Appendix
A. Standards
B. I am not an object by Charlotte Murphy
C. I am not
D. Introductory/Modeled Speech
E. Rubric
Appendix A
Standards
As I developed this unit, I truly began to understand the potency of Common Core, and in turn, also began to understand the damage that a scripted curriculum can do. There is no possible way that, prior to knowing each student as an individual, you can set a curricular design in stone. There must be some level of flexibility. Common Core suggests the imbedding of skill acquisition—leaving space for choice; alternative texts, methodology, or otherwise. This unit covers Common Core Standards: CC.1.2.8.F Analyze the influence of the words and phrases in a text including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings, and how they shape meaning and tone; CC.1.2.8.H Evaluate an author's argument, reasoning, and specific claims for the soundness of the arguments and the relevance of the evidence; CC.1.2.8.L Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently; CC.1.2.8.L Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently; CC.1.4.8.C Develop and analyze the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples; include graphics and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension; CC.1.4.8.T With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed; CC.1.5.8.G Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on Grade 8 level and content.
Appendix B
I am not an object
Charlotte B. Murphy
I am not an object.
I am not a robot crafted
for the sole purpose of turning you on.
It is not my duty in life
to entertain people like you.
Because I am not an object.
I am a complex string of emotions and thoughts.
I can love and I can hate
I can feel sad and I can cry I am ALLOWED to cry
And nobody will ever take that right away from me
Because I am not an object
I do not exist to entertain you
I do not have to wear make up
I am allowed to wear make up
I do not have to shave
I am allowed to shave
But if you ever try to
make me feel like there is something wrong with me
For thinking this way
For acting this way
For looking this way
Then there is something wrong with you
And you need to change your attitude.
I am not an object.
I do not exist for
your pleasure and my needs are allowed
to be important to me because no one can ever love me
more than I can.
And if you try to dehumanize me and make me think that
my needs aren't important then I will be even more
self-obsessed because since when do you care so much?
I am allowed to care about myself.
To me my needs will always come before the wants of a
self-righteous misogynistic society such as yourself
because no one can ever love me more than I can and
if you try to make me feel wrong for loving myself then there
is something wrong with you and you need to change your attitude.
Because I am not an object.
I am a complex string of emotions and thoughts
I can love and I can hate
I can feel sad and I can cry I am ALLOWED to cry
And no one can ever take that right away from me
I am a strong independent smart beautiful human being
I am a woman
And if you ever try to make me feel
wrong for that then you're wrong
You need to change your attitude.
I am not a mate
I am not a creature with my sole purpose being to reproduce
I can have children.
I don't have to have children.
But if you ever try to make me feel wrong
for either decision then you are wrong.
You need to change your attitude.
I am not an idiot.
Wearing low cut tops is not "asking for unwanted attention"
I am allowed to feel good about myself
and if you can't control yourself that is your own damn problem
But know this
If you ever try to lay a hand on me in a way that I am not ok with I will
Take. You. Down.
Because my needs will always come before
the wants of a self-righteous misogynistic society such as yourself and
if you try to make me feel wrong for that then you're wrong
You need to change your attitude
I am not a bystander.
I will not stand idly by as you strip my rights away
The right to choose what I wear
The right to an abortion
The right to be paid as much as a man
who wishes he could be as awesome as I am.
I am not a bystander.
I am not an idiot
I am not a mate
I am not an object
I am a complex string of emotions and thoughts
I can love and I can hate
I can feel sad and I can cry I am ALLOWED to cry
And no one can ever take that right away from me
Because I am not an object
I am a strong independent smart beautiful human being
I am a woman
And if you ever try to make me feel
wrong for that then you're wrong
You need to change your attitude.
Appendix C
I am not: A Spoken Word Performance by Teona Collier, Adia Hearns-Boyd, and Ciara Sing.
(Teona)
I am not ugly.
Everyone has their own idea of beauty. I am not that. (In unison)
I am not anyone else's idea of beauty.
(Adia) I am not the girl with the long hair
that all the guys want. I am not the curvy girls you see in all of
the commercials. I am still a caterpillar
in its cocoon growing its wings, waiting to fly. I'm not the naps you
see when you look at me. (In unison) Just
like naps, I seem to mold into different shapes. (Ciara) I never got my
hair perfectly straight. But instead,
it's a 'Fro with tight curls extending down my back. I'm not a size zero,
and I'm definitely not (In unison) the
Barbie doll that you played with when you were a kid. (Teona) I am not
white. I am not black. I am brown. The
color of unbleached flour. (In unison) Original and unmodified. (Ciara) I'm
not the x in a box labeled as other. I'm not an Oreo.
I'm not a mulatto or random paint splatters on the wall.
(Adia) I'm not a dirty tissue that you can leave
your mark on and then throw it away. I'm not defined by my skin.
Each scar tells a story—a story of insecurities,
of crying because I can't be beautiful as everyone else
seems to be. Like everyone else, it's not my fault
my only curve is my smile. (Teona) I strive for something
greater than my situation. Never mind illiteracy,
because, literally, it does not define me. I am not the struggle
by any means, but I want to step out of my own ghetto.
(In unison) I am beautiful. My own beautiful
Appendix D
(Display "Gifted" image behind you.) (Allegory)
Which one of us has not been labeled? Judged unfairly? (Rhetorical Question)
I'll bet life and limb (Alliteration/Consonance) that your downcast eyes give me the answer that I already knew—
Not one. Not one of us (Anaphora) has escaped. We've all endured—some considerably more than others—the ones society holds at arm's length [motion hands forward]—we've all been judged.
I ask you to trust me and close your eyes. I assure you that I won't run out. I won't send weird texts from your phone.
Now, think about the core of who you are—that truth by which you WISH to be judged. What is your real character? [Give pause.]
As you think, choose a word, just one word that represents you. [Give pause, place lanyard/pen.]
Open your eyes. Write your word, placing it around your neck, but keep your word inward—toward your heart. [Wait for each to wear it.]
Struggle is this—the inward facing word—what you want people to see and hear that judgment aims to silence. (Metaphor)
Who will turn their word first, setting it free aloud? (Nod to each in succession.)
Rhetoric is about well-worn words. [Metaphor] Spoken Word is about auditory liberty, or the freedom to speak about who you really are and what you really deserve. Together you're fully dressed. This is what I want you to know, own, and teach others. I'm here to work alongside of you.
(Teacher turns over her word to reveal 'student'.)
Appendix E
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