The Institute and InitiativeWeb Sites


Annual Report 2006 Contents
Electronic versions of the Institute's curriculum units and other publications are available at the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute and Yale National Initiative Web (http://teachersinstitute.yale.edu and http://teachers.yale.edu, respectively). The New Haven Web site played an important role during the National Demonstration Project, as a link in its network of information and a model for the Web sites of other Teachers Institutes, and it remains essential as the Yale National Initiative proceeds. The full texts of almost all the curriculum units written in New Haven between 1978 and 2006, plus an Index and Guide to these units, are available online to teachers in New Haven and elsewhere. Information about the New Haven Institute (its brochures and most recent Annual Reports) is also available, as is the text of its periodical On Common Ground, which contains articles regarding school-university partnerships and is intended for a national audience. The Initiative also inaugurated in February 2004 a new Web site, which includes links to the New Haven Web site and to those of the other League Teachers Institutes. Many of the publications on the New Haven Web site, including PDF and HTML versions of the periodical, are available on the national Web site. That site also features extensive information on the Teachers Institute approach, the activity of the National Initiative, and news from the League of Teachers Institutes.
A "guest book" on both Web sites invites comments and suggestions. The national Web site also invites comments on specific curriculum units and provides other forms to solicit information from teachers, schools, colleges and universities interested in the Initiative. In recent years the New Haven site has been used by more and more people in many parts of this country and abroad -- teachers from both public and private schools (including Fellows from other Teachers Institutes in the National Demonstration Project and the Yale National Initiative), school and university administrators, parents, volunteers, university professors, high school students, graduate students, librarians, military personnel, home-schoolers, local policy-makers, and others conducting research or having an interest in education. We estimate that from its inauguration in June 1998 through December 2006, this Web site has been visited by nearly six million different persons. Of these, approximately 1,083,000 visited during 2006, when the site registered about 7.5 million hits.

In 2006 we continued to hear from individuals in many countries. A partial list would include elementary and secondary school teachers, university professors, college students and researchers from Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The comments that these online visitors submitted were nearly all complimentary, and a reminder of one way that the Institute is participating in Yale's globalization.


The Institute Web site has been visited by nearly six million different persons. Of these, approximately 1,083,000 visited during 2006, when the site registered about 7.5 million hits.
A teacher in Adelaide, Australia was "interested in teaching some of the content of three of your teaching units on heredity and genetics." A teacher in East Yorkshire, England thanked us for a unit on the Aztecs which he said "will prove invaluable in my teaching in the next term." A college student in Sheffield, England wrote, "Excellent reading and information. I may now pass my exam on Thursday. Thank you." A freelance writer in Rome sought permission to draw upon an Institute-developed unit for a "book of photographs we are publishing on the bridges of Rome." She thanked us and concluded about the unit, "It's a beautifully written piece and sums up very well our own thinking about what bridges are." An English teacher who "work[s] for the Dominican air force" and "was just assigned to give a class to pilots" wrote us about a seminar volume on aerodynamics, described as "quite interesting and at this moment really helpful with my class." A faculty member at Russia's Petrozavodsk State University said, "I'm a Fulbright Scholar and your site has been helpful to me in teaching conversational English." A faculty member at Denmark's Jelling College of Education called the site "very interesting, inspiring and useful!" From Solroed, Denmark, a high school teacher wrote, "Your Web site is excellent and has given me many ideas on topics to teach in English as a second language as well as social sciences. Please keep up the good work!"
"I'm a Fulbright Scholar and your site has been helpful to me in teaching conversational English."
--Teacher from Petrozavodsk, Russia

We received messages from across Canada. A Toronto woman who described herself as the "founder of the first Hispanic women network company in Ontario" thanked us saying, "I plan to read more on the subjects related to Latinas." A teacher in Milton, Ontario observed, "This Web site is a great resource for all teachers whether new or experienced." A guidance counselor at a Quebec high school called the site an "excellent resource." A student teacher enrolled at the University of British Columbia wrote, "The curriculum units are an awesome resource. I had some ideas for teaching a unit on ancient Greece and I really like being able to compare notes with sound unit plans from a reputable source. I love the easy to navigate layout." Another college student in Vancouver said,
    The article used was the basis of my final oral presentation and semester paper. It was useful because it was understandable. I supplemented my project with books on the topic. I presented information on the topic that not even my instructor knew! Made points! I will be back to use your Web site again. I was impressed. Thank you.

"This Web site is a great resource for all teachers whether new or experienced."
         --Teacher from Milton, Ontario

Selected responses from other countries included the following. A college student in the Philippines praised the site's "exact" and "great information." A "federal policy maker" in Abuja, Nigeria described the online resources as "interesting." A "marketing professional" in Mumbai, India called the site, "very informative. I visit it to help me teach my daughter who is in the fourth grade." From elsewhere in India, a Hyderabad correspondent was especially interested in units concerning juvenile delinquency. One in Dublin, Ireland characterized the units as "brisk, informative and not overpowering." An American, "now working in the Middle East on developing schools and training teachers" for the Supreme Education Council of Qatar, wrote "I thank the Institute for its efforts and program which was adapted . . . in Pittsburgh. The program is working. I am interested in using some of the materials here."
"I visit it to help me teach my daughter who is in the fourth grade."
         --Parent from Mumbai, India

From around the U.S. came similar statements concerning a wide range of disciplines. Nearby, a New Haven scientist and curriculum consultant said, "Good. More information related to local schools and activities related to the Teachers Institute will be a plus." A Plainfield, Connecticut teacher "looked at some of the units . . . and would like to use them in my classroom." An elementary teacher in East Hartland called the site "excellent." A high school teacher in North Kingstown, Rhode Island responded, "Great teaching units!" A Spanish teacher at a Montessori school in Lexington, Massachusetts wrote about her interest "in language learning at the elementary level." A teacher at Milton Academy in Massachusetts called the site a "wonderful, useful resource." From a teacher in Bennington, Vermont: "I have used many teacher lesson plans from this site. I teach World Literature (grade 10), British Literature (grade 12), and Film (9-12)."

An educational consultant in Mountainside, New Jersey said, "Your Web site has been an invaluable source of good information that I have been able to use in working with teachers." A teacher in Bogota, New Jersey wrote, "I teach eighth and ninth grade English. . . . You . . . gave me enough information where I could present a snapshot of what life was like during the war years. Thank you." A Rutgers graduate student wrote,

    I have only learned about the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute in the past few days. It is an amazing project, in my opinion, and I am going to tell friends who teach secondary school about it, as well as librarian friends/colleagues, about it. I was fortunate to get very good history/social studies instruction in high school, but not everyone does. Your project could help fix that!

"I have used many teacher lesson plans from this site."
         --Teacher from Bennington, Vermont

From New York City, a "middle school learning specialist" found "the unit on biomes to be extremely helpful." She cited "the flora and fauna adaptations (nicely written)" and said, "the bibliography is stunning (so professional). I am about to research this site for other interesting material. I am very impressed." Another New York public school teacher "came across your Web site while researching the history of lynchings and race riots." A teacher at I.S. 92 in the Bronx said, "I find this site very informative and helpful. Thank you!" A middle school literacy coach in the Bronx wrote, "I have found many useful resources on this Web site. We are always looking for models of excellent curriculums to help guide us through the process in our school." Also in the Bronx, a staff developer at Preston High School wrote, "Since I began mentoring first-year high school teachers in 1999, I have referred all of them to this site. It enables neophytes to see how units are planned and also gives them resources that they can use in planning their own lessons/units. Your work has so many practical applications and is so helpful to young teachers. Thank you." In Manhattan, a faculty member at Hunter College wrote,
    I have used your curriculum resources now for close to a decade. I value this work and now I am inspired to initiate a similar project with the New York City Department of Education in collaboration with the Hunter College School of Education."

"Since I began mentoring first-year high school teachers in 1999, I have referred all of them to this site. Your work has so many practical applications and is so helpful to young teachers."
         --Staff Developer from Bronx, New York

A teacher in Philadelphia "found the lesson plan I had searched to be very useful and professional. Thank you!" The Union Latina president at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania consulted online units "so that the students and community here could continue to be educated on Latino culture." She continued, "This site, the concept behind this Institute and the people involved are amazing and are incredibly helpful. . . . your curriculums make learning fun!"

A Wilmington, Delaware teacher wrote, "Great resource. Thank you!" A Georgetown, Delaware "former teacher and grandmother" at Delaware Technical and Community College sought resources because of her "interest in helping children learn to write." A teacher in Centreville, Maryland "like[d] your U.S. history" resources. From Silver Spring, Maryland, an "after school program provider" wrote,

    The lesson plans available through this online resource are incredibly thorough and sophisticated. I appreciate the care taken by their authors to relate material and topics with a culturally competent approach. Similarly the comprehensive presentation of the unit in its entirety makes its application easy. Thank you for providing this useful service to the public!

"This site, the concept behind this Institute and the people involved are amazing and are incredibly helpful.... your curriculums make learning fun!"
         --College student from Pennsylvania

A teacher in Brookneal, Virginia sought permission "to use a lesson plan for our second graders on the Sioux." From Lancaster, Virginia: "Wonderful resource for me as a ninth grade English teacher!" A middle school administrator in Fort Mill, South Carolina wrote, "I am impressed with this Web site and the variety of units available for teachers. I would like to receive information about how to be a part of this program." A teacher in Suwannee, Georgia wrote, "This looks like it will be very helpful as I develop and teach writing strategies for high school students with disabilities." A parent and "volunteer instructor" who works for the State of Georgia called "the initiatives and innovations in teaching" on the Web site "fascinating to me. It also helps me keep a pulse on what my child could/should be learning at school." A teacher at Anniston Middle School in Alabama commented, "Excellent site. I am a first-time visitor and I stayed up for four hours reading the different information." A first-year teacher of English in Cordova, Alabama "found the information on this site helpful and informative." A college student in Dennis, Mississippi similarly cited "very helpful information." An administrator at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg reported, "This is a wonderful resource! Keep up the good work!" A teacher at Florida's North Miami Beach Senior High School discovered the "Web site and it looks wonderful. I will be visiting often once the school year begins. I am also eager to share my find with my fellow language arts teachers." From Fort Myers, Florida:
    I am a special education teacher, but also a student working toward my masters. I stumbled across your Web site in looking for activities to help develop sensory awareness, and found so many very interesting and useful links -- and the site was quite navigational and logical -- as a matter of fact, I've added it to my favorites for future reference! Thank you!

"Excellent site. I am a first-time visitor and I stayed up for four hours reading the different information."
--Teacher from Alabama

A teacher at Chicago's Kenwood Academy wrote, "I am impressed how simple and direct these lessons are. They allow individual flexibility to suit each classroom either through providing the content resources or the seed-idea for a lesson activity." From a teacher at the S.S.C.C. School of the Arts in Chicago: "Simply put, I am impressed!" A teacher in Decatur, Illinois said, "I have found your site to be extremely beneficial, especially in the area of science. I adapt the lessons to fit my class." A faculty member at Sanford-Brown College in Collinsville, Illinois commented, "Excellent information and very helpful. I'm specifically interested in multicultural teaching in addition to adult literacy. Thank you." An elementary education student at Northeastern Illinois University "found your Web site to be very helpful as I try to learn about subjects and issues related to education, especially in areas where I have little or no experience."
"I have found your site to be extremely beneficial, especially in the area of science. I adapt the lessons to fit my class."
         --Teacher from Decatur, Illinois

A high school teacher in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was "looking for ways to teach science through art. I found the curriculum on photography very interesting and plan to investigate this further as a means to teach concepts of light." From Columbus, Ohio, a student at Ohio Dominican University used Institute resources for a paper she was writing on "how African American youth are treated differently than American white youth." She said, "I am a returning student from 10 years ago, so you can see this means a lot to me. Thank you." A teacher in Browerville, Minnesota "found your curriculum very helpful." From Littleton, Colorado, a middle school teacher found the resources "very helpful as I work with gifted middle school students. Your site includes challenging and complex material." A teacher in Montrose, Colorado called the site "a wonderful resource." A staff person at the University of Colorado at Denver wrote, "I am visiting this site for research and ideas. It is very helpful. Thanks."

A middle school teacher in Tucson, Arizona "found a great lesson plan from the Institute via a mention in Education World; haven't really explored the site, but am putting it into my 'favorites' and looking forward to updates!" A Conway, Arkansas teacher "found many detailed ideas from your site." A teacher in Carl Junction, Missouri identified "interesting lesson plans," while a Missouri community college instructor called the site "great, for libraries too." An Ashland, Oregon student at Western International University wrote, "Your site is a wonderful source of information. . . invaluable to me in finding information that eluded me elsewhere." A high school teacher in Salt Lake City, Utah said the site included "good practical teaching lesson plans."

Many enthusiastic messages came from California. A student at Los Encinos School in Encino thanked an Institute Fellow for her science unit: "It was very helpful in doing research for my experiment comparing the crystallization of sucrose, sucralose, and aspartame, for my fourth grade class science project." A high school drama teacher in Sonoma thanked us "for the wonderful curriculum. . . . I enjoyed reading it and finding new resources. I would like to receive more of this type of information. It is very helpful." A middle school teacher in Big Oak Flat said, "I ran across your Web site while looking online for lesson plans for 6th grade Earth science. It has been very helpful and I plan to visit often." In Lancaster, a private school teacher said, "Great curriculum units." A middle school teacher in Long Beach was "impressed with the short story elements lesson plans." A high school teacher in Fontana used "a superb curriculum unit on improving character development and collaboration skills." A graduate of Stanford now teaching at a private school in San Jose wrote, "The unit is fabulous. I love that you have this up and that your program is a partnership between Yale (my eldest is a sophomore there now) and the New Haven school system."
"I ran across your Web site while looking online for lesson plans for 6th grade Earth science. It has been very helpful and I plan to visit often."
--Teacher from California

Texas, too, was again a rich source of responses. A Corpus Christi teacher praised a "great lesson! I love to teach with classic literature." A North Mesquite teacher identified, "Great ideas for teaching health care careers and bioethics." A teacher at Southwest High School in San Antonio wrote, "Exciting units. . . found one via Google, then backed out . . . to find other plans." From the librarian at Presbyterian Pan American School in Kingsville: "I found your site by chance while searching for lesson plan information. Kudos to all at the Institute, it was just the cup of tea I needed." She added,
    I often do double duty as a language arts (jack-of-all-trades/subjects) faculty member. This year I am being given 12th grade English, oh boy, what a to-do! I immediately thought of your Web site, because it is complete, no nonsense, and thorough. I have used the bibliographies for professional and student acquisitions. This year I must write a curriculum guide for English IV as well as lesson plans for the year and I know I will reference your site.
The Institute's Web site elicited other intriguing comments. "The articles are a great resource for college students!" said one. A "homeschool mother and math tutor" wrote about a particular curriculum unit "for use with a group of homeschooled students involved in an enrichment-type co-op" and "also would like to use it with a group of homeschooled students I have been working with in preparation for the math counts competition." In Flossmoor, Illinois, another home-schooling parent wrote, "This is a wonderful site that I refer to while planning my curriculum for my 14 and 9-year-old children as well as their classmates in our homeschooling group. Many thanks for making the site and your information so accessible." An assistant manager of a restaurant wrote, "My son is doing a report on discrimination [against] 19th century Irish immigrants. He is in 6th grade. This has been a great help." The superintendent of a golf course in Schererville, Indiana who was "presenting to a group of golf course superintendents" was impressed with ecology-related curriculum units on the site. He planned to use "this information [to] help many golf course superintendents learn about water quality and responsible management." From Tampa, Florida a respondent wrote to an Institute Fellow, "to express my sincere gratitude for all the information provided by you concerning our Taino roots. I agree there needs to be more texture in our books today concerning our roots! From one Puerto Rican woman to another." A Hawaiian "cultural specialist/artist/craftsman" at the University of Hawaii's continuing education/culture program in Kailua called the site "very helpful and informative in my research for adaptive/alternative methods for cultural arts and studies." A "paraprofessional getting a masters in teaching" at the Lummi Nation School in Bellingham, Washington wrote, "I happened on this Web site while searching for a unit on Coast Salish totem poles and I found it to have the most accurate and comprehensive information without bias and/or stereotyping -- a difficult combination to find under 'Indians.'" A teacher with the Hopi Domestic Violence Program wrote,
    I am a violence prevention educator for our Hopi people in Arizona. I found that your institute possesses valuable information that is very helpful in better understanding human behavior. I am especially interested in readings that focus on child development in relation to socialization skills and emotional learning.

"My son is doing a report on discrimination [against] 19th century Irish immigrants. He is in 6th grade. This has been a great help."
--Assistant Manager of a restaurant


"This information [will] help many golf course superintendents learn about water quality and responsible management."
--Superintendent of a golf course from Indiana

Clearly the curriculum units prepared by Fellows of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute continue to demonstrate their usefulness in many different ways for teachers and others who are engaged within a wide range of subjects and who have received many kinds of preparation.

© 2007 by the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute