George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

9-12 High School

Explore and share tips, strategies, and resources for helping students develop in grades 9-12.

  • A Framework for Student Goal-Setting

    When middle and high school students set short- and long-term goals, they can see a path to the success they hope for.
    Maurice J. Elias

  • Bringing Student Choice to Assessment in Science Classes

    What happens when students can opt to skip tests and instead give oral presentations or create art to show what they know?
    John Dorroh

  • Thwarting Deficit Narratives in Math Class

    To counter societal messages about who is able to be successful in math, teachers can help all students recognize their math brilliance.
    Dylan Kane

  • A Student-Centered Model of Blended Learning

    When educators at a Washington, DC, high school ditched their lectures and devised a self-paced blended learning model, their students thrived.

  • The Case for Not Allowing Test Retakes

    As more educators drop penalties for late work and allow students to redo tests, a high school teacher says that traditional policies are better for the majority of students.
    Anthony Palma

  • How to Increase Participation by Asking Better Questions

    Framing questions the right way—and scaffolding the right kinds of responses—can help teachers avoid blank stares and awkward silences.
    Laura Lee

  • There’s a Cell Phone in Your Student’s Head

    A 2017 study found that cell phones that were turned off and stashed away silently reasserted themselves—distracting working students anyway.

  • The Power of Short Writing Assignments

    Brief writing prompts and responses help students in any discipline.
    Benjamin Barbour

  • The Bill of Rights Through the Lens of Dystopian Tales

    One teacher offers a guide to help students compare the freedoms lost in dystopian novels with the freedoms secured by the Bill of Rights.
    Benjamin Barbour

  • 60-Second Strategy: Appreciation, Apology, Aha!

    A quick, low-key way to build community in your classroom on a daily basis.

  • 60-Second Strategy: Snowball Toss

    A quick, fun classroom activity fosters open dialogue while releasing pent-up energy.

  • An Engaging Word Game Helps Students Grasp Implicit Bias

    A simple fill-in-the-blank exercise helped students understand the power of words and the way they might convey unspoken beliefs.
    Laura Lee

  • What Does the Research Say About Testing?

    There’s too much testing in schools, most teachers agree, but well-designed classroom tests and quizzes can improve student recall and retention.
    Carly Berwick

  • Putting Students in Charge of Their Learning Journey

    By leaving space in their lessons for authentic curiosity to take hold, teachers can enable deeper learning.

  • The Benefits of a High School Psychology Class

    Students gain not just social and emotional learning skills but academic ones like how to conduct and analyze research.
    Heather Tracy