bud-not-Buddy gets into all sorts of trouble along the way, barely escaping a monster- infested woodshed, stealing a vampire's car, and even getting tricked into "busting slob” with a real live girl.
83 APPENDIX B Placement Letter/Correspondence
Placement of Students for Next School Year
For the coming school year, it is our plan to offer an all-boys class and an all-girls class at each grade level. The gender classes will cover the same curriculum as the co-education classes, but the teachers of the all- boys classes or all-girls classes will plan instructional activities, which are more specifically designed to match the learning styles of either boys or girls. If you would like your child to be considered for a gender class, please sign and return the form below.
------
Student Name______
Grade Level for 07-08 ______
For school year, , I would like my child placed in the following class:
______an all-girls class
______an all-boys-class
______a class of both boys and girls
Parent Signature______
Date______
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Your School Address, City, State, Zip Telephone
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Date
Mr. and Mrs. XXXXX XXXXXX BBBBBBBBBBB City, State Zip
Re: CCCCC, grade X
Dear Mr. and Mrs. XXXXXX,
I am unable to grant your request to have CCCCC placed in the all-boys class. We had more requests for the class than we had spaces available.
The good news is that we have excellent teachers in all our X grade classes. He will be assigned to a co-educational class and should have a great school year.
Thank you for your interest in single-gender education. Perhaps next year he can be placed in the program.
I hope you are having a relaxing and enjoyable summer.
Sincerely yours,
School Official
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School Letter Head
Date
Mr. and Mrs.______Address City, State, Zip Code
Re; CCCC, grade X
Dear______,
I am unable to grant your request to have CCCC placed in the all-girls class. We had more requests for the class than we had spaces available.
The good news is that we have excellent teachers in all our XXXX grade classes. She will be assigned to a co-educational class and should have a great school year.
Thank you for your interest in single-gender education. Perhaps next year she can be placed in the program for grade X.
I hope you are having a relaxing and enjoyable summer.
Sincerely yours,
School Official
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Your School Address, City, State, Zip Telephone
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Date
Ms. XXXXX YYYYYY BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB DeLand, Florida 32720
Re: CCCC, grade 1
Dear, YYYYYY,
I am working on setting up classes for next school year and would like to place CCCC in the all- boys X grade class. Mr./Ms. ______sets up his/her classroom to take advantage of the learning characteristics of XXX to improve their performance. In addition to focusing on academics, he/she also works to increase the confidence of the boys and to build their leadership skills. I think your child will do quite well with xxx for the coming school year.
If you would like to talk about this choice, please call me at XXXX ext. XXX. If I do not hear from you, I will assume you are happy with this placement.
I hope you are having a relaxing and enjoyable summer.
Sincerely yours,
School Official
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Your School Address, City, State, Zip Telephone
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Date
Mr. and Mrs. XXXXXX XXXXXXX BBBBBBBBBBBBBB DeLand, Florida 32720
Re: CCCCC, grade 3
Dear Mr. and Mrs. XXXXXXX,
I am working on setting up classes for next school year and would like to place CCCCC in the all-boys XXX grade class. Mr./Ms.. ______is an excellent teacher who takes advantage of the learning characteristics of boys to improve their performance. In addition to focusing on academics, he/she also works to increase the focus of the boys and to build their leadership skills. I think your child will do quite well with xxx for the coming school year.
If you would like to talk about this choice, please call me at xxx-xxxx ext. xxx. If I do not hear from you, I will assume you are happy with this placement.
I hope you are having a relaxing and enjoyable summer.
Sincerely yours,
School Official
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Single-Gender Choice Brochure
89
Brochure and flier templates are available on the accompanying disc in both English and Spanish.
90 Single-Gender Option Flier
91
92 APPENDIX C
Brain Break Suggestions
Brain Break Ideas/Alternatives Exercise Dodge Ball Four Corners Hot Potato Kickball Organized Dance Activities Running Silent Speedball Simon Says Tai Bo Partner/Group activities Cards Uno 21 Ideas for Free Time Social time with the teacher Teacher read aloud Free drawing (paper or chalkboard) Listening to music Content Supporting Activities Flashcards Multiplication Dice Content Related Board Games Play Teacher Sudoku Computer games/websites (teacher selected)
93 Appendix D
Parent Survey
94 APPENDIX E
References
Barash, Susan. (2009). Toxic friends: The Antidote for Women Stuck in Complicated Friendships. St. Martin's Press
Carter CS, Grippo A J, Pournajafi-Nazarloo H, Ruscio MG, Porges SW (2008). Oxytocin, vasopressin and social behavior. Progress in Brain Research, 170, 331-336
Doty RL, Applebaum S, Zusho H, Settle RG. Sex differences in odor identification ability: a cross-cultural analysis.(abstract)Neuropsychologia. 1985;23(5):667–72.
Gabrieli, (2008) How men and women are wired differently. Viewed June 17, 2001 (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/22671626#22652909).
Kelleher, C. Barriers to Programming Engagement. Advances in Gender and Education, vol. 1, no. 1, 2009, pages 5-10.
Ratley, James. (2008). Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, Little Brown and Company, New York, New York.
Sax, L. (2010) Sex Differences in Hearing Implications for best practice in the classroom. Advances in Gender and Education, 2 (2010), 13-21.
Silveri, Marisa M., Rohan, Michael L., Pimentel, Patricia J., Gruber Staci A., Rosso, Isabelle M., Yurgelun-Todd, Deborah A., Sex differences in the relationship between white matter microstructure and impulsivity in adolescents Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Vol. 24, Issue 7, Pages 833-841, DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2006.03.012)
Workplace Bullying Institute (2007). Results of the 2007 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey. Viewed on June 17, 2011. http://www.workplacebullying.org/research/WBI- Zogby2007Survey.html
95 Reference Books
Fletcher, R. (2006). Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Ginsburg & Miller (1982). Sex Differences in Risk-Taking Behavior Child Development Vol. 53, No. 2 (Apr., 1982), pp. 426-428]
Gurian, M. & Ballew, A.C. (2003). The boys and girls learn differently action guide for teachers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Gurian, M. & Stevens, K. (2005). The minds of boys: Saving our sons from falling behind in school and life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Gurian, M., Stevens, K., & Daniels, P. (2009). Successful single-sex classrooms: A practical guide to teaching boys and girls separately. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Gurian, M., Stevens, K., & King, K. (2008). Strategies for teaching boys and girls- elementary level: A workbook for educators. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Gurian, M., Stevens, K., & King, K. (2008). Strategies for teaching boys and girls- secondary level: A workbook for educators. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Gurian, M. (2009). The purpose of boys: Helping our sons find meaning, significance, and direction in their lives. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
James, A. (2007). Teaching the male brain: How boys think, feel, and learn in school. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
James, A. (2009). Teaching the female brain: How girls learn math and science. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Sax, L. (2005). Why gender matters: What parents and teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences. New York: Doubleday.
Sax, L. (2007). Boys adrift: The five factors driving the growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men. New York: Basic Books.
Sax, L. (2010). Girls on the edge: The four factors driving the new crisis for girls-sexual identity, the cyberbubble, obsessions, environmental toxins. New York: Basic Books.
Spielhagen, F.R. (2008). Debating single sex education: Separate and Equal? Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.
Stipek, Deborah J. (1984) Sex Differences in Children's Attributions for Success and Failure on Math and Spelling Tests. Sex Roles, v11 n11-12 p969-81 Dec 1984.
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Tyre, P. (2008). The trouble with boys: A surprising report card on our sons, their problems at school, and what parents and educators must do. New York: Crown.
Whitmire, R. (2010). Why boys fail: Saving our sons from an educational system that’s leaving them behind. New York: AMACON.
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Newspaper and Magazine References
Title Media Outlet Year Date
Academic underachievers The Washington Times 2006 January 22
Educators revisit girls’ loss of Education Week 2006 May 4 math, science interest
Pay closer attention: Boys are USA Today 2003 December 3 struggling academically
The promise and peril of Education Week 2005 March 2 single-sex public education: Mr. Chips meets Snoop Dog
Where have the men gone? Washington Post 2005 December 4 No place good
The trouble with boys Newsweek 2006 January 30
98