The Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s contains great conversations about the theme of ambition, and how the United States, and especially President John F. Kennedy, felt pressure to catch up …
Washington Irving’s short story “The Devil and Tom Walker” is a classic American twist on the age-old theme of selling your soul to the devil. The conversation with Dr. Seuss about Ambition connects perfectly to a pre-reading class discussion of …
Students of all ages enjoy Dr. Seuss stories. The title story in the collection “Yertle the Turtle” tells the tale of a know-it-all dictator turtle who refuses to listen to the members of his kingdom when they warn him of …
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 …
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 …
Before reading A Bargain for Frances, I could use the conversation inspired by Dr. Seuss about risk-taking. This will spark a great discussion about decision-making and the value in taking risks. During and after the reading of this story, students …
The Giver, by Lois Lowry, has become a standard in middle school classrooms. I would ask the question “How do we know when we should take risks?” towards the end of the novel to lead students in a discussion about …
Many students assume they are just a number and don’t really matter in the world. They don’t think of themselves as role models with responsibilities to other people. Yet, like it or not, their behavior is being watched and they are having an influence on those around them in important, unseen ways. Becoming more aware of their impact makes students more compelled to act in ethical ways.
Many students assume they are just a number and don’t really matter in the world. They don’t think of themselves as role models with responsibilities to other people. Yet, like it or not, their behavior is being watched and they are having an influence on those around them in important, unseen ways. Becoming more aware of their impact makes students more compelled to act in ethical ways.
An ambitious person is confident and self-motivated, both of which are qualities we want to see in our children. But ambition sometimes gets us into trouble. It encourages us to compete with others over scarce resources and that causes us to be selfish and uncompromising sometimes. It’s important to recognize that there are other people in the world and we have an ethical obligation to think about their needs as well.
A creative way to open a unit on Westward Expansion would be to have a conversation with Dr. Seuss on ambition. What I hope would come out of the conversation is a better understanding of the costs and benefits from …
After the last tree falls and the factories shut down in The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, the Lorax has to leave the once fruitful forest. For this lesson, I would use the Sophocles’ conversation on hardship. In small groups, I …
