The primary objective of this course is to gain a greater understanding of the middle school curriculum and instructional strategies as well as the needs of early adolescent students. Our focus will be on the roles teachers play in incorporating this guided, interdisciplinary, and collaborative team approach that assists students during these fundamentally transformative years. We will look at the necessary components of organization (teaming, advisor/advisee, exploratory, and learning communities) and instruction (cooperative learning, student grouping, teacher strategies, and student learning styles) that create a unique middle school environment.

Learning Objectives:

• Develop an interdisciplinary unit that integrates content across curricular areas.
• Identify and plan a lesson regarding the characteristics of middle school children.
• Identify curriculum areas and philosophical concepts that meet the physical, social, intellectual, and affective needs of the early adolescent.
• Identify a variety of instructional strategies and assessments that meet the needs of the early adolescent.
• Identify effective teaming practices.