Over at the New York Times Learning Network blog, Carol Jago, the president of the National Council of Teachers of English, provides a lesson plan for teachers to use with Richard Blanco’s poem “One Today” (text below). Blanco wrote the poem at the request of President Barack Obama and read it at the presidential inauguration earlier this month.
As the Times points out, it was John F. Kennedy who began the inaugural poet … Read more »
As we celebrate Columbus Day this weekend (read our history of the holiday, here), take a look at this poem by Edward Everett Hale that provides a great example of how to use poetry and literature to teach about the American holidays.
Hale, whose short story “The Man without a Country” is featured here, was a Unitarian minister and anti-slavery activist, was a prolific author of stories, essays, and … Read more »
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