Shakespeare has many plays involving leaders, but the story of Julius Caesar has become legendary. Very early on, the consequences of a leader who has gained too much power is shown. At this point, I would introduce students to the …
The plot of the popular Shakespeare play Twelfth Night is based entirely on deception. I would use the conversation with Elizabeth Cady Stanton on Honesty to lead a discussion with students post reading. I would have them apply the question …
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 …
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 love the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. After reading the book with my 11th graders, I could hold the Seneca conversation on kindness and use the quote – “Wherever there is a human being there is an opportunity for …
Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner” is a modern tale seen in classrooms more and more often. This epic story contains a major theme of forgiveness. When teaching this story, I would connect it to the conversation with Mahatma Gandhi on …
The little known Civil War set story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, pairs perfectly with the conversation on Sacrifice with Mahatma Gandhi. After reading this short story, and discussion the surprise ending, I would lead students in a discussion …
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 …
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 …
Freedom means different things to different people, and some throughout history have had to struggle more to get it than others. After reading Kate Chopin’s classic “The Story of an Hour”, students can use the conversation with Susan B. Anthony …
One of the most analyzed poems in American literature is “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. Most students cannot understand that the choice made by the speaker can be viewed from different perspectives. I would look at the conversation …
Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” pairs perfectly with the conversation on anger featuring Lao Tzu. After a reading of the story, students can use the conversation as a springboard to an analysis of how the main character’s …
