I have a Dream

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Categoria: Produzioni didattiche Inglese

Pubblicato Venerdì, 30 Dicembre 2011 18:09

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I have a Dream

Ipermedia ispirato al famoso discorso di M. Luther King Jr. L'utilizzo didattico è il fine ultimo del lavoro, il docente può analizzare in dettaglio lo stile e le figure retoriche di quasi tutti i segmenti del discorso e può approfondire la questione dei Diritti Civili attraverso l'uso di canzoni e materiali testuali di approfondimento.
Il lavoro è stato prodotto durante il Corso di fondamenti teorico metodologici della letteratura inglese del Prof. Michele Goffredo (SSIS Basilicata 2006-07)
Unità di Apprendimento
TARGET CLASS: 5th form of Liceo Scientifico
TIME OF THE YEAR: second term: spring
SCHEDULE: 10/12 lessons, each of them lasting one hour (three-four weeks)
CLASS DESCRIPTION:
The class is composed of twenty - two students: ten boys and twelve girls. Four of them come from the upper social class, while the others come from the middle class. There are only five commuters who can easily reach the school because they live in nearby villages. All students usually go to the cinema and some of them read books and newspapers, while only a small group go to the theatre, nobody watches English Channels. They are generally interested in foreign languages. The class can be subdivided into three different groups: the first one is formed by eight students particularly motivated, the second one is composed of ten students who have sufficient motivational and linguistic level and the last four students rarely participate.
At the beginning of this itinerary students have got the following pre-requirements:
Knowledge :
-    knowledge of the most important rhetorical figures;
-    knowledge of the most relevant narrative dynamics (key-words, topics, motive, theme, point of view, characters, flashbacks, etc.);
Know-how:
-     comprehending a text;
-     carrying out the interpretation of a literary text following the most relevant narrative dynamics (key-words, topics, motive, theme, point of view, characters, flashbacks, etc.);
-     writing a summary;
-     writing a short essay.
Competence:
-     at least an intermediate linguistic level, mastery of a wide literary terminology, a suitable skill of interpretation of literary works in English.
Materials:
1. Billie Holiday's song “Strange Fruit” 1939 L2
2. “the Death of Emmett Till” a murder case L2
3. Bob Dylan's song “the Death of Emmett Till” 1963 L2
4. I Have a Dream CDRom L1 - L2
5. I Have a Dream By M. Luther King Jr. L2
6. Applied Hermeneutics - http://www.philosophy.ucf.edu/ahrhetoric3.html L2
7. Applied Hermeneutics - http://www.philosophy.ucf.edu/ahrhetoric4.html L2
8. GETTYSBURG ADDRESS - Abraham Lincoln November 19 - 1863 L2
9. THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION - 1787 L2
10. A selection taken from the Thesis Star Trek “The American Dream Continued?” by Peter Müller L2
11. Jim Crow History http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/home.htm L2
12. Night of the Living Dead 1968 L1 - L2
13. Night of the Living Dead By Stephen Harper http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/50/night.htm L2
    
      

TEACHING ITINERARY
Discrimination and the Civil Rights Movement

1 - MOTIVATION and Tapping Background of Experience:
How many of you have ever felt like you were different from everyone else?
How did this make you feel? -  Teacher calls on students raising their hands.
Expected student responses: sad, upset, angry, frustrated.
Today we are going to talk about some people that were not accepted by others because they were different. These people are African Americans.
We will listen and then translate the song Strange Fruit by Billy Holiday (1939)
We will talk about the meaning of the song and its metaphors to question ourselves about violence and racism in general. I will give each student a text about Emmett Till murder case with the lyrics of Bob Dylan's song (1963) and We will read the text and translate it.

Questions:
1. What happened to Emmett Till?
2. Why?
3. How would it make you feel if you were treated this way? In 1963, there was something called the Civil Rights Movement. This movement was designed to bring equal rights to African Americans. Will someone please tell me why African Americans were not treated like white?
Expected student response: because they once were slaves and they look different from the white people.
Strange Fruit was sung in 1939, the same problems existed until the 1960s as you have seen with the Emmett Till murder case. It was not until the 1960s, during this Civil Rights Movement, that African Americans gained some of the same rights as whites. We will now go into the events of the Movement and the most influential person to the Movement.

Language used: L1
Estimated time: 90 minutes.

2 -GLOBALIZATION:
We'll use for this aim The Black History Timeline - http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/black-history-timeline.jsp

Language used: L1
Estimated time: 90 minutes.

•  Concept Development/Vocabulary:
Imagine what I am describing. I have blue eyes but you have brown. We both have the same job but I get paid a lot more than you. When I walk down the street, people wave to me and ask me how I am doing. When you walk down the street people look the other way or try to get as far away from you as possible. You are discriminated against. With your group, draft a definition for discrimination.
Teacher calls on various groups to tell their draft definition, then writes the final definition on the board. Students copy the definition into the vocabulary section of their notebooks.

Expected definition: being treated differently because one is different

One large part of discrimination was segregation. Segregation is what happens when you separate groups from one another. African Americans were not allowed to use the same water fountains, schools, bathrooms, and even bus seats as whites. We have learned previously what the term “civil” means. Now I would like you to write what you think the term civil rights (write on board) means. I would like you, with your group, to draft what you think this means. When doing this, think about each word individually before you put them together.
Teacher calls on various groups to share their draft definition, then writes the final definition on the board. Students copy the definition into the vocabulary section of their notebooks.

Expected definition: true freedom, including job equality and the use of equal facilities

“I have one more word I would like to share with you before we read. I would like this group of students to come over to this corner and the rest of you to go over here (separate students). Group A wants to have the members of group B to do their homework for them. Group B, as you might guess refuses. Group A continues to request this. Since they do not get what they want, group A has a sit-in until group B does not give up. They will sit here until group B gives in. Go back to your seats, and with your group, draft a definition for sit-in” .
 Teacher calls on various groups to share their draft definition, then writes the final definition on the board. Students copy the definition into the vocabulary section of their notebooks.

Expected definition: a peaceful revolt movement used in attempt to accomplish a goal

Transition: Now that we have an understanding for the vocabulary in our text, we are ready to begin reading I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.

Language used: L1
Estimated time: 3 hours.

I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King
“We are going to read a very special and historical speech by the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. First, I would like to show you a video clip of him delivering his speech. I feel that having you watch the speech before you read it might help you to better understand the speech as well as have a greater appreciation for it.”

3 - ANALYSIS
3.1- Structural Analysis - Skim Reading - (extensive reading)

After watching the documentary (17 min.) we'll work on the speech reading and listening to it piece by piece translating it and taking notes of the new words. We'll identify the main ideas of the text
It's the time of Vocabulary Development and Linguistic Exploration: a set of suitable exercises guides students to focus on:
a) verbal tenses;
b) literary special terms and lexical relevancies (i.e. adjectives, adverbs, etc. used to describe characters, places and so on or the personal language used by characters);
c) setting.

Language used: L1 - L2
Estimated time: 60 minutes.

3.2 - Structural Analysis - Scan Reading - (intensive reading)

Stylistic Appraisal

Students will read the passage through once more to get all the meanings and implications of it and to appreciate and evaluate its structure and style. A set of suitable exercises guides students to highlight the main rhetorical figures:
a) Anaphoras, similes, metaphors.

We'll use the following texts:
1. Applied Hermeneutics - http://www.philosophy.ucf.edu/ahrhetoric3.html
2. Applied Hermeneutics - http://www.philosophy.ucf.edu/ahrhetoric4.html

Language used: L1 - L2
Estimated time: 120 minutes.

3.3 - Functional Analysis - (intensive reading)

During this step we'll approaches to the narrative investigation of the text each student reads the passage once again and is given a series of written exercises (wh-questions) in order to:

a) identify the narrator and his/her way of narrating;
b) find out “time” and “space”;
c) analyse the character/s from a physical, ideological, social, and psychological point of view;
d) discuss the role of the character/s.

We'll use the following texts:
a) L'arte della politica Valentina Pisanty Le belle parole -

Language used: L1 - L2
Estimated time: 60 minutes.

3.4 - Cultural Analysis - (intensive reading )
Let's discuss now the extratextual connections of the text

We'll use the following texts A selection taken from the Gettysburg Address - Abraham Lincoln November 19 - 1863
•  A selection taken from the The American Constitution - 1787
•  The American Dream in general terms
• Night of the Living Dead 1968 by G. Romero - the movie
•  Night of the Living Dead By Stephen Harper
•  Black and White - video

Language used: L2
Estimated time: 3 hours.

4 -SYNTHESIS

4.1 - Structural Synthesis  

a) Speaking activities : open conversation about the theme;
b) Writing activities : the passage can be translated into Italian, summarised in English;

1. In the guide to literary terms in the back of your textbook, find and write the definitions of each of the following: alliteration, allusion, metaphor, and simile.
2. "Five score years ago," the opening phrase of King's speech, is an allusion to what or whom? Why was this an appropriate and strong way for King to begin his speech?
3. King's speech contains other allusions in addition to the one with which he opens his speech. Find an allusion to the Declaration of Independence and the Bible.
4. Find an example of alliteration in King's speech.
5. Find an example of a metaphor.
6. Find an example of a simile.
7. In the second paragraph, King says that "the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination."

- What type of figure of speech is this?
- These words bring up strong images of slavery. Why would this be an effective method of moving his audience?
- What inference was King making about the progress of African Americans to enter the mainstream of American life in the one hundred years which followed the end of slavery?
-. Another figure of speech is called an anaphora, or the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence, verse, or paragraph. Besides the famous "I have a dream" phrase, find two other examples of anaphoras.
- List at least two possible effects upon King's audience of repeating the phrase, "I have a dream."

Language used: L2
Estimated time: 60 minutes.

4.2 - Functional Synthesis

After reading I have a dream and watching Night of the Living Dead students should be able to compare the inner narrative dynamics of the two texts, both of them deal with leadership, they will write an essay on what it takes to become a leader.

Language used: L1 - L2
Estimated time: 120 minutes.

4.3 - Cultural Synthesis

After studying King's "Dream" speech, students will create their own "I Have A Dream" speeches.

Language used: L1 - L2
Estimated time: 60 minutes.
    
      

5 - REVISION ACTIVITIES:

Some remedial work will be arranged for students who don't achieve the fixed objectives. It will be carried out with materials and activities different from those studied during the itinerary. Students will have some grids in order to help them to understand and analyse the texts.

Language used: L1 - L2
Estimated time: 60 minutes.

6 - EVALUATION :

Starting from Bloom's taxonomy, the criteria of my evaluation are based on:

knowledge = linguistic and literary knowledge;

comprehension = reading comprehension and narrative comprehension;

application = transferring the meaning of literary facts to a level of critical interpretation;

analysis = relevant aspects of text analysis; insight of intra-textual literary aspects;

synthesis = processing of all information (see the summarising activity);

evaluation = critical considerations (see the short essay).

I set six levels that measure the achievement of every objective:

A) Very poor.
B) Poor.
C) Inadequate.
D) Adequate.
E) Fairly good.
F) Fine.

The proficiency mark (from 1 to 10) is the result from the average among the six criteria.

 

 

 

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