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 …
I’m getting ready to teach the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and I want to focus on happiness. I could use the Diogenes conversation right before introducing the novel to get the kids thinking about the meaning of happiness. …
I am teaching analysis of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous essay “Self-Reliance,” and I want to focus on the theme of success by looking at the many sentences in the essay which explore this theme in relation to the individual. At …
In teaching a unit on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I want to focus on the theme of self-motivation, as so many of the novel’s characters are motivated by different things, some harder to figure out than others; …
I am teaching poetry and the poem “Ode on Solitude” by Alexander Pope creates a wonderful opportunity to study the theme of isolation with students. This poem focuses on the upsides of loneliness and therefore raises interesting questions about what …
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 …
When looking at Rosa Parks’ contribution to The Civil Rights Movement it makes sense to explore the theme of obedience. Even though she knew she might be arrested, Parks sat in a whites-only bus section and inspired a movement of …
I am teaching argumentative writing and I want to focus on the theme of obedience by exploring the pros and cons of following rules even when you disagree with them. Using the Albert Einstein quote, “Never do anything against conscience, …
