The Emperor’s Cool Clothes is a cool new take on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes. In it, a penguin who has always wanted to be cool and his counselors, who are very proud of how cool they are, are taken in by a couple of tricksters. The idea… Continue reading
Those of us who teach Shakespeare can easily be overwhelmed by the — literally — millions of online resources on Shakespeare. You don’t have to spend hours clicking around looking for the best ones, because we already did it for you. First, the plays: The Complete Works: all the words… Continue reading
Othello is a tale of love, jealousy, murder, war, and betrayal. It’s a great story, with enough action to motivate students who find the language difficult to struggle through it, and poetry that makes reading the play a pleasure. In the play, Othello, a war hero visiting Venice, falls… Continue reading
Here’s Lefty, one of the lucky sheep living at the Ozark Folk Center State Park. Lefty, like all sheep, grows wool. Sheep have been raised for wool, as well as for milk and meat, for centuries. In fact, sheep are among the earliest domestic animals. Studying about sheep can include… Continue reading
A study of Ancient Greece stirs the imaginations of students, and provides essential background for understanding U.S. history and government. There are lots of excellent books for this study: Ancient Greece (DK Eyewitness Books) is, like all DK books, richly illustrated and filled with information. Some people find DK books… Continue reading
The story of Atlantis, the wonderful kingdom that sank beneath the ocean, captures student imaginations and provides terrific teachable moments for science, literature, and social studies. The only written record of Atlantis, and the origin of the story, is in the Dialogues of the Greek philosopher Plato, where he writes… Continue reading
The Little Red Hen is a familiar story, and one that all kids ought to know. In the story, the Little Red Hen plants wheat, harvests it, and bakes bread to feed her family. At every stage, she asks for help, saying “Who will help me plant the wheat?” and so on.… Continue reading
Under the Sea or Ocean is one of the most popular themes for summer school. It’s also great for Sunday School or VBS, and it makes a good start to the school year, especially for those of us who go back to school in the hot weather. There are lots… Continue reading
The Five Chinese Brothers was written by Claire Huchet Bishop in 1938. While it is generally described as a Chinese folktale, I haven’t found any earlier collections of it. The story begins, “Once upon a time, there were five Chinese brothers, and they all looked exactly alike.” Each brother… Continue reading
