I Have a Dream: Teaching a Speech That Everyone Thinks They Know Already

I don't think that I had actually read Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech until two or three years ago.  Like every other American, I had heard the speech and seen black and white images of it on television. If I were being honest, I would admit that I would cringe and tune out when the speech came on or was brought up in History classes.  I think that my reaction was based on the fact that I thought that I knew what it meant, when I really didn't.  

We all know what an eloquent and powerful speaker King was, but what we miss is what a master of metaphor he was. Furthermore, once I read the speech, I was surprised by the tone of it .  Martin Luther King wasn't begging whites for acceptance, he was demanding re-payment of a debt owed. His words are eerily relevant today.

The lesson below is one of the best that I have taught this year (if I do say so myself).  In really good lessons there is a feeling of transcendence.   I sure that it is similar to the feeling an actor has when he is on stage knowing that he or she has the audience in the palm of their hand.  It doesn't happen every day, but when it does it reminds me why I love teaching.

                 

Figurative Language and MLK's "I Have a Dream Speech." 

1. I review the definitions of metaphor and simile.

2. We discuss how and why authors use figurative language.

3. Students write and share their own metaphors and similes inspired by the photographs in the slides below.

4. Students look at examples of 8th grade metaphor projects about Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye.

5. I read quotes from the novel aloud and ask students to identify what is being compared in each project. (They were enthralled by the projects).  

(I made this on Haiku Deck, which is really easy to use presentation software.  Click through the slides to see what my student's saw during class.)
Figurative Language - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires


6.  I explain that student's will read Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and then create a visual representation of one of the metaphors in the speech.

7. I give each student a copy of the speech and then project it on the Smartboard.  

8. As we read the speech together, I choose a particularly energetic student to underline the metaphors in the speech on The Smartboard.  Students highlight and annotate their speeches, and I draw (really basic) sketches on the white board.

9. I have the students annotate their text with notes about The March on Washington, The Emancipation Proclamation, and the Declaration of Independence.

10.  As a class, we focus on several of the metaphors in the first half of the speech.  Below are some of my favorites:  

 "The Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity."

In a sense we've come to our nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality.

After we finish the speech we will watch the video, and begin our metaphor project.  Hopefully my students will understand and appreciate why they have the day off after they finish this assignment!

When a Joke is Not Just a Joke

The first full week of the New Year was deadly.

• On Wednesday the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo was attacked by a pair of French-Algerian brothers who claimed to be a part of Al-Qaeda.  
• The next day a French police officer was killed by a man claiming to belong to the same jihadist organization that the brothers belonged to.
• On Friday hostages were taken at a Kosher market by a French citizen of Senegalese origin who claimed to be in contact with the two brothers responsible for the shooting at Charlie Hebdo.  Police assert that this same man was responsible for the shooting of the police officer a day earlier.

In total 20 people were killed (including three suspects), and millions took to the streets in solidarity with the victims.

Photo: The Economist

Worldwide, millions more tweeted using the hashtag #JeSuiCharlie or I Am Charlie.  Hashtags bring awareness to important issues, but in this case I wonder how many people tweeting and re-tweeting bothered to look at the cartoons featured in Charlie Hebdo.

Black Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira depicted as a monkey

In the first image, France's Justice Minister Christiane Taubira is depicted as a monkey with large gold hoop earrings.  Supporters of Charlie Hebdo say that the image is poking fun at Taubira's racist detractors, and is therefore not racist in itself.  This argument is similar to the argument made by supporters of the New Yorker who claimed that their controversial cover was making fun of those who associate the Obamas with extremist Muslims, rather than racist itself.  The problem with satire is that some will get it, some will be offended, and some will have their racist suspicions affirmed.

The New Yorker

The title of this image below reads, "Boko Haram's Sex Slaves Are Angry."  The thought bubble over the girls' heads says "Don't Touch Our Welfare."

There are some explanations online that assert that this cartoon is a satire of racism, rather than an example of racism.  The idea is that the cartoon makes fun of anti-welfare politicians who are so irrational that they assume even Nigerian girls held as child sex slaves want welfare.  For those who are offended by the image, the larger implication is that they just don't understand French humor.  My question is do the African and Caribbean immigrants in France get French humor?  Do their children?

The pen may be mightier than the sword, but the visual image is an even more powerful.  Just as one can't talk about police brutality without considering the legacy of slavery and segregation in America, one cannot talk about terrorism in France without talking about the legacy of colonialism in Africa.   France can keep ignoring the anger of the children of it's former colonies, claiming that they "can't take" or "don't get" the joke, it but will do so at its own peril.

Black is Beautiful: Haley

How old are you? 24 yrs old

What's your beauty philosophy? I think that anyone can be beautiful; it's all in how you present yourself. My beauty philosophy is to emphasis simplicity and natural qualities and add a splash of interesting. "Interesting" for me usually means a vintage flair, something sparkly, or a bright color.

Accessorizing is in our blood!

Who do you look to for beauty inspiration? I look for beauty inspiration in my cousin Candace (whose fashion choices are always flawless) and in my mother and grandmother (whose vintage jewelry and purses I've incorporated into my wardrobe). 

Wearing the same hairstyles since 2005!

Describe your skin care routine. My skin care routine changes with the season. Right now I use Neutrogena's Grapefruit Scrub with an electric facial brush both morning and night for exfoliation. Then I use Clean and Clear's Oil Free Dual Action Moisturizer in the morning. For breakouts I use Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick which is amazing and still surprises me with its effectiveness every time. 

What are some of the things in your make-up bag that are tried and true and you can't live without?

-Covergirl Mascara Exact Eyelights Black Pearl 700 for brown eyes. This mascara is made differently for every eye color, and it is designed to bring out your personal eye color. I like it because it's not very clumpy. It's also easy to take off and I feel like my lashes have been conditioned once I do.

-Red Lipstick. For me, any scarlet red lipstick will do. I pick it up at the drugstore and use it as my "going out" lipstick. I love the vintage look of it.

-Bite Beauty's Luminous Creme Lipstick from Sephora in Zin, I would describe this as a matte wine color. I wear this one almost daily. The color is perfect for everyday because it adds deep color without making me look like I'm going to the club. 

Photo: allure.com

-Neutrogena Deep Clean Long Last Shine Control Daily Scrub. I LOVE this scrub because it removes all the oil from my pores and controls shine for most of the day. I usually take this with me when I'm going to a humid climate because I know the humidity makes my skin skin even more oily. 

What are some of the new things you've picked up lately that you're obsessed with?
-Anything Burt's Bees! (I know I am very late to this trend)

-I love the Herbal Blemish Stick. It works surprisingly well, especially when I put it on overnight.

-Burt's Bees Honey and Grapeseed Hand Cream. The mother of one of my students brought this for her daughter whose hands were so dry they would crack and bleed. I noticed how well it worked for her so I bought some for myself. It feels a little sticky when I first put it on but after a couple seconds it seeps in and feels amazing.

There are never too many gold sparkles!

Happy Birthday Zora!

"Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly."-Their Eyes Were Watching God

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"The theory behind our tactics: "The white man is always trying to know into somebody else's business. All right, I'll set something outside the door of my mind for him to play with and handle. He can read my writing but he sho' can't read my mind. I'll put this play toy in his hand, and he will seize it and go away. Then I'll say my say and sing my song."-Mules and Men

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“I have a strong suspicion, but I can’t be sure, that much that passes for constant love is a golded-up moment walking in its sleep. Some people know that it is the walk of the dead, but in desperation and desolation, they have staked everything on life after death and the resurrection, so they haunt the graveyard. They build an altar on the tomb and wait there like faithful Mary for the stone to roll away. So the moment has authority over all of their lives. They pray constantly for the miracle of the moment to burst its bonds and spread out over time”- Dust Tracks on a Road

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"I AM COLORED but I offer nothing in the way of extenuating circumstances except the fact that I am the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather on the mother's side was not an Indian chief."
To read the rest of this amazing essay click here

My Classroom is a Monarchy!

This is the fist time in my teaching career that I haven't taught black students or had the flexibility to design my own curriculum.  Consequently, this has also been the first year that I haven't taught novels by people of color (or with female protagonists for that matter).  I miss teaching The Bluest Eye,  but this new environment has forced me to learn and grow.

I definitely miss this class!

I believe that the purpose of education is, in part, to develop empathy by exposing students to the inner worlds of others.  Even if I am not going to be able to do that through Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Huston, or Sherman Alexie, I am determined to work social justice into my curriculum somewhere!

All private schools talk the talk about the importance of diversity, and this year the theme at my school has been socio-economic diversity.  That is my way in! And here's why it is important:

One day early in the school year the 6th graders and I were discussing the gubernatorial elections and looking at various social and political issues.  It surprised me how economically conservative, yet socially liberal many of my 6th graders were (students at The Storefront tended to be the opposite).  I ended up being disturbed by the conversation because some of my students' opinions about why people are poor would make the staunchest conservatives cringe (they are lazy, they didn't take advantage of their education, they have too many children, they waste money, etc.)  It is disconcerting to hear such stringent political views from kids who are still carrying baby fat.  Here is an except from one of our conversations:

Fabulously Dressed Teacher: Why are people poor?
Student: Because they don't work hard and didn't do well in school.
Fabulously Dressed Teacher: Well, you didn't do your homework today; does that mean you are going to be poor?
Student:  No way, my family is rich.

Obviously, this is me.

There was clearly a disconnect.

In response I decided to show them the documentary The Queen of Versailles, which is about the family of David and Victoria Siegel.  The start of the film shows the family lavishing in the excess provided by their billionaire lifestyle, but then slowly deteriorating as the economy does.  Students love this documentary because it's really character driven and it unfolds like a Greek tragedy.   I love it because it illustrates how all of the stereotypes that they associate with the poor apply directly to this family as well.

Photo: Magnolia Pictures

Students get excited about researching "where are they now" stories about characters in documentaries and this film provides lot of opportunity to do so.  The Siegels are now suing the filmmakers for defamation and have been attempting to do damage control with a reality show.

Photo: New York Times

In Social Studies we have been learning about different forms of government (monarchy, oligarchy, tyranny) and the development of democracy in Ancient Greece.  We have also looked at the difference between direct democracy and representative democracy.

This week I am going to have my students read the following article.  Afterwards, students will:

1.  Define irony (review of a concept from English class)
2.  Identify two examples of irony in this article
(Possible answers: Siegel said that he would be forced to lay off workers if Obama was elected, but has ended up richer than ever.  Siegel criticizes a system that "gives to the unproductive" when that statement describes many of the members of his household.)
3.  Describe two things that Seigel has done in order to influence the votes of his 8000 employees.
(Possible answers: Siegel put anti-Gore articles in the paychecks of his workers.  Seigel told workers that Obama's election would force him to fire workers.)
4. Discuss the following questions:
-Do Seigal's actions go against the ideals of democracy?
-If  Seigel's company, Westgate Resorts, was a country; what type of government would it be?  Why?
-If our classroom was a government, what type would it be?  What kind of crown would the queen wear?

Just kidding about the last question (kinda)