This paper discusses the issues surrounding No Child Left Behind legislation, gives a review of research surrounding best practices, details what educators can do to satisfy the requirements of the law while still engaging their students in the course content and teaching them critical, 21st century skills. Further, using Understanding by Design, the Workshop Model, and technology, this project provides a sample 9-week unit that meets multiple standards and benchmarks and emphasizes 21st century skills. With a combination of researched pedagogies, this paper argues that educators can prepare their students for state assessments and life beyond their formal education.