Book excerpt: This text begins with the basic elements of education—curriculum, instruction, and policy—and examines how these core principles have been defined, refined, and applied in the name of teaching. Five essential questions—Who is an educated person? What is worth knowing? What is learning? What is good teaching? What is the place of the public school in society?—provide a framework for further consideration of the three central themes. In addition, print and non-print supplements, multiple points of view on controversial issues, and access to primary resource readings help students understand how theory relates to real-life teaching scenarios. Primary Source Readings boxes present primary source documents on a topic that is central to the chapter in which it appears. Each document is followed with questions, entitled "Thinking Critically About the Issues," that encourage students to analyze and develop an opinion about what they have just read. Voices of Principle and Promise boxes contain a first-person account of a topic that is critical to education and central to the chapter in which they appear. Chapter-ending pedagogy includes Applying What You've Learned application activities, Web Sites to Explore, and Questions for Reflection. Houghton Mifflin Video Cases, four- to six-minute video modules presenting real classroom scenarios, enable students to observe the day-to-day challenges and rewards of teaching from the convenience of their computers. Available on the Online Teaching and Study Centers, HM Video Cases are enhanced by classroom artifacts, Viewing Questions, Interview Transcripts, Key Terms, and bonus video footage.