Arkansas: A Six Region Journey - Arkansas River Valley

This course features an enrichment activity titled "An Arkansas River Valley Glossary," which teachers can implement into classroom instruction. In this activity, teachers will investigate the value of student learning through writing and they will be able to recognize the value of activities that help transfer learning processes to other content areas.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by ACA 6-17-703.

Arkansas: A Six Region Journey - Ouachita Mountains

This course examines the unique geologic formation of the Ouachita Mountains, its first inhabitants, its natural beauty, and the rich history of Hot Springs, Arkansas. This course features an enrichment activity titled "Come to the Ouachitas! Brochures Across the Curriculum," which teachers can implement into classroom instruction. With this activity, teachers will be provided with a method to help students understand the need to have an audience and a purpose for their writing. Teachers will also confirm that students who research and write about the Ouachita region in a brochure will understand it far more deeply than those who have simply memorized the names of historical sites in the region.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by ACA 6-17-703.

Arkansas: A Six Region Journey - Gulf Coastal Plain

This video examines a region that is full of history, where natives include a singer/songwriter, a governor, and a former president. This region is also characterized by large-scale catfish farming, lush agriculture, and a "boomtown."

This course features an enrichment activity titled "Dear Editor: Persuasive Writing About Arkansas's Gulf Coastal Plains," which teachers can implement into classroom instruction. In this activity, teachers will attest that utilizing writing as inquiry powerfully impacts learning, and that writing a letter to the editor about an issue involving Arkansas' Gulf Coastal Plains will deepen students' knowledge of the region.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by ACA 6-17-703.

Arkansas: A Six Region Journey - Mississippi Alluvial Plain

This video examines a new generation that is making a major effort to put the region's racial difficulties behind them and work together to restore the Delta to social, economic, and political health, preserve its rich cultural tradition, and make it a place where people can raise families and prosper. 

This course features an enrichment activity titled "Dear Diary: Entering the History of the Delta," which teachers can implement in classroom instruction. With this activity, teachers will understand that writing journals or diaries from the perspective of a child at a certain time in history engages students by giving them a fresh perspective on the subject matter and challenging their imaginations.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by ACA 6-17-703.

Arkansas: A Six Region Journey - Crowley's Ridge

This course features an enrichment activity titled "Road Trip: A Virtual Journey to Crowley's Ridge," which teachers can implement in classroom instruction. In this section of the course, teachers will recognize that writing activities can provide a sense of purpose and bring meaning to student learning. Teachers will understand that writing from research about a geographical area can enhance student knowledge of that area. 

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by ACA 6-17-703.

Arkansas's First People: Nations

As European explorers continue to cross the Mississippi River, out of the mysterious past of the mound builders, diverse, communal groups known as the Caddo, the Quapaw, and the Osage emerge in the mountains, valleys, and plains of Arkansas. In this course, the modern descendants of these great people explain their tribal views and cultures.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by ACA 6-17-703.

Arkansas: A Six Region Journey - Ozark Plateau

This video addresses Ozark culture, both its traditional form, and the one that is emerging in the 21st century. Explore the Ozark landscape, which is shaped by hollows and ridges, quickly falling streams, and relative isolation.

This course features an enrichment activity titled "Singing the Ozarks to Life: A Poetry Writing Activity." With this activity, teachers will understand how writing poetry supports learning in the content areas, how teaching students to write three basic format poems about the Ozarks enhances their knowledge of this region, and how using rubrics to assess poetry is a good way to assess for content and craft.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by ACA 6-17-703.

A Framework for K-12 Science Education and the NGSS: A New Vision for Science Education

A Framework for K-12 Science Education identifies the key scientific ideas and practices students in all grades should learn. Dr. Heidi Schweingruber, Director for the Board on Science Education, introduces the frameworks as a new vision for science learning. She reviews the development of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), details the three dimensions, and presents data in support of the need for implementing these standards in the classroom.

This course was taped during the AAMLE annual conference on March 30-31, 2015.  

Scientific and Engineering Practices in the Classroom

A Framework for K-12 Science Education presents three dimensions that are combined to form each standard with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The first dimension, Scientific and Engineering Practices, is the focus for this course. Heidi Schweingruber, Ph.D., Director for the Board on Science Education, discusses how these practices help support learning in the classroom. Referencing data from Achieve, she identifies the shifts in science education and suggested techniques for implementation. 

This course was taped during the AAMLE annual conference on March 30-31, 2015. 

Crosscutting Concepts

Crosscutting concepts are in place to help students make connections across the different disciplines. Dr. Heidi Schweingruber, Director of the Board on Science Education, explains how these concepts are more than just a way to categorize activities; they exist to support and deepen student learning. She identifies the guiding principles for how these concepts should be used in the classroom and looks at the progression of complexity and sophistication across the grades. Having prior knowledge of the NGSS framework before taking this course is strongly encouraged.

This course was taped during the AAMLE annual conference on March 30-31, 2015.