In yesterday’s poem, Walt Whitman wrote about how he hears America singing—songs by mechanics and carpenters, masons and boatmen, shoemakers and wood-cutters. In today’s poem, Langston Hughes declares that “I, too, sing America.”
April is National Poetry Month, which the Academy of American Poets first introduced in 1996. It’s a great time to expose students to timeless works of poetry, and so we are using the 30 days of April to feature 30 different poems by 30 different American poets.
Distinguished scholar-teachers Amy and Leon Kass demonstrate how short stories, speeches, and songs can be used to enhance civic education and how a pedagogical approach that stresses learning through inquiry can make primary sources come alive for students of all ages.
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“What a wonderful collection of American songs, speeches, and stories. It should be valuable for teachers, students, parents, and readers of all kinds.”
— Diane Ravitch