What Would They Say?

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Grade Level: Fifth

Standards Addressed:

5.3 – The student will demonstrate an understanding of major domestic and foreign developments that contributed to the United States’ becoming a world power.

Purpose of Lesson

To allow students to utilize their previous knowledge to give a “voice” to the African-Americans in the news reels. This lesson is based on the understanding that students have already been exposed to news reel as primary source documents in the Social Studies classroom (this can be done in succession with Lesson #1 and #2 or as a stand alone lesson during African-American History Month or during another teacher-chosen unit). In addition, this lesson provides the teacher with two options for activities.

Activities

Option One

Teacher will facilitate a discussion with students on the portrayal of African-Americans in today’s media culture (she may choose recent clips from local or national news web pages --- www.cnn.com, www.msnbc.com, etc.). This discussion should look at the visual and auditory cues that are sent.


Teacher will show a clip,or clips, from the digital collection. (MVTN C 4593: Aviation: Herbert Julian, MVTN 50 76 (B): Boxing: Louis Fights Again, MVTN 23 571: Football: Wilberforce Versus Tuskegee, MVTN A 7628: Itinerant Negro Preacher).

Students will meet in small groups to create a "voice over" for the clip. Students will make observations and inferences from the videos and then write a script to narrate. Teacher will show clip as students narrate.


Discussion will ensue to compare the various interpretations.


As a culminating activity, teachers may opt to have the group create their own 3 minute, silent video clip to demonstrate learning on a related Social Studies content topic.

Option Two


Teacher will facilitate a discussion with students on the portrayal of African-Americans in today’s media culture (she may choose recent clips from local or national news web pages --- www.cnn.com, www.msnbc.com, etc.). This discussion should look at the visual and auditory cues that are sent.


Teacher will place students into four groups and assign one clip per group. (MVTN C 4593: Aviation: Herbert Julian, MVTN 50 76 (B): Boxing: Louis Fights Again, MVTN 23 571: Football: Wilberforce Versus Tuskegee, MVTN A 7628: Itinerant Negro Preacher).

Students will meet in small groups to watch the clip and create a “voice over” for the clip. Students will make observations and inferences from the videos and then write a script to narrate. Teacher will show clip as student groups narrate.


Discussion will add other interpretations and observations to the group presentation.


As a culminating activity, teacher may opt to have the group create their own 3 minute, silent video clip to demonstrate learning on a related Social Studies content topic.


Author: Melanie Johnson, Carolina Center for Inquiry (Columbia, SC)