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Literacy, Languages, and the Arts

SEPTEMBER 11 - 18, 2012

Greetings!

Education reform can turn out to be a controversial topic in Iowa. The debate, of course, is not whether schools should change the status quo but rather how school reform should happen. Higher teacher pay, more training, and finding a better means of assessment were just a fraction of what was discussed at the Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium that was held at Drake University on August 3, 2012. Watch the full program on IPTV and find resources to help transform the way you teach.

Web Resource

Symbolism Quiz

Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

Literary symbolism combines the literal and the abstract. Some symbols are generic, such as the color red representing love, or flowers representing mortality. Other symbols such as The Valley of Ashes in The Great Gatsby are specific to individual novels. Test your knowledge of American literary symbolism with this quiz.

Web Resource
p to p

Prairie to Paris

Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

This site uses materials from the PBS American Masters series to create interactive resources for students reading two classic works of American literature. Students can immerse themselves in the sunbaked prairie town of Black Hawk, Nebraska, or they can meet up with Hemingway and his writer pals after World War I.

Gallery

Casualties of the Civil War

Grade Range: 9-12

The American Civil War was the first major conflict that was photographed extensively, bringing shocking and often horrific images to the front pages and into people's living rooms. This gallery from American Experience brings a new historical dimension to the war.
*n.b. Several of the images in this gallery are graphic in nature and may be disturbing.

Web Resource

#iaedfuture

K-12 Education Issues

Follow the discussion of education reform for Iowa on twitter by following the hashtag #iaedfuture. Read what teachers, principals, and educational leaders are talking about when it comes to education reform.

Video

The Principal Story

K-12 Education Issues

Follow the journey of two elementary school principals throughout a school year as they strive to improve student achievement and implement school reform.

Interactive

Fridge Magnet Game

Grade Range: K-2, 3-5

Use this interactive game to help your students improve their reading comprehension. Students monitor to identify out-of-place words and replace them with choices that clarify the statements.

Video

Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium

K-12 Education Issues

IPTV recorded some highlights from the Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium, including speeches from Marc Tucker of the National Center on Education and the Economy, Vivien Stewart, Senior Advisor for Education at Asia Society; and Brad Jupp, Senior Program Advisor in the Office of Secretary of Education.

Lesson Plan

Analyzing the 2012 Election

Grade Range: 9-12

This lesson examines the political process, the candidates and their platforms, and the ultimate outcome of the 2012 election.

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