Dr. Seuss is more than a children's book author. Literally and figuratively. Let me explain. He is literally more than a children's book author because he wrote more than just books for children. Figuratively because even the books that are for children are significantly more important than just a tale that is told a bedtime.
It has taken me years to understand that the joy that I get from reading the silly books like "Fox in Socks" is only one type of joy that this revered Theodore Gisele has for adult readers. I found his book about aging , well engaging. It is hilarious and accurate. Oh, how it is too accurate for comfort. If you have not given "You're only Old Once" a read, you're missing out.
But the other joys that I begin to receive from his book is founded in history! When I begin to read his eyes with a historical eye, I noticed that these were great tools for teaching students history. Keep reading to find out how Dr. Seuss was a regular George Orwell, sneaking historical lessons in a book that seems to be written for kids.
5 Dr. Seuss Books to Read to Older Students in History Class
The Butter Battle Book: On the surface the book seems to be about to fictional nations not-actually fighting with silly made-up weapons. IN reality the book is about the superpowers of The United States and The Soviet Union during the cold war. Students may read the book and think what's this about? But with a little historical context, they quickly see that both Americans and Soviets threatened each other over decades, building bigger and more destructive weapons all along. The Butter Battle is named so because the two nations hate each other over the fact that they believe the other nation puts butter on the wrong side of a piece of toast. Gasp! How could someone eat their bread with butter on the underside? To be honest, I do that is a little savage, but is it really enough to start a war over, I think not. However, the story makes us all wonder, including young minds, how important are the difference we have with other nations? Are they enough to start a war over?
Yertle the Turtle: This book asks, What's so wrong with autocracy? To be honest, I think all of America could read this book and learn a much needed lesson. Dabble with autocracy, and find out. Yertle must be some kind of inspiring because the other turtles willingly pile themselves higher and higher so that this increasingly mad dictator can reach...wait for it...the moon! Of course, you pile too many turtles up in a pond, and they all come tumbling down. Remember the whole bit about the higher they , the harder they fall. That's what happens when Yertle ignores the cries from his subjects. But you can take this 5 minute read and introduce your students to the idea of autocracy, and the power of one little person who brings it all down, as the little turtle on the bottom who burbs, and bring the mad king down into the mud. A perfect lesson to teach with any unit that explores autocracy, fascism, dictatorship or the like.
The Sneetches. Should any lesson on the civil rights movement not start with reading the sneetches? I think not. You see, the Sneetches hate the "other" because they don't have starts on their bellies. This is the only differences between the two sides. Some have starts, and others do not. The really sad part is they teach their kid sneetches to hate each other as well. The division and segregation in this book is akin to segregation in the Jim Crow South or even South African apartheid. Hopefully, you can illustrate to students that racial discrimination is just as silly as hating someone for not having a silly start. This also cost the sneetches money because they paid for a grifter to add or take away stars to fit in. What's the takeaway, everyone loses when there's discrimination.
The Lorax. This one could go on forever. Everyone by now has gotten the message. Dr. Seuss was warning us all about the damaging effect of raping the earth of her natural resources. Are you teaching a lesson about climate change, environmental issues in a rainforest or some other biome? Read the Lorax to your students and the similarities will be crystal clear. They will understand how corporations make a profit while nature and the Earth suffer a steep price. And of course, they will need to answer the question, "Who will speak for the trees?"
Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now? I would use this little 3 minute read to demonstrate that some political figures just won't quiet. I actually have a political figure in my state, that I ask myself, "will you please go now?" Hopefully they will become a Marvin and as the end of the story goes he "just went." However, the people tried everything they could to just get Marvin out when he refused their urgings. Is there a unit or a lesson that this applies to that you teach? Vladmir Putin, perhaps? How about impeachments? Nixon? Talk to students about how difficult it can be to oust a person once they are in power and why elections evict people in a peaceful way. Or at least they should...
These are just a few ways to use Dr. Seuss in your social studies classroom. Can you think of more?
I would love to hear about it in the comments below.
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