“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” – Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (2007) In June 1990, Joanne Kathleen Rowling was on her way from Manchester to London by train when an idea came to her mind, which […]
“One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them.” – Aldous Huxley A month ago, I wrote about George Orwell and his works, praising his writings for being uncomfortable and making us reflect on society‘s past, present, and future. And I thought, talking about another equally famous author of the same genre might […]
On July 21st, Hemingway would have turned 122 years, and of course, this date is often used as an excellent occasion to remind people of the genius he was. Yet, Lit4School likes to take the opportunity to remember Martha Gellhorn, Hemingway’s third wife and one of the most adventurous women. She was the only woman […]
Recently, one of our students asked whether we could provide resources on the current legal rules for watching films in the classroom. Since our platform features a number of film suggestions and students easily engage with audio-visual material, we took this opportunity to navigate the muddy waters of screenings in schools in Germany. There are […]
“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” – Winnie the Pooh Above are some very wise words from one of our most favourite bears of all time: Winnie the Pooh. And I know, […]
“We want hope, not racialism, Brotherhood, not ostracism, Black advance, not white ascendance: Make us equals, not dependants. […]” – Oodgerou Noonuccal, “Aboriginal Carter of Rights” (1962) In 1931 Doris Pilkington’s mother Molly Craig escaped with two other Aboriginal girls from the Moore River Native Settlement, an internment camp for Aboriginal children in Western Australia. Walking […]
As you know, on Lit4School we aim to recommend literature and media relevant to current events, climate change being one of them! Therefore, the following project caught our eye: Climate Solidarities will offer five different workshops on Gather.town all about the various aspects of climate change. All workshops will be held in English and are […]
In commemoration of America’s Declaration of Independence in 1776, the 4th of July is known for being one big party full of fireworks, barbecues, and baseball games. American media has a huge impact on the rest of the world, and the “American Dream” is a familiar concept to most. So, in honor of today we’d […]
“I am what I am / And what I am needs no excuses.” – Gloria Gaynor, I Am What I Am (1984) On June 28, 1969, police at the Stonewall Inn in New York led to a series of riots that would spark the fight for LGBTIQ+ rights. A year later, the first gay pride […]
“Sometimes you read a book so special that you want to carry it around with you for months after you’ve finished just to stay near it.” – Markus Zusak, The Book Thief Today, we celebrate the birthday and literary heritage of award-winning author Marcus Zusak. After growing up in Sidney, Zusak studied English, History and […]
Whenever I need to escape reality for a bit, my go-tos are music and books. Unfortunately, it can be hard to make time for reading sometimes, whereas music always seems to be readily available. Did you know that teenagers listen to an average of around 2,5 hours of music per day? Music hugely impacts everyday […]
“We can all be refugees / Nobody is safe, / All it takes is a mad leader /Or no rain to bring forth food, We can all be refugees / We can all be told to go, / We can be hated by someone / For being someone.” – Benjamin Zephaniah, “We Refugees”, 2003 Since June […]
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ― William Butler Yeats Yeats was an incredibly versatile writer, producing poetry, prose, essays, and plays, and was the first Irishman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature: “for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression […]
Happy World Environment Day! This year’s theme is Ecosystem Restoration. Not only does it focus on restoring our destroyed ecosystems, but conserving the intact ones as well. Reading about climate change and nature in general can give us a better understanding of just how much our environment influences our lives. Whether it be natural disasters […]
International Children’s Day is about cherishing and protecting children all around the world. Though celebrated on different dates throughout the world, the main purpose stays the same. This day aims to advocate for children’s rights; and raise awareness for global issues affecting children, from child labor to war, hunger and lack of education. Having access […]
“Ending a novel is almost like putting a child to sleep – it can’t be done abruptly.” – Colm Tóibín Colm Tóibín is one of the great contemporary Irish writers and explores Irish society and topic clusters, such as loss, living abroad and identity construction. He lives openly gay and dedicates his writings to minorities […]
“[…] a painter of rainbows is now travelling across the night sky […]” – Family statement, 27th of May 2021 Eric Carle, illustrator and award-winning author of children’s books, died today aged 91. Carle illustrated more than 70 books that are used in primary education up to the present day – among them everlasting tales […]
“I can’t breath!” – Georg Floyd, dying in the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, on May 25th 2020 One year ago today, George Perry Floyd Jr., a black American, was murdered by a white police officer, who knelt on Floyd’s back for more than 9 minutes after he was arrest on suspicion of using a […]