The next school year will start and, if you’re like me, you have no idea what it’s going to look like. But let’s imagine… You’re finished with the rules and procedures and expectations for the year. You’re ready to set …
Two truths about teaching: 1. Questions don’t work too well unless students are in the mood for them. 2. Nothing sets a mood like a good story. Two truths about stories: 1. They captivate the imagination. 2. They create healthy …
Was the Chinese philosopher and military strategist Sun Tzu onto something? John Kennedy thought so. Here’s a great example of how you can use Teach Different’s 3-Step conversation method in a unit on the Cold War in US history. Step …
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 …
In leading America through the Great Depression and implementation of the New Deal, FDR had to convince Americans to see the world through a new hopeful perspective in the midst of anxiety and fear. Staging the Theodore Roethke conversation just …
This essential question comes from a New York Times article by Beverly Gage, which was shared via Twitter by Mary Ellen Daneels ( @daneels_m ), lead teacher mentor for the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and contributor to IllinoisCivics.org The article …
I’m studying World War II and want to look at the theme of sacrifice by exploring how the average citizen was made to contribute their heart and soul to defeat the enemy through volunteering, food rationing and the like. The …
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 …
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 …
Throughout my social studies curriculum, we continually return to the concept of trade–groups of people exchanging goods and services in order the meet each other’s needs. Whether it’s trade between Native American civilizations, The Columbian Exchange, or trade among early …
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 …
During my unit on the Revolutionary War, students always enjoy learning about the treasonous history of Benedict Arnold. After walking students through the actions that made Benedict Arnold a household name synonymous with “traitor,” I would present the Aristotle conversation …
