Can you love something so much you want to change it? Young patriots investigate Walt Whitman's love of America—and his suggestions to improve it—using primary sources as well as video evidence. Scholars research American issues of the past and present to create a 21st-Century version of "I Hear America Singing."

Concepts

walt whitman, transcendentalism

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Prior to the lesson, brainstorm with the class the qualities of the school that are great and also those that need improvement 
• Read I Hear America Singing aloud to the class to aid audio learners with the lesson
• Include Langston Hughes' poem "I, Too Sing America" as a model for the update assignment

Classroom Considerations

• The lesson should take about 20-40 minutes 

Pros

• Video clip holds the interest of both audio and visual learners 
• Resource includes a printable graphic organizer for classroom use 

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.3.2 SL.4.2 SL.5.2 SL.6.2