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Courses Ideas Levels Movies Step 2B Public Step 2 Stories October 18, 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

The Blues: Music of Survival

Arts Courses Levels Listen!Music Step 2A Public Step 2 Stories October 18, 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

Drifting Cowboy: Hank Williams (Step 3)

Arts Courses Levels Music Step 3B Protected Step 3 Stories October 18, 2018 0

By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) By MGM Records via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain) Hank would never make it to his destination. There were too many problems. It was icy cold outside. Covered with a blanket, he sat in the back seat of his light blue Cadillac.... Read more

Isaac Albéniz, Genius of Spanish Music

Arts Courses Levels Music Step 2B Protected Step 2 Stories October 16, 2018 1

By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 2 Isaac Albéniz (May 29, 1860 - May 18, 1909) was a genius of Spanish music. He gave his first concert when he was four years old. And at the young age of nine, he began his concert career. By age 15, he had... Read more

Miles Davis, Jazz Legend

Arts Courses Levels Music Step 2B Protected Step 2 Stories Times October 16, 2018 1

ReadOasis Step 2 Miles Davis (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was one of the most important musicians of the twentieth century. He helped to develop many styles of modern jazz music. These styles include cool jazz and jazz fusion. Cool jazz has a calm, relaxed, and smooth... Read more

Babe: A Good Mannered Pig

Arts Courses Levels Listen!Movies Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories October 15, 2018 3

ReadOasis Step 2 Babe is a young pig who wants to become a sheep dog. He is separated from his family, and he finds himself on a strange farm. Babe becomes confused and lonely. But a friendly sheep dog takes care of him. And Babe slowly adjusts to his... Read more

A Giant of Business (Step 2)

Biz Biz Step 2A Courses Levels Protected Step 2 Stories October 12, 2018 0

By Tek Smith ReadOasis Step 2 Black liquid flew out of the ground and towards the sky. It was oil, black gold. And it had the power to light up homes. It had the power to run the engine of the American economy. It had the power to make... Read more

A Force for Good in Music

Arts Courses Levels Listen!Music Step 3A Protected Step 3 Stories October 12, 2018 0

ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) U2 in Concert It was a cool winter night in January 2002 in New York. The city that never sleeps was wide-awake and full of movement. Even in the cold, you could feel the energy of arts, entertainment, culture, and money. That week, top... Read more

Jesse James: Robber or Robin Hood?

Courses Levels Listen!Movies Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories Times October 12, 2018 1

ReadOasis Step 2 It was just past noon on December 7, 1869. Two brothers walked into a bank in Gallatin, Missouri. Their names were Frank and Jesse James. One of them, maybe Jesse, walked up to the bank clerk and asked to exchange a $100 bill. The bank clerk... Read more

Stairway to Heaven

Arts Courses Levels Music Step 3B Protected Step 3 Stories October 11, 2018 0

By Douglas Forster ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) “And we’re back. I’m Jim Ladd, and you’re listening to KMET. We’re the south’s number one station for the rock and roll music you need for your soul. Before the break, I announced that I would be accepting requests. And boy,... Read more

Music as Medicine

Courses Invention Step 3A Levels Listen!Music Step 3A Protected Sciences Step 3 Stories Top Picks October 10, 2018 2

ReadOasis Step 3 (Part 1) You are watching TV. On the screen, you see the two strong hands of a man. In his left hand, he holds a book of matches. In his right hand, he holds a single match. With his right hand, he strikes the match on... Read more

Johnny Cash: The Man in Black (Step 3)

Arts Courses Levels Listen!Music Step 3B Protected Step 3 Stories October 10, 2018 0

ReadOasis Step 3 Johnny Cash was a man of great presence, as if born from an ancient legend that reveals the contradictions of human life. Cash died in 2003, but he gave us a vast collection of over 50 years of music. He also created his own genre, between... Read more

Country Music Icon: Hank Williams

Arts Courses Levels Listen!Music Step 3A Protected Step 3 Stories October 8, 2018 0

ReadOasis Step 3 It was the middle of America’s Great Economic Depression. Hank Williams was just seven when his father left. The stress from World War I still burned in his father’s brain, and he committed himself into Veteran’s hospital. Hank’s mother worked. She played organ at church, and... Read more

Richard Wagner, Musician

Arts Courses Levels Music Step 2B Protected Step 2 Stories October 8, 2018 1

ReadOasis Step 2 Richard Wagner was born on May 22, 1813. He was a famous German musician and writer. He wrote operas, or "music dramas." Unlike many writers of opera, he wrote the words and music for all his works. Wagner's music is known for being intense, complex, and... Read more

The Biggest Band (Step 2)

Arts Courses Levels Listen!Music Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories October 7, 2018 1

By Maria Sonora ReadOasis Step 2 Imagine By Diego Torres Silvestre (Creative Commons) It was a hot August night in New York City, 1965. Two thousand policemen were in charge of security. They watched carefully as 55,000 fans filled Shea Stadium. But this was not for a baseball... Read more

The Lord of the Rings

Arts Courses Levels Movies Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories October 4, 2018 0

ReadOasis Step 2 The One Ring was power, and the Council had it. If a man wore it, he could control the world. But the Ring's power came from Sauron. His power -- in the ring -- would destroy you. And his power would destroy all goodness. The Council... Read more

Ichiro and the Kings of Baseball

Courses Levels Protected Sports Step 2A Step 2 Stories Styles September 30, 2018 0

ReadOasis Step 2 It often happens in sport. A player just knows he will bring his team the victory. Is this true for Ichiro, that baseball wonder from Japan? Many people doubted his powers during the 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC). He struggled under the pressure. He failed many... Read more

Slumdog Millionaire

Arts Courses Levels Movies Step 2A Protected Step 2 Stories September 30, 2018 0

ReadOasis Step 2 The film Slumdog Millionaire is about an 18-year-old boy from Mumbai, India. He comes from a poor part of the city. And he wins a large cash prize on a TV game show. But after he wins, he is arrested by the police. The police think... Read more

I See You — Avatar

Arts Courses Levels Listen!Movies Step 2B Protected Step 2 Stories September 27, 2018 1

ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) Your name is Jake. You are a soldier. Since you lost the feeling in your legs, life has been awkward. But you got used to it. And when your brother died, your heart stopped feeling some, too. "Get used to it," you think. But... Read more

Throwing Shoes for Protest

Courses Culture Step 2A Levels Listen!Protected Step 2 Stories Styles September 27, 2018 0

ReadOasis Step 2 In recent times, shoe throwing has become an international form of protest. On Monday, February 2, 2009, a young man threw a shoe at Wen Jiabao, the Prime Minister of China. The event took place at Cambridge University in the UK. The young man was arrested... Read more