Each of the following lessons is built upon the reading of a poem whose content relates to the objectives of this unit. Many other poems could be substituted appropriately for those I have chosen.
Lesson One
Poem
: “Frederick Douglass: 1817-1895”
Poet
: Langston Hughes
Summary
: Langston Hughes praises Douglass for his boldness in speaking out against slavery
Vocabulary
: wary, tread, indecision
Procedure
: Begin by reading poem to class. Go over vocabulary together. Depending upon knowledge possessed by class, provide pertinent facts from the life of Frederick Douglass. Read poem again. Explore message: Why does the poet say Douglass is not dead? What do you think he means when he says—
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“Had he walked with wary foot
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And frightened tread,”
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“Might have lost his soul,”
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“And capture every street”
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“To route each path
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Towards freedom’s goal”?
Bring out how the poet feels about Douglass. Why does he think he’s a hero?
Through further discussion, list heroes of class and today’s society in general. Focus on athlete and our means of expressing admiration. Establish the cheer as a method. Give example of this traditional cheer.
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“_____, _____, he’s our man.
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If he can’t do it, nobody can.”
Give example of expanded version praising a Black American (Sample written by unit author.)
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“Wheatley, Wheatley, she’s the one.
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Shining brightly like the sun.
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Writing poetry was her thing.
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Phillis Wheatley, your words sing.”
Point out simile, personification, rhyming, and rhythm. Allow class or individuals to chant cheer. Compose another cheer together. Motivate each pupil to compose own cheer.
Depending upon your class, it may be necessary to provide a list of Black Americans, with biographical information, from which to choose. The class could also be required to research their individual before writing.
If your school has a cheerleading squad or if individuals in your class possess the required skill, the final cheers could be presented with appropriate movements before an audience.
Lesson Two
Poem
: “To James”
Poet
: Frank Horn
Summary
: A father, coach, or other significant adult asks a young boy to remember the efforts and joys he experienced as he won a significant race. He then asks the boy to live his life with the same energy and determination he used to achieve his victory on the track.
Vocabulary
: catapulted, sinews, ecstatic, ecstacy, lurch, starting holes, straightaway, tape
Procedure
: Begin by reading poem to class. Go over vocabulary together. Discuss message of the poem. Discuss colorful words, especially verbs. Discuss pupil’s individual goals and how the poet’s advice could apply to them.
Return to discuss the section on remembering the race. Motivate pupils to remember steps in their life and to make comparisons expressing what it was like. Urge freedom in making these comparisons. Set up a form for expressing these in written form.
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“I remember _ _ _ _ _”
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“It was like _ _ _ _ _”
The number of comparisons should be unlimited, but they should write at least three.
Conclude by sharing results.
Kenneth Koch in
Wishes, Lies, and Dreams
offers a more detailed account of such an approach, along with some excellent examples by pupils.
Lesson Three
Poem
: “Ballad of Birmingham”
Poet
: Dudley Randall
Summary
: Set in the midst of the civil rights struggle when marches and protests spread throughout the South, this poem tells of a Black mother, in Birmingham, Alabama, trying to convince her young daughter to attend church rather than join other children in a protest march downtown. The mother’s relief, as her child goes off to church, is soon shattered as a bomb rips through a Sunday school class killing four young children, including her little girl.
Vocabulary
: None
Procedure
: Begin by reading poem to class. Have pupils discuss poem first without any factual background. Provide information on bombing of Birmingham church. Read poem again. Discuss poem further.
Possible questions
: What does the young girl wish to do? Why is her mother fearful? Why is the child not afraid? Where does the mother send her instead? Why? How is the way the child looks as she leaves a contrast to what happens later? Should the mother have let her go to the demonstration? What would you have done if you were the mother/child? Who was “right”? Contrast the words of peace with the words of violence used by the poet. How do you feel about what was done in Birmingham? Did the children die in vain?
After the poem has been discussed and understood in its historical context, motivate pupils to research, individually or in groups, other significant events in the more recent civil rights struggle.
Suggestions:
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott.
The deaths of Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner.
Medgar Evars.
Any significant event in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The integration of schools and colleges in the South.
Pupils may present the results of their research orally, through illustrations, and/or in written form. Though I would not stress composing poetry in this particular lesson, I would suggest it as an
additional
option along with their research.
SUGGESTED POEMS AND POETS
Here is a list of the poems and poets mentioned in this unit along with others I feel are particularly appropriate. There are many more to be found in the books listed in my bibliography as well as others with which you may be familiar.
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Baraka, Imamu Amiri: “SOS”
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Brooks, Gwendolyn: “We Real Cool”
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Davis, Frank Marshall: “Giles Johnson, Ph.D.”
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Douglass, Frederick: “We Raise de Wheat”
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Dunbar, Paul Laurence: “Soliloquy to a Turkey”
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“The Unsung Heroes”
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Fandel, John: “Indians”
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Giovanni, Nikki:
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”Basketball”
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“Ego-tripping (there may be a reason why)”
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“The Funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr.”
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“Knoxville, Tennessee”
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“Nikki-Rosa”
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“Trips”
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Harper, Frances E.W.: “The Slave Auction”
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Hayden, Robert: “Frederick Douglass”
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Home, Frank: “To James”
Hughes, Langston:
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“Africa”
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“Dream Deferred”
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“Frederick Douglass: 1817-1895”
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“I, Too”
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“Junior Addict”
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“Ku Klux”
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“Mother to Son”
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“My People”
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“Negro”
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“The Negro Speaks of Rivers”
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“October 16”
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“Question and Answer”
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“Still Here”
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“Words Like Freedom”
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Iman, Yusef:
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“Love Your Enemy”
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Randall, Dudley:
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“Ancestors”
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“Ballad of Birmingham”
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“George”
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Raven, John: “An Inconvenience”
Silverstein, Shel:
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“Colors”
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“For Sale”
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“The Long-Haired Boy”
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“No Difference”
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Taylor, Rockie D.:
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“Black Henry”
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Walker, Margaret:
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“Girl Held Without Bail”
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“Street Demonstration”
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Folk Poetry:
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“Blessing Without Company”
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“Slave Marriage Ceremony Supplement”
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“Walk Together Children”
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Spirituals:
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“Get on Board, Little Chillen”
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“Go Down Moses”
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“I Thank God I’m Free at Las”’
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“No More Auction Block”
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“Steal Away to Jesus”
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