In leading America through the Great Depression and implementation of the New Deal, FDR had to convince Americans to see the world through a new hopeful perspective in the midst of anxiety and fear. Staging the Theodore Roethke conversation just …
The Women’s Movement of the 1800s is a great opportunity to teach the theme of cooperation and how the leaders of the movement– Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony– worked together to fight against injustice. I could use the …
I’m teaching the Underground Railroad and I want to focus on the importance of dreams as a tool for changing the world. I could use the Harriet Tubman conversation to kick off the lesson. For fun, I wouldn’t tell the …
I want to teach the Gettysburg Address and I think the Gandhi conversation on sacrifice would be a great conversation to have just before handing out this speech to get the kids appreciating the importance of thinking of others before …
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 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 …
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 …
The Wright Brothers invention of the Airplane provides a great opportunity for students to explore the theme of imagination. Albert Einstein’s quote, “The person with dreams is more powerful than the one with all the facts,” can be used during …
In studying World War II, students can think deeply about the theme of problem solving by looking at how unsure the United States was about entering the war and how long they took to do it. The Hippocrates quote, “To …
Teaching about a youth leader like Malala Yousafzai provides a great opportunity to really delve into the theme of fear, because even though many in Malala’s country do not believe girls should be educated, Malala stayed calm in the face …
In teaching about The Great Depression it would be a great idea to look at the theme of perseverance. During horrible economic turmoil, instead of giving up the United States and Franklin D. Roosevelt created the biggest reforms and works …
