"I Have a Dream" and Sneetches?

I love this lesson that I get to teach each year!  In the unit on Genre, our department talks about the message of both "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King Jr. and The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss because they are the same. 

MLK's speech focuses on the past, present, and future of discrimination and segregation in 1963.  He addresses everyone in the crowd charging them with what they must do to make a difference in our country.  He says there can be no satisfaction until changes are made.  However, he has faith that his dream for our country will happen to give everyone full citizenship rights. 


Dr. Seuss shared a similar message published first in 1961 for a completely different audience: children.  Dr. Seuss created a fictional race of Sneetches that were either Plain Bellied or Star Bellied.  As the story goes, one race thinks they are better than the other, but by the end both realize that it matters not whether you have a star or a plain belly.  Sneetches are Sneetches. 

The fun in this lesson and comparison when teaching Genre is that the message of both pieces is the same but presented differently to different audiences.  The point?  Audience must be considered if the author's point is going to be effective, and an appropriate genre must be picked that will catch the attention of the particular audience.

Back to School

Heading back to school is a very exciting time!  Parents and students are busy searching for deals on school supplies and new clothes.  And teachers are busy trying to prepare engaging activities that will keep kids interested in subjects which are sometimes perceived as boring.  Here are some pictures of things my students are doing for our unit in Genre.  The idea is that genre is a way to organize something - specifically literature.  We talk about poetry, prose, and drama as well as many subcategories of each.  To help kids relate to organization options, I bring in a few interesting items: children's books, shoes, and hair accessories.  Unfortunately, I can't show you the pictures of all the boys with bows in their hair, but trust me that they were hilarious!  The kids really enjoyed organizing these silly items and discussing how it related to organizing literature into different categories.