1 AVAILABLE April 2026
Sampler
The Heart of This Book
This book contains 60 pick-up-and-go discussion-based lessons that help you spread genius and joy across the content areas—in English language arts, social studies, STEM, and arts and culture. The lessons are designed to be taught in 40 minutes or less, wherever learning happens, whether it be in the classroom, the home, or community spaces. They can be delivered by anyone with a heart to nurture and engage children, which may include teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, caregivers, leaders, afterschool coordinators, and community advocates. Centered on culturally and historically responsive education, the lessons fuel pursuit- driven learning as students focus on topics through the lenses of identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy. A rich collection of meaningful topics and texts builds background knowledge and sparks discussions that move genius and joy into action.
To see what I mean, give these sample lessons a try—and accept my thanks for considering Nurturing the Heart and Mind for your professional library.
Kindest regards,
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad
What is the heart? A flower opening. The very center of your heart is where life begins. The most beautiful place on earth. RUMI
DR. GHOLDY MUHAMMAD’S Framework Pursuits
2 3 4 5 1
Identity
Be true to yourself
Skills
Learn what you need to succeed
Intellect
Ask questions and think deeply
Criticality
Stand up for what’s right
Joy
Celebrate truth, love, and justice
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Contents
208 pages
Contents
....................................................................................................... ................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... The Five Pursuits: Their Origin, Their Promise . . . . . . 18 Origin of the Five Pursuits ......................................................................................... 19 Overview of the Pursuits ............................................................................................ 19 ......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .................................................................................. ..................................................................................... .......................................................................................................... 20 .............................................................................................................. 21 ......................................................................................................... 21 Criticality ....................................................................................................... 22 ................................................................................................................. 22 The Promise of the Pursuits ....................................................................................... 23 The Five Pursuits: Their Origin, Their Promise . . . . . . ......................................................................................... ............................................................................................ .......................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................. ......................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................. ....................................................................................... Conditions for Doing the Work ........................................ 24 Pursuit-Driven Lessons Across the Content Areas ..................................................... 25 ........................................................................................................... 25 Engage With Love and Care ........................................................................... 25 Create Spaces for Genius and Joy ................................................................... 26 Center Youth Voices in Rich, Reciprocal Dialogue ........................................... 28 Read, Communicate, and Think Across Texts .................................................. 28 Collaborate and Share Learning ..................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 2 The Conditions Conditions for Doing the Work ........................................ ..................................................... ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................... ................................................................... ........................................... .................................................. ..................................................................... ................................................................ ...................................................................... ....................................................................................... ...................................... .................................................................................................................. Arts and Culture ....................................................................... 36 Implementing the Pursuit-Driven Lessons ................................................................ 28 Questions You May Be Asking Yourself ...................................................................... 29 A Close-Up Look at a Lesson ....................................................................................... 32 Assessing Culturally and Historically Responsive Learning ...................................... 34 .................................................................................................................. 35 Take Flight Lesson AC.1: Color .................................................................................................... 40 Lesson AC.2: Art Observation .................................................................................. 42 Lesson AC.3: Collage ................................................................................................ 44 Lesson AC.4: Fashion ............................................................................................... 46 Lesson AC.5: Architecture and Frank Gehry ............................................................ 48 Lesson AC.6: Aloha ................................................................................................... 50 Lesson AC.7: Knock-Knock Jokes .............................................................................. 52 Lesson AC.8: Motown Music ..................................................................................... 54 Lesson AC.9: Stevie Wonder, Singer-Songwriter, and “I Love You” .......................... 56 Lesson AC.10: Musical Anthems and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” .............................. 58 Lesson AC.11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Classical Composer ................................ 60 Lesson AC.12: Arthur Smith, Jewelry Designer .......................................................... 62 Lesson AC.13: August Wilson, Playwright ................................................................. 64 Lesson AC.14: Frida Kahlo, Painter ............................................................................ 66 Lesson AC.15: Emory Douglas, Graphic Artist ........................................................... 68 CHAPTER 3 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................... 6 Foreword by Kwame Alexander ................................................................................... 8 ............................................................................................................... 10 What Is the Heart? ......................................................................................... 12 How’s Your Heart? .......................................................................................... 12 The Heart of This Book .................................................................................. 15 A Gift From My Heart ..................................................................................... 17 Introduction CHAPTER I Identity Skills Intellect Joy
Features an overview of the Five Pursuits and the conditions
for doing the work
English Language Arts .......................................................... ..................................................................................................
Lesson ELA.1: Lesson ELA.2:
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Lesson ELA.3: Lesson ELA.4: Contents
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Lesson ELA.5: Lesson ELA.6: Lesson ELA.7: Lesson ELA.8:
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Lesson AC.10: Lesson AC.11: Lesson AC.12: Lesson AC.13: Lesson AC.14: Lesson AC.15:
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Social Studies .......................................................................... 104 Lesson SS.1: Community ....................................................................................... 108 Lesson SS.2: Human Rights ................................................................................... 110 Lesson SS.3: (Dis)abilities ..................................................................................... 112 Lesson SS.4: Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 .......................................................... 114 Lesson SS.5: Hijab ................................................................................................. 116 Lesson SS.6: Duke Kahanamoku, Competitive Surfer ........................................... 118 Lesson SS.7: Juneteenth ........................................................................................ 120 Lesson SS.8: Holi, Festival of Colors ...................................................................... 122 Lesson SS.9: Indigenous Peoples’ Day ................................................................... 124 Lesson SS.10: Nicodemus, Kansas ........................................................................... 126 Lesson SS.11: Pilot Harry Stewart Jr. and the Tuskegee Airmen ............................. 128 Lesson SS.12: Women Athletes and Timelines ........................................................ 130 Lesson SS.13: Hip-Hop ............................................................................................. 132 Lesson SS.14: Tea and Culture ................................................................................. 134 Lesson SS.15: Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and Possibility ................................. 136 English Language Arts .......................................................... 70 Lesson ELA.1: Love .................................................................................................. 74 Lesson ELA.2: Our People ........................................................................................ 76 Lesson ELA.3: Letter Writing ................................................................................... 78 Lesson ELA.4: American Sign Language .................................................................. 80 Lesson ELA.5: Adinkra Symbols .............................................................................. 82 Lesson ELA.6: Interviews ......................................................................................... 84 Lesson ELA.7: Advertisements and the First Television Ad .................................... 86 Lesson ELA.8: Arturo Schomburg, Genius, Historian, Writer, and Curator .............. 88 Lesson ELA.9: Freedom ........................................................................................... 90 Lesson ELA.10: Friendship ........................................................................................ 92 Lesson ELA.11: Jackie Ormes, Cartoonist .................................................................. 94 Lesson ELA.12: Ethel L. Payne, Journalist ................................................................. 96 Lesson ELA.13: Justice and Poetry ............................................................................ 98 Lesson ELA.14: Gratitude ........................................................................................ 100 Lesson ELA.15: Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and Life, Death, and Legacies ............... 102 Contents ....................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .................................................................................. ..................................................................................... The Five Pursuits: Their Origin, Their Promise . . . . . . ......................................................................................... ............................................................................................ .......................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................. ......................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................. ....................................................................................... CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 4
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) ................................................................. 138 Conditions for Doing the Work ........................................ ..................................................... ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................... ................................................................... ........................................... ..................................................
CHAPTER 6
Lesson STEM.1: The North Star ............................................................................. 142 Lesson STEM.2: Trees ............................................................................................ 144 Lesson STEM.3: Women in STEM ........................................................................... 146 Lesson STEM.4: Meditation ................................................................................... 148 Lesson STEM.5: Bees ............................................................................................. 150 Lesson STEM.6: Monarch Butterflies ..................................................................... 152 Lesson STEM.7: Nutrition Facts Labels ................................................................. 154 Lesson STEM.8: Pomegranates ............................................................................. 156 Lesson STEM.9: Desserts ....................................................................................... 158 Lesson STEM.10: Sneakers ...................................................................................... 160 Lesson STEM.11: Entrepreneurship ........................................................................ 162 Lesson STEM.12: Alfred L. Cralle, Inventor of the Ice Cream Scoop ........................ 164 Lesson STEM.13: Climate Change ........................................................................... 166 Lesson STEM.14: Wildfires and Statistics ............................................................... 168 Lesson STEM.15: Frederick Pelham, Bridge Engineer ............................................. 170 ..................................................................... ................................................................ ...................................................................... ....................................................................................... ...................................... .................................................................................................................. Lesson STEM.1: Lesson STEM.2: Lesson STEM.3: Lesson STEM.4: Lesson STEM.5: Lesson STEM.6: Lesson STEM.7: Lesson STEM.8: Lesson STEM.9: Lesson STEM.10: Lesson STEM.11: Lesson STEM.12: Lesson STEM.13: Lesson STEM.14: Lesson STEM.15:
15 pursuit-driven lessons per content area
Creating Your Own Pursuit-Driven Lessons ............ 172 ................................................................................................................ 175
CHAPTER 7
References
Children’s Books Cited .............................................................................................. 175 Appendix of Focus Texts ........................................................................................... 178 ......................................................................................................................... 207 Index
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CHAPTER 2
A Close-Up Look at a Pursuit-Driven Lesson Here, I offer an example of a pursuit-driven lesson for English language arts.
Each PDL focuses on a content area: arts and culture, ELA, social studies, or STEM.
The topic of the PDL is presented at its start.
Think about the pre-lesson questions before sharing the focus text with children. These questions are designed to spark your interest in the topic and activate
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
The Heart and Love
your background knowledge on it.
LESSON ELA
REFLECT Ask yourself these questions before the lesson to spur your thinking about the topic and focus text. • What do you already know about the heart? • How’s your heart? • How is love connected to our hearts? • What must be the condition of one’s heart to make the world a better place? • What is the function of the heart?
Each PDL has a focus text that centers the learning— for example, a historical document, a piece of art, an article from a magazine, and, in this case, a poem— and, often, supporting texts and images.
FOCUS TEXT “Love Came” by Rumi
SHARE THE TEXT Start the lesson by reading the poem with students. Love Came... and became like blood in my body. It rushed through my veins and
encircled my Heart. Everywhere I looked, I saw One Thing Love’s Name written on my limbs,
Study the focus text before giving the PDL and write your thoughts on its meaning and special qualities. Then, to begin the lesson, read aloud the text to or display the image for children and analyze it together. Share this information to build background knowledge on the topic and text. While this information is not designed to be exhaustive or comprehensive, it will engage children and give them some insight into the topic and text.
on my left palm, on my forehead, on the back of my neck, on my right big toe. Oh, my friend, all that you see of me is just a shell, and the rest belongs to Love.
If the focus text has a supporting text or image, read and analyze it, too. Ask children to share their thoughts before sharing yours.
Rumi, by Iranian artist Hossein Behzad (1957)
BUILD BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE Share the following background on Rumi and the human heart, encouraging discussion and questions.
Jalāl al-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī or Rumi for short, was a 13th century Persian poet and writer, who was best known for writing about love and humanity. In the poem above, he describes love. He writes that love came and flowed throughout the entire body. Just like the heart functions to pump and circulate blood and oxygen throughout the body in order to live, love works the way and can be found in the limbs—hands, head, neck and feet—from
NURTURING THE HEART AND MIND
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Step-by-step guidance for each pursuit-driven lesson
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CHAPTER 2
Follow these guidelines to link the topic and focus text to the content area.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
the top to the bottom of the body. The poem closes with the idea that when we see a person and their exterior body, our views are limited, but the entirety of the body, belongs to love. It carries the essence of Rumi’s other works. It is grounded in love and the need to see the love in ourselves and each other.
LESSON ELA
Connect instruction to a national learning standard.
SUGGESTED CCSS LEARNING STANDARD
Use these optional texts to continue to support learning about the topic, especially if you’re a teacher who extends the CHRE framework questions into a unit plan. I encourage you, too, to choose texts on your own. But remember, children’s learning is accelerated when they read across multimodal texts. So, when choosing layered texts, consider diverse genres, authors, modes, and content. MAKE AN ELA CONNECTION Use information in this section to connect the topic and text to the content area, as well as to a national learning standard. This lesson connects to English language arts because students will ask and answer questions of literature to show understanding of the text. Students are encouraged to ask and answer questions about Rumi, the poem, the heart, and love. Together, read the focus text and the background of the poem, author, and the theme of love. Ask students what is most intriguing or interesting about the focus text and background information and message of the poem. Encourage them to define what love means to them and how it looks in their lives. Share what love means to you, too. Then, ask students to develop questions from the content of the poem and answer them together. As students learn about the heart, love, and Rumi, help them understand love helps to make the world a better place. Urge students to consider how love is joyful when it is felt throughout our bodies. APPLY THE CHRE FRAMEWORK Continue the lesson by asking and discussing the following pursuit-driven questions. IDENTITY: What does the word love mean to you? SKILLS: What are some questions you have about “Love Came”? INTELLECT: How is love connected to the heart? CRITICALITY: How do loving hearts help to make the world better? JOY: How is love joyful when it is felt throughout our bodies? LAYERED TEXTS TO SUPPORT THE LEARNING • Biography of Rumi • Short informational article on the functions of the heart • Images of the physical and metaphoric heart • Quotations by Rumi • Images and short history of the first stethoscope, the medical invention for listening to someone’s heart
ELA-LITERACY. RL.1: Students will ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. EXTEND THE LESSON •Have students lie on large sheets of paper, trace their bodies, and mark the location of the heart. Then have them write • Encourage students to write their own poems on love and the heart. •Invite students to create stethoscopes from a rolled-up sheet of paper or other item (e.g., paper- towel tube, funnel) and listen to each other’s hearts. characteristics of love on the different parts of the body.
Stretch engagement and learning with these optional experiences that connect to the PDL’s topic. They are designed to be joyful and interactive experiences that children do together and with you.
Ask these pursuit- driven questions directly to children— and give them plenty of time to respond. Be sure to share your responses, too, so they learn from you. If they need to return to the focus text to respond
to a question, let them. If you’re a classroom teacher, you may want to extend this section into a lesson or unit plan by creating learning objectives, daily instruction, and assessments based on the questions.
Use these optional texts to continue to support learning about the topic, especially if you’re a teacher who extends the CHRE framework questions into a lesson or unit plan. I encourage you,
too, to choose texts on your own. But remember, children’s learning is accelerated when they read across multimodal texts. So, when choosing layered texts, consider diverse genres, authors, modes, and content.
CHAPTER 4: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
CHAPTER 2: CONDITIONS FOR DOING THE WORK
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5
ARTS AND CULTURE
Motown Music
LESSON AC.8
REFLECT Ask yourself these questions before the lesson to spur your thinking about the topic and focus texts. • What type of music do you enjoy? • What do you know about Motown music? • Can you name any Motown artists? If so, who’s your favorite?
FOCUS TEXTS • Life magazine cover, “Motown: The Music That Changed America” •The song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (choose an online version)
MOTOWN THE MUSIC THAT CHANGED AMERICA
SHARE THE TEXTS Start the lesson by studying the Life magazine cover (scan the QR code at left for a full-sized version) and listening to the song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with students.
THE SUPREMES ★ THE JACKSON 5 STEVIE WONDER ★ THE TEMPTATIONS SMOKEY ROBINSON ★ MARVIN GAYE…
BUILD BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE Share the following background on Motown, encouraging discussion and questions.
In 1959, Berry Gordy, Jr., started a record company called Motown in Detroit, Michigan. The company was originally named Tamla Records, but Gordy changed it to honor the Motor City, which is Detroit’s nickname. Gordy started the company with a $800 loan from his family. As the company grew, he extended contracts to many Black artists, whose genres included
rhythm and blues, soul, and rock and roll, including The Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye. Those artists paved the way for more contemporary genres such as hip-hop. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is an upbeat, inspirational Motown song
Berry Gordy, Jr., in front of the original headquarters of Motown
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Take a look at a full lesson !
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ARTS AND CULTURE
about overcoming “mountains,” or challenges, through determination and love. Motown music was pivotal and popular with people across the world and had a major impact in the Civil Rights Movement. Motown recorded Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speeches and artists created songs about the rights and social justice of Black people and others. Motown music is still beloved by many people today. MAKE AN ARTS AND CULTURE CONNECTION This lesson encourages students to learn about the cultural impact of Motown. Music is a form of art that is conceptual, spiritual, and deeply meaningful. It combines lyrics/writing, voice, instrumentation, and production to create a dynamic sound. Have students study the image and text on the Life magazine cover and listen closely to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and think about its beats, pitch, meaning, and rhythm. Ask them in what ways they relate to the song and to consider the “mountains” or challenges they have had to overcome through love. Also, share and read the lyrics with students. Help students understand that music is not only for enjoyment, but can also have an impact on justice and social change, with some music relating to protest and civil rights. Encourage them to think about what they already know about music and how it connects to their lives and personal experiences. Invite them to think about how the music they enjoy helps spark joy in their lives. APPLY THE CHRE FRAMEWORK Continue the lesson by asking and discussing the following pursuit-driven questions. IDENTITY: What kind of music do you love to listen to? SKILLS: How does “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” relate to your life and how you overcome challenges? INTELLECT: What is Motown and who are some of the musical artists from this era? CRITICALITY: How do you think Motown music connects to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and social justice? JOY: Listen to a Motown song other than “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” How does
LESSON AC.8
SUGGESTED NCAS LEARNING STANDARD CONNECTING TO ART: Students will synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art. EXTEND THE LESSON •Have students create their own songs by thinking about a message they want to deliver, writing lyrics, beats. From there, have them perform the song for the class or family members. • Encourage students to listen to another Motown song and write a letter to the artist or the artist’s family about what it and coming up with sounds and means to them. •Invite students
it make you feel?
to make a playlist of their favorite motivating songs.
LAYERED TEXTS TO SUPPORT THE LEARNING • Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound by Andrea Davis Pinkney
• Primary sources of Motown music • Album covers of Motown artists • We Are the Supremes by Zoe Tucker • Biographies of Berry Gordy, Jr. and other Motown artists • Songs, lyrics, music videos, and photos of Motown artists
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Shared Texts
The pursuit-driven lessons (PDLs) in Nurturing the Heart and Mind are intentionally organized around four key content areas— arts and culture , English language arts , social studies , and STEM . These areas reflect the subjects most commonly emphasized in schools and districts, and each lesson is designed to build the specific proficiencies students need to thrive within them. While each chapter centers on one content area, the learning is designed to be interdisciplinary, encouraging students to make meaningful connections across subjects and engage deeply with diverse topics. MAKE AN ELA CONNECTION
ENGLIS LANGU ARTS
English Language Arts
APPLY THE CHRE FRAMEWORK Continue the lesson by asking and discussing the following pursuit-driven questions. IDENTITY: What message would you tell yourself in a letter? SKILLS: Can you write a letter to yourself at the start of the school year and the end? INTELLECT: What is letter writing? What did you learn about Booker T. Washington from the letter he wrote to W.E.B. Du Bois? CRITICALITY: In what way does letter writing center one’s voice and perspectives? JOY: If you made a list of people you would like to write a letter to, who would you include and why?
LAYERED TEXTS TO SUPPORT THE LEARNING • • •
•
Photos ©: W. E. B. Du Bois Papers, Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center, UMass Amherst Libraries. (Booker T. Washington letter); National Archives and Records Administration (Chinese Exclusion Act); United States Patent O ce (patent)
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MAKE A SOCIAL STUDIES CONNECTION
Social Studies
APPLY THE CHRE FRAMEWORK Continue the lesson by asking and discussing the following pursuit-driven questions. IDENTITY: Can you name a time you were excluded or saw someone being excluded? SKILLS: What is an example of how the 1882 government responded to the needs and wants of people? INTELLECT: What was the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act? CRITICALITY: Why do you think it’s important for laws to treat all people fairly and
protect their rights? What could happen if laws don’t do that? JOY: What law would you create for a happier, more joyful world?
LAYERED TEXTS TO SUPPORT THE LEARNING • • • •
STEM
MAKE A STEM CONNECTION
STEM
APPLY THE CHRE FRAMEWORK Continue the lesson by asking and discussing the following pursuit-driven questions. IDENTITY: What is your favorite ice cream flavor? SKILLS: How is the ice cream scoop a simple machine? INTELLECT: Who is Alfred L. Cralle and why do you think he invented the ice cream scoop? CRITICALITY: What hardships do you think Alfred L. Cralle experienced during the time of his invention? JOY: How is the ice cream scoop an invention of joy?
LAYERED TEXTS TO SUPPORT THE LEARNING •
• • •
•
Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad is the John Corbally Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has served as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, school district administrator, curriculum director, and school board president. She studies Black historical excellence in education, with the goal of reframing curriculum and instruction today, and has received numerous honors and awards for that work. Dr. Muhammad’s scholarship has appeared in leading academic journals and books. Her Five Pursuits framework has been adopted in thousands of schools and districts.
Explore More Scholastic Resources from Dr. Muhammad!
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