Poetry https://www.morningsidecenter.org/ en Celebrating Latinx & Hispanic Everyday Resilience & Joy https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/celebrating-latinx-hispanic-everyday-resilience-joy <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Celebrating Latinx &amp; Hispanic Everyday Resilience &amp; Joy</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p class="MsoNormal">National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States. It's a time to recognize the influence and contributions of Hispanic Americans to the culture of the United States. Today, we can also recognize that the Hispanic population in the United States has grown tremendously in the last few years.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Crippling economies, soaring inflation and political instability account for hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world fleeing their home countries and immigrating to others. The majority of Latin American and Caribbean migrants are looking to find a home here in the United States.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Whether you have heard about this on social media, the news, through conversations with others in your life, or have seen it with your own eyes on the streets where you live, the influx of new families and communities in the United States is evident.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In honor of the brave ones who have left behind everything they know, for an uncertain search of a chance to survive and, ultimately, thrive, I invite you to think of this: In times of crisis and desperation, how can one find joy?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Today we’ll celebrate all of those who bravely took that uncertain journey, whether recently or decades ago. In this activity*, we will create a community poem using a word map.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">*This activity can be structured to be done in one period or over the course of various. We encourage you to do what’s best for your learners.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p><hr><h3>Opening Ceremony<o:p></o:p></h3><p class="MsoNormal">Share the following quote by Elizabeth Acevedo. Elizabeth Acevedo is an Afro-Dominican National Poetry Slam champion, poet and novelist. This is from a 2021 interview with the National Endowment for The Arts.<o:p></o:p></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, I am talking about difficult things that are happening in this country, but I also want to talk about the everyday resilience and joy and celebration.” — Elizabeth Acevedo</p></blockquote><ul><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Ask learners: What feelings, thoughts or questions come up for you after hearing/reading this quote? Either as a whole group, small groups, or pairs, have learners share their answers.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;">Today we will explore everyday resilience and joy, through celebration, through co-creating a community poem.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p><hr><h3>Community Poem<o:p></o:p></h3><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Creating the word map:&nbsp;</strong><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Use a map of Latin America, electronic or print it out. Whether it is electronically shared or individual printouts, have a place to take notes or the ability to write on the map.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Generating the map:&nbsp;</strong><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Invite learners to share words that relate to each Hispanic country* in the Americas, on the map. (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela) remind learners to be mindful of what they share as the focus of this activity is to celebrate culture and there will be no tolerance for any negative depictions of culture.</p><p class="MsoNormal">*Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States</p><p>What do you know about each country? Foods, slang/vocabulary, flag colors, music, dances, names of artists/writers, flora &amp; fauna, etc.<o:p></o:p></p><ul><li>If learners are working on a printed out map, ask them to take notes of all the answers being shared. If working electronically, you or a learner can take notes for everyone to see.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></li><li>If certain countries are not represented and time allows, there can be a research component added to the activity to learn about those countries' culture. You may also focus on the countries that have a stronger representation of people in the United States, particularly in your community.<br>&nbsp;</li></ul><p class="MsoNormal">Now that you have a word map to work from, let's write a poem. For some inspiration, we will take a look at Elizabeth Acevedo’s work, “Afro-Latina”.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><ul><li>Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/tPx8cSGW4k8?si=3h7SQEXCXREpgfkZ">Elizabeth Acevedo performing Afro-Latina</a><o:p></o:p></li><li>In a go-round, invite each learner to read one line from the poem, until all voices have been heard and the poem has been read completely at least once.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/texts/afrolatina">Link to poem&nbsp;text</a><a class="msocomanchor" href="#_msocom_1" id="_anchor_1" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_1','_com_1')" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_1')" language="JavaScript" name="_msoanchor_1">[1]</a>&nbsp;.<o:p></o:p></li><li>Invite learners to share what words stood out to them.<o:p></o:p></li><li>Take a look at your word map. What words stand out to you?<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Individual writing:&nbsp;</strong><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Have learners take some time to create lines with the words from the map. These lines will then be put together to create a collaborative poem. Encourage them to use multiple words from the map in each line. You can have learners choses a country they would like to write about or focus on a theme/pattern they see in the map</p><ul><li>Example words: arepas, plátanos, rice &amp; beans, tortillas, passionfruit</li><li>Example theme: food</li><li>Example line: My taste for arepas and plátanos, vary from place to place - where rice &amp; beans rule, tortillas take on a blue hue and passionfruit juice has many names.<br>&nbsp;</li></ul><p class="MsoNormal">Once learners have completed their lines, go around sharing the lines. You can scaffold the sharing by starting in small groups and having each group provide support in narrowing down lines to be shared with the whole group.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In a go-round, invite everyone to share their line(s). These lines should be written out as they are shared on sentence strips or large paper cut into strips.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As a class, you can now move the lines around and put them in order to create your poem. Read your poem together.&nbsp;<br><o:p></o:p></p><hr><h3>Closing<o:p></o:p></h3><p class="MsoNormal">Full class go-round: What have you learned about Hispanic heritage, resilience and joy?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p><div style="mso-element:comment-list;"><div style="mso-element:comment;"><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_1','_com_1')" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_1')"><p class="MsoNormal" style="border:none;line-height:normal;mso-border-shadow:yes;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-pagination:none;">&nbsp;</p></div></div></div></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2023-10-14T08:26:11-04:00" title="Saturday, October 14, 2023 - 08:26">October 14, 2023</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Sat, 14 Oct 2023 12:26:11 +0000 Sara Carrero 1778 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Reflecting on Amanda Gorman's Inaugural Poem https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/reflecting-amanda-gormans-inaugural-poem <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Reflecting on Amanda Gorman&#039;s Inaugural Poem</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Gathering&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</strong></h3> <p>Have students free associate with "the inauguration" and create a word cloud, using the Mentimeter app or other word cloud generator.<br> <br> Ask students what they notice about the word cloud and what they know about the inauguration.&nbsp;</p> <p>Elicit and explain that:</p> <ul> <li>The U.S. presidential inauguration is a ceremony to mark the start of a new four-year term of the president of the United States. An inauguration takes place at the start&nbsp;of every presidential term, whether a president is newly elected or is staying in office for another term.&nbsp;Since 1937, the inaugural ceremony has taken place on January 20 of the year following the election.&nbsp;Each president must take the oath of office before assuming their duties.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Traditionally, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/your-guide-to-inauguration-day">presidential inaugurations</a> have also been a celebration of the peaceful transfer of power.&nbsp;"Our history has been that even when one candidate doesn’t win, we accept the results. We move on and we wish the new president well,” said Jim Bendat, a presidential inauguration historian.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>But the inauguration of January 20, 2021, was different. It followed weeks in which Donald Trump and key Republicans refused to accept election results and tried to actively undermine the certification of those results in Congress. The usual process was further upended by a violent insurrection at the Capitol on&nbsp;January 6 as Trump supporters tried to storm the building where the certification was taking place.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Covid-19 distancing protocols had already changed the way the inauguration would be conducted, but the insurrection and the heightened security measures that&nbsp;resulted, meant that the streets around the Capitol would be sealed off and&nbsp;that tens of thousands of police and military officers stood guard in the nation's capital.&nbsp; Across the country at state capitals officials were also monitoring threats.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Despite all these events and obstacles, the inauguration went forward as planned. Joe Biden was sworn is as president, and Kamala Harris was sworn in&nbsp;as vice president. The day included a speech by Biden and performances by Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga, among others.</p> <p>The event also included the recitation of an original&nbsp;poem written just for that moment.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'filter_caption' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/filter/templates/filter-caption.html.twig' --> <figure role="group"> <img alt="Amanda Gorman 2017" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8daf34c0-e8a6-4136-b92d-ffec4aa56eeb" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Amanda_Gorman2017_0.jpg" width="1200" height="727" loading="lazy"> <figcaption><em>Amanda Gorman in 2017.</em></figcaption> </figure> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/filter/templates/filter-caption.html.twig' --> <p><br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>Who is Amanda Gorman?</strong></h3> <p><br> Ask students if they know who Amanda Gorman is.</p> <p>Elicit and explain that Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history.&nbsp; She is 22 years old and lives in Los Angeles.&nbsp; According to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/who-is-amanda-gorman-poet-inauguration.html">New York Times</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>“She was brought to the Inaugural Committee’s attention by first lady Jill Biden, who saw her recite a poem at the Library of Congress, and was struck by her performance...</p> <p>To prepare for her appearance, Gorman, who has a speech impediment, read the poem aloud over and over, “practicing it and trying to let it be known in my mouth, but not feel robotic,” she said in an interview. Early reviews of her performance were glowing: on CNN, she was praised for summing “up with emotion and beautiful eloquence the idea of what this country came close to losing.”<br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>“The Hill We Climb”</strong></h3> <p><br> Play the video of National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman reciting “The Hill We Climb” at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration:</p> <blockquote> <p>On Youtube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mTmTdOgv0M">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mTmTdOgv0M</a><br> <br> On Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelSkolnik/status/1351947484298420227">https://twitter.com/MichaelSkolnik/status/1351947484298420227</a></p> <p>On C-span: <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4939623/amanda-gorman-2017-national-youth-poet-laureate">https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4939623/amanda-gorman-2017-national-youth-poet-laureate</a></p> </blockquote> <p><br> Ask students one after the other to share:</p> <ul> <li>How did listening to the poem make you feel? Why?</li> </ul> <p>Share with students the text of the whole poem here:&nbsp;</p> <blockquote> <p><a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/amberjamieson/amanda-gorman-biden-inauguration-poem">https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/amberjamieson/amanda-gorman-biden-inauguration-poem</a></p> </blockquote> <p>Invite students to read it over again, picking out a line or two that resonate with them.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ask them next to read the lines they picked&nbsp;out loud, one student after another, as they create a new poem of their own,&nbsp;using Amanda Gorman's poem as building blocks.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>You might also have them drop their lines into the chat, then ask&nbsp;a volunteer to read the newly created poem out&nbsp;loud.</p> <p>Note the kind of poem thus created, any flow and repetition, anything that might stand&nbsp;out.</p> <p>Next, invite students one after the other to share their lines again&nbsp;and, this time, explain why those lines resonated with them.</p> <p>If time allows, invite students in the same order to share any additions, connections, or reflections based what they heard from their classmates.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>About Writing "The Hill We Climb"</strong></h3> <p><br> Explain that when Amanda Gorman was writing her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” she faced a challenge unlike anyone who had recited a poem&nbsp;at a presidential inauguration&nbsp;in the past.</p> <p>Gorman set out to craft a poem that was both hopeful and realistic, one that reflected the political divisions that have fractured the country, but also the promise of greater unity. She finished writing the poem just after rioters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.</p> <p>“I’m not going to in any way gloss over what we’ve seen over the past few weeks and, dare I say, the past few years. But what I really aspire to do in the poem is to be able to use my words to envision a way in which our country can still come together and can still heal,” she said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/books/amanda-gorman-inauguration-hill-we-climb.html">interview with The New York Times</a>. “It’s doing that in a way that is not erasing or neglecting the harsh truths I think America needs to reconcile with.”</p> <p>Ask students:</p> <ul> <li>What are your thoughts about what Gorman set out to do?</li> <li>Do you feel Gorman was successful? Explain.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>Closing</strong></h3> <p><br> Gorman ends her poem with:</p> <blockquote> <p>For there was always light.<br> If only we're brave enough to see it.<br> If only we're brave enough to be it.</p> </blockquote> <p>Ask students:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>What do you think Gorman means by these lines?&nbsp;</li> <li>What might courage inspire you to see?</li> <li>What light would you want to be in this world?</li> </ul> <p><br> Consider having students create a jamboard or use padlets&nbsp;to share their thoughts visually.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-01-20T16:08:02-05:00" title="Wednesday, January 20, 2021 - 16:08">January 20, 2021</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Wed, 20 Jan 2021 21:08:02 +0000 Laura McClure 1542 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Intriguing Objects Show and Tell https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/intriguing-objects-show-and-tell <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Intriguing Objects Show and Tell</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p class="BodyA" style="border: none;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="BodyA" style="border: none;"><strong>To the Teacher</strong></p> <p>This activity is ideal for an advisory or as part of a circle, whether online or in person, and incorporates elements of social and emotional learning and restorative practices. It is adapted from a prompt by the poet Anne Waldman in her book <em>The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach</em>.&nbsp;</p> <p>The activity has students share and tell the story of an intriguing object in their life, while other students listen carefully. Students then write and share a poem about one or more of the objects/stories shared by their classmates.&nbsp;</p> <p>The goal of the exercise is both creative and communal. Students quickly get to know each other better and more deeply. Typically, students tell stories about the parts of life we all share: love, loss, family, relationships, dreams, and childhood. They make connections with each other that would not normally happen so quickly in a classroom, if at all.&nbsp;</p> <p>Storytelling allows us to find common experiences, to empathize, and to get in touch with the emotional, spiritual, and physical side of our natures—not just the mental and analytical part of self.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="Writing poetry" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d4267725-5309-4fda-88e7-ebf48e824209" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/notebook.jpg" width="880" height="586" loading="lazy"></p> <hr> <h3><strong>Introduce the Activity</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>Ask everyone to bring an object that is important to them and has some kind of intriguing story. Ask them to be ready to tell the story in a way that will bring the object to life.</p> <p>Before students choose an object, describe the activity for them. Explain that once someone has “given” their story/object to the group, it no longer “belongs” to them alone: Others may use whatever details they choose. They can change the details, mix them with other objects or stories, or fictionalize/personalize it any way they choose.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Present the Objects</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>In your virtual or in-person circle, ask each person to present their object. Group members should listen carefully as each person shows an object, describes the object, and tells a story about the object.&nbsp;</p> <p>Suggest that other students take notes while the person talks to help them listen deeply and hold on to details. This becomes especially important in the next part of the exercise, when they are asked to use something from at least one other person’s presentation when writing their own poem.</p> <p>When presenting, each person has given a gift to the others to use as each person sees fit.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Write About the Objects</strong></h3> <p><br> Next, ask students to write a poem using at least one object or story from someone else in the group. They may use as many objects/stories as they want, but they must use at least one, and it must be someone else’s object and story—this is where the connection comes in. If possible, give students till the next to day to think about what objects/stories they want to use.</p> <p>In the next class, ask students to write the first draft of the poem. They can polish the poem on their own later, but writing together during class makes this a communal act. While they write, they are thinking about other people’s stories and know that other people are thinking about theirs.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Share the Poems</strong></h3> <p><br> When you’re ready, ask each person to share. Typically, students are eager to share what they have written, and the poems they create are concrete and meaningful. Encourage all students to share their poem. If a student wants to pass and not read their poem, invite them to read a favorite line or stanza so it doesn’t feel like an all-or-nothing proposition.</p> <p>Often, the group grows closer as people hear how their objects and stories have been used.&nbsp; Some people may use all the objects, while others use one and become deeply engaged in just that object.</p> <p><strong>Note: </strong>Sometimes not everyone’s object/story is used by classmates. As the teacher, you may want to write a poem that uses all of students’ objects to make sure that everyone’s story is included.</p> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <h3><strong>Publish the Poems</strong></h3> <p><br> Ask students to further edit their poems and send them back to you. Then, “publish” all the poems through a group email. It is another group product from the exercise.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Extension Activity</strong></h3> <p><br> If there is interest and every student agrees, work with the group to publish or share their collective product more broadly.</p> <p class="BodyA" style="border:none">&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2020-08-17T15:25:50-04:00" title="Monday, August 17, 2020 - 15:25">August 17, 2020</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Mon, 17 Aug 2020 19:25:50 +0000 Laura McClure 1479 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Poem Reflection: Sometimes https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/poem-reflection-sometimes <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Poem Reflection: Sometimes</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Invite young people to watch and listen to Morningside Center's Daniel Coles' recitation of&nbsp;the poem Sometimes. Then&nbsp;read and reflect on it with young people, using the process below.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/417610128" width="640"></iframe></p> <hr> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <h3>'Sometimes'</h3> <p>Sometimes things don’t go, after all,<br> from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel<br> faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don’t fail.<br> Sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.</p> <p>A people sometimes will step back from war,<br> elect an honest man, decide they care<br> enough, that they can’t leave some stranger poor.<br> Some men become what they were born for.</p> <p>Sometimes our best intentions do not go<br> amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.<br> The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow<br> that seemed hard frozen; may it happen for you.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Reflecting on a poem</h3> <p>Read the poem out loud or play the video above.</p> <p>Next, share your screen so students can see the text of the poem.&nbsp;</p> <p>If possible, you can read as a group by inviting students to read up to a line each.&nbsp; In a virtual classroom setting, you can put a "circle" order into the chat box and ask students to remember who comes before them.&nbsp; You may want to read it twice to get a good flow.&nbsp;</p> <p>Give students a few minutes to study the poem by themselves, in silence. &nbsp;Invite them to pick a line that resonates with them in some way as they think about the past few weeks of their lives.</p> <p>Once again, go around, this time asking students to read out the line that resonates with them, thus creating a personalized version of the poem.&nbsp;</p> <p>For the next go round, ask students to read their line again, this time explaining why they picked that line.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p><em>Poem used with permission of author, who asked not to be credited.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2020-05-12T09:18:49-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - 09:18">May 12, 2020</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 12 May 2020 13:18:49 +0000 Sara Carrero 1433 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Addressing Change & Loss for Middle School & High School https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/addressing-change-loss-middle-school-high-school <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Addressing Change &amp; Loss for Middle School &amp; High School</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>To the teacher: &nbsp;</strong></p> <p>In these uncertain, stressful times, coming together and connecting socially and emotionally is especially important. For young people to see and connect with their peers can be ray of light for some, and a real lifeline for others. Students might connect over things that spark joy and gratitude or over things that bring on more challenging feelings. Young people, like all of us, need a chance to express and share their feelings, and get the support of others.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> In this series of lessons and activities, we offer strategies for exploring the topics of change and loss with our students. No matter their age, all of our students have experienced change and loss in their lives at some point, some more than others. How well they’ve been able to manage loss likely depends not only on its severity, but also on the level of stability, love, and support in their lives, as well as their own internal resources.<br> &nbsp;<br> As the pandemic wears on, students have likely experienced loss on multiple levels—whether the loss of school as a safe, welcoming space; connections with peers, friends, teachers and other caring adults; the freedom to travel or hang out with friends, and of course play dates for our youngest students. Young people are&nbsp;probably also absorbing the changing moods of the adults in their lives, as family members are forced to do hazardous work, are laid off, face illness, or are struggling to handle new responsibilities, uncertainty, and stress. Some students may have lost family, friends, or community members. These things are hard to talk about. And yet as Mr. Rogers reminds us, “anything human is mentionable and anything mentionable is manageable. The mentioning can be difficult, and the managing too, but both can be done if we’re surrounded by love and trust.”&nbsp;</p> <p>The lessons and activities that follow are intended to help students be in community together, supporting each other with you as a trusted adult at the helm.&nbsp;</p> <p>Email students this link to the poem <a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/05/28/keeping-quiet-sylvia-boorstein-reads-pablo-neruda/"><em>Keeping Quiet</em></a> by Pablo Neruda ahead of time – especially if pulling things up on screen during your gathering is hard to do. (The poem is included below.)&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> Opening ceremony</h3> <p>Welcome young people warmly to the virtual space/online platform or whatever space you are using to connect with your students. Recognize who’s there and who isn’t. &nbsp;</p> <p>Remember to reach out to young people who are not able to make it to your gatherings. &nbsp;Consider making this a <a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/blog/offline-care-hard-reach-students">shared responsibility</a> as students are only too eager to be of use and supportive at this challenging time. And as we know, students at this age respond to peers more&nbsp;willingly than they do to adults.</p> <p>Tell students that you’ve brought a poem in to share today, and that you also welcome students to share poems or song lyrics that are providing them with solace or joy these days. Say something about poems being a great way to connect with each other and with our inner world.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Pull the poem up on the screen for all to see (<a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/05/28/keeping-quiet-sylvia-boorstein-reads-pablo-neruda/">here’s the link</a>), or ask students to turn to it on their own screens, if they are remote.</p> <p>The poem <a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/05/28/keeping-quiet-sylvia-boorstein-reads-pablo-neruda/"><em>Keeping Quiet</em></a> is by Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet-diplomat and politician, Pablo Neruda. Read the poem out loud yourself and/or ask a student (or two) to do so. Next, ask students to sit with the poem for a moment or two.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ask students:</p> <ul> <li>Pick a line that resonates with you right now at this time and explain why you picked that line. &nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Acknowledge student feelings and paraphrase some of the connections students had with the poem. If the poem brings up a lot for students, use that as a jumping off point for further connections.&nbsp; Ask students:</p> <ul> <li>Share any connections, reflections, or additions to what their classmates said.</li> </ul> <hr> <h3><br> Free Writing / Journaling&nbsp;</h3> <p>Emphasize the major changes that have taken place in our world as a result of the Covid pandemic that has been spreading across our community and the world. &nbsp;</p> <p>Ask students to take some time to <em>free write</em>&nbsp;about the changes in their lives, considering some or all of the prompts below. &nbsp;</p> <p>Freewriting&nbsp;is a strategy developed by Peter Elbow in 1973. It has been compared to brainstorming, but it comes in the form of writing a sentence, paragraph, or page, without stopping. The goal is not to be grammatically accurate or worry about spelling, but more to simply go with the flow of thoughts popping into your head, and keep writing. Encourage students to use paper and pen (or pencil) to write, not a laptop or other electronic device. Writing longhand can help us to process information, clarify our thoughts, and make sense of what’s happening in our lives. It can help us tune in, manage stress, and process our emotions. &nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Prompts to consider: &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>What impact has Covid had on you, your family, your friends, your community?</li> <li>What has been gained (e.g. new appreciations for what was or is, new discoveries, old connections, new connections, quieter neighborhoods, birdsong)?</li> <li>What has been lost (e.g. high fives, fist bumps, hugs, school, friends to hang out with, visits with loved ones perhaps, people’s health and in some cases people’s lives)?&nbsp;</li> <li>How have the changes made you feel?</li> </ul> <p>Invite students to share out an insight they might have gained through their free write. &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> Closing</h3> <p>Invite students together to take some deep belly breaths. &nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Many of us are in the habit of shallow breathing from our chests, especially when we’re stressed. &nbsp;Explain that deep belly breathing can counteract our stress and anxiety. &nbsp;It can have a calming affect, if done from a large muscle in your stomach called the diaphragm. &nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Ask students to place one hand on their chest, and the other right under their ribcage so they can feel how their diaphragm moves as they take some deep slow breaths. &nbsp;During belly breathing, the hand on their chest should remain relatively still.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Breathing slowly in through their nose, the air should move downward into their belly filling it up, so that the&nbsp;hand below their ribcage rises. On the out breath, ask students to relax their belly. They should feel their hand fall inward as they slowly exhale through their mouth. &nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Invite students to take ten deep breaths like this, in through their nose and out through their mouths.&nbsp;</p> <p>Explain that if at any point students feel stressed or anxious, to try taking some deep belly breaths to send a message to calm the body’s nervous system. It might feel awkward at first, but that’s because many of us have gotten used to breathing from our chest. Changing our practice can help us go back to what is considered a more natural and healthy way to breathe.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2020-04-13T12:36:16-04:00" title="Monday, April 13, 2020 - 12:36">April 13, 2020</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Mon, 13 Apr 2020 16:36:16 +0000 Sara Carrero 1425 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Coming Together in Hard Times: A Virtual Gathering for Students https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/coming-together-hard-times-virtual-gathering-students <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Coming Together in Hard Times: A Virtual Gathering for Students</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h3><strong>Introduction</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>To prevent the spread of coronavirus, schools across the country are rushing to go online and to assemble and deliver academic content. This is all happening at a moment of crisis, when young people and adults alike are feeling anxious and dislocated – at best. To get through this crisis, and for learning to happen, we need to address these feelings and needs. Ignoring them won’t make them go away. (See these <a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/guidelines-talking-students-about-coronavirus">general guidelines</a> talking with students about the coronavirus.)</p> <p>Fortunately, it is possible to create a supportive space online that allows us (both staff and students) to reconnect, share, and get support from one another. Here, our senior trainer Marieke van Woerkom offers a way to begin this process, drawing on online gatherings facilitated by Morningside Center’s Daniel Coles.&nbsp;</p> <p>The online gathering below is intended for students, using whatever online meeting platform (ideally with audio and visual) you have selected. If your platform allows it, you can share your screen so all members of the gathering can watch the video&nbsp;together.&nbsp;</p> <p><br> <strong>Note to the teacher/facilitator</strong></p> <p><br> Prepare yourself to facilitate the virtual gathering&nbsp;described below in the following ways.&nbsp;</p> <p>Make sure you are as familiar as you can be with the online platform you’re using, or work collaboratively with someone who is.&nbsp;</p> <p>You are likely to have students joining the meeting who have technical issues. Talking them through&nbsp;in a calm and friendly fashion is important. You don't want&nbsp;to add to the anxiety that will inevitably be brought into the space. Be aware that, even in the face of technical adversity, you can model the steadiness, patience, and warmth we hope to offer our students.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>A Poem</strong></h3> <p><br> As students convene in the virtual space, welcome them warmly. When you’ve assembled, welcome everyone again. You might acknowledge that it has been a stressful time, and we are all carrying worries and anxieties. Today, we’ll slow things down a bit.&nbsp;</p> <p>Invite students to take a few deep breaths before you begin. You might guide them in three deep breaths:&nbsp;in for four&nbsp;seconds; hold for four&nbsp;seconds; and out for four&nbsp;seconds.&nbsp;</p> <p>Next, share your screen and this activity. Bring up the poem&nbsp;below for participants to read. If you like, you can also play the video of the poem being read by Morningside Center’s Daniel Coles.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><br> <strong>Turning to One Another<br> by Margaret Wheatley</strong></p> <p>There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about.<br> Ask: “What’s possible?” not “What’s wrong?” Keep asking.</p> <p>Notice what you care about.&nbsp;<br> Assume that many others share your dreams.</p> <p>Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.&nbsp;<br> Talk to people you know.&nbsp;<br> Talk to people you don’t know.&nbsp;<br> Talk to people you never talk to.</p> <p>Be intrigued by the differences you hear.&nbsp;<br> Expect to be surprised.&nbsp;<br> Treasure curiosity more than certainty.</p> <p>Invite in everybody who cares to work on what’s possible.&nbsp;<br> Acknowledge that everyone is an expert about something.&nbsp;<br> Know that creative solutions come from new connections.</p> <p>Remember, you don’t fear people whose story you know.&nbsp;<br> Real listening always brings people closer together.</p> <p>Trust that meaningful conversations can change your world.<br> Rely on human goodness. Stay together.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/398515831" width="640"></iframe></p> <p><em>Morningside Center's Daniel Coles recites Margaret Wheatley's&nbsp;Turning to Each Other.&nbsp;Used with permission.</em><br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Sharing our Reflections</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>Give students some time to reflect on the poem, in silence. &nbsp;</p> <p>Invite them next, to pick a line that resonates with them in some way as they think about how they’re doing, how they’re feeling and what they might be thinking at this time. &nbsp;Allow another moment of silence before giving students a chance to share out their thoughts and feelings.</p> <p>Acknowledge the thoughts and feelings in the virtual space, as you invite any “additions, reflections and connections” on what students just heard from peers (if time allows).&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>Closing</strong></h3> <p><br> Wrap up the meeting by reading out loud a powerful proverb from different cultures across the globe:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“Shared joy is double joy, while shared sorrow is half sorrow.”</p> <p>It is why coming together at times like this, even in a virtual space, is important. &nbsp;</p> <p>Let students know that you’re looking to provide such a space again as we enter this challenging time and space together. &nbsp;</p> <p>Before signing off, ask students if they have any needs&nbsp;that might be met by colleagues or others in their extended community.</p> <p>Remind students that the goal of "social distancing"&nbsp;is to distance ourselves physically&nbsp;to prevent the virus from spreading. There is nothing to stop us, though, from reaching out to one another, to support one another, and even widen our circles of concern.&nbsp;<br> <br> &nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2020-03-19T11:01:35-04:00" title="Thursday, March 19, 2020 - 11:01">March 19, 2020</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 19 Mar 2020 15:01:35 +0000 Sara Carrero 1404 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Coming Together in Hard Times: A Virtual Gathering for Adults https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/coming-together-hard-times-virtual-gathering-adults <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Coming Together in Hard Times: A Virtual Gathering for Adults</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h3><strong>Introduction</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>To prevent the spread of coronavirus, schools across the country are rushing to go online and struggling to assemble and deliver academic content. This is all happening at a moment of crisis, when young people and adults alike are feeling anxious and dislocated – at best. To get through this crisis, and for learning to happen, we need to address these feelings and needs. Ignoring them won’t make them go away.&nbsp;</p> <p>Fortunately, it is possible to create a supportive space online that allows us (both staff and students) to reconnect, share, and get support from one another. Here, our senior trainer Marieke van Woerkom offers a way to begin this process, drawing on online gatherings facilitated by Morningside Center’s Daniel Coles.&nbsp;</p> <p>The online gathering below is intended for school staff and other adults, using whatever online meeting platform (ideally with audio and visual) you have selected. If your platform allows it, you can share your screen so all members of the gathering can watch the video&nbsp;together.&nbsp;See this parallel activity designed for young people.&nbsp;</p> <p><br> <strong>Note to the facilitator</strong></p> <p>Prepare yourself to facilitate the virtual meeting described below in the following ways.&nbsp;</p> <p>Make sure you are as familiar as you can be with the online platform you’re using, or work collaboratively with someone who is. If possible, run a test with participants before beginning the activity to deal with technical issues in advance of the gathering.&nbsp;</p> <p>No matter your preparation, you’re likely to have people joining the meeting who are less familiar with technology or have technical issues. Talking them through how to use the online platform in the moment in a calm and friendly fashion is important. You don't want&nbsp;to add to the anxiety that will inevitably be brought into the space. Be aware that, even in the face of technical adversity, you can model the steadiness, patience, and warmth we hope to offer our students.</p> <p>Pick one of the poems below to share with staff/colleagues.</p> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>A Poem</strong></h3> <p><br> As people convene in the virtual space, welcome them warmly. When you’ve assembled, welcome everyone again. You might acknowledge that it has been a stressful time, and we are all carrying worries and anxieties. Today, we’ll slow things down a bit.&nbsp;</p> <p>Invite people to take a few deep breaths before you begin. You might guide them in three deep breaths, in for four&nbsp;seconds; hold for four&nbsp;seconds; and out for four&nbsp;seconds.&nbsp;</p> <p>Next, share your screen and this activity. &nbsp;Bring up one of the poems below for participants to read. If you like, you can also play the video of the poem being read by Morningside Center’s Daniel Coles.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><br> <strong>Yes&nbsp;<br> by William Stafford</strong></p> <p>It could happen any time, tornado,<br> earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.<br> Or sunshine, love, salvation.</p> <p>It could you know. That’s why we wake<br> and look out–no guarantees<br> in this life.</p> <p>But some bonuses, like morning,<br> like right now, like noon,<br> like evening.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/397971542" width="640"></iframe></p> <p><em>Morningside Center's Daniel Coles recites&nbsp;<a href="https://vimeo.com/397971542">Yes</a>&nbsp;by William Stafford.&nbsp;Shared with permission.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Shoulders<br> by Naomi Shihab Nye</strong></p> <p>A man crosses the street in rain,<br> stepping gently, looking two times north and south,<br> because his son is asleep on his shoulder.<br> No car must splash him.<br> No car drive too near to his shadow.<br> This man carries the world’s most sensitive cargo<br> but he’s not marked.<br> Nowhere does his jacket say FRAGILE,<br> HANDLE WITH CARE.<br> His ear fills up with breathing.<br> He hears the hum of a boy’s dream<br> deep inside him.<br> We’re not going to be able<br> to live in this world<br> if we’re not willing to do what he’s doing<br> with one another.<br> The road will only be wide.<br> The rain will never stop falling.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/270391361?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" width="640"></iframe></p> <p><em>Morningside Center's Daniel Coles recites&nbsp;<a href="https://vimeo.com/270391361">Shoulders</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;Naomi Shihab Nye.&nbsp;Shared with permission.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>Sharing our reflections</strong></h3> <p><br> Give people some time to reflect on the poem in silence. &nbsp;</p> <p>Invite people to pick a line that resonates with them in some way as they consider how they’re doing, how they’re feeling and what they might be thinking at this time. &nbsp;</p> <p>Allow another moment of silence before giving people a chance to share out their thoughts and feelings. This might be done by having each person who shares call on another person who hasn’t yet spoken. (In Zoom and other platforms, participants can see a list of everyone who is participating.)&nbsp;</p> <p>Acknowledge the thoughts and feelings in the virtual space, as you invite any additions, reflections, or connections on what people just heard from one another (if time allows).&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>Closing</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>Wrap up the gathering by reading out loud this proverb shared by different cultures across the globe:</p> <p>“Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.”</p> <p>It is why coming together at times like this, even in a virtual space, is important. Let people know that you’re looking to provide such a space again as we enter this challenging new time and space together. &nbsp;</p> <p>Remind people that the goal of “social distancing” is to keep all of us safe – it is a way of taking of care ourselves and each other. There is nothing to stop us, though, from reaching out to one another, supporting one another, and even widening our circles of concern at this time of physical separation.&nbsp;</p> <p>Before signing off, ask people if they have any needs that might be met by colleagues or others in their extended community.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2020-03-19T10:22:45-04:00" title="Thursday, March 19, 2020 - 10:22">March 19, 2020</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 19 Mar 2020 14:22:45 +0000 Sara Carrero 1403 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Reflecting on a Poem https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/reflecting-poem <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Reflecting on a Poem</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="564" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/397971542" width="640"></iframe></p> <hr> <h3>Yes&nbsp;</h3> <p>It could happen any time, tornado,<br> earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.<br> Or sunshine, love, salvation.</p> <p><br> It could you know. That’s why we wake<br> and look out–no guarantees<br> in this life.</p> <p><br> But some bonuses, like morning,<br> like right now, like noon,<br> like evening.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>William Stafford<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Reflecting on a poem</h3> <p>Read the poem out loud or play the video above.&nbsp;</p> <p>Next, if possible, you can read as a group by inviting students to read up to a line each. &nbsp;</p> <p>Give students a few minutes to study the poem by themselves, in silence. &nbsp;Invite them to pick a line that resonates with them in some way as they think about the past few weeks of their lives.</p> <p>Once again, go around, this time asking students to read out the line that resonates with them, thus creating a personalized version of the poem.&nbsp;</p> <p>For the next go round, ask students to read their line again, this time explaining why they picked that line.&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2020-03-16T10:08:55-04:00" title="Monday, March 16, 2020 - 10:08">March 16, 2020</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Mon, 16 Mar 2020 14:08:55 +0000 Sara Carrero 1401 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Poetry on Video: "Shoulders" https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/poetry-video-shoulders <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Poetry on Video: &quot;Shoulders&quot;</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>“Teachers sometimes shy away from poetry. They’re afraid that kids won’t be able to relate,” says Morningside Center senior program manager Daniel Coles.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>“But we find that students often love to hear and share their thoughts and feelings about poems. &nbsp;A poem invites us to reflect, to slow down, to engage with each other in ways we don’t usually do. We especially like to use poems to open an activity. It signals that we are coming together in a different way.”<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Here, Daniel shares with you the poem "Shoulders" by the Palestinian-American poet&nbsp;Naomi Shihab Nye.&nbsp; See below for the text of the poem and suggestions about how to use it&nbsp;in your classroom.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/270391361" width="640"></iframe></p> <hr> <h3>Shoulders</h3> <p><strong>Naomi Shihab Nye</strong></p> <p><br> A man crosses the street in rain,<br> stepping gently, looking two times north and south,<br> because his son is asleep on his shoulder.</p> <p>No car must splash him.<br> No car drive too near to his shadow.</p> <p>This man carries the world’s most sensitive cargo<br> but he’s not marked.<br> Nowhere does his jacket say FRAGILE,<br> HANDLE WITH CARE.</p> <p>His ear fills up with breathing.<br> He hears the hum of a boy’s dream<br> deep inside him.</p> <p>We’re not going to be able<br> to live in this world<br> if we’re not willing to do what he’s doing<br> with one another.</p> <p>The road will only be wide.<br> The rain will never stop falling.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>How can I use this poem?<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>We have used Naomi Shihab Nye's&nbsp;lovely poem in circles with both young people and adults.</p> <p><br> If possible, play the video in your classroom, without preface. Allow a few seconds of silence after the poem to let it settle.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Then, try a process we often use with poems:&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Give&nbsp;each participant&nbsp;a copy of the poem, or project the poem on the smartboard.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Read the poem out loud as a group by going around the circle,&nbsp;asking each person to read one line. If there are more lines than participants, go around the circle a second time.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Next, ask each person to pick one line of the poem that especially resonates for them. In a circle go-round, ask each person to read that line and say why it&nbsp;resonates.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>Naomi Shihab Nye, "Shoulders" from <em>Red Suitcase</em>.&nbsp; Copyright © 1994 by&nbsp; Naomi Shihab Nye.&nbsp; Used with permission of The Permissions Company, Inc., on behalf of BOA Editions, Ltd., www.boaeditions.org.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2018-06-05T09:35:55-04:00" title="Tuesday, June 5, 2018 - 09:35">June 5, 2018</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 05 Jun 2018 13:35:55 +0000 Sara Carrero 1204 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Black History Month & the Danger of a Single Story https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/black-history-month-danger-single-story <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Black History Month &amp; the Danger of a Single Story</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h4>Preparation</h4> <p>To prepare for this lesson:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Make copies for students of <a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Black%20History%20Month.pdf">this handout about Black History Month</a></li> <li>Make copies for students of <a href="/sites/default/files/files/Black%20Voices.pdf">this handout with quotes</a></li> <li>Preview and prepare for students to view this 19-minute TED Talk</li> <li>Assign students the homework assignment below in advance of the lesson<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <h4>Homework Assignment</h4> <p>For homework, invite students to bring an item from home that represents who they are, an item that tells a key story about them and how they see themselves.&nbsp; If it is not possible to bring the item in, ask students to take a picture of the item or try to draw it.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Gathering</h4> <p>Invite students to share the item, or image of the item, they brought from home and tell the story about how they see themselves related to the item.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Debrief the activity by asking some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>Share any connections, reflections or additions you have based on the stories you just heard.&nbsp; How do these stories represent our classroom community?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Why might it be important for us to share our own stories in our own words?&nbsp; What might happen if we only allowed others to share our stories for us?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>How would you feel if only some students were allowed to share their stories, but not others? &nbsp;How would you feel if only some of us were allowed to represent our classroom community?&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li>How would you feel if you were among those encouraged to share your stories?&nbsp; How would you feel if you were among those prevented from sharing your stories?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Why is it important to have different voices and stories represented in our class?&nbsp; What does that do for our learning?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Why is it important to have different voices and stories represented in our history, social studies, and other curricula?&nbsp; What does that do for our learning?&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <h4>Check Agenda and Objectives&nbsp;</h4> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> The History of Black History Month</h4> <p>Invite students to share what they know about Black History Month.&nbsp; Do they know why Black History Month was established, when, and by whom? &nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Invite them next to read about Black History Month in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Black%20History%20Month.pdf">this pdf handout</a>. (It also appears at the end of this lesson.)&nbsp;<br> <br> Debrief the reading by asking:<br> &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>What are your thoughts and feelings about the handout you just read?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><br> The Importance of Story Telling</h4> <p><br> Invite students next to read the quotes in&nbsp;<a href="/sites/default/files/files/Black%20Voices.pdf">this pdf handout</a>. (They also appear at the end of this lesson.) Ask them to consider the quotes in the context of Black History Month.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> After they’ve read the quotes, invite each student to pick a quote that resonates with them, share their quote and say why it resonated with them in the context of Black History Month.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>TED talk by Chimamanda Adichie:</h4> <p>Show the following 19-minute <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story">TED Talk by Chimamanda Adichie</a>. Adichie is a Nigerian novelist, nonfiction and short story writer, and a MacArthur Genius Award recipient.<br> &nbsp;<br> Debrief the TED talk using some or all of the following questions:<br> <br> <strong>1. </strong>&nbsp;What does Adichie say the discovery of African writers did for her?<br> <br> <strong>2. </strong>&nbsp;What does Adichie say about the single story she had of her house boy Fide and his family? What does she say about the single story Americans have of Africans? What does she say about the single story she herself had of Mexicans?<br> <br> <b>3. &nbsp;</b>What does Adichie say about power in relation to the single story?&nbsp; (She mentions the Igbo word nkali, which she explains loosely means "to be greater than another." Nkali, she says, affects how stories are told, who tells them, when then are told, how many stories are told. Power affects not just the ability to tell the story of another person but to make it the definitive story of that person.)&nbsp;&nbsp;<br> <br> <strong>4. </strong>&nbsp;What does Adichie say about where to start a story?&nbsp; How does this relate to power?<br> <br> <strong>5. </strong>&nbsp;Adichie says that the single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.&nbsp; They make one story become the only story."&nbsp; She adds: "It is impossible to engage properly with a place or person without engaging with all of the stories of that place and that person.&nbsp; The consequence of the single story is this: It robs people of their dignity.&nbsp; It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult.&nbsp; It emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar." &nbsp;Invite students to share their thoughts about the idea of the "single story becoming the only story" and how this "robs people of their dignity."<br> <br> <strong>6.</strong> &nbsp;Adichie says: "Stories matter.&nbsp; Many stories matter.&nbsp; Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize.&nbsp; Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity." &nbsp;Invite students to share their thoughts about stories as a way to dispossess and to malign. Ask them to share their thoughts about stories as a way to empower and humanize.<br> <br> <strong>7. &nbsp;</strong>Adichie ends her talk with the following:&nbsp; "When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise." How does this relate back to the idea of Black History Month we discussed earlier today?<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Closing</h4> <p>In closing, read the poem "I Too" by Langston Hughes out loud.&nbsp;<br> <br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>I, Too<br> &nbsp;<br> <em>By Langston Hughes</em></strong><br> &nbsp;<br> I, too, sing America.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> I am the darker brother.&nbsp;<br> They send me to eat in the kitchen&nbsp;<br> When company comes,&nbsp;<br> But I laugh,&nbsp;<br> And eat well,&nbsp;<br> And grow strong.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Tomorrow,&nbsp;<br> I’ll be at the table&nbsp;<br> When company comes.&nbsp;<br> Nobody’ll dare&nbsp;<br> Say to me,&nbsp;<br> "Eat in the kitchen,"&nbsp;<br> Then.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Besides,&nbsp;<br> They’ll see how beautiful I am&nbsp;<br> And be ashamed—&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> I, too, am America.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Black History Month</h4> <p><a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Black%20History%20Month.pdf"><em>(PDF version)</em></a><br> &nbsp;</p> <div class="rteindent1"><em>Black History Month is acknowledged by some and ignored by others; and while it’s acknowledged by most people in this country, I believe it’s a travesty that anyone, especially members of the Black community, have chosen to limit their historical focus to the shortest month of the year. Black history should be celebrated and acknowledged in America, 365 days a year-7 days a week-24 hours a day; the very same way the founding fathers are heralded and celebrated daily.&nbsp; -Jeffrey L. Boney, Houston Forward Times</em></div> <p>&nbsp;<br> In an ideal world, a separate month for Black history would not be necessary. Unfortunately, though, the lives and stories of Black people continue to be minimized in narratives of American history, left out by those who have the privilege of telling our country’s story. &nbsp;Until that changes, there is a need for Black History Month.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian and scholar who dedicated his life to the study of Black history, recognized this back in 1926.&nbsp; It is why he pioneered the celebration of "Negro History Week."&nbsp; Woodson wanted to uncover and preserve the history of African Americans in the U.S., hoping to instill in African Americans a sense of self-esteem and confidence that would fuel the quest for justice.&nbsp;A history manipulated by white mainstream culture, he said, has resulted in "No systematic effort toward change... for, taught the same economics, history, philosophy, literature and religion ... the Negro's mind has been brought under the control of this oppressor.... When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions."<br> &nbsp;<br> A more inclusive history, Woodson hoped, would also foster understanding between whites and Blacks. "Race prejudice," Woodson said, "is merely the logical result of tradition, the inevitable outcome of thorough instruction to the effect that the Negro has never contributed anything to the progress of mankind."&nbsp;Learning about Black contributions to American history would engender greater respect among whites, Woodson believed.&nbsp;And though we’ve made progress toward teaching history in a way that fully represents the contributions of African Americans (as well as other excluded groups), we still have a long way to go.<br> &nbsp;<br> Ironically, the history of Black History Month itself is often neglected and misrepresented. Most Americans don’t know who Carter G. Woodson was or that he, a Black man, originated what became Black History Month.&nbsp; Another little known fact is that February was picked to be Black History Month (and the original "Negro History Week") to coincide with the birthday of African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass (as well as President Abraham Lincoln).&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Of course the elevation of Black voices and a focus on their stories during the month of February does not mitigate the lack of celebration of Black contributions to American society throughout the year.&nbsp; It does however give us pause and a time to be mindful of those voices and stories. It allows us to reflect on the reasons why these voices and stories have been omitted in the first place.&nbsp;<br> <br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><br> Black Voices on Story Telling</h4> <p>(<a href="/sites/default/files/files/Black%20Voices.pdf">PDF version)</a><br> <br> "The classroom was a jail of other people’s interests. The library was open, unending, free."&nbsp; — Ta-Nehisi Coates, American writer, journalist, and educator</p> <hr> <p>"You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive."&nbsp; &nbsp;— James Baldwin, American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p><br> &nbsp;"I’ve always felt that it is impossible to engage properly with a place or a person without engaging with all of the stories of that place and that person.&nbsp; The consequence of the single story is this: It robs people of dignity.&nbsp; It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult.&nbsp; It emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar."&nbsp; — Chimanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian novelist, nonfiction and short story writer</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><br> "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."&nbsp; — Maya Angelou, American poet, memoirist and civil rights activist</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><br> <br> &nbsp;"If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive."&nbsp;— Audre Lorde, American writer, feminist, and civil rights activist</p> <hr> <p><br> <br> "Popular films are so powerful and compelling that it’s often easier to accept their versions of history than the much more complicated true stories."&nbsp; &nbsp;— Melissa Harris-Perry, writer, professor and political commentator</p> <hr> <p><br> <br> &nbsp;"Black history isn't a separate history. This is all of our history, this is American history, and we need to understand that. It has such an impact on kids and their values and how they view black people."&nbsp; &nbsp;— Karyn Parsons, actress</p> <hr> <p><br> <br> "We should emphasize not Negro history, but the Negro in history. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate, and religious prejudice."&nbsp; — Carter Woodson, historian, journalist, founder of Association for the Study of African American Life and History</p> <hr> <p><br> <br> "I am America.&nbsp; I am the part you won’t recognize.&nbsp; But get used to me.&nbsp; Black confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours, my goals, my own; get used to me."&nbsp;&nbsp;— Muhammad Ali, boxer and activist</p> <hr> <p><br> <br> "For I am my mother's daughter, and the drums of Africa still beat in my heart."&nbsp; — Mary McLeod Bethune, educator, stateswoman, humanitarian and civil rights activist</p> <hr> <p><br> <br> &nbsp;"Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations."&nbsp; — Dr. Mae Jemison, first African-American female astronaut</p> <hr> <p><br> "Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face." — Carol Moseley-Braun, politician and lawyer</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2017-02-13T11:03:51-05:00" title="Monday, February 13, 2017 - 11:03">February 13, 2017</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Mon, 13 Feb 2017 16:03:51 +0000 fionta 348 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org