Making Curriculum Pop

The fourth and final edition of this weeks bouncing blog completes our “Me you and everybody” theme. As for ME, I wanted to wish everyone a happy Valentine’s Day in two ways:

First, a love themed lesson plan for those of you looking to do something topical in class tomorrow. The New York Times Learning Network distributes daily lesson plans around high-interest articles. Every lesson plan is crafted in partnership with Bank Street College. Today’s featured lesson was based on the article “Love Conquers All. Even Life's Mysteries,” By Steve Lewis. If you’re in a school where computers are easy to use they have this great “knowledge” toolbar where you can turn on vocabulary and geography links in the featured article for enhanced “hyper-reading.”

Second, I thought I’d suggest a song for YOU to share or study with a loved one on Valentines’ Day. Three weeks ago the Scottish folk icon John Martyn passed away leaving a recorded legacy sure to enchant generations of iPod users. Martyn was a close friend of Nick Drake who tragically died in 1974 at the age of 26. Martyn carried the mantle of Drake’s esoteric jazz-folk deep into the 70s with albums like Solid Air and Inside Out. This track “Don’t Want To Know” is striking because the haunting melody is a candlelit hymn to love that floats inches above the human condition’s dark undertow. Hopefully you’ll have the occasion to share this gem with someone you care about this weekend.

Lastly, something EVERYONE will love … my favorite Colbert clip from this summer. Earlier in the week, when we were talking about people adding images to our photomosaic I noted that the pop character I most relate to is Cookie Monster (CM) for reasons that do include my penchant for late night cookie benders. You might watch this clip and have students question the power of children's television to market a product like cookies (or fruit) using a lesson plan like this from Read, Write, Think. Or you might just sit back and soak in the genius that is Stephen Colbert and his writing staff:
For the record, I blame all my dietary habits on the great CM.

Squirt Guns, Roses, and Grooviness to all MC POPPERS,

RRG:)

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Next week is the NYC public school mid-winter break so I’ll be on hiatus from bouncing blogs until Feb 21st – just before the OSCARS!!! We aren’t traveling anywhere more exotic than our Harlem apartment so I might introduce myself to some people who are still sporting a Donny Osmond photos. As always please pass the MC POP Ning address on to people you know who might be interested in our community.

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