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Ideas Worth Teaching

Welcome to Something to Teach

Students – all students – need more than just standards.  They need big ideas that inspire.  Like freedom.

And justice, love, honor, courage, and more.

Something to Teach is dedicated to providing parents, teachers, and students with something special.

Ideas Worth Teaching.

So how should these important ideas be taught?  How should students learn about these ideas?  One way is to explore them through the lens of historical events. There are certain cusp moments in human history – moments when we can learn the most about the idea of humanity, courage, mercy, and more.  These epic events, like the French Revolution or the American Civil War, allow for the study of the most important idea of all.  Freedom.

Something to Teach is pleased to offer educational materials that are designed to intrigue, instruct, and inspire.

Humanity

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité 

From Bastille Day to the execution of a king, the French Revolution is a study in bloodshed in the name of a Cause.

A Delicious Moment

Based upon true events, this short story provides a fictional account of one of the bloodier episodes during the Reign of Terror (French Revolution).

The River

France is held in the throes of the Terror.  In Paris, victims lose their heads to the guillotine.  In other parts of the country, a more terrible fate awaits.

The List

 No one is safe during the Reign of Terror. Not even the innocent. A young woman is brought before a revolutionary tribunal to face…justice? 

September 1792

One man faces judge, jury, and executioner during the French Revolution. Will the truth set him free?

The Song

A mother and her young son are caught on the violent streets of Paris.  Faced with a blood-thirsty mob, what will save them?

Courage

The American Civil War

The American Civil War was a pivotal event in the history of the United States. The drama of the war provides many opportunities for the study of ideas worth teaching.

…enough?

Confronted with the horrors of war, a young nun tries to give comfort to a mortally wounded soldier. She wonders if her efforts are enough.

Nightmare

The country has been torn apart by Civil War. The fighting between the North and the South takes a terrible toll on its people. The short story Nightmare is the story of Sergeant Claudius Sears and his struggle to make it through the night on the eve of battle.

The Enemy is There

The short story The Enemy is There is about two generals discussing the plan of attack on the eve of one of the most famous moments in American military history – Pickett’s Charge.

Sinners

As the Union army marches through the South, it leaves a path of destruction in its wake.  A young woman accuses an officer of committing a terrible sin, but the man leaves her with his own thoughts to ponder. 

With Malice Toward None

 In a country torn apart by Civil War, one doctor sees beyond the North and the South. He sees only a need – to care for the wounded soldiers.

Aftermath

The country has been torn apart by Civil War. This the story of an officer and a surgeon and their struggle to reconcile the price paid in suffering with the cost of freedom.

Gut Shot

The short story Gut Shot is about a veteran who comes face to face with the suffering of an enemy soldier.  He has a choice to make.

Freedom

Locked Up

Why read stories about the juvenile justice system?

Most students are not going to get locked up…ever.

Ever, ever, ever…ever

And that’s a good thing.

However, reading about life on the inside allows students to study an important Idea Worth Teaching.

Freedom.

The Test

How are you going to survive on the inside of a maximum-security juvenile correctional facility? Especially when someone decides to target you. Do you fight back? Do you ignore the threats? Ask for help? Brian is in uncharted territory. He only knows one thing – he wants to be free.

Long Term

The short story Long Term is about two young men inside a correctional facility. One of them has just been released from long term segregation, and he tries to explain to the other what kept him from losing his sanity. Books.

Proper Value

What would you be willing to do in order to earn your freedom?  How much do you value your freedom?  For some people, freedom doesn’t mean as much to them as their pride.  And one young man is willing to pay a steep price for pride.

The Letter

The idea of writing – communicating our thoughts through symbols – is one of the most important ideas worth teaching. Sometimes the thoughts that are communicated through writing are mundane – a shopping list. But other times, something as simple as a handwritten letter can have a profound impact on the life of another. 

Only One of Us…

The short story Only One of Us… is about two friends who happen to be outcasts. There is, however, a striking difference between the two of them, and one of them doesn’t want to hear the truth.