Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The curriculum unit The Blues Impulse in Drama: Lessons on Racial Pain from Yale,'?'New Haven Teachers Institute offers a powerful, interdisciplinary approach to exploring racial injustice, history, and emotional resilience through literature, drama, music, and art. The unit centers on works such as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Death of Bessie Smith, and Blues for Mister Charlie, using them as entry points for students to examine prejudice, social pain, and the historical struggle for justice. Through class discussions, film viewings, scene performances, music, and visual arts, students confront difficult themes honestly while developing critical-thinking and expressive skills. The goal is not only to raise awareness of racial pain and historical discrimination but also to empower students to reflect, empathize, and, if they choose, create their own dramatic or artistic responses.

tag(s): africa (162), african american (132), blues (19)

This unit investigates the Civil War through children's literature, using multiple approaches to learning including reading, writing, dramatization, and music.

tag(s): civil war (145), literature (215)

This is a quick collection of activities for individuals or groups, coupled with a collection of links for students, as well as a resources section for teachers and coaches.

tag(s): plays (31)

Unladylike 2020 features Anna May Wong, the first Asian American movie star and fashion icon. The site features a short video created by PBS, a biography, and a timeline.

tag(s): fashion (14), movies (51), women (191), womenchangemaker (81)