It is one of the most beloved film franchises of all time, and now Star Wars has been examined and presented as a means to teach world history. A new book entitled Star Wars and History claims that the epic space story parallels many earthly historical events. Star Wars creator George Lucas has denied any intentional links to actual events, but admits that due to the films' overall narrative of good vs. evil and war and rebellion, it would be impossible to avoid any similarities.
Nonetheless, authors Nancy Reagin and Janice Liedl have created an interesting way to present world history to students via a pop-culture phenomenon that is almost universally loved. CNet sat down with Liedl for an interesting look behind the making of the book. Read the interview here.
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Note: The following blog is the first of a three-part series on teacher inquiry.
It might sound cliché but you’ve likely heard the phrase that a teacher should be a life-long learner. Ayres (1989) wrote that “teaching involves a search for meaning in the world. Teaching is a life-long project, a calling, a vocation that is an organizing center for all other activities.” Whatever your philosophy, it’s hard to argue that engaging in teacher inquiry provides many...

This year's tree was especially of interest to me because it came from a town near me and where I went to college . . . Oneonta, New...
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Americans chose to elect a billionaire businessman, an outsider with no government experience, over Hillary Clinton, the candidate of the establishment. What economic and social forces might have prompted this upset in...

“The biggest surprise has been how little importance large portions of the electorate placed on whether statements made by candidates (or their surrogates) accord with the facts.” — Howard Gardner
Ever since he went to Wyoming Seminary secondary school, Howard Gardner says he has been captivated with...

On December 1, 1955, a tired seamstress living in Montgomery, Alabama, made history. Rosa Parks was an African American woman who broke the law when she refused to give up her seat on a crowded bus for a white passenger. Her act of civil disobedience resulted in her being kicked off the bus and her arrest! She was charged and found guilty of violating the segregation law of the city...
What do I do when they finish their work early?
This is a common question posed by teachers when it comes to gifted students. But it really shouldn’t be a problem—if you have the right training, the right philosophy and some “go-to” strategies in your teaching toolbox. Some teachers simply give gifted students more of the same work. The student finishes the assigned math problems—so have them complete 10 more of the same type of problems. In other classrooms, teachers ask gifted...
Teachers in U.S. public schools are educating students who more racially and ethnically diverse than at any other time in our history (Levin & Nolan, 2014); any other time in history. In 2008, 44 percent of students were from minority ethnic groups. By 2040, this number is expected to grow to more than 50 percent (Levin & Nolan, 2014).
What does this mean for teachers? For starters, the challenge to meet the needs of diversity in the classroom are massive—and are not...
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