Our friend Robert Pondiscio in the Wall Street Journal:
These ideas drive the "Hunger Games" plot, even if the average 13-year-old might not realize it at first. Intentionally or not, the trilogy amounts to the best civics textbook since George Orwell's "Animal Farm."
At the most basic level, the series can help students understand various forms of government. The unchecked totalitarian power of Panem's Capitol can help students appreciate the limited power given to the U.S. government under the Constitution. By contrasting the civil liberties that Americans take for granted with such freedoms' complete absence in District 12, where Katniss lives, students can begin to understand why we so highly value our rights and democratic institutions.
Had drinks with Robert last week while he was in Boston. One of my favorite ed-thinkers. I told him his blogging has won the day -- top charters like Achievement First increasingly looking at Core Knowledge for curriculum, and it was Robert's tireless efforts for years that started to move the needle on "reform types" understanding E.D. Hirsch. I suspect he's also one of the few people in America on Facebook more than his teenage daughter.