Lessons and Ideas

Is "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" a familiar line to you? Did you know it was written during the Civil War by a former slave? You may be surprised to learn that many old familiar songs were written by or for slaves, and that many of the lyrics have double meanings that relate to slavery. Slaves would sing songs as a way to communicate with other slaves or with "conductors" on the Underground Railroad. Because the lyrics were seemingly innocent, plantation owners and overseers had no way of knowing that slaves might be planning on running away or plotting to revolt.…

Use Word Clouds to Analyze the President's State of the Union Address Each year the president must address the nation. And since 1790, when George Washington gave the first State of the Union, the nation has listened closely to learn about the president's leadership priorities. But somewhere between 1790 and 2014, a new speech analysis was invented: the word cloud. In this lesson plan, students will use the word cloud to analyze previous State of the Union speeches, make predictions about this year's State of the Union speech, and then reflect on their predictions after they watch. The Lesson Plan 1.…

Edger Allen Poe's chilling tale about insult and revenge was first published in 1846. Though the feeling of horror that the story evokes is timeless, the language is not. Our "Cask of Amontillado" summary rap not only reviews the key elements of the story, but it also helps you understand some of the old-fashioned language in the original. Here's a small snippet of the lyrics from our song, where Montresor, the narrator, thinks his friend Fortunato has insulted him one too many times and vows revenge: The "thousand injuries" that I have endured Due to "Fortunato" – and "I bore them…

Review the Biggest Buzzwords of the Week! When you follow national and worldwide affairs, you get access to fascinating men and women, wild science, lands previously unknown, and sometimes surprising events from your own backyard. And each week, it seems like a few words get repeated again and again. Each week, we’ll highlight the top buzzwords or terms that your students might not have known or even heard until now. All these words are featured in the most recent edition of The Week in Rap. And once they beef up their vocab, the news will make a lot more sense. THIS…

This coming Monday, many of us will enjoy the day off. Do you know why? Ask yourself, what can I say about the man for whom this day is named? Martin Luther King, Jr. was an important leader in the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and '60s. He advocated for a nonviolent approach to change and is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in world history. Read on to learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. He was born Michael, but later changed his name to Martin Luther. He was the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Baptist ministers.…