Eighth grade is not too soon to think about college and career. High school will prepare you for both. Read how this middle school helps students focus on future planning for high school and beyond.
Tag Archives: Culture & Society
Fairy Tales: Help or Hinder?
In fairy tales about knights, dragons, princes, and princesses, good wins over evil. But should children think that nothing bad happens in real life? Should fairy tales be read to children today? Read the author’s opinion and decide whether or not you agree with what fairy tales really tell.
Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1985
The Supreme Court decision against segregated schools created new opportunities for African Americans. However, it also led to years of conflict between supporters and opponents of segregation. News stories, songs, videos, and pictures tell the story of people’s experiences of the changes sweeping the nation during this turbulent time.
Students immersed in Chinese culture
Watch a video about a group of American students on a cultural exchange in China. Immersing themselves in the culture, these students will spend a year in China learning Mandarin and living with locals.
Ramsey Campbell and Stephen King on why Rupert Bear and Bambi are truly terrifying
Horror writers discuss their surprising inspirations and the particular pleasure derived from fear in the horror genre.
Rwanda: Has reconciliation by legal means worked?
In 1994, a genocide in Rwanda left hundreds of thousands of people dead. Twenty years later, the effectiveness of the courts meant to bring the perpetrators to justice is being called into question.
Why Shakespeare Matters
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., houses one of the richest collections of materials related to William Shakespeare and fosters research, productions, and educational outreach. Why devote so much effort to works over 400 years old, by an author from another country?
Are All Movie Heroes the Same Person?
If you’ve ever watched a movie and thought, This hero reminds me of a hero in another movie, you’re not alone. Author Joseph Campbell explored myths and stories about heroes from around the world and found that they have much in common; his work in turn inspired the creation of new movie heroes, including the heroes of the Star Wars series.
Students immersed in Chinese culture
Watch a video about a group of American students on a cultural exchange in China. Immersing themselves in the culture, these students will spend a year in China learning Mandarin and living with locals.
Good Art Is Popular Because It’s Good. Right?
In an effort to find out why certain pieces of art are successful, a Princeton professor designed a study that concluded that chance has a lot to do with it.
Students Take Hijab Challenge
Recently, students at one university in California attempted to find common ground by wearing a Muslim headscarf, called a hijab, for one day. Read about their eye-opening experiences.
Deep Survival: Anne Frank’s Extraordinary Act of Survival
In 2009, Anne Frank would have been 80 years old. Read about why her life in hiding can be called an inspiring true story of survival under extreme and terrifying circumstances.
Famous Ghosts in American History
Everyone knows that ghosts aren’t real. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of ghost stories to go around. This site lists a few of those stories, describing tales sometimes told about the nation’s most famous ghosts.
Teens and Sleep
Do you know how many hours of sleep you should be getting? Too little sleep can interfere with school work and lead to illness. Find out why sleep is vital to your health.
10 Awesome Business Ideas for Teen Entrepreneurs
There is a lot of competition for summer and after-school jobs. So why not try being your own boss? Read about how to start your own successful business.
Asian Dragons
Dragons are creatures of power in the tales of many cultures. In Asian legends, dragons are wise, protect people, and control the water of the earth.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
You can read, watch, and listen to materials on the seven debates that took place between Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln during the 1858 Illinois state election campaign. The prize was a seat in the Senate, but the debates mainly focused on the important and contentious issue of slavery.
Malala Yousafzai wins Nobel Peace Prize 2014
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenage education campaigner shot on a school bus in 2012 by a Taliban gunman, has jointly won the 2014 Nobel peace prize. At 17, Malala is the youngest winner ever of the prestigious prize for her work as an advocate for children’s education.
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales 2012 – a multimedia pilgrimage
In 2012, a group of people retraced the route of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales pilgrims in a four-day trek. Listen to the audio and watch the videos embedded throughout the article to hear the participants recite pieces from the work.
Eugene O’Neill Biography
Over the course of his career, Nobel Prize-winning writer Eugene O’Neill used his struggles as inspiration for his moving plays. Read about his life in this biography.