Sometimes doing the right thing means that you will face scorn and ridicule from other people. Often this opposition takes the form of angry words thrown against us. As much as these words hurt us, there is a different kind of pain we feel when those in whom we place our trust end up letting us down. Friends and enemies have the power to injure us and so we must find strategies for coping with both situations.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. is a powerful text that many credit as the direct inspiration for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the letter, King outlines the careful decision-making that went into timing his …
Within a larger unit exploring World War II, students would benefit from learning about Japanese Internment and looking at the theme of conflict. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. conversation can be used to frame how some Americans viewed Japanese …
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 …
The March from Selma to Montgomery was one of the seminal events in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, due in large part to its successful use of civil disobedience as a form of protest. The Henry David Thoreau …
Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address is an primary source to explore the theme of conflict and how human beings deal with it. I could have the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. conversation just before introducing excerpts from Lincoln’s speech as …
Civic Responsibility is a common theme in American history embraced by men and women such as Ida Tarbell, Dorothea Dix, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., all of whom tried to change society through protest or some other means. At the …
Arthur Miller’s historical drama The Crucible features multiple examples of conflict. I would pair this play (based on real events) with the conversation with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on conflict at multiple places in the play as different conflicts …
Young children benefit from texts that teach social lessons. One short story that I can use in my elementary Language Arts classroom to teach about loyalty is “Getting Even“ by Deb Westgate-Silva. In the story, Rosa and Stephanie are best …
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 …
When teaching a history lesson about The Salem Witch Trials, I would ask students to consider these events from the perspective of the accused. Many accused persons were upstanding members of the community, yet often their friends in town refused …
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