Editor's note

Poetry has been part of children’s education since the days of Colonial America. From early textbooks with poetic alphabets to the famed midnight ride of Paul Revere, poems have been used to improve literacy and promote nationalism. Michigan State’s Laura Apol follows the evolution to today’s English classrooms, where more and more teachers are using poetry that’s relevant and accessible to young people. The result? An exciting era for youth poetry – one that sees student poets finding their identity, expressing cultural and political convictions, and letting their voices be heard.

And Brett C. Burkhardt at Oregon State University takes a long look at the research on private prisons in the U.S. The facilities have more inmate misconduct, more escapes and higher staff turnover – but they’re likely to thrive in the coming years.

Kaitlyn Chantry

Editor

Top story

A student performs at the 2013 Louder Than a Bomb slam poetry competition in Boston, Massachusetts. John Tammaro / flickr

Making poetry their own: The evolution of poetry education

Laura Apol, Michigan State University

Poetry has been a part of teaching and learning for hundreds of years. But how has poetry education changed? And how are young voices using poetry to express themselves today?

Ethics + Religion

Environment + Energy

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    Edgar Hertwich, Yale University; Anders Arvesen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Sangwon Suh, University of California, Santa Barbara; Thomas Gibon, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

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Arts + Culture

Politics + Society

  • Private prisons, explained

    Brett C. Burkhardt, Oregon State University

    The White House is pushing for more private prisons. But do the industry's promised benefits hold up to scrutiny?

Science + Technology

Health + Medicine

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