Whitman’s “Song of Myself”: Establishing the Feeling of America

(View Complete Item Description)

In this lesson, students will contrast the poem “I Wandered as Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth as an example of traditional English poetry with the innovative literary and stylistic elements used by Walt Whitman in excerpts from “Song of Myself.” Through this analysis, students will discover how Whitman’s poem opposes old forms and creates a new “American” feel that will influence poets of the United States for generations to come. 

Material Type: Assessment, Homework/Assignment, Lecture Notes, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Reading

Authors: Andy Mink, NHC Education, Savannah Windham

“Why did she say that?”: Imagination in Political Speechwriting

(View Complete Item Description)

In this lesson, students will explore political speechwriting by analyzing and comparing two political speeches: Hillary Clinton’s and Donald Trump’s nomination acceptance speeches at their respective 2016 party conventions. Depending on your classroom, you may choose to structure the analysis through stations, jigsaw, small groups, or individual work.

Material Type: Assessment, Homework/Assignment, Lecture Notes, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: NHC Education

The Threat of Humanity: Olaudah Equiano’s Forced Movement Across the Atlantic

(View Complete Item Description)

In this lesson, students will analyze an excerpt from Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Depending on your classroom, you may choose to structure the analysis through whole class discussion, stations, jigsaw, small groups, or individual work.

Material Type: Homework/Assignment, Lecture Notes, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Reading

Author: NHC Education

The 2018 National School Walkouts & the Rhetoric of Student Protests

(View Complete Item Description)

In this lesson, students will analyze and compare the rhetorical choices used to achieve a variety of purposes in two speeches written and delivered by high school students following the February, 14, 2018, school shooting in Parkland, Florida. This lesson asks you to consider the rhetorical strategies used Lily Lehman from Durham, NC, and Emma Gonzalez from Parkland, Florida, to persuade their audience to push for meaningful gun reform. Student speakers expertly used rhetoric to craft speeches for a variety of occasions, audiences, and purposes. Students will also explore the importance of speech delivery and how a speech’s “performance” can affect its audience and purpose. Finally, students will discuss how social media can encourage and enable young people to organize, protest, and contribute to real world meaningful change. 

Material Type: Homework/Assignment, Lecture Notes, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Reading

Authors: NHC Education, Savannah Windham

Interpretations of Imperialist Texts Originating from Heart of Darkness

(View Complete Item Description)

In this lesson students will explore the concept of imperialism as a concept in a text and a concept of a text. As imperialism is inextricably linked to place (physical, digital, or otherwise) students will also necessarily explore how different places grapple with imperialism, most notably their own place.

Material Type: Homework/Assignment, Lesson Plan, Reading

Author: NHC Education

Sharing Personal Experiences: The Intersection of Imagination and Memory

(View Complete Item Description)

In this lesson students will see that documenting life experiences helps us preserve our personal, family, and community history.  They will analyze historical documents related to the family of Ossie Louella Cline and Francis Edgar Troutman who lived in Iredell County, NC, at the turn of the twentieth century.  They will practice drawing conclusions by explicitly referencing sources. These pictures are from the personal collection of the author, but teachers could substitute pictures from other families, groups, or have students bring in pictures from their own families. 

Material Type: Assessment, Diagram/Illustration, Homework/Assignment, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Reading, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Scott Ellis, NHC Education

Remembering Reconstruction

(View Complete Item Description)

In this lesson students will examine differing opinions on Reconstruction. Students will look at multiple texts from Abraham Lincoln, sharecroppers, carpetbaggers, and Redeemer government officials. Students will evaluate how well Reconstruction was implemented according to these people and compare their opinions. Finally, students will evaluate to what extent the success or failure of Reconstruction impact the present. 

Material Type: Assessment, Homework/Assignment, Lecture Notes, Lesson Plan, Primary Source

Author: NHC Education

Conquered Art & Belonging through the Ages

(View Complete Item Description)

When considering how to teach World History, it can be difficult to choose a particular historical moment, event, or time period.  This lesson is designed to be taught either at the beginning of the course after ancient civilizations have been introduced, in the middle of the course when the effects of the Renaissance and its art markets are fully felt in a society, or at the end of the course, when stealing national artworks and the ramifications that come with it have yet to be fully reconciled in our modern society. 

Material Type: Homework/Assignment, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: NHC Education

Welcome to the Humanities in Class Digital Library!

(View Complete Item Description)

Narrated by NHC Vice President of Education Andy Mink, this short video provides a short tour of the HICDL.  Learn more about the goals of the microsite, the benefits of membership, and the ways you can use this resource in your teaching and curriculum planning.

Material Type: Lecture

Author: Andy Mink