650 words

Reading and writing skills for developing democratic citizens

One of the frequently-cited reasons for including social studies in the curriculum is to prepare students to become good citizens. Because America is a democratic, free society, students must learn to make good choices because their choices will affect the national community.

~4 min read

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1,947 words

Interpreting line and composition in Basquiat's early untitled paintings

One of the most famous stars of the East Village graffiti scene and Neo-Expressionist movement of the 1980s, Jean-Michel Basquiat once famously remarked of his paintings, "Every single line means something." If this is true, then this sets an unprecedented task for the interpreter, who is faced…

~10 min read

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623 words

Christoph Irmscher's Longfellow Redux and American literary culture

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American literary icon when he was alive. Schoolchildren were asked to memorize his immortal poetic classic "The Song of Hiawatha" as part of their education and there was even a drink called the "Hiawatha" in memory of the Indian warrior of Longfellow's poem.

~4 min read

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905 words

Evaluating the American Revolution webquest's pedagogical effectiveness

Chiang, Judy. "The American Revolution: Was it worth it?" 19 Oct 2007. http://questgarden.com/47/76/3/070311160651/ The introductory page of the Webquest "The American Revolution: Was it worth it?" is strong and provocative.

~5 min read

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795 words

Plato's definition of justice and obstacles to truth

What is the problem of truth? What are two of the main types of obstacles to the pursuit of truth? How does Zen practice help to overcome one type of obstacle? How does Socrates work help to overcome another type of obstacle to the pursuit of truth?

~4 min read

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1,028 words

Equiano's narrative portrayal of African and American slavery

One of the most starling revelations provided by the life of the Interesting Narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano is the commonness of African slavery and the tolerance of slavery in the world in general, even by whites who acknowledged African intelligence.

~6 min read

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1,504 words

Emma Goldman's vision of women's emancipation remains relevant today

The interesting thing about history is, as the saying goes, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." In the last century, the U.S. has undergone tremendous technological change. In many respects, it has changed in its political philosophy as well.

~8 min read

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1,048 words

Ice cream as metaphor for reclaiming childhood innocence

Sometimes, when I am feeling particularly blue, I take a walk past my favorite ice cream stand and order the same order I used to have every summer as a little kid. Eating an ice cream cone, especially a soft serve ice cream cone, is taking a trip back in time.

~6 min read

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310 words

Making diversity an asset in organizational management

Is diversity in the workforce an asset to organizational productivity and unity, or a detriment? Perhaps the answer is that diversity can be either a corporate asset or problematic, depending on how it is managed.

~2 min read

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366 words

Abdulaziz Sachedina's argument for democratic Islam and intellectual responsibility

Sachedina argues that intellectuals must work to encourage Muslims to eschew fundamentalist, anti-democratic ideals, especially after the events of 9/11.

~2 min read

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