“Harrison Bergeron”, by Kurt Vonnegut, is a dystopian story that I like to use to address questioning authority. In the short story, the title character Harrison Bergeron defies the “Handicapper General” and pays the price with his life. Though it …
When teaching about the American Revolution, I like reading Brianna Hall’s informational text “Great Women of the American Revolution“ which profiles many different women who made an impact during this time. One part that always stands out to students is …
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an important novel that every American should read. I like to use this novel to teach several different themes and historical issues, but the character of Atticus Finch in To Kill a …
Natalie Babbitt’s novel, Tuck Everlasting provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the theme of responsibility. When Winnie Foster learns of the Tucks’ immortality, rather than capitalize on this opportunity for fame or fortune, she keeps their secret …
The Abolitionist Movement, led by the likes of Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, showed the world the importance of taking responsibility to speak out against moral wrongs. The Martin Luther conversation would work nicely alongside the teaching of the …
Students of every age struggle with moral decisions about how to balance their own individual needs with the needs of others. Either way they decide, there is sacrifice. Focus on the individual and they must sacrifice others. Focus on others and they must sacrifice their own individual needs. Clear answers are hard to come by. What’s important is that students make a commitment to reflect deeply on ethical decisions before they make them and take responsibility for the decisions they make.
When teaching about the years leading up to the Civil War, I never leave out Harriet Tubman’s role in leading 300 slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad. The Toni Morrison conversation would work very nicely just before bringing up …
Before having students read Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau (or an excerpt), I would start a discussion using the conversation about responsibility from Dr. Seuss. This discussion will get students thinking about the role of the individual and how …
One of the main themes in Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein is responsibility. The main character Dr. Frankenstein is responsible for many people in the story. After a study of the novel I would use the conversation with Dr. Seuss …
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