The short story, “Yeshi’s Luck“ by Naomi C. Rose is a great introduction for young readers to the concept of fate and accepting how “the world shapes us.” In the tale, Yeshi learns that you can’t control what happens, and …
When I teach “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, one theme that we focus on is fate vs. free will, which we explore by looking at the ways in which Macbeth’s downfall is driven by outside forces. Students hunt for evidence to …
I may have stumbled into a way to 1. inspire students to ask more questions 2. encourage close reading of a primary source 3. save time Back story: Around 10 years ago I watched my student teacher try a strategy …
Below are 16 samples, each of which includes: A sample essential question which introduces the prompt A draft prompt including three founding documents that could help shape the students’ arguments. (Also check out the Blog Dashboard— where you’ll find multiple …
When teaching about the American Revolution, I like reading Brianna Hall’s informational text “Great Women of the American Revolution“ which profiles many different women who made an impact during this time. One part that always stands out to students is …
MLK’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail is a true classic, both for its historical significance and unapologetic endorsement of non-violent civil disobedience. It actually made the list of required readings for the AP government/politics course, a list that includes Federalist Paper …
Using the classic American novel The Great Gatsby to explore the themes of disillusionment and the American Dream, I want students to really dig into the characters and their motivations to gain an understanding of the tragedy that is unfolding …
The Big Idea: School is often the first place where students occupy positions of authority where they are able to direct the efforts of others. Being a good leader and having influence are highly valued. The challenge is figuring out the …
Essential Questions are great tools to organize courses and units. Regardless of how we end up using them, sooner or later reality demands that students find some answers! And here’s where the real work begins. Consider the challenge this way: to answer …
“Never do anything against conscience, even if the state demands it.” I tried out the Teach Different conversation method as a routine during remote learning. I call it “Conversation Monday”. It’s my attempt to get students thinking and talking about …
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 …
In the midst of the modern civil rights movement, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson is more relevant now than ever before. Diving into the injustices embedded in today’s institutions, Stevenson intertwines stories of unjust treatment and punishment of those who …