During a unit on the Civil Rights era, I would introduce the Sit-In Movement, a means of peaceful protest in which people would sit quietly in “whites-only” establishments in opposition of racial segregation. Abraham Lincoln’s quote about self-determination would fit …
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling offers a great example of the theme of cooperation. Before reading the novel, I could use the conversation on cooperation and Helen Keller’s quote about accomplishing more when working with others. …
When teaching the novel, Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, I would introduce the conversation surrounding Socrates and humility after reading Chapter 5 in the novel, when Esperanza is faced with the realization that she and her mother are now …
Henry David Thoreau’s time spent at Walden Pond was not a fluke; it was a carefully planned and executed choice to live deliberately according to Thoreau’s transcendental beliefs. I would use a study of Walden to connect to the Lao …
I am teaching a geography unit about settlement patterns in the United States. In the unit, questions will include “Why is it important to settle near bodies of water?” and “How does climate affect settlement?” I would pair Erik Erikson’s …
Before getting students to understand the basic jobs within different roles in government (president, governor, mayor, judge etc…), I would start off with the Erik Erikson conversation on interdependence. This way, students would gain an appreciation for how people within …
I’m teaching characterization using Jerry Spinelli’s novel, Maniac Magee. I will focus on the theme of conflict by analyzing the way Maniac interacts with different characters, specifically his “enemies” Mars Bar Thompson and Giant John McNab. At the end of …
In “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes, I could teach the theme of perspective by examining the message the speaker gives her son– to never give up when times are hard. Before reading the poem, I could use the Theodore …
I love the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. After reading the book with my 11th graders, I could hold the Seneca conversation on kindness and use the quote – “Wherever there is a human being there is an opportunity for …
Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner” is a modern tale seen in classrooms more and more often. This epic story contains a major theme of forgiveness. When teaching this story, I would connect it to the conversation with Mahatma Gandhi on …
The little known Civil War set story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, pairs perfectly with the conversation on Sacrifice with Mahatma Gandhi. After reading this short story, and discussion the surprise ending, I would lead students in a discussion …
In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, various family members compete for the fulfillment of their dreams. But for each, there is the vision, and then there are the uncertain “facts.” The Einstein conversation allows students to consider whether …
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