Celebrate and Educate

[Anna J. Small Roseboro]

In the United States, February is Black (African-American) History Month, a time when many teachers tailor lessons to feature the contributions of African-Americans. Since the oral tradition is significant in African-American history, and since oral language skill is one of the English Language Arts you are expected to teach, your choice as an ELA teacher is easy.  Celebrate and educate at the same time.

(1)  Borrow from local library and bring in picture books by and about African-Americans. Then, invite students to choose one,  summarize what they learn, prepare an outline on 5 x 7 index card,  and then use it to present a brief informative speech, (2)  You teach poetry anyway.  Why not schedule poetry recitations and invite students to select and present poems written by African Americans? These could be memorized or presented as choral readings by small groups of 4-5 students who script lines for single or plural voices.  What fun! (3) You teach non-fiction anyway.  Invite your students to make a dramatic presentation of a 3-5 minute cutting from Notable Speeches and Letters by African Americans, From Benjamin Banneker to Barack Obama.  These can be memorized or practiced and read from a script that's been marked to show where to pause (/ for short pause or // for longer pause), and underlining to show key words to emphasize.

Better, yet, how about planning an oral language unit in which you include all three options and let your students choose the genre they prefer. See other options here on this website at the Language Arts Resources tab.

Lead the way with a favorite picture book, poem, or speech.  Here's what I'd choose.

(1) Picture Book: Lest We Forget by Velma Maia Thomas or To Every Thing There Is A Season illustrated by Leo Dillon and Diane Dillon or Harlem by Walter Dean and Myers (illustrated by his son, Christopher Myers) (2) Poem(s): "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou or "In the Depths of Solitude" by Tupac Shakur (3) Speech:  "What is the July 4th to Me?" by Frederick Douglass or "I Have a Dream" by you know who.

What would you choose?