Instructional Minute

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Step inside real classrooms to see Amplify ELA in action. These videos highlight middle school learners engaged in lessons, offering a glimpse into effective strategies, pacing, and student-centered instruction you can bring to your own teaching.

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We’re excited to share that each K–5 grade level now has its own designated Google Classroom for Social Studies! These classrooms are your one-stop space to find the materials and resources you’ll need throughout the year.

• Kindergarten Google Classroom
• First Grade Google Classroom
• Second Grade Google Classroom
• Third Grade Google Classroom
• Fourth Grade Google Classroom
• Fifth Grade Google Classroom

As we begin the 2024–25 school year, I’d like to take a moment to revisit our Math Vision and Beliefs and highlight how our collective work continues to build and grow.

Last year, we focused on incorporating Instructional Practices #3 and #6 from the Early Math Task Force, a subcommittee of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA).

I’m especially excited that both of our new curricular math tools—Illustrative Math 360 and Reveal—support and strengthen this work. Both programs provide daily opportunities to incorporate Essential #6 – Brief (5–15 minute) interactive number sense routines that build mental strategies, flexible thinking, and confidence with numbers:

• In Reveal, this happens in the Launch of each lesson, which sparks meaningful discussion and sets the stage for deeper engagement.

• In Illustrative Math 360, the Warm-Up is the first activity in every lesson, designed to strengthen number sense and procedural fluency, helping students make rich connections.

Both the Launch and Warm-Up are essential components of the curriculum in our K–8 math classrooms. They provide the space for students to think, talk, and reason mathematically—building a foundation for all future learning.

This year, we are expanding that foundation by adding two new essentials:

• Essential #4 – Engage in formative assessment as a process: In an ongoing and intentional way, continuously assess children’s mathematical thinking through observation and discussion to inform the next teaching and learning steps.

• Essential #7 – Engage children regularly in making sense of and solving story-based problems: Both planned and organically occurring problems are opportunities for students to apply their learning in meaningful contexts.

You’ll learn more about Essentials #4 and #7 throughout the year, as we deepen our collective practice.

Together, by staying committed to these practices, we are continuing to nurture confident, flexible mathematical thinkers in every classroom.

We’re excited to share two Padlets to support you with ALEKS! One is designed for Grades 4+ (ALEKS) and the other for Grades K–3 (ALEKS Adventure). Each Padlet includes everything you need to get up and running with these digital, personalized tools.

🔑 Access Info:

• ALEKS — Password: ALEKSPadlet24-25

• ALEKS Adventure — Password: AdventurePadlet24-25

Explore the resources at your convenience, and please reach out if you have any questions about implementation. We look forward to working with you!

What Is Cooperative Learning?

Cooperative learning is an educational approach where small groups of students work together to achieve a common learning goal, relying on each other's strengths and skills to succeed. Student grouping in high school emphasizes using small, structured groups for collaborative learning and processing content, rather than extensive ability grouping. Key principles include assigning specific roles, ensuring teachers provide necessary content and skills for effective participation, and using grouping to facilitate practice and deep processing of material. Research suggests that homogeneous (ability-based) groups should be used sparingly, and heterogeneous groups may be more effective for most purposes.

Why Cooperative Learning?

Cooperative Learning boosts academic performance by increasing understanding and retention, while simultaneously fostering crucial social-emotional skills like communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution. It creates a more inclusive and engaging learning environment, improves critical thinking and problem-solving, and helps prepare students for future careers that require collaboration.

Defined Purpose:

Group activities should have clear goals, such as deepening understanding, practicing skills, or solving problems.

Small Groups:

Groups should be kept small, typically with no more than four students, to allow for more focused collaboration. It is also advised to give each group member a specific role, such as recorder, reporter, time keeper, or task manager. Assigning specific roles and responsibilities within groups helps ensure active and equitable participation from all members. Making groups too large can result in some students taking a backseat to the collaboration.

Teacher-Led Content Delivery:

Students need sufficient mastery of content and skills to contribute meaningfully to groups, emphasizing that direct instruction and modeling must precede group work.

Data-Driven:

Use data, such as pre-assessments, to form groups that meet students' specific needs and guide instructional decisions. However, remember to diversify, as research shows students of lower abilities sometimes perform worse in homogeneous groups.

Structured Activities:

Implement specific strategies like four corners, jigsaw activities, and gallery walks to engage students and facilitate content processing. (Examples to come in the next Minute)

Group work should provide opportunities for students to reflect on content, apply it to real-world events, and experiment with new knowledge.

Balance with Whole-Class and Individual Work:

Cooperative learning should complement whole-class instruction and individual practice, not replace them entirely.

• Minimize distractions by strategically placing high-traffic areas like the teacher’s desk, supplies, and technology stations.

• Use a variety of visual cues and anchor charts to support learning goals.

• Balance vibrant decorations with clear, focused areas to prevent overstimulation.

• Provide spaces where students can pick up supplies, return completed work, or manage classroom responsibilities (e.g., attendance or classroom jobs).

• Offer options in assignments, reading materials, or project topics to foster engagement and ownership.

• Create and practice clear, visible routines for students to follow independently, such as where to turn in work or find help.

• Design a quiet area where students can take breaks or refocus when needed.

• Design lessons with opportunities for collaboration, like problem-solving tasks or peer teaching.

• Rotate students through hands-on stations where they work independently or in small groups.

• Encourage long-term, student-led projects that solve real-world problems or answer big questions.

For more ways to promote student engagement, check out our brand new Lansing School District educator's Guide located here on the district's staff forms page!

How do Lansing’s beliefs, vision, and mission foster a culture of learning in our district?

These guidelines are in place to ensure that all students have access to a guaranteed and viable curriculum—one where every learner receives the essential content and skills needed for success.

Intention to daily instructional minutes supports learning retention, builds routines, and ensures equity across classrooms and schools.

By adhering to the daily instructional minutes, we create:

• Consistency – Students know what to expect and can build stronger learning habits.

• Equity – Every child has access to the same high-quality learning opportunities.

• Progression – Skills and content build in a logical, intentional sequence.

Your commitment to this practice ensures that our students benefit fully from the curriculum we’ve adopted and are better prepared for future success. Thank you for your dedication to maintaining this consistency for all learners.

The documents attached outline K-8 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website. *Please note that pacing for Illustrative Math powered by Kiddom and Reveal Math will become available as the year progresses.

The document attached outlines 9-12 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website.

A resource to use as you see fit.

The newsletter is created each week by the Instructional Division: