Black Voices. Black Stories.

| By Tiffany Duck | As a peer reviewer for the Black Voices Standing Order Plan, I am excited about reviewing and selecting titles from diverse voices. It’s important to have representation from authors who identify as Black or African American but hail from countries all over the world. I’m also a member of the … Read more

Has the U.S. Capitol Been Attacked Before?

| By Gale Staff | The U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, prompted by President Donald Trump after his loss in the 2020 presidential election, and the subsequent trials of President Trump’s supporters and right-wing militia group leaders accused of committing criminal activities, including those of rioters who committed violent attacks on Capitol police during the … Read more

Getting Familiar with Poetry: Lessons for Students

|By Gale Staff| We sometimes overlook the presence of poetry in ordinary experiences. For example, we sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and rarely recall that it was first a poem written by Francis Scott Key in the aftermath of a British assault during the War of 1812. Only after it was published in newspapers was it … Read more

The Legacy of Poet Emily Dickinson

| By Sarah Robertson | When American poet Emily Dickinson died in relative obscurity on May 15, 1886, her groundbreaking body of work stood unpublished and unrecognized. Today, Dickinson is regarded as a pivotal figure in American poetry, and her works are celebrated for their departure from literary conventions and their challenge of societal norms. … Read more

Earth Day: From 1971 to Today

|By Amy Hackney Blackwell| This Earth Day, it’s worth thinking about some of the things the environmental movement has accomplished over the past 52 years. Earth Day was born out of frustration. In the 1960s, the United States had no legislation preventing industry from discharging pollutants into the air or water, with predictable results. In … Read more

Inspiring Students on Earth Day 

|By Elizabeth Mohn| The best teaching inspires young people to think critically and become active in their communities. Celebrations like Earth Day give educators unique opportunities to encourage students to care about contemporary issues through education and exploration. Using Earth Day as an opportunity to teach students about environmentalism and environmental activists aligns with the … Read more

The Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Teaching Moments Found in Primary Sources

| By Gale Staff | From a contemporary Western perspective, it’s easy to take for granted our democracy and basic freedoms, since for most Americans our current form of government is all we’ve ever known. But what happens when your democracy is threatened in its infancy—just 31 years after your country manages to break away … Read more

Breaking Major League Baseball’s Color Barrier

The 75th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson | By Shirelle Phelps| On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s long-standing color barrier when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Since 2004, Major League Baseball (MLB) has celebrated this historic date annually. One way the MLB honors Robinson is by having all Major League players and on-field … Read more

National Poetry Month: Poets through the Years

| By Carol Brennan | Poetry is nearly the oldest form of creative expression in the history of humankind, possibly second to the cave paintings of Lascaux, France, as evidence that our brains strive to explain and invent lyrical stories about the world around us. For National Poetry Month 2022, we’d like to recommend some … Read more