Native Son Book Two

Today, we will explore the events that occurred in Book Two of Native Son. Here is the activity that we'll complete in our groups: Native Son Book Two Activity

Finally, in celebration of Thanksgiving, here is Abraham Lincoln's original proclamation made during the Civil War naming the "last Thursday in November" (since changed to the 4th Thursday) as a day of national Thanksgiving.

Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore.

Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward,
Secretary of State

Jim Crow and Proposals for Fighting Back

Today we'll begin by hearing some of what you discovered about the Jim Crow era in your web activity that you completed for today.
Next, each group will be assigned one proposal (Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey) to read and be able to identify the following (you should keep track of this information in your notebooks):

• The main idea including their primary strategy (strategies) for black advancement in society and/or progress against Jim Crow.
• A key quote and explanation of that quotation.
• A list of benefits to that plan- in other words, why might it be successful?

When finished, class will jigsaw in order to share all of the proposals. Everyone is responsible to know and understand what each author said. You should keep track of these in your notebooks.

Then, as a group, you'll look at a fourth proposal that outlines the principles of the NAACP.

Finally, each person individually will fill out this exit slip: Jim Crow Responses Exit Slip

Without Sanctuary and Book One Contd.

We'll start today with some thoughts about photographs before we look together at a very challenging and disturbing set of images - pictures of lynchings.

We'll watch several videos over the course of the period:

• Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative
• Without Sanctuary On the version watched in class, this song was playing in the background: Strange Fruit Lyrics

We'll also read this article, answering some of the questions linked below. 

• Hellhounds
• Hellhounds Questions

We'll finish this section of class by briefly exploring how lynching should be remembered or memorialized: CNN Video.

During the 2nd part of class, we'll return to the novel and our work from yesterday, exploring how the information learned today influences our understanding of Bigger, his actions and his beliefs. 

Finally, after reviewing the comments on our Huck papers (and exploring this example-Huck Paragraph), we'll introduce your assignment and tasks for the next few days. These include the Jim Crow Web Activity which you'll need to make a copy of and ensure that Flash player is enabled. 

Native Son Book One

Here is our work for today:
Native Son Group Work #1-Book One PER. 56
Native Son Group Work #1-Book One PER. 78

Reconstruction and Plessy

After sharing our responses to the web activity, we'll write one concluding paragraph to this prompt:

Eric Foner has called Reconstruction an “experiment in interracial democracy” as well as an “unfinished revolution”. In what ways has your experience with Reconstruction supported either of these descriptions? First, you’ll need to define what either phrase means for your character. Then, make sure you use at least one specific detail from the chart to support your assertion.

Next, we'll focus on the Plessy v. Ferguson decision, using these questions to discuss: Plessy Questions

Here are the groups you'll use to share your responses to Reconstruction:

Group #1 Zayne Emmy Chloe Jimmy Eve Cameron Hannah Nick	Group #2 Jessie Elizabeth Lexi E. Israel Justin Maddie Lexi S. Mason	Group #3 Zornitza Ethan Ian Devin Sofia Jesse Blake Jordyn	Group #4 Zach Ava Bella Ellie Isaac Ojas Brandon Louie	Group #5 Noa Megan Leah M. Jake Josh Leah H. Sami Thomas
Group #6 Russell Sulaiman Ariel Rachel Olivia Trey Sara

Native Son-first impressions and Reconstruction Begins

Today we'll begin with a quiz and discussion on Native Son pages 1-42.

• Trader Horn posters
• Newsreel - Debutantes

During the 2nd part of class, we'll use our characters from yesterday to begin examining the Reconstruction of America. We'll use this document to guide our work: Reconstruction Web Activity

What's Next? Reconstruction Begins

Today we explored the issues facing freedmen and freedwomen after the Civil War. After developing a character by writing an inner monologue of that person's hopes and fears, we used the questions and situations in our binders to frame our work.
If absent, first, you need to develop your character. In your notebook please write an inner monologue that describes who you are and your hopes and fears. You are responsible for developing the character to use for the rest of the week. Here are some prompts to get you started:

• As a freedman or freed woman, Who do you want to become?
• What's your gender? 
• How old are you?
• Do you know your family?
• How many of your family are you with? 
• Where are you? 
• Have you worked on a plantation?
• How large is it? Did you work in the field or the house?
• Was your owner cruel or lenient?
• Did you escape or try to escape?
• Have you been whipped, beaten, tortured, raped or assaulted? Has anyone in your family?

When finished, we'll work to answer the questions from the "Reconstructing the South: Problems" handouts in our binders from the perspective of your character.

Rap Battle Prep and Reminders

• Please purchase Native Son for tomorrow. It's $16 in the bookstore. 
• Don't forget to have a printed copy of your lyrics with you at the start of class tomorrow.
• Don't forget to submit both your lyrics and your completed set of Lincoln/Douglass charts that you've been working on in class and for homework.
• Lincoln/Douglass charts should include the following:
• A completed chart for "Lincoln's First Inaugural" (HW)
• A completed chart for "Nemesis/How to End the War" (In class)
• A completed chart for "Horace Greeley's Letter to Abraham Lincoln" (HW)
• A completed chart for "Abraham Lincoln's Response to Horace Greeley" (HW)
• A completed chart for Lincoln's "Plan on Colonization" (HW)
• A completed chart for Frederick Douglass' "Response to Lincoln's Plan (The President and His Speeches)" (HW)
• Responses to four of the six content questions and one rhetorical or literary device for Frederick Douglass' "Men of Color to Arms"  (in class, you do not need context or synthesis for this chart).
• A typed version of one of your responses to Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" in the first row of that chart (in class-everyone stood up and read one of their responses aloud). You do not need to fill in the rhetorical device or synthesis from this chart.
• A completed chart for Lincoln's "2nd Inaugural"-you only need one rhetorical or literary device (in class). 
• Completed charts for Lincoln's "Last Public Address" and Douglass' "What the Black Man Wants" (HW)

Lincoln v. Douglass

Today you'll start with your partner to discuss the two speeches you prepared in your charts for today.
Then, we'll introduce the following project and you'll spend the rest of the period beginning your preparations.  Lincoln v. Douglass Rap Battle

**NOTE-You must purchase our next novel, Native Son by Richard Wright, by Friday. You will have some reading in it over the weekend.

Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural

We'll start today with a review of some of the context that you read for today. Below are the terms and ideas you should know:

• 1864-Election Year
• v. McClellan
• Lincoln v. Radicals on reconstruction
• The capture of Atlanta (September 1864)
• William T. Sherman
• Total War
• "War is Hell"
• "War is cruelty, there is no use trying to reform it; the crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.”
• March to the Sea
• 13th Amendment (January 1865)
• 40 Acres and a Mule
• Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural (March 1865)

We'll read Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address and complete the corresponding chart.

• Pathos, Logos, Ethos handout

We'll then work to take a more creative look at the speech. You'll work with your chosen partner to crate a pair of haiku - one about how Lincoln interprets what brought the country to the moment of this inauguration, and another about what Lincoln suggests moving forward. Remember, a haiku is three lines - the first one has 5 syllables, the second has 7, and the third one has 5.

Civil War - Frederick Douglass; Gettysburg - Lincoln

Happy November!

We'll start today by reviewing the context of the progression of the war. Then, we turned our attention to Douglass's "Men of Color, To Arms!" speech, using this version:

• "Men of Color, To Arms!" (numbered)

We read the speech aloud and used it to answer the questions on the chart you've been using.

After a short video and a look at the Battle of Gettysburg, we read Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address." You responded to it in a variety of wars, including a creative interpretation of people at the time and your personal perspective.

• Lincoln
• Douglass
• Jefferson Davis
• A congressperson from a Border State
• A Union soldier
• A family member of a Union soldier
• A Confederate soldier
• A family member of a Confederate soldier
• A slaveowner
• A formerly enslaved person
• A currently enslaved person in a border state
• A free black person

Lastly, please be sure to buy a copy of our next book, Native Son, by next Friday. It is at the bookstore for $16