In social studies classrooms and movie theaters alike, the civil rights movement appears to fit neatly into a short timeframe, from “Montgomery to Memphis.” It begins with Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, followed by victories during the Montgomery Bus Boycotts in 1955 and the March on Washington in 1963, and ends decisively with the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968.
Although he was born into slavery, Frederick Douglass became an extraordinary American orator and statesman. His work as a leader in the abolitionist movement included taking on the role of writer, publisher, orator, and Underground Railroad conductor.
Lissette Lopez Szwydky-Davis* and Sean Connors** received an NEH grant for their Summer Institute for K-12 educators, “Remaking Monsters and Heroines: Adapting Classic Literature for Contemporary Audiences.” What follows is a conversation between EDSITEment and Dr. Szwydyky-Davis and Dr. Connors about adapting literature for the classroom.
Teaching composition or expository writing in high school is an enduring challenge, perhaps even more so today, when the rapid-fire exchange of Tweets among students can lie at the hub of daily communication before, during, and after class. Nuanced thought, however, requires a greater gestation period than the nearly instant gratification made possible on Twitter.
We celebrate Black History Month in February, but learning can continue all year long. Check out these NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes for School Teachers dealing with African American history and culture.
As The Vietnam War by Ken Burns and Lynne Novick is now in the rearview mirror it’s important to focus on how we will offer students the best information about the Vietnam era. For it is no longer a question of “if” we talk about Vietnam, but rather “how.” At the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund our mission remains to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War.
Dr. King, the best known leader of the civil rights movement, grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of prominent pastor Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. King became a pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, when he was twenty five. He received national attention for his role in the 1955-6 Montgomery Bus Boycott to end segregated city buses. He helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, and served as its first president.
This week, as family and friends gather to celebrate the holidays with caroling, feasting, hanging stockings and such, it may come as a surprise to learn that we have Washington Irving's fertile imagination to thank for many of these customs, not the least of which is that jolly character who makes a nocturnal visits to fill our homes with gifts and goodies each Christmas.
Early December is an exciting time—looking forward to the holiday festivities and celebrations this month brings. Introduce your students to classic literary selections and seasonal poetry that highlights Christmastime as a special occasion for charity, good will, family togetherness and meaningful reflection.
In the summer of 1787, as the delegates to the Constitutional Convention debated how to establish a system of government that would secure the rights of citizens better than that under the Articles of Confederation, very little time was devoted to discuss the inclusion of a declaration of individual rights against government in the new Constitution.
