How can students analyze and write "found poetry" based on particular prose passages? Continue reading...

How can the Visual Thesaurus help students better understand the language of mathematics?

In this lesson, small groups of students will use the Visual Thesaurus to explore the multiple meanings of some common math terms. Then, groups will synthesize this knowledge by coming up with examples of the words in both mathematical and other contexts. Continue reading...

How can the Visual Thesaurus help students replace trite words of emphasis with "words strong in themselves"? Continue reading...

In this lesson, students identify the algorithm behind Fibonacci's sequence of numbers and then read a New York Times article about how blogger Gregory K. Pincus invented a poetry form based on this number sequence. Students then synthesize their knowledge of the Fibonacci sequence and the VT to create their own "Word Fib" poems that explore the multiple connotations of some challenging one-syllable vocabulary words. Continue reading...

Writing opportunities within the content area classroom can be exciting and motivational, but some content area teachers feel they are not up to the task of "teaching writing." The first step in assuaging this authentic concern is to let content area teachers off the hook. They are not writing teachers. Content area teachers can appreciate strongly supported arguments and easily spot a well-turned phrase, but they should not be held accountable for teaching the skills needed to accomplish these writing goals. Their field of expertise may be science or history or math, and because these teachers have done quite a bit of writing in their own academic careers, they are experts in the type of writing required in their respective disciplines. These rich backgrounds help content area teachers make indispensable contributions to the refinement of writing skills. Here are a few thoughts and suggestions that might encourage more content area teachers to infuse writing into their curriculum. Continue reading...

In this lesson, students will learn about the fundamental system of scientific classification: binomial nomenclature. Teams of students will compete in a binomial name scavenger hunt using the Visual Thesaurus and the online "Catalogue of Life" to identify two-part binomial names within specific genus categories. Continue reading...