Foreword by Roland Tharp.

Preface.

Acknowledgments.

The Authors.

Introduction: Creating a Meaningful Classroom Environment.

Opportunities and Challenges.

Solutions.

Conclusion.

1. Teachers and Students Producing Together: Joint Productive Activity—Collaboration or Bust!

Research Support for Joint Productive Activities.

Working with Adolescents.

Creating Lessons with Joint Activities.

Assessment of Joint Activities.

Introduction to Laura Ianacone Taschek.

Lessons from the Classroom.

Lesson 1: Literature, Grade 10.

Lesson 2: Biology, Grade 9.

Lesson 3: World History, Grade 10.

Conclusion.

2. Developing Language and Literacy Across the Curriculum.

Scaffolding Instruction.

Lessons from the Classroom.

Lesson 1: Geometry, Grade 9 or 10.

Lesson 2: Earth Sciences, Grade 10 or 11.

Lesson 3: Sheltered English, Grades 9 to 12.

Lesson 4: Global Studies, Grades 11 and 12.

Conclusion.

3. Contextualization or Making Meaning: Connecting School to Students’ Lives.

Contextualizing Instruction Within the Community.

Contextualizing Lessons and Activities.

Lessons from the Classroom.

Lesson 1: Language Arts/History, Grade 8.

Lesson 2: Biology, Grade 9 or 10.

Lesson 3: World History/Geography, Grades 9 and 10.

Lesson 4: History/Social Studies, Grade 9 or 10.

Conclusion.

4. Challenging Activities: Teaching Complex Thinking.

Lessons from the Classroom.

Lesson 1: Literature, Grade 9 or 10.

Lesson 2: Social Science, Grades 9 to 11.

Lesson 3: Trigonometry, Grade 11.

Lesson 4: Writing Research Papers, Grades 9 to 12.

Conclusion.

5. Teaching Through Dialogue: The Instructional Conversation.

The Teacher’s Role.

Planning Lessons with Instructional Conversations.

Benefits of the Instructional Conversation.

Structuring the Instructional Conversation.

Organizing Conversational Activities.

Lessons from the Classroom.

Lesson 1: Biology, Grades 10 and 11.

Lesson 2: Global Studies, Grades 10 to 12.

Conclusion.

Conclusion: A Model of Assistance.

Appendix 1: Creating and Managing Classroom Learning Centers.

Organizing the Centers.

Classroom Groupings.

Group Management and Discipline.

Scheduling Center Activities.

Learning Center Assessment.

Conclusion.

Appendix 2: Laurellos Castle.

Appendix 3: Tibet Questions Graphic Organizer.

Notes.

Index.