Using the philosophical lenses of revisionist ontology and the politics of personhood, this paper explores the notion of Black Founders of the United States. I introduce the concept critical intellectual agency to argue that Black Founders brought unique contributions to the American experience....

Preparing future elementary teachers to connect social studies content and skills with technology necessitates the integration of technology into teacher preparation methods courses. Such integration hinges on the identification of pre-service teachers’ level of Technological, Pedagogical, and...

Music elicits emotions and acts as a cultural definer of class values, political beliefs, and economic life. Students are intrinsically drawn to and possess an innate ability for interpreting music. Music, moreover, activates learning in ways other content sources cannot; yet, it is utilized...

This extended lesson plan uses the book Queen of the Falls to investigate the life of Annie Edson Taylor, the first person to successfully fall over Niagara Falls in a barrel Niagara Falls. Through the various activities, students will explore resources such as photographs, first-hand accounts,...

Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad is a remarkable picture book that opens with a young farm girl discovering an unknown person hiding in her family’s barn. What should she do? It’s not legal or safe to assist a runaway slave in the South during the Civil War. Whatever she does,...

The His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg: Courage, Rescue and Mystery During World War II lesson plan addresses teaching a very difficult topic, the Holocaust, by looking at a heroic individual who devoted his life to saving those affected. This lesson’s focus is student-centered discovery. Small...

Brothers at Bat describes the Acerra family and their love for baseball, providing students with insights into 1930’s family culture and community life. Students examine the characteristics of the Acerras that enabled them to develop and demonstrate their team spirit. Creating a Power Point...

Megan’s Year: An Irish Traveler’s Story provides the reader with an in-depth look inside the life of a young girl growing up in Ireland. The author provides a realistic and a touching peek into lives of travelers through Megan’s eyes, showing both the joys as well as the personal and...

Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad recounts the remarkable story of a Richmond slave who shipped himself in a wooden crate to Philadelphia to escape slavery in the south. After participating in a pre-reading activity designed to enhance critical thinking skills,...

I Am Helen Keller is a student-friendly reader; yet, it offers realistic insights into Helen’s life as a: student, writer, lecturer, vaudeville performer, and activist. The book relates to students’ real lives because Helen is portrayed as a genuine person rather than an object for...