It's time to take out the trash! Educate your students on the history of garbage in America, including the effects our pollution have had on the environment and what we can do to make it better.

Students will read a story and listen to a song to explore the sound of silence, its meaning, and significance. They will share their experience and reflect on how and why silence or space can be important.

Students will use a combination of graphic organizers in this lesson plan to learn about famous African American poets and their poetry. They will work in groups to research a famous poet, and choose one of their poems to analyze. Then, they'll share their findings with the class.