Teachers know it instinctively, research bears it out: Students learn more, and with more joy, when offered intriguing lessons that connect with their lives and interests while challenging them to stretch and grow. In this book, you'll find practical, ready-to-use strategies for creating active and exciting lessons. You'll learn about: Partnering and grouping students for optimum learning; using interactive learning structures such as Maitre d' and Swap Meets to support active learning; incorporating acting, drawing, debating, and more into daily lessons while still meeting rigorous learning goals; infusing lessons with choices in what or how to learn to increase students' ownership of their learning; and more.