Middle school general music may be a student's last encounter with school music. A practical book with accessible pedagogical resources on middle school general music is needed for methods courses and music practitioners' use. The book Engaging Musical Practices: A Sourcebook for Middle School General Music presents numerous ways to engage adolescents in active music making that is relevant to their lives so that they may be more apt to continue their...

"Middle school is its own important, distinct territory, and yet it's either written off as an uncomfortable rite of passage or lumped in with other developmental phases. Based on her many years working in schools, professional counselor Phyllis Fagell sees these years instead as a critical stage that parents can't afford to ignore (and though 'middle school' includes different grades in various regions, Fagell maintains that the ages make more of...

Personalized Learning in the Middle Grades shows how teachers in grades 5-8 can leverage the use of personalized learning plans (PLPs) to increase student agency and engagement, helping youth to establish learning goals aligned with their interests and assess their own learning--particularly around essential skills that cut across disciplines. Drawing on their research and work with fifty schools in Vermont, where PLPs are used statewide, the authors...

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How do we measure students' inquiry, problem-solving, and critical thinking abilities so that we know they are prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century? John Barell explains how inquiry leads to problem solving and provides specific steps for formative assessment that informs instruction of 21st century skills. Included are examples that show how to use today's technology in the classroom and how to use inquiry to develop and assess students'...

Exposure to community and interpersonal violence is a public health crisis that adversely affects many children in American communities. After witnessing or experiencing trauma, many children experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression, behavioral problems, substance abuse, and poor school performance. The Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET) program is a series of ten lessons whose structured approach aims to reduce...

In Muffuletta, being good at eating is the key to success. French fries and grilled cheese? Beginner food! Haggis and truffles? Delicacies! After failing a school eating test, picky eater Minerva is placed in the lowest eating track of all: Remedial Eating to Change Habits. RETCH class is full of kids with weird personalities and even weirder food preferences. And to make matters worse, Minerva's best friends, in the Gifted and Gourmet class, no longer...

"Four important facts you'll need to know on your first day of middle school: 1. Teachers are Homo sapiens too. 2. Comparison is the thief of joy. 3. Failure is a chance to invent another possibility. 4. Space gnomes are out there, trying to steal your garlic bread. Meet Luke Reynolds, your new best friend for surviving middle school. He's got all the secrets on how to make friends, talk to your crush, deal with bullies, and have an awesome time....