Teaching Resources
Lesson Plans | Children’s Literature | Selected Websites
Lesson Plans
Guide to Finding Lesson Plans
This guide, put together by the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library (SSHEL), is an excellent starting point for information on finding lesson plans in print and online. If you have physical access to the library, the second section outlines locating resources in print. The Online Resources for Curriculum Guides and Lesson Plans will be of particular interest to remote users.
ERIC
ERIC, the most comprehensive database for educational research at all levels, includes many curriculum-related documents. When searching, the following descriptor terms may be helpful:
- instructional materials
- teacher developed materials
- bilingual instructional materials
- learning modules
- course content
- educational games
- reading games
- educational resources
- mathematics materials
- reading materials
- science materials
- learning activities
- class activities
“Evidence-based practice” is a current focus of ERIC, and may be a useful phrase when searching the database. If you find a document that looks useful, you may be able to access its full text online. If the needed document has a ED number (rather than an EJ number), and if that number is higher than 348466, you should be able to download it as a pdf–look for the ERIC Full-text link in the records for these documents.
Children’s Literature
School Collection: Children’s Literature Resources
This extensive and well-annotated guide from the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library (SSHEL) contains a wealth of links to useful web sites covering a variety of aspects of children’s literature, from storytelling and fairy tales to bilingual resources and book reviews.
Selected Websites for Teachers
What To Expect Your First Year of Teaching
Another Department of Education publication. From the Introduction: “Teachers were asked to describe their most formidable challenges and then offer their advice for overcoming obstacles. Teachers then discussed how principals and administrators could help new educators and how colleges and universities could better prepare teachers for their first year on the job. Finally, teachers offered their thoughts about kids. The closing section of the book includes a bonus-a list of resources followed by tips for first-year teachers from their veteran colleagues.”
Teacher Survival Guide
This guide from Discover Early Childhood EDU provides information about typical challenges new teachers face during their first year of teaching and possible solutions to these challenges. This resource also offers helpful information about what teachers can do to “survive” the first year of teaching, such as having a strong support network, staying ahead, using classroom technologies, caring for oneself, continuing to learn, and coping with bad days.