One of my favorite texts to teach the theme of forgiveness is The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. In this story, the main character provides a great example of the importance of forgiveness and how holding onto anger and …
“Harrison Bergeron”, by Kurt Vonnegut, is a dystopian story that I like to use to address questioning authority. In the short story, the title character Harrison Bergeron defies the “Handicapper General” and pays the price with his life. Though it …
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 …
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 …
“Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes often leaves students perplexed because the main character instantly forgives a young boy who tries to rob her. Before reading the story, I would introduce the theme of forgiveness with the conversation about Mahatma …
Lao Tzo’s quote, “To lead the people, walk behind them,” can ignite conversation on the dichotomies of strength vs. dominance, humility vs. passivity, ends vs. means, and how leaders respond to conflict and influence. This can help students to better …
Pieter Brueghel’s painting “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” and William Carlos Williams’ ekphrastic poem of the same name ask students to consider the theme of man’s indifference to suffering. Both works suggest that life goes on amid casualties and …
Early Puritans and Pilgrims learned that the new world required both cooperation and help from unexpected sources. The Erik Erickson conversation plumbs the possibilities and limits of interdependence. Does it promote strength and versatility? Or does it allow vulnerability, compromise, …
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 …
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” …
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’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 …
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