Set in a dystopian future, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a wildly popular young adult novel, and one of its biggest themes in teamwork. Throughout a study of the book, I can stop and lead discussions based on …
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 on the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson had to stay quiet in the face of racial injustice and harassment in order to protect himself. I would use the Audre Lorde conversation on self-expression by focusing on the counterclaim, that sometimes in such a complex world silence is necessary for self-protection.
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 …
Within a larger unit exploring World War II, students would benefit from learning about Japanese Internment and looking at the theme of conflict. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. conversation can be used to frame how some Americans viewed Japanese …
The context of World War II is a great one in which to talk about the theme of cooperation. The defeat of Hitler could not have come about without coordination between the Allies and the participation of all Americans on …
I want to use the study of Monarchy to discuss the theme of power with students. Thinking about what kinds of power a king or queen has and the good and bad they could do with that power, brings up …
The Great Depression, fueled by the Stock Market Crash of 1929, is a topic that provides an opportunity to discuss the theme of interdependence. The fallout from the Depression showed us how dependent we are on each other and our …
Within a unit on Segregation it would be a good idea to look at the story of Ruby Bridges to discuss the theme of respect, as she was one of the first African American children to attend an all-white elementary …
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby, Gatsby puts himself in ruthless pursuit of wealth and love without regard to the cost. Although his ambition eventually leads to his own murder, it begs the reader to wonder about …
The Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s contains great conversations about the theme of ambition, and how the United States, and especially President John F. Kennedy, felt pressure to catch up …
Forgiveness is an important life skill for students. On the other end of that spectrum lies the potential damage of holding grudges. To help my students understand the poisonous nature of sustained anger, I read the poem “A Poisonous Tree” …
In the Time of Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, is a great novel with which to explore the theme of self-expression; in it four sisters navigate dictatorship in Latin America, fighting back to different degrees and in different ways. The Audre …