1

Nelson Mandela, words and paintings by Kadir Nelson

Upper ES / ELA and Social Studies

Honor, Language, Freedom, Determination

Share a few sample quotes from Nelson Mandela. Model how you read the quote and draw some inferences about the person who said it. Distribute 3-4 quotes to pairs/small groups of students to read their quote and draw an inference about the author through a brief academic conversation. (Post directions for all to see.) Speaker: Reads quote. I think this quote is saying _____ , which makes me infer that the author __________________________. Listener: What I heard you say was that this quote is _______. Is that right? Is there anything else? Rotate roles with same set of quotes so that each student assumes each role. If time, have pairs swap quote sets and practice a second round of dialogue.

2

Possible quotes:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

“Do not judge me by my successes; judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”

“Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.”

“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.

“There are few misfortunes in this world that you cannot turn into a personal triumph if you have the iron will and the necessary skill.”

“I realized that they could take everything from me except my mind and my heart. They could not take those things. Those things I still had control over. And I decided not to give them away.”

“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”

“May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears.”

“I am not what happened to me; I am what I choose to become.”

“Crime must be brought under control... Freedom without civility, freedom without the ability to live in peace, was not true freedom at all.”

Show students the book and ask them what predictions they can make about the story. Show a picture or two. Read the text aloud together.

3

Help students understand context through good use of a map of the continent of Africa to locate countries: South Africa, Liberia, Ethiopia, and Morocco. You may show Scholastic magazine’s report of Mandela’s death, with quote from President Obama, and/or Time for Kids’ article could be used to acquaint students with the final chapter of Mandela’s life.

http://magazines.scholastic.com/news/2013/12/Nelson-Mandela-Dies

http://www.timeforkids.com/node/97361/print

Help students “Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues” including:

apartheid (p. 9 direct definition, context and artwork throughout book)

ancestors

bountiful, fertile (p. 6 context)

amandla and ngawethu (p. 11, context amandla is a Zulu and Xhosa word meaning “power”. The word was a popular rallying cry in the days of resistance against Apartheid, used by the African National Congress and its allies.The leader of a group would call out "Amandla!" and the crowd would respond with "Ngawethu!"[2] (to us), completing the South African version of the rallying cry Power to the People! The word is still associated with struggles against oppression.)

went underground (p. 18, context)

Discuss and build students’ understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings including:

Page 4: “Nelson was nine when his father joined the ancestors in the sky.” (Effect of imagery?)

Page 6: “The settlers’ weapons were stronger and breathed fire.” (Effect of personification?)

Discuss the author’s choice of the phrase, “Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will…. suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.” (Looking at the final two pages of text provide background information about Nelson Mandela, and the last paragraph is from Mandela’s speech.)

4

Have students read the story again. Have them pick out and write down one quote and note what they infer about Mandela from it. Reread the last paragraph of the book one more time just before seminar (the excerpt from Mandela’s speech on May 10, 1994, when he was inaugurated as the President of South Africa). "We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom. We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success. We must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world. Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. Let freedom reign.”

5

What one word best describes Nelson Mandela? (round-robin response)

Why did you choose that word? (spontaneous discussion)

What challenge do you think made the biggest impact on Nelson? Why?

What prepared him to face that challenge? Re-read page 11 (Nelson organized rallies….) Explain what is meant by

“South Africa is for all South Africans….Power to the people!” Which illustration best captures Nelson’s personality? Explain why you

chose that one. (Display and re-read the paragraph from Mandela’s inaugural address.)

What is the most important message from this part of his speech? Why? How did Mandela honor South Africa? How did South Africans honor

him?

Remembering what you learn from someone is a powerful way to honor

him. How will you honor Nelson Mandela’s memory? His work?

6

Ask students to think of people who have done things for the good of others, and make a list of their names and/or roles.

Who would you like to honor? After reading about Nelson Mandela, write a newspaper article or award speech in which you describe the character you would like to honor in depth. Use specific details from the person’s life in your response.

(LDC Task#: 13 )

Ask students, after selecting one person they would like to honor, to complete the “HONOR” graphic organizer (see page 8).

Have students decide how they would like to recognize the selected person: newspaper article, Wikipedia entry, magazine article, multimedia presentation, awards speech.

Challenge all to use the completed graphic organizer to write a first draft.

7

Have students work in pairs or small groups, choosing one or two people who wrote in the same format. Each shares what he or she wrote, and asks questions about how to better present an honor to the selected individual. Switch roles. Sample questions:

How might I better show how wonderful she/he is/was?

Have I used my person’s words effectively?

Have I closed with a strong, brief statement about my honoree? Each student should incorporate suggestions from the revision group, resulting in a second draft.

Provide a teacher edit checking for strong sentences, accurate spelling and other grammar and mechanics principles you have taught. Students produce a final draft.

Students should choose whom to share the work with. The honoree? Family? Others who know the selected individual?

Cheryl Beeson

Indianapolis Public Schools

Text: Nelson, Kadir, and Martha Rago. Nelson Mandela. N.p.: Harper Collins, 2013. Print. Read aloud book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7uXmOd_9xY

8

Who have you chosen to honor? _____________________________________ Pick THREE things your chosen person has done that prove he/she is honorable.

Action #1 Action #2 Action #3

What did your honoree do?

--When? --Where? --Who was involved?

Dialogue

or words of wisdom

Reasons for

actions or words

What this

shows about him/her

What would you like your honoree to know?