English 12 Activation Assignment
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” Albert Einstein
Time: 3-4 hours
This assignment is worth 5% of your overall course
This assignment is worth 5% of your overall course
ACTIVITY 1: The World is Coming to an End
"Love is the most powerful weapon on the face of the earth. Robert Kennedy once said that few will have the greatness to be in history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events ... So yes, the world is coming to an end, and the path towards a new beginning starts, within you." --Prince Ea
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In this video, rapper Richard Williams, aka Prince Ea, gives us a rundown of various issues our generation is facing in his spoken word piece. He begins with the bold statement, "The world is coming to an end," and proceeds to highlight key issues our generation is facing.
A) Prince Ea conveys his strong and expressive opinion about this topic with passion and feeling. In a paragraph, speak to your own feelings about the language of the rap and its topic. What images (words) were the most profound or had the biggest emotional impact on you? Use specific examples/quotes to convey your own ideas/thoughts. B) There are many links between the arts, education and social justice. Art (poetry, spoken word, dance, illustrations, music, etc) has the potential to open up challenging conversations about race, gender, privilege and fairness. In a paragraph address the following essential question about the role of art and social justice. In what ways has art (in its many forms) served as a vehicle for social change/or an instrument to inspiring you to change your thinking/practices? Speak from experience? |
ACTIVITY 2: STILL I RISE
A) Images of “Still I Rise”
Authors often use imagery to create comparisons between literal and figurative elements, add depth and understanding to a literary piece, and evoke a more meaningful experience for the reader. Examining Maya Angelou’s masterful use of imagery throughout the poem “Still I Rise” can help you understand and interpret the poem’s theme and message.
1. Before reading the poem, define or review definitions for the following elements of imagery: personification, metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia and hyperbole. Definitions can be found here
B) Critical Reading of the Poem
Although we know the author of “Still I Rise” is Maya Angelou, the speaker, audience and topic of the poem are less clear. Readers are free to develop their own interpretations. Your interpretation may be dependent on your own cultural identity, experiences and knowledge, and it may be different than the interpretation of your peers.
Authors often use imagery to create comparisons between literal and figurative elements, add depth and understanding to a literary piece, and evoke a more meaningful experience for the reader. Examining Maya Angelou’s masterful use of imagery throughout the poem “Still I Rise” can help you understand and interpret the poem’s theme and message.
1. Before reading the poem, define or review definitions for the following elements of imagery: personification, metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia and hyperbole. Definitions can be found here
- Read “Still I Rise” in its entirety.
- Within the lines of each stanza, identify six examples of imagery in the poem.
- Fully analyze one stanzas. List each example of imagery in the stanza, the type of imagery used and what you believe the element of imagery represents in the poem’s theme. For example, the sun—an element of nature that continues to rise despite any other circumstances—in stanza three might represent African Americans’ resilience in the face of racism and discrimination or Maya Angelou’s resiliency despite a difficult childhood.
- Once you have finished, write a two-paragraph conclusion in which you discuss how the imagery in the poem's stanza contributes to the poem’s overall message
- Provide a visual metaphor that represents your conclusions about the imagery and its meaning. This image may be a single picture, a collage of images, a word or words presented in some meaningful way, or--well, I will leave the "or" up to your creative self.
B) Critical Reading of the Poem
Although we know the author of “Still I Rise” is Maya Angelou, the speaker, audience and topic of the poem are less clear. Readers are free to develop their own interpretations. Your interpretation may be dependent on your own cultural identity, experiences and knowledge, and it may be different than the interpretation of your peers.
- In this activity, you will write an analysis of this poem. This will be written as a multi-paragraph response. Use this online guide to help you write a literary analysis
- Before you begin to write an analysis of the poem, you must first annotate the poem. You may choose to use the following questions to guide your annotation (you do not need to use all the questions in your response, but they will help to guide your understanding and interpretation of the poem).
- What emotions do you hear in Maya Angelou's reading of the poem. When you read the poem, did you read the poem in a similar manner or differently?
- Who do you think the speaker/narrator of the poem is? Is it a person? A cultural group? Identify words or phrases that help you identify the speaker/narrator.
- How does the speaker/narrator seem to feel about herself (or itself)? Have you ever felt that way about yourself? What makes you feel that way.
- To whom do you think the poem is directed?
- What message is the writer trying to give to the person or group to which she is writing? Have you ever had to give a similar message to someone? If so, when?
- What do you believe the poem’s overall theme is? Examples include hopelessness, strength, resiliency, spirit and anger. Write the theme you have identified at the top of the poem. Then draw an arrow to a word(s) or phrase(s) from the poem that supports that theme.
- Do you see this poem in a historical context? If so, explain that context. Are there any allusions in the poem?
- Consider and share how your own knowledge, experiences and cultural identify influence the way you have chosen to interpret the poem.
- In what way(s) do you personally connect with this poem?
- To what “gifts that my ancestors gave” is the author referring? What gifts were you given from ancestors or people in your cultural group who came before you?
- Which groups, either in society or at your school, are “shot with words,” “cut with eyes” or “killed with hatefulness?” How is this received? What can be done to change it?
- You are part of many different groups, such as your family, your cultural group, your religious group and your gender group. Share an example of how you have faced adversity as part of one of these groups and if/how you have risen up against it.
Maya Angelou reading her poem, "Still I Rise"
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Maya Angelou's poem set to song by Ben Harper
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Submitting Your Work
ACTIVITY 1
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ACTIVITY 2
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