The informational text, Fly High, Bessie Coleman by Jane Sutcliffe in an excellent account of the first African American female. I would hook readers into the topic of perseverance by using the Henry David Thoreau conversation to discuss success and …
The amendments to the Constitution offer a great opportunity to show students how ideas evolve. I would ask students to unpack and rephrase some of the most important amendments, such as Amendment 13 prohibiting slavery, or Amendment 19 which gave …
Obstacles don’t have to delay progress–as long as careful decision-making is present. This concept is evident in Ronald Reagan’s speech following the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, in which he outlines how America will not let this disaster derail its …
When teaching about Industrialization, I want students to understand that while inventions and adaptations have helped society in countless ways, these benefits don’t come without a price–in the form of negative environmental impact. In my lesson I use the essential …
When teaching students about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the impact these explorers had on the future of Westward Expansion, I see a great opportunity to frame the expedition as a story of hard work and perseverance. Though they …
In my social studies curriculum, we examine how the culture of a population changes over time due to outside influences. The best example of this is The United States, often described as a “melting pot.” I first pose the following …
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 …
I want to help the students find some sort of positive meaning from the Coronavirus crisis. The conversation with Sophocles on hardship would be a great tool to encourage self-reflection on the fact that sometimes a person has to go …
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” would be an ideal primary source to teach the theme of obedience. I could use the Albert Einstein conversation before introducing the letter to get students reflecting on how they …
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 …