The Blues: Music of Survival
ArtsCoursesLevelsListen!Music Step 2APublicStep 2Stories August 16, 2018
Four men were walking across a field. They were carrying a body wrapped up in white cloth. Their strong, black hands and arms supported the body as they walked on. Other men, women, and children walked behind. And the tall green trees listened. They listened to the cries of... Read more
Story Power
CoursesIdeasLevelsMovies Step 2BPublicStep 2Stories August 16, 2018
Dorothy looked up into the sky. And she started to sing. Her soft voice rose up gently in the air. Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high There’s a land that I’ve heard of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue And the dreams that... Read more
Hawaiian Treasure
CoursesCulture Step 3ALevelsPublicStep 3StoriesTimes August 15, 2018 4
ReadOasis Step 3 Far into the middle of the Pacific Ocean rest the Hawaiian Islands. They are a paradise of nature and human civilization. They stand like green gardens in the center of the deep blue sea. Hawaii was first settled by Polynesians in the 4th Century. And today,... Read more
Book Trailer by Sheryl Sandberg ReadOasis Step 2 I entered the workforce believing that my generation was going to have equal responsibility and equal opportunity. And it didn't work out that way. Women are getting more college degrees, more graduate degrees, entering the workforce at every level. But in... Read more
The Most Famous Not a Protest Song (Step 3)
ArtsCoursesLevelsListen!Music Step 3AProtectedStep 3Stories August 13, 2018
ReadOasis Step 3 The little boy didn't want to eat chicken. He did not like the flavor and smell, so he protested. He said, "I hate chicken! It tastes bad! I will never eat it -- ever! His mother looked at him and smiled. And she said, "Jimmy, that's... Read more
The Duke of Cowboy Actors
ArtsCoursesLevelsListen!Movies Step 2AProtectedStep 2Stories August 8, 2018 0
ReadOasis Step 2 May 26th marks the birth of the great American film star John Wayne. He was born in the US state of Iowa in 1907 with the name Marion Morrison. His father’s poor health caused the family to move to Southern California. And there, Wayne attended school... Read more
W.C. Handy: Father of the Blues (Step 3)
ArtsCoursesLevelsListen!Music Step 3AProtectedStep 3Stories August 7, 2018 0
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) "Then I saw the beauty of primitive music." W.C. Handy, Father of the Blues W.C. Handy at Age 19 W.C. Handy grew up in a small town in Alabama in the southern part of the US. His father was the pastor of a church,... Read more
Rakugo: A Funny Side of Japan
CoursesCulture Step 3ALevelsProtectedStep 2StoriesStyles August 7, 2018 3
ReadOasis Step 2 Sakura started to cry. "No Tora-san! You can't leave again! I know that life is hard for you here. But when you leave, it's harder for me." Tora-san watched Sakura cry and wipe her tears. He felt so sorry for her, but he didn't say anything.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Memphis Slim at the Piano Long black fingers were dancing. They were dancing on the white and black keys of the piano. From the comfort of their homes, people watched on their televisions. And they listened to the blue sounds of the piano. The piano player... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 US car makers are in serious trouble. Their sales fell about 35% in January compared with last year. Ford Motor Company sales dropped 42%. General Motors reported a 49% drop. But Chrysler was hardest hit. Their sales went down 55%. This decline in sales is not... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 The room is dark. You are alone. You are drinking a coke and downloading some songs from the Internet. Then you hear a crash. Your heart stops as you hear a man shout. "This is the police!" You catch your breath and say, "What?" Then another... Read more
Number 42 (Step 2)
CoursesLevelsMovies Step 2AProtectedSports Step 2AStep 2StoriesTimes July 30, 2018
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Jackie Robinson -- Number 42 (Image Wikipedia) A man stepped onto the baseball field. He walked across the green grass. His black hands held onto a white baseball bat. He adjusted his blue hat to keep the sun from his eyes. And as he... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 It was an October day in 1993. The world watched as history was made. It seemed impossible just a few years back. But Nelson Mandela and Frederick de Klerk were receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. They had transformed the nation of South Africa. Mandela and de... Read more
Ben Franklin’s Curious Kite (Step 3)
CoursesInvention Step 3ALevelsProtectedSciencesStep 3Stories July 29, 2018 0
ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) “Quick! A storm is coming! Maybe there will be thunder and lightning! Get the kite, and let’s go fly it in the storm!” Photo by GPTMC Imagine hearing these words from your father. You might think going out to play in a storm is... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. The country is made of the island of Cuba, the Island of Youth, and a number of small islands. Cuba is just south of the US state of Florida. It is just north of Jamaica. On January... Read more
Music: Good for Your Ears
CoursesIdeasLevelsListen!Music Step 2BProtectedStep 2Stories July 27, 2018 2
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Clive Wearing sits at the piano. He stretches out his hands and fingers. He takes a deep breath. Then he begins to play. His fingers strike the keys, and the piano hammers hit the strings. The strings vibrate in beautiful harmony and precise rhythm.... Read more
The Heaviest Band: Led Zeppelin
ArtsCoursesLevelsMusic Step 3AProtectedStep 3Stories July 24, 2018 0
By Douglas Forster ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) Good evening. My name is James Patrick Page. But most everyone knows me as Jimmy Page. I am the lead guitarist for the greatest rock and roll band of all time, Led Zeppelin. This is our story through my eyes. I... Read more
Gregor Mendel: Father of Genetics
CoursesInvention Step 3ALevelsListen!ProtectedSciencesStep 3Stories July 23, 2018 2
ReadOasis Step 3 A great tree comes from a small seed, and from small beginnings come great things. He made one of the greatest discoveries in the history of science. But during his life, Gregor Mendel was a relatively unknown man. After his death, he became famous for his... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 Nintendo makes video games and gaming machines. It is one of the largest gaming companies in the world. Nintendo's popularity took off in 2006 with the release of the Nintendo Wii. The portable Nintendo DS is also extremely popular. In 2007, the company had an income... Read more
Isaac Watts: Father of Hymns (Step 3)
ArtsCoursesLevelsListen!Music Step 3AProtectedStep 3Stories July 20, 2018 1
ReadOasis Step 3 By Maria Sonora A hymn is a song of praise to God. In many cultures, people sing hymns at church services and on special celebrations like Christmas. Many prominent musicians today, such as Beyonce Knowles, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, and Carrie Underwood mastered singing and performing... Read more