In teaching essay writing it is a good idea to look at great modern essays; one being Rebecca Solnit’s “Woolf’s Darkness: Embracing the Inexplicable,” which first appeared in the New Yorker on April 24, 2014. It provides a great opportunity …
I am teaching analysis of U.S documents with historical significance, and I want to focus on the theme of dreams by looking at the primary document, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream…” speech. The unit could be framed …
The “Federalist Paper 51” is a great entry point for analyzing the theme of power and how our government is set up to put a check on it. Throughout the study of this text and theme I would hearken back …
“Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes often leaves students perplexed because the main character instantly forgives a young boy who tries to rob her. Before reading the story, I would introduce the theme of forgiveness with the conversation about Mahatma …
I am teaching students about The Underground Railroad, and I want to focus on the theme of hardship. Harriet Tubman used her horrible experiences from slavery and channeled them into motivation when leading hundreds of others into freedom. I would …
Julius Caesar is the perfect Shakespeare play to use when focusing on the theme of leadership. A huge aspect of the play is that it is a visceral exploration of essential questions relating to leadership: How hard is it to …
I am teaching analysis of the novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte and I will focus on the theme of character, as the book’s protagonist puts a lot of effort into preserving and sustaining her own character, despite the many …
I am teaching journalistic writing and a theme I want to focus on is that of sacrifice. Using the present real world context as a research subject, students can write a journalism article which reports the sacrifices citizens have made …
I am teaching poetry and the poem “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by John Donne is the perfect poem to use when looking at the theme of interdependence. The Erik Erikson conversation could be interspersed around the work with the …
I’m teaching William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies and I’m interested in the theme of power and how it can be abused over time. I start off with the John Adams conversation to explore ideas of power and trust …
I am teaching about Segregation, and I want to focus on the theme of self-expression by looking at Jackie Robinson and his career as the first African American baseball player in modern Major League Baseball. In his first two years …
Before reading The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, I could use the conversation on sacrifice by Mahatma Gandhi, which explores the idea that serving others is the best way to discover our true purpose. I could then focus on the …