Non-fiction work can include theories of social studies, presented in interesting and new ways. Non-fiction is tremendously helpful in lesson planning because the prose elucidates issues in subjects like science and social studies.
Question 6: Although she is not remembered as a major figure in the Civil Rights Movement, Marian Anderson's life contributed to some of the reforms that African-American citizens demanded. Discuss how her voice "challenged" a nation.
Marian Anderson was an accomplished African-American singer. Anderson broke the color barrier in the arts, just as Jackie Robinson did in sports. Anderson's success challenged prevailing social norms, as she became a visible figure in America's most elite concert halls. Anderson began indirectly using her voice as a political tool, channeling her success into achieving broader civil rights goals.
Question 7: Describe how the city of Philadelphia, its residents and government were impacted by the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 as outlined in the book by the same title. Be sure to mention at least two actual people who were influenced by the event.
In the summer of 1793, Philadelphia's position as the largest city in the United States and the country's busiest port created the conditions for a Yellow Fever epidemic ("Yellow Fever Attacks, 1793"). Refugees from the Haitian revolution who carried the disease arrived in Philadelphia. Mosquitoes ensured that Yellow Fever spread rapidly, creating a major epidemic and killing...
Among those affected include George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, and physician Dr. Benjamin Rush, who signed the Declaration of Independence and urged residents to flee Philadelphia ("Yellow Fever Attacks, 1793").
Question 8: Analyze the importance of
literature across the
curriculum (
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, A single Shard, Belle Prater's Boy, My Sisters Keeper, Ordinary Miracles, Lovely Bones, The Lowest Animal by Mark Twain, Graduation Day by Mary Angelou, I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Every Day Use by Alice Walker, A Voice that Challenged a Nation by Russell Freedom and Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793). Be sure to indicate some of the specific used of literature in a least two disciplines, such as communication arts, science,
mathematics, or social studies.
The wide spectrum of literature in the curriculum exposes students to different types of writing and different points-of-view. Literature can be made relevant for any subject, including the arts, science, mathematics, and social studies. For example, Dr. Martin Luther King's writings illuminate the civil rights struggle, and Alice Walker's works also comment on the lives of African-Americans. Similarly, Mark Twain's writing is valuable in a social studies context. Books like the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 can be used in science class to show how
medicine has evolved, how epidemics are contained, and how diseases spread.
Works Cited
American Library Association. "Terms and Criteria." Retrieved Dec 8, 2009 from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyterms/newberyterms.cfm
"Yellow Fever Attacks, 1793" Eye Witness to History. Retrieved Dec 8, 2009 from http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/yellowfever.htm
