This study maintains that the works of Carl Sandburg are a valuable asset in the teaching of English and should continue to be a staple item in the high school English curriculum. An overview of Sandburg's critical reputation is presented and 10 of Sandburg's most adaptable works for secondary school are surveyed and discussed at length, including selections from his poetry, novels, essays, autobiography, and his biography of Abraham Lincoln. A variety of teaching methods and questions for study and discussion are presented for each of the works. It is concluded that Sandburg's prose and poetry have the power to communicate with today's students in such areas as justice, beauty, racial prejudice, personal stress, war, patriotism, and empathy, and that Sandburg's realistic optimism can provide them with relevant material for study and discussion. (Author/DD)