Before reading The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, I could use the conversation on civic-responsibility inspired by Margaret Mead to explore the idea that change begins with a single person or small group. Many young people believe their own actions don’t …
In a unit on Colonial America, opportunities arise to discuss conflict and violence. Students learn about the Pennsylvania Colony and William Penn’s long-lasting treaty with the Native Americans, and his desire to support Quaker beliefs to make Pennsylvania a place …
Reconstruction is a great opportunity to explore the theme of forgiveness by considering when it is appropriate to use as a basis for punishment. The Mahatma Gandhi conversation would serve as a great bridge between the Civil War and the …
I’m teaching characterization in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter. I will focus on the theme of respect by looking at the book’s protagonist, Hester Prynne, and tracking her journey from scorned societal outcast to respected contributor within her community. …
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton conversation on honesty asks students to question not only the moral basis for honesty but also its worth. Is honesty always safe? Is it always “the best policy”? Does it germinate trust or suspicion? Are the …
I’m teaching the Civil Rights Movement and I want to focus on the theme of anger by looking at the negatives and positives of getting angry versus staying calm to get what you want. I could stage the Lao Tzu …
Studying epic poetry, particularly Homer’s The Iliad, is a great way to explore the theme of anger, as this theme is present from the very beginning of the poem which begins with the line, “Sing, Goddess, sing of the rage …
Lao Tzu’s conversation, which cautions against a fixation on goal-setting, fits perfectly with the concepts of minimalism and anti-consumerism. To teach this concept, I would reach back to whom many consider to be the original minimalist, Henry David Thoreau. An …
Looking at youth leaders like Greta Thunberg opens a door through which students can enter the theme of civic responsibility, and how a young individual can change how the world thinks about an issue. Using only her voice Thunberg was …
Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried is a meta-fictional novel that redefines truth-telling. The narrator layers factual “happening-truth” with “story-truth,” where he re-imagines, exchanges details, and makes statements like, “A true war story cannot be believed” (O’Brien 71). Using the …
When having students read the nonfiction novel by journalist Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success, I would use the Lao Tzu conversation to spark a discussion and debate about goal-setting in general. We would start off with the essential …
One of the most analyzed poems in American literature is “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. Most students cannot understand that the choice made by the speaker can be viewed from different perspectives. I would look at the conversation …
