Captivate, Activate, and Invigorate the Student Brain in Science and Math, Grades 6-12

John T. Almarode - James Madison University, USA
Ann M. Miller
Captivate, Activate, and Invigorate the Student Brain in Science and Math, Grades 6-12
April 2013 | 224 pages | Corwin
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eBook
ISBN: 9781452285061
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781452218021
Available from January 0001

Description

Banish boredom once and for all!

If your STEM lessons are falling on disinterested ears, it's time to mix things up. What you need are more engaging, brain-based science and math strategies to captivate your students' attention, activate their prior knowledge, and invigorate their interest.

Blending current research on the student brain with practical methods for teaching science and math, John Almarode and Ann M. Miller identify six essential "ingredients" in a recipe for student success. In their book you'll discover

  • A customizable framework you can use right away
  • Classroom-ready, content-specific attention grabbers
  • Overt and covert strategies to boost behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement
  • Techniques for making relevant connections that maximize retention

With this new approach to captivating STEM lessons, you'll energize classroom time and keep your students on task and engaged—every day.



"This book links a wealth of best practices in lesson design to the latest research on how the brain learns new information."
—Edward C. Nolan, PreK-12 Content Specialist, Mathematics
Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD

"This book is a must-read for teachers of math or science who want to increase student achievement and create meaningful learning experiences!"
—Melissa Miller, Science Instructor
Lynch Middle School, Farmington, AR

Contents

Foreword

Foreword

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

  • 1. The Recipe for an Engaged Brain
  • The Recipe for Student Engagement
  • Recipes as Frameworks
  • Using Your Engagement Monitor
  • Engagement: An Overt and Covert Operation
  • You Can Lead Students to Class, but Can You Make Them Think?
  • Chapter 1: 3-2-1 Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • 2. Building Background Knowledge
  • Using Models to Build Background Knowledge
  • A Road Map of the Brain
  • The Nuts and Bolts
  • Engaging the Students With Vocabulary
  • Pandora's Box
  • Chapter 2: Concept Development Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 3. Prime the Brain: Activate Prior Knowledge
  • The Deafening Sound of Silence
  • Making Student Brains More Efficient
  • Getting Better Encoding, Retention, and Recall
  • Link to the Recipe for Engagement
  • Chapter 3: "Fist List" Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 4. Captivate With Novelty
  • In the Classroom, Novelty Is the Spice of Life
  • Emotionally Charged Events
  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Novelty in Moderation
  • Chapter 4: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 5. Why Do We Need to Know This? Establishing Relevance
  • How Is Relevance Good for the Brain? A Mouse Tale
  • How Can I Make Learning Behaviorally Relevant?
  • Link to the Recipe for Engagement
  • Chapter 5: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 6. Too Much, Too Fast: Maintaining an Engaging Pace
  • Input and Quantity Limitations
  • Press and Release
  • What to Do Between Chunks?
  • Too Much, Too Fast
  • Chapter 6: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 7. Make Learning a Long-Lasting, Invigorating Experience
  • It's as if They Were Never Even in Class
  • Checking for Understanding
  • Reading
  • Closure Activities
  • A Watched Pot Never Boils . . . and This Is a Good Thing
  • Chapter 7: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 8. Building an Engaging Science or Mathematics Lesson and Unit
  • Using the Recipe to Build an Engaging Lesson
  • Using the Recipe to Build an Engaging Unit
  • A Recipe for Diversity
  • Taste Testing the Recipe
  • Chapter 8: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References

Appendix A Unit Instructional Plan

Appendix A Unit Instructional Plan

Appendix B Daily Lesson Plan

Appendix B Daily Lesson Plan

Index

Index

Description

Banish boredom once and for all!

If your STEM lessons are falling on disinterested ears, it's time to mix things up. What you need are more engaging, brain-based science and math strategies to captivate your students' attention, activate their prior knowledge, and invigorate their interest.

Blending current research on the student brain with practical methods for teaching science and math, John Almarode and Ann M. Miller identify six essential "ingredients" in a recipe for student success. In their book you'll discover

  • A customizable framework you can use right away
  • Classroom-ready, content-specific attention grabbers
  • Overt and covert strategies to boost behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement
  • Techniques for making relevant connections that maximize retention

With this new approach to captivating STEM lessons, you'll energize classroom time and keep your students on task and engaged—every day.



"This book links a wealth of best practices in lesson design to the latest research on how the brain learns new information."
—Edward C. Nolan, PreK-12 Content Specialist, Mathematics
Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD

"This book is a must-read for teachers of math or science who want to increase student achievement and create meaningful learning experiences!"
—Melissa Miller, Science Instructor
Lynch Middle School, Farmington, AR

Contents

Foreword

Foreword

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

  • 1. The Recipe for an Engaged Brain
  • The Recipe for Student Engagement
  • Recipes as Frameworks
  • Using Your Engagement Monitor
  • Engagement: An Overt and Covert Operation
  • You Can Lead Students to Class, but Can You Make Them Think?
  • Chapter 1: 3-2-1 Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • 2. Building Background Knowledge
  • Using Models to Build Background Knowledge
  • A Road Map of the Brain
  • The Nuts and Bolts
  • Engaging the Students With Vocabulary
  • Pandora's Box
  • Chapter 2: Concept Development Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 3. Prime the Brain: Activate Prior Knowledge
  • The Deafening Sound of Silence
  • Making Student Brains More Efficient
  • Getting Better Encoding, Retention, and Recall
  • Link to the Recipe for Engagement
  • Chapter 3: "Fist List" Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 4. Captivate With Novelty
  • In the Classroom, Novelty Is the Spice of Life
  • Emotionally Charged Events
  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Novelty in Moderation
  • Chapter 4: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 5. Why Do We Need to Know This? Establishing Relevance
  • How Is Relevance Good for the Brain? A Mouse Tale
  • How Can I Make Learning Behaviorally Relevant?
  • Link to the Recipe for Engagement
  • Chapter 5: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 6. Too Much, Too Fast: Maintaining an Engaging Pace
  • Input and Quantity Limitations
  • Press and Release
  • What to Do Between Chunks?
  • Too Much, Too Fast
  • Chapter 6: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 7. Make Learning a Long-Lasting, Invigorating Experience
  • It's as if They Were Never Even in Class
  • Checking for Understanding
  • Reading
  • Closure Activities
  • A Watched Pot Never Boils . . . and This Is a Good Thing
  • Chapter 7: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 8. Building an Engaging Science or Mathematics Lesson and Unit
  • Using the Recipe to Build an Engaging Lesson
  • Using the Recipe to Build an Engaging Unit
  • A Recipe for Diversity
  • Taste Testing the Recipe
  • Chapter 8: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References

Appendix A Unit Instructional Plan

Appendix A Unit Instructional Plan

Appendix B Daily Lesson Plan

Appendix B Daily Lesson Plan

Index

Index

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Captivate, Activate, and Invigorate the Student Brain in Science and Math, Grades 6-12

John T. Almarode , Ann M. Miller
Cancel Print

April 2013 | 224 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781452218021 $40.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781452285061 $37.00

Banish boredom once and for all!

If your STEM lessons are falling on disinterested ears, it's time to mix things up. What you need are more engaging, brain-based science and math strategies to captivate your students' attention, activate their prior knowledge, and invigorate their interest.

Blending current research on the student brain with practical methods for teaching science and math, John Almarode and Ann M. Miller identify six essential "ingredients" in a recipe for student success. In their book you'll discover

  • A customizable framework you can use right away
  • Classroom-ready, content-specific attention grabbers
  • Overt and covert strategies to boost behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement
  • Techniques for making relevant connections that maximize retention

With this new approach to captivating STEM lessons, you'll energize classroom time and keep your students on task and engaged—every day.



"This book links a wealth of best practices in lesson design to the latest research on how the brain learns new information."
—Edward C. Nolan, PreK-12 Content Specialist, Mathematics
Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD

"This book is a must-read for teachers of math or science who want to increase student achievement and create meaningful learning experiences!"
—Melissa Miller, Science Instructor
Lynch Middle School, Farmington, AR


Table Of Contents:

  • Foreword
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Authors
  • 1. The Recipe for an Engaged Brain
  • The Recipe for Student Engagement
  • Recipes as Frameworks
  • Using Your Engagement Monitor
  • Engagement: An Overt and Covert Operation
  • You Can Lead Students to Class, but Can You Make Them Think?
  • Chapter 1: 3-2-1 Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • 2. Building Background Knowledge
  • Using Models to Build Background Knowledge
  • A Road Map of the Brain
  • The Nuts and Bolts
  • Engaging the Students With Vocabulary
  • Pandora's Box
  • Chapter 2: Concept Development Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 3. Prime the Brain: Activate Prior Knowledge
  • The Deafening Sound of Silence
  • Making Student Brains More Efficient
  • Getting Better Encoding, Retention, and Recall
  • Link to the Recipe for Engagement
  • Chapter 3: "Fist List" Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 4. Captivate With Novelty
  • In the Classroom, Novelty Is the Spice of Life
  • Emotionally Charged Events
  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Novelty in Moderation
  • Chapter 4: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 5. Why Do We Need to Know This? Establishing Relevance
  • How Is Relevance Good for the Brain? A Mouse Tale
  • How Can I Make Learning Behaviorally Relevant?
  • Link to the Recipe for Engagement
  • Chapter 5: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 6. Too Much, Too Fast: Maintaining an Engaging Pace
  • Input and Quantity Limitations
  • Press and Release
  • What to Do Between Chunks?
  • Too Much, Too Fast
  • Chapter 6: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 7. Make Learning a Long-Lasting, Invigorating Experience
  • It's as if They Were Never Even in Class
  • Checking for Understanding
  • Reading
  • Closure Activities
  • A Watched Pot Never Boils . . . and This Is a Good Thing
  • Chapter 7: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • 8. Building an Engaging Science or Mathematics Lesson and Unit
  • Using the Recipe to Build an Engaging Lesson
  • Using the Recipe to Build an Engaging Unit
  • A Recipe for Diversity
  • Taste Testing the Recipe
  • Chapter 8: Exit Ticket
  • Engaging Professional Development Tasks
  • References
  • Appendix A Unit Instructional Plan
  • Appendix B Daily Lesson Plan
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

Great companion text for Methods.
Professor Elizabeth Baker, Scholl of Education, Mills College
"This book links a wealth of best practices in lesson design to the latest research on how the brain learns new information. It is a must for all educators involved in building effective lessons."
Edward C. Nolan, PreK-12 Content Specialist, Mathematics, Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD
"This book provides a different perspective on how learning takes place. The authors provide unique insights into some of the obstacles to student learning in science and mathematics. The authors' strategies should provide classroom teachers with new tools and a fresh perspective on designing enhanced learning experiences for their students."
Patricia Waller, Educational Consultant and Retired Science Educator, Emmaus High School, Emmaus, PA
"The success of this book lies in the fact that this is a practitioner's voice, simple, concrete and easy to follow. The engaging lesson framework provides easy access to other practitioners on 'how.'"
Rosalind LaRocque, Professional Development Coordinator, American Federation of Teachers, Washington, DC
"This book is a must-read for teachers of math or science who want to increase student achievement and create meaningful learning experiences!"
Melissa Miller, Middle School Science Instructor, Lynch Middle School, Farmington, AR

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