Tools for Teaching in the Block

This resource provides teachers with research-based strategies and a four-phase lesson planning framework for teaching in the block. The author explores the movement toward the use of block schedules in secondary schools, provides a discussion of the rationale behind teaching in an extended time period, and illustrates the benefits to teachers and students. Subsequent chapters present strategies and activities for: Preparing students for learning by fostering their prior knowledge, helping them set a purpose for reading and learning, and teaching the vocabulary necessary for understandingHelping students actively interact with and process what they have learnedClarifying, reinforcing, and extending student learning Teachers will be able to engage students and increase student achievement by effectively integrating reading, writing, and critical thinking into a 90-minute block of instructional time.