69´«Ă˝

Curriculum Video

A Collaborative Teaching Model to Mimic Even When There’s No Eclipse

By Sam Mallon — April 11, 2024 3:25
04112014 eclipse thumbnail BS
Email Copy URL

For one Vermont district, this week’s solar eclipse brought with it a unique opportunity for collaboration among educators across the K-12 spectrum.

Amy Clapp, a 4th grade teacher in the Addison Central school district, created a working group of educators last October. Together they created a set of lessons that could be modified to meet the needs and abilities of each grade level as they learned about this week’s solar eclipse.

These lessons included a read-aloud facilitated by the school librarian, a math exercise in which students calculated how old they’ll be for the next eclipse, a series of scientific models built by students, and more.

The districtwide collaboration energized teachers and students, according to Clapp, and created a learning environment that reminded her of why she entered teaching.

But this approach can be applied beyond this week’s solar eclipse to a variety of memorable events, and can be used as a collaborative teaching model across any number of subjects.

Here, she explains how it works, and how others can bring a similar approach to their own curricula.

Sam Mallon is a video producer for Education Week.
Related Tags:

Video

School & District Management Video Everything You Need to Know About Electric School Buses
While electric school bus usage is growing nationally, it's not without its challenges. Here's a look at the state of transportation.
Zum electric buses are parked before a news conference announcing the Oakland Unified School District as being the first major school district in the country to use 100% electric school buses at the Zum/OUSD bus yard in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.
Zum electric buses are parked before a news conference announcing the Oakland Unified School District as being the first major school district in the country to use 100% electric school buses at the Zum/OUSD bus yard in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.
Jeff Chiu/AP
69´«Ă˝ & Literacy Video Teaching Content and Supporting 69´«Ă˝ Through Disciplinary Literacy
Get up to speed on what disciplinary literacy is and how teachers can start thinking about it—no matter their subject.
School & District Management Video How This Principal Manages Student Behavior—Without Too Many Rules
Principal Tracie Anderson Swilley brought students on board to make big changes to her school’s culture.
Recruitment & Retention Video Recruiting and Retaining STEM Teachers: A Former White House Adviser's Take
A retired teacher and former White House policy adviser has some ideas for schools leaders looking to recruit and retain in STEM.
Teacher Nathalie Roy, left, talks to her Glasgow Middle School students about using papyrus and learning about writing with smelly squid ink on the papyrus in Baton Rouge, La., on Aug. 23, 2019. This unlikely elective course open to students at Glasgow Middle School in Baton Rouge connects traditional classical studies with STEM.
Teacher Nathalie Roy, left, talks to her Glasgow Middle School students about using papyrus and learning about writing with smelly squid ink on the papyrus in Baton Rouge, La., on Aug. 23, 2019. This unlikely elective course open to students at Glasgow Middle School in Baton Rouge connects traditional classical studies with STEM.
Bill Feig/The Advocate via AP