Music can trigger powerful emotions and brain research has shown the strong link between emotion and memory. Songs and sheet music, also referred to as musical scores, are great primary sources to use with students to enable them tap into the feelings and emotions surrounding historical events and figures. Analyzing recorded songs and sheet music, which often…
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) strike a balance between the reading of literature and informational texts and promote the use of a wide range of text types: “Through reading a diverse array of classic and contemporary literature as well as challenging informational texts in a range of subjects, students are expected to build knowledge, gain…
Access the four drafts and the final version of Langston Hughes’s poem “Ballad of Booker T.” from the Library of Congress. For ideas on helping students to follow the poet’s creative process, check out the Teaching with the Library of Congress blog’s teaching ideas for using the marked-up drafts and final copy of Hughes’ poem “Ballad of Booker T.”…