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4
Level
 4
Level

Author
LaVonna Roth, M.S.Ed.
 Publishing Credits
Robin Erickson, Production Director; Lee Aucoin, Creative Director;
Timothy J. Bradley, Illustration Manager; Emily R. Smith, M.A.Ed., Editorial Director;
Jennifer Wilson, Editor; Evelyn Garcia, M.A.Ed., Editor; Amber Goff, Editorial
Assistant; Grace Alba Le, Designer; Corinne Burton, M.A.Ed., Publisher

Image Credits
All images Shutterstock

Standards
© 2004 Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
© 2007 Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL)
© 2007 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA)
© 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSS)

Shell Education
5301 Oceanus Drive
Huntington Beach, CA 92649-1030
http://www.shelleducation.com
ISBN 978-1-4258-1181-5
© 2014 Shell Educational Publishing, Inc.

The classroom teacher may reproduce copies of the materials in this book for classroom use only. The reproduction of any
part for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be transmitted, stored, or
recorded in any form without written permission from the publisher.

2 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

 Table of Contents
Introduction
A Letter to You. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The Power of the Brain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Strategy Overviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
How to Use This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Correlation to the Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Standards Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Content Area Correlations Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
That’s a Wrap! Lessons
That’s My Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Exploration and Settlement of the States. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Equations, Expressions, and Visual Representations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
WPH Accordion Lessons
Can You Predict? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Key People in State History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
It’s in the Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Matchmaker Lessons
Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Phases of the Moon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Read Between the Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Just Say It Lessons
Dialogue and Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Many Ways to Multiply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Talking About Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 3

 Table of Contents (cont.)

Kinesthetic Word Webs Lessons

Three Branches of Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
The Power of a Place. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Energy Abound. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
In the Know Lessons
Our State’s Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Figures and Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Skills of a Scientist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Poetic Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Response Cards Lessons
It’s Your Right!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
All About Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Nonfiction Text Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Reverse, Reverse! Lessons
Equivalent, Equivalent!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Life Cycle of Plants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Text Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Appendices
Appendix A: References Cited. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Appendix B: Contents of the Digital Resource CD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

4 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

A Letter to You

Dear Educator,
I want to take a moment to thank you for the inspirati
are! As more mandates fall upon your shoulders and on that you
made, I admire your drive, passion, and willingness to chan ges are
our students first. Every decision we make as educ keep putting
come down to one simple question: ÒIs this decision ator s shou ld
interest of our students?Ó This reflects not our opin in the best
philosophy, or our own agenda, but simply what is goin ion , our
greatest impact on our students in preparing them g to make the
for life and career.
As you continue to be the best you can be I want
moments each day, look in the mirror, and smile.. Com you to take a few
you can give me a bigger smile than that! Go for thee onÑI know
Cat smile with all teeth showing. Why? Because you big Cheshire
sometimes your greatest cheerleader. Now, take that are
and pass it on to colleagues, students, and parents. same smile
catchingÑso let«s share the one that puts smiles on Atti tude is
You will feel better and your day will be better. others« faces!
Now, tear out this page. Tape it to a place where you
every. . . single. . . day. Yep! Tear it out. Tape it to the will see it
mirror, your dashboard, your deskÑwherever you are bathroom
Recite and do the following every single dayÑno jokesure to see it.
:
I am appreciated!
I am amazing!
I am the difference!
From one educator to another, thank you for all
you do!
 ÑLaVonna Roth
P.S. Be sure to connect with me on social media!
I would love to hear from you on these strategies
and lessons.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 5

 Introduction

About the Author

LaVonna Roth, M.S.Ed., is an international author, speaker, and
consultant. She has had the privilege of working with teachers on
three continents, sharing her passion for education and how the brain
learns. Her desire to keep the passion of engaging instructional
delivery is evident in her ideas, presentations, workshops, and books.

LaVonna has the unique ability to teach some of the more

challenging concepts in education and make them simple and doable.
Her goal is for teachers to be reenergized, to experience ideas that
are practical and applicable, and have a great impact on student
achievement because of the effect these strategies have on how the brain learns.

As a full-time teacher, LaVonna taught students at the elementary and secondary levels in
all content areas, students in ELL and gifted programs, and those in the regular classroom.
Her educational degrees include a bachelor’s degree in special education—teaching the
hearing impaired—and two master’s degrees, one in the art of teaching and another in
educational leadership. In addition to other professional organizations, LaVonna serves as a
board member for Florida ASCD and is an affiliate member of the Society for Neuroscience.

As an author, she has written a powerful resource notebook, Brain-Powered Lessons to

Engage All Learners, and is a dynamic and engaging presenter.

When LaVonna isn’t traveling and speaking, she relaxes by spending time with her
family in the Tampa, Florida area. She is dedicated to putting students first and supporting
teachers to be the best they can be.

Acknowledgements
My family
My friends
All educators
Teacher Created Materials staff

I believe we accomplish great things when we surround ourselves with great people and take
action. Thank you for all you do!
 —LaVonna Roth

6 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

The Power of the Brain

“What actually changes in the brain are the strengths of the connections of
neurons that are engaged together, moment by moment, in time.”

 —Dr. Michael Merzenich

The brain is a very powerful organ, one we do not completely understand or know
everything about. Yet science reveals more and more to us each day.

As educators, we have a duty to understand how the brain learns so that we can best
teach our students. If we do not have an understanding of some of the powerful tools that
can help facilitate our teaching and allow us to better target the brain and learning, we lose
a lot of time with our students that could be used to serve them better. Plus, the likelihood of
doing as much reteaching will lessen.

This is where Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners comes in! The eight
strategies included within the lessons are designed around how the brain learns as a
foundation. In addition, they are meant to be used as a formative assessment, include
higher-order thinking, increase the level of engagement in learning, and support
differentiation. For detailed information on each strategy, see pages 12–19.

What Makes the Brain Learn Best

As you explore the strategies in this book, keep the following key ideas in mind.

The content being taught and learned must:

Ÿ be engaging

Ÿ be relevant

Ÿ make sense

Ÿ make meaning

Ÿ involve movement

Ÿ support memory retention

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 7

 Introduction

The Power of the Brain (cont.)

Be Engaging
In order for students to pay
attention, we must engage the brain.
This is the overarching theme to “Even simple brain
the rest of the elements. Too often,
exercises such
students are learning complacently.
Just because students are staring at as presenting
the teacher, with pencil in hand and oneself with
taking notes, does not mean they challenging intellectual
are engaged. For example, we know
that they are engaged when they
environments,
answer questions or are interacting interacting in social
with the information independently situations, or getting
with a teacher or another student.
We don’t always know when they
involved in physical
are engaged just by looking at them. activities will boost
Sometimes, it’s a simple question the general growth of
or observation of what they are connections”
doing that helps identify this. Body
language can tell us a lot, but do
not rely on this as the only point of
observation. Many teachers may have not gone into teaching to “entertain,” but entertaining
is one component of being engaging. As neuroscience research has revealed, it was
noted as early as 1762 that the brain does change (neuroplasticity) based on experiences
(Doidge 2007). It rewires itself based upon experiences and new situations, creating new
neural pathways. “Even simple brain exercises such as presenting oneself with challenging
intellectual environments, interacting in social situations, or getting involved in physical
activities will boost the general growth of connections” (HOPES 2010, §2). This is fantastic if
we are creating an environment and lessons that are positive and planned in a way that fires
more neurons that increase accurate learning.

8 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

The Power of the Brain (cont.)

As a reflection for you, think about the following with respect to student engagement:

Ÿ What are the students doing during the lesson? Are they doing something with
the information that shows they are into it? Are they asking questions? Are they
answering?

Ÿ What is their body language showing? Are they slumped, or are they sitting in a
more alert position? Are their eyes glazed and half-closed, or are they bright, alert,
and paying attention to where their focus should be?

Ÿ Who is doing most of the talking and thinking? Move away from being the sage
on the stage! Let the students be the stars. Share your knowledge with them in
increments, but permit them to interact or explore.

Ÿ What could you turn over to students to have them create a way to remember the
content or ask questions they have? What could be done to change up the lessons
so they are interacting or standing? Yes, parts of lessons can be taught by having
students stand for a minute or so. Before they sit, have them stretch or high-five a
few classmates to break up the monotony.

Be Relevant
Why should the brain want to learn and remember something that has no relevance to us?
If we want our students to learn information, it is important that we do what we can to make
the information relevant. An easy way to achieve this is by bringing in some background
knowledge that students have about the topic or making a personal connection. This does
not need to take long.

As you will note, the lessons in this book start out with modeling. Modeling allows
learners to have an understanding of the strategy and it also takes a moment to bring in
what they know and, when possible, to make a personal connection. Consider asking
students what they know about a topic and have them offer ideas. Or ask them to reflect on
a piece of literature that you read or to ponder a question you have provided. For English
language learners, this strategy is particularly effective when they can relate it to something
of which they have a foundational concept and can make a connection to what they are
learning. The language will come.

Make Sense
Is what you are teaching something that makes sense to students? Do they see the
bigger picture or context? If students are making sense of what they are learning, a greater
chance of it moving from working memory to long-term memory will increase. Some
students can be asked if the idea makes sense and if they clearly understand. If they are
able to explain it in their own words, they probably have a good grasp on metacognition and
where they are in their learning. Other students may need to be coached to retell you what
they just learned.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 9

 Introduction

The Power of the Brain (cont.)

Make Meaning
Once students have had an opportunity to make sense of what they are learning, provide
an opportunity for them to make meaning. This means that they have a chance to apply
what was learned and actually “play” with the skills or concepts. Are they able to complete
some tasks or provide questions on their own? Are they ready to take the information to
higher levels that demonstrate the depth of understanding? (Refer to Webb’s Depth of
Knowledge for some additional insight into various levels of making meaning on pages
22–23.) For some students, simply asking a few questions related to what is being taught or
having them write a reflection of what was just explained will allow you to check in on their
understanding to see where they are before taking their thinking to a higher or a deeper
level.

Involve Movement
This one is particularly important because of the plethora of research on movement.
Dr. John Ratey wrote the book Spark, which documents how student achievement soars
based on some changes made to students’ physical education program in which students
achieved their target heart-rate zone during their physical education time. Movement,
particularly exercise, increases brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) that increase
learning and memory (Vaynman, Ying, and Gomez-Pinilla 2004).

Knowing that getting students to achieve their target heart rate zone is not always an
option, do what you can. Have students take some brain breaks that heighten their heart
rate—even if for just a minute.

Movement has strong retention implications in other ways. Students can create a gesture
connected to the lesson concept, or they can stand and move while they make meaning
from what they learned. Movement is multisensory, thus, various regions of the brain
are activated. When multiple brain pathways are stimulated, they are more likely to enter
long‑term potentiation from activating episodic and semantic memories.

If you come across a model lesson in this book in which not much movement is shared,
or you find your students have been sitting longer than you may wish (you will know because
their body language will tell you—unfortunately, we should have had them moving before
this point), my challenge to you is to think of what movement you can add to the lesson. It
could involve a gesture, a manipulative, or physically getting up and moving. If you are
concerned about them calming back down, set your expectations and stick to them. Keep
in mind that often when students “go crazy” when permitted to move, it’s probably because
they finally get to move. Try simple techniques to bring students back into focus. “Part of the
process of assisting children in developing necessary skills is getting to the root of why they
behave as they do” (Harris and Goldberg 2012, xiv).

10 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

The Power of the Brain (cont.)

Support Memory Retention

If we want our students to retain what we teach them, then it is important that we keep in
mind what causes our brains to retain that information.

Key Elements to Memory Retention Why

Emotions We can create an episodic memory when
we connect emotions to our learning.
Repetition Repetition increases memory as long as
there is engagement involved. Worksheets
and drill and kill do not serve long-term
memory well.
Patterns/Organization When our brains take in messages, they
begin to file the information by organizing it
into categories.
Personal connection Linking learning to one’s self is a powerful
brain tool for memory. This, too, can be
tied to emotion, making an even stronger
connection.
Linking new and prior knowledge Taking in new information automatically
results in connecting past knowledge to
what is new.
 (Roth 2012)

As you explore the strategies and lessons throughout this book, note how many of them
incorporate the keys to memory retention and what engages our students’ brains. As you
begin to explore the use of these strategies on your own, be sure to keep the framework of
those important components.

The bottom line—explore, have fun, and ask your students how they feel about lessons
taught. They will tell you if they found the lesson interesting, engaging, and relevant. So get
in there, dig in, and have some fun with your students while trying out these strategies and
lessons!

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 11

 Introduction

That’s a Wrap!
Strategy Overview

It is important to teach students how to study. Studying can be boring, primarily

because it involves repetition. But repetition is one of the keys to memory, as it makes
the connections in our brains stronger (Jensen 2005). Willis (2008) further developed
this idea by stating that when a greater number of neural connections are activated by
the stimulation of practice, an increased number of dendrites grow to strengthen the
connections between the neurons.

Strategy Insight
That’s a Wrap! is a strategy that helps students learn how to study and how to mix
up the repetition with a little fun. Students pull important information, put it into the
form of a question, and then write an interview in the form of a script. The interview
can be performed in front of the class or other classes, or students can practice at
home, using different voices.

Be sure to model. It takes guidance and practice to whittle down information

to the key facts or questions. Walk students through the steps to define what is
important instead of what is simply a fun fact. Do the facts directly help to answer the
essential questions?

As this strategy progresses, encourage students to think about and write questions
that are more open-ended than closed-ended. Ainsworth (2003) states that
open‑ended means more than one answer or solution. Closed-ended is one answer
or solution, often a yes/no response. Open-ended takes more time and more thinking
because several factors are taken into consideration; it is not just one simple answer.

If the teacher wants to know if students have moved the learning from working
memory to long-term memory, quiz them after 24 hours. If students can recall the
information or idea with no advance notification, then the content is making its way into
long-term storage. On the same note, this “pop quiz” can be used to check what they
remember, and it should not be graded. It is a formative assessment for students to
determine what they still need to study.

Teacher Notes
Ÿ Remember, emotions are a key to increasing memory, along with repetition. As
students write the script and rework it, they are repeatedly seeing the information.

Ÿ Model the cue often used by teachers: Pause when something key is about to be
presented. State, “This is important” or “This will be on the test.” If information is
written on the board, change colors when writing the important fact.

12 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

WPH Accordion
Strategy Overview

Think of a mystery story. Who or what is involved? What do you predict will
happen? What does happen? These questions make up the WPH Accordion
strategy. Each of these components plays a key part in motivation, engagement,
and memory.

Asking who or what is involved (W ) prepares our brains to think about the topic.
Who or what could be involved in the story, event, experiment, or solution? This
question piques our brain’s interest because we want to know. The brain likes to learn
(Willis 2008).

What do you predict (P) will happen? Our brains love to predict and to get it right.
When our predictions are right, dopamine receptors are activated and our brain
experiences that as pleasurable, which increases our reward response (Rock 2009).
Emotions come into play, which is important for long-term memory (Jensen 2005).
When our predictions are wrong, dopamine levels reduce and the brain works to
remember it correctly so it can have the pleasure from dopamine rising (Willis 2008).

What actually happens (H)? The brain receives the message whether the
prediction is right or not. Our brains use this information for future predictions. Did
what we think was going to happen occur?

Strategy Insight
When working with students, it is important to create a culture in which it is okay to
be wrong. Often, predictions are wrong; it is how we react that makes a difference.
What matters is what we do with that information. If students pull what they know from
background knowledge to figure out a mystery component and if they ask questions
based on what they know, then that is a start to making good predictions. Teachers
should empower students to become aware of what they know and what they are
thinking, and that being wrong tells their brains to pay attention to the correct way
(Flavell 1979; Willis 2008; Baker 2009).

Students work with topics that have a twist or an unexpected outcome. This allows
us to think logically about a solution and also pulls information from the creative side
of our brains. Teachers need to encourage students to do their own thinking, ask
questions, and work to figure out the result.

Teacher Notes
Ÿ Provide students the option to draw or write in order to meet the differentiation
needs of learners.

Ÿ You may need more than two sets of the WPH Accordion. If more than two sets
are needed, accordion-fold the other half-sheet of paper and tape it to the end of
the first accordion. This gives you four sets of W-P-H sections.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 13

 Introduction

Matchmaker
Strategy Overview

The importance of movement and having students get up out of their seats cannot
be emphasized enough. Thus, here is another strategy that allows our students to do
so. Matchmaker also provides students an opportunity to get repeated practice in
an environment in which the repetition is guided and correct. This means that when
students practice repeatedly, the likelihood of recall increases. A key factor here is
that it must be correct practice. When students do this activity with one another, they
are getting a chance to see repeated practice with automatic feedback provided
about whether they are correct or not.

Strategy Insight
Every student is given an address label to wear. Each label is a vocabulary word,
a concept, a formula, etc. On index cards are the matching definitions, illustrations,
examples, synonyms, etc.

Students wear the address labels and stand in a circle with the index cards on the
floor in the middle. Students hold hands and bend down to pick up an index card
with their connected hands. Without letting go, they have to get the card they picked
up to the correct person, according to his or her address label. This strategy can be
repeated as many times as you wish to help students practice.

Teacher Notes
Ÿ An alternative to this is for students to not hold hands when they pick up a card.
However, energy and engagement increase with the added challenge of holding
hands and not letting go.

Ÿ Be sure to listen in and encourage students to discuss disagreements or to have

them respond to a reason why a particular card goes with another card.

14 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

Just Say It
Strategy Overview

Working together and hearing thoughts and language are beneficial to all learners,
but these things can be especially beneficial to English language learners. Just Say
It permits students not only to use what they have read, written, or heard but to have a
chance to use listening skills for the content as well. A challenge layer to this strategy
is having students hold back on a response for a period of time. This allows the one
student to say what he or she needs to say before the partner inflicts his or her opinion
or factual information upon him or her. It teaches the skill of patience, listening, and
being open to others’ thoughts at the same time.

Strategy Insight
Students are to respond to their partners, providing feedback and information on a
given topic (e.g., a writing prompt, thoughts, an idea). Have students sit facing their
partners (sitting at desks is preferable). Identify Partner A as the person closest to
the front of the room and Partner B as the person closest to the back of room. Have
Partner A start. Partner A shares his or her thinking with Partner B as Partner B only
listens for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, Partner B responds to Partner A. They then
switch roles—Partner B shares while A listens. Then A provides insight or feedback.
Students should record (during or at the end) what their partners say for further
consideration and use that to write about the topic.

Teacher Notes
Ÿ You may wish to shorten or lengthen the time each partner has, depending upon
the topic and age.

Ÿ Using a timer, a train whistle, or a bell is a great way to help partners know when
to switch, since conversations may get lively or partners may tune out other
nearby sounds.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 15

 Introduction

Kinesthetic Word Webs

Strategy Overview

Movement is crucial to learning. We must move because the “sit-and-get” method

is overused and not as effective as when we have the chance to increase our oxygen
intake and shift the activity. Although there is no exact science as to the number of
minutes that elapse before we should move or change direction, no more than 20
minutes is an adequate amount of time for learning to occur before we do something
with what was learned (Schenck 2005). Our working memory can only hold so much
information before it becomes fatigued or bored (Sousa 2006). Thus, implementing
the suggested 20-minute time frame into teaching should help teachers to remember
the importance of chunking material and allowing time for the brain to process
material being learned.

We know what a web is on paper, but what is a Kinesthetic Word Web? It is a

strategy that gets students up and moving with the content of the lessons. Picture
a word web on paper. Now, turn the outer ovals on the word web into students
and imagine their arms touching the person’s shoulder in the center oval. That is a
Kinesthetic Word Web.

Strategy Insight
The Kinesthetic Word Webs strategy is designed to take a paper-and-pencil activity
and add movement and challenge to raise the level of engagement. As Wolfe and
Brandt (1998) state, “The brain likes a challenge!” It seeks patterns. Patterns are
required during this strategy in order to be successful.

Teacher Notes
Ÿ Be sure every student has a card. Do not worry about every student fitting into a
word web. If a student cannot be a part of a Kinesthetic Word Web because his
or her word has already appeared in the web or because there was not an exact
number of students for each set, they can explain where they would go and why.

Ÿ Caution: Some students do not like to be touched, so knowing students and their
backgrounds is very important. As an alternative, they can each place a fist on
a hip and connect elbow to elbow; they can extend a leg and touch foot to foot;
or you can provide 15 inches of string to each student, with the center student
holding one end of all the strings.

16 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

In the Know
Strategy Overview

The In the Know strategy allows for students to be involved in the process of
self-assessing their own learning. It helps take their learning to a metacognitive
level, where students are thinking about thinking (Siegel 2007). As students work
with content, they position labeled sticky notes that reflect their knowledge. When
students’ understanding increases, they move their sticky notes to another column to
show further growth. This should increase intrinsic motivation as they see how their
hard work pays off.

When students evaluate themselves and demonstrate achievement, teachers

should ask students to explain to them how their learning has grown. When teachers
use this strategy as a formative assessment, it helps to guide the next phase of
instruction.

Strategy Insight
In the Know helps students understand the importance of being cognitively aware
of what they are learning and what causes them to struggle. During this strategy,
students use a three-column graphic organizer to capture their current understanding
of content. Students label each sticky note with a vocabulary word, concept, skill, etc.
As they reflect on what they know about each label, they determine where to place
the sticky note. The far-left column represents labels they are not sure of and are not
competent enough to use accurately in their work. The middle column indicates when
they begin to gain an understanding or familiarity of what the label means, yet they
cannot use it appropriately in their work. The third column marks when students have
achieved a level of accomplishment or mastery in understanding the label.

It is important for students to take the time to celebrate their learning. When
students move their sticky notes to the next column to validate that their learning
has increased, they can pat themselves on the back for their achievements or
tell someone how they worked hard to understand the concept. This may occur
throughout the lesson, or toward the end of the study. This emotional attachment will
provide a boost of memory (Willingham 2009).

Teacher Notes
Ÿ Sticky notes are a novelty at first, and students will most likely play with them.
The good news is that the novelty will taper off. For younger students, it may be
better to keep their three-column chart in a folder until it is time to reassess their
learning.

Ÿ Ask students to justify each sticky note’s placement.

Ÿ Modify this strategy for younger students or students with disabilities by writing
sentences or designing a skit for the words that they have not mastered.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 17

 Introduction

Response Cards
Strategy Overview

This strategy allows the teacher to receive a response from each student within a
short time frame, and it provides the feedback you need to drive instruction. Once
students have responded, they discuss their thinking with partners. This is the
teacher’s opportunity to listen in on their conversations. If they got the answer right,
was it for the right reason? If it was wrong, where did their thinking go astray?

Post higher-order thinking question stems around the room. Teach students how
to use these stems to ask questions. If teachers want to raise the level of inquiry and
understanding, students need the resources to do so, which includes modeling how
to ask a question that taps into thinking and then allowing them to question (Hunter
1993). By doing this, students become more metacognitively aware by figuring
out the connections they made (Baker 2009). What did they know beforehand that
helped them connect the question asked to their response? If they were struggling
between two answers, what were they thinking that caused them to choose one
answer? Another great technique to encourage depth of thinking is to ask open-
ended questions, such as “Why?” or “How do you know?” (Sprenger 1999; Willis
2006). When students provide answers followed up by why or how do you know, their
initial reaction may be that they are wrong, which sends them into a thinking mode to
figure out where they went wrong. Share with students that they may not be wrong;
encourage them to think their answers through.

Strategy Insight
Response Cards are an alternate way to formatively assess students’ thinking
without using whiteboards. Since our brain’s attention piques with novelty, Response
Cards allow students to give teachers feedback in a different way. Students think
independently, respond, and then show their answers. Students receive premade
Response Cards that have answers on them, or older students can write the answers
themselves. Answers on the response cards should be written in the same location
so they can quickly be seen and checked for accuracy.

When students share their answers, it is important they justify their thinking. This
allows them to make connections and take the strategy to a higher level. The teacher
should listen to students as they talk with others to see if their thinking is correct.
This gives teachers an insight into their thinking. Plus, knowing teachers hold them
accountable helps with classroom management.

Teacher Notes
Ÿ When students share their thinking with partners, it is important to listen in to see if
there are any misconceptions or to find out who is struggling with the concept.

Ÿ Encourage students to know it is acceptable to question authority in a respectful

manner. Just because something is said by an authority figure does not mean it is
always right.

18 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

Reverse, Reverse!
Strategy Overview

Reverse, Reverse! is meant to be a challenging strategy. When students are

under stress, there will often be not only a chemical but a physical change in the
brain. Students must learn the skills to deal with stress, but in a safe and friendly
environment. In this strategy, students will practice the speed and fluency of facts,
but they will do so under pressure—a pressure that you can adjust or increase,
depending upon the topic and age level of your students.

Strategy Insight
Students sit or stand in a circle. They are given a topic and asked to brainstorm
what they know about that topic. One student begins by sharing a fact about the
topic. Going clockwise, the next student must quickly say another fact related to the
one just stated. If the student pauses more than five seconds or states an incorrect
fact, the student who just finished must state the next fact (reversing the direction
of participation). One student sits out to judge the facts and make sure rules are
followed. Continue until participation stalls. For example, a math activity using this
strategy can include counting by threes. The first student says, “3;” the next student
says, “6;” the next says, “9.” If the following student says, “13,” the rotation reverses
to the previous student, who must say, “Reverse,” and must also say the correct
answer, “12.” The responses are now going counterclockwise. An example of using
this strategy in social studies can include the three branches of government. The
first student might say, “Legislative branch;” the second says, “Makes the laws;” the
third student says, “Congress;” and the fourth says, “Checks and balances.” The
judge (student sitting out) can halt the flow to ask how the response relates to a
previously said fact. If justified, the round continues. Reverse, Reverse! continues
until a predetermined amount of clock time or number of times around the circle has
been met.

Teacher Notes
Ÿ It is important to set the stage for students to feel safe when using this strategy.
You may wish to take out the reverse portion at first and work on just the speed.
Add the extra layer of difficulty for novelty and time-pressured practice.

Ÿ For younger students, you may choose to not have the next student say,
“Reverse,” but instead state the correct fact.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 19

 Introduction

How to Use This Book

Lesson Overview
The following lesson components are in each lesson and establish the flow and success of the lessons.

Icons state the brain-powered The standard indicates the

strategy and one of the four objective for the lesson.
content areas addressed
in the book: language arts,
mathematics, science, Matchmaker
A materials list identifies the
or social studies. een the Line
s components of the lesson.
Read Betw
y Standards in a text when
red Strateg ls and examples
Brain-Powe Refer to detai when
explic itly and
the text says

Each lesson revolves around

explaining what text
Matchmaker nces from the
drawing infere

Materia ls
Many lessons contain a
one of the eight brain-powered
s Set 1
Words een the Lines Card
Vocabulary • Read Betw
8)
(pages 67–6

preparation note that

• explic itly Cards Set 2
een the Lines
• Read Betw

strategies in this book. Be sure

• inference (pages 69–7
6)

• text details

indicates action needed prior

• tape
• text example r text examples
• subject matte

to review the description of each and cut apart

the Read Betw
een the Lines
6) .
Cards Set 1

to implementing the lessons.

the lesso n, copy (pages 69–7
Note: Prior to Cards Set 2
Preparation Betw een the Lines

strategy found on pages 12–19.

8) and the Read
(pages 67–6

Procedures
nts that they
are excellent
Be sure to review these
3. Point out to stude probably
Model
notes to ensure a successful
do it all the time,
that good reade
rs draw at inferring and end you go
ing it . Say, “Pret
1. Review the idea
about what they
read . It without realiz
t and ask if you
can have

Vocabulary that will be

conclusions rstand up to your paren end . Maybe
are able to unde to play this week
means that they they read that a friend over end .

delivery of the lesson.

the information we have a busy week
things about infer . your parent says
we need to do
tly; they can to do this, then
isn’t stated direc First we need we also need
that is done,

addressed in the lesson is called nts that autho

rs often that, and once thing .” Ask,
we do this other
2. Explain to stude hints that help
you to “read to make sure
t tell you yes or no? Did
give clues or ing, or using “Did your paren he or she
lines .” By inferr lly say it or did
between the elf make he or she actua
you help yours

out in case extra support

,
these clues conclusions imply it?”
ge and draw

The model section of the

sense of a passa
about meaning .

is needed. lesson provides teachers

All Learners
65
the opportunity to model
ns to Engage

The procedures provide what is expected of students

wered Lesso
#51181—Brain-Po
tion
© Shell Educa

step‑by‑step instructions on and what needs to be

how to implement the lessons accomplished throughout the
successfully. lesson.

Matchmaker

Read Betw
een the Line
s (cont.)
4. Repeat Step
3 with other exam
you are sure ples until

The apply/analyze section of the lesson provides

that students
understand . 8. Once students
have completed
5. Tell students of the game,
have them mix
one round
that they will and play again up the cards
strategy called be doing a , as time allow
Matchmaker. students to not s . Instruct
information on (For detailed

students with the opportunity to apply what they are

this strategy, pick the same
see page 14 .) before . In the card they had
last round, have
pick up the card students
Apply/Ana that matches
lyze them .
6. Eva luate/C

learning as they analyze the content and work toward

Divide stude
nts into group
s of eight . Have
reate
them stand in
group should
a circle . Each
student per 9. Give each stude
wear a differ nt sample parag
Read Between ent card from subject matte raphs from
the Lines Card r texts being
Have each make used in class

creating a personal connection.

(pages 67–6 s Set 1 and share an .
8), using tape based on the inference
label to stude to secure the author’s clues
nts' clothing . .
7. Place a set of
10. If time allows,
Read Between have each stude
Cards Set 2 the Lines a paragraph nt write
(pages 69–7 giving clues
6) on the floor which he or she to a reader in
in the center can make infere
of each circle conclusions . nces or
students that . Explain to
they will hold
down to pick hands and bend
up a card, but
Without lettin not their own .
g go, they will
card they picke have to get the
d up to the corre
according to ct person,
the card pinne
d to them .

The evaluate/create section of the lesson provides

students with the opportunity to think critically about
the work of others and then to take ownership of their
learning by designing the content in a way that makes
sense to them.
66 #51181—Brain-Po
wered Lesso
ns to Engage
All Learners
© Shell Educa
tion

20 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

How to Use This Book (cont.)

Lesson Overview (cont.)

Some lessons require activity cards to be

used. You may wish to laminate the activity
cards for added durability. Be sure to R ea d B Matchm
aker

etween
the Lin
es Card
read the preparation note in each lesson to Teacher
Directio
ns: Cut
apart the
Set 1 s

prepare the activity cards, when applicable.

cards be
low .

The subj
ect
powerful has a
sens
of smell . e The subj
strong, po ect has
werful le
gs .
Matchmaker

s
een the Lines Card
Read Betw
Set 2
There ar
w . em
Teacher Dire
ctions: Cut apa
rt the cards belo of the su any types
bject le There ar
be found . ft to em
subject on ore of the
any othe Earth than
r living th
Matchm
aker ing .

n smell us! It’s R ea d B

Mosquitos ca . etwee n the L
t gives us away
© Shell Edu
cation

ines Ca
our breath tha e Set 1 rds
animals breath
#51181—
Bra in-Powe

Humans and
red Lessons (cont.)
to Engage
All Learner
s

d carbon
67

out a gas calle os can sense

uit
dioxide . Mosq
e from up to
carbon dioxid d
. They also fin
100 feet away
The subj
ect
s by he at, movement, important is
victim food prod to You can’
smells . t feel the
and other body
uction .
subjects
bite .

69
All Learners
ns to Engage
wered Lesso
#51181—Brain-Po

© Shell Educa
tion
The larg
er the
the more animal,
of
subject it the The subj
ect can
has .
anywhere live
.

Activity sheets are included for lessons that 68

#51181—
Brain-Powe
red Lessons
to Engage
All Learner
s

require them. They are to be used either in © Shell Edu

cation

groups, individually, or just by the teacher. If

students are working in groups, encourage
them to create a group name to label the
activity sheet

All of the activity sheets and additional

teacher resources can be found on the
For use
with either
Macintosh®
or Windows®

Digital Resource CD. SEP 51229

Digital Resource CD—Fourth Grade

This CD contains reproducible teacher resource materials
and student activity pages .

© 2014 Shell Education

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 21

 Introduction

How to Use This Book (cont.)

Implementing Higher-Order Thinking in the Lessons

What Is Higher-Order Thinking?

Higher-order thinking occurs on a different level than memorizing facts or telling
something back to someone exactly the way it was told (Thomas and Thorne 2009). As
educators, it is important to be aware of the level of thinking that students are asked to do. If
teachers record the number of questions they ask students on a recall or restate level as well
as how many were asked at a higher level, they may be surprised at the imbalance. How do
they expect students to think at a higher level if they are not challenged with higher‑order
questions and problems? Students should be given questions and assignments that require
higher-order thinking.

Higher-order thinking also involves critical thinking. If teachers want students to

remember facts and think critically, they need to have them be engaged and working
with the content at a higher level so that it creates understanding and depth. In addition,
higher‑order thinking and critical thinking are imperative to 21st century skills. Employers
want workers who can problem-solve and work cooperatively to find multiple solutions.
The lessons in this resource gradually place more ownership of the learning process in the
hands of students as they simultaneously move through higher-order thinking.

Bloom’s Taxonomy and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge

Throughout the history of education, structures were created to guide teachers in ways to
evoke higher-order thinking. Two of the more popular structures are Bloom’s Taxonomy and
Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK).

Benjamin Bloom developed Bloom’s Taxonomy as a way to classify educational learning

objectives in a hierarchy. In 2001, Lorin Anderson, a former student of Bloom’s, worked
with some teachers to revise Bloom’s original taxonomy by changing the terminology into
verbs and switching the top two levels so that create (synthesis) is at the top and evaluate
(evaluation) is just below (Overbaugh and Schultz n.d.).

Norman Webb created Depth of Knowledge in 1997 in order to assist with aligning the
depth and complexity of a standard with its assessment. This structure focuses on how the
verb is used in the context of what is asked of the student (Webb 2005). DOK correlates
with Backwards Planning (Wiggins and McTighe 2005) in that the standards are addressed
first and then an assessment that targets the standards is developed or selected.

22 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

How to Use This Book (cont.)

It is important that teachers instruct students at cognitive levels that meet their needs
while challenging them, as well. Whether students are below level, on level, or above
level, teachers should use the tools necessary to help them succeed. Using Webb’s DOK
gives us the tools to look at the end result and tie complexity to the assessment. Bloom’s
Taxonomy helps to guide depth of assignments and questions. Where the two meet is
with the word complexity. Complexity is rigor. Complexity is the changing of levels within
Bloom’s, and DOK is the amount of depth of thinking that must occur. We want rigor, and
thus, we want complexity in our teachings.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Webb’s Depth of Knowledge

Knowledge/Remembering Recall

The recall of specifics and universals, The recall of a fact, information, or

involving little more than bringing to mind procedure (e.g., What are three critical-skill
the appropriate material. cues for the overhand throw?).
Comprehension/Understanding Skill/Concept

The ability to process knowledge on a The use of information, conceptual

low level such that the knowledge can be knowledge, procedures, two or more steps,
reproduced or communicated without a etc.
verbatim repetition.
Application/Applying Strategy Thinking

The ability to use information in another Requires reasoning, developing a plan, or

familiar situation. sequence of steps; has some complexity;
more than one possible answer.
Analysis/Analyzing Extended Thinking

The ability to break information into parts to Requires an investigation as well as time to
explore understandings and relationships. think and process multiple conditions of the
problem or task.
Synthesis and Evaluation/Evaluating
and Creating

Putting together elements and parts to form

a whole and then making value judgements
about the method.

Adapted from Wyoming School Health and Physical Education (2001)

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 23

 Introduction

Correlation to the Standards

Shell Education is committed to producing educational materials that are research and
standards based. In this effort, we have correlated all of our products to the academic
standards of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Dependents
Schools, and all Canadian provinces.

How to Find Standards Correlations

To print a customized correlation report of this product for your state, visit our website
at http://www.shelleducation.com and follow the on-screen directions. If you require
assistance in printing correlation reports, please contact our Customer Service department
at 1-877-777-3450.

Purpose and Intent of Standards

Legislation mandates that all states adopt academic standards that identify the skills
students will learn in kindergarten through grade twelve. Many states also have standards
for Pre–K. This same legislation sets requirements to ensure the standards are detailed and
comprehensive.

Standards are designed to focus instruction and guide adoption of curricula. Standards
are statements that describe the criteria necessary for students to meet specific academic
goals. They define the knowledge, skills, and content students should acquire at each level.
Standards are also used to develop standardized tests to evaluate students’ academic
progress. Teachers are required to demonstrate how their lessons meet state standards.
State standards are used in the development of all of our products, so educators can be
assured they meet the academic requirements of each state.

Common Core State Standards

Many lessons in this book are aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The
standards support the objectives presented throughout the lessons and are provided on the
Digital Resource CD (filename: standards.pdf).

TESOL and WIDA Standards

The lessons in this book promote English language development for English language
learners. The standards listed on the Digital Resource CD (filename: standards.pdf) support
the language objectives presented throughout the lessons.

24 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

Standards Chart
Common Core State Standard Lesson(s)
Reading: Literature.4.1—Refer to details and It’s in the Details p. 43; Read
examples in a text when explaining what the text Between the Lines p. 65
says explicitly and when drawing inferences from
the text
Reading: Literature.4.5—Explain major Poetic Elements p. 125
differences between poems, drama, and prose,
and refer to the structural elements of poems and
drama when writing or speaking about a text
Reading: Informational Text.4.1—Refer to Text Support p. 148
details and examples in a text when explaining
what the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text
Reading: Informational Text.4.5—Describe the Nonfiction Text Structure p. 135
overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison,
cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas,
concepts, or information in a text or part of a text
Writing.4.1—Write opinion pieces on topics or That’s My Opinion p. 29
texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and
information
Writing.4.3.a—Orient the reader by establishing Can You Predict? p. 39
a situation and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; organize an event sequence that
unfolds naturally
Writing.4.3.b—Use dialogue and description Dialogue and Description p. 77
to develop experiences and events or show the
responses of characters to situations
Writing.4.3.c—Use a variety of transitional words Transitions p. 45
and phrases to manage the sequence of events
Math.4.NBT.1—Recognize that in a multi-digit The Power of a Place p. 99
whole number, a digit in one place represents ten
times what it represents in the place to its right
Math.4.NBT.5—Multiply a whole number of up Equations, Expressions, and Visual
to four digits by a one-digit whole number, and Representations p. 37; Many Ways to
multiply two two-digit numbers, using strategies Multiply p. 80
based on place value and the properties of
operations. Illustrate and explain the calculation
by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or
area models

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 25

 Introduction

Standards Chart (cont.)

Common Core State Standard Lesson(s)

a Equivalent, Equivalent! p. 138
Math.4.NF.1—Explain why a fraction b is
nxa
equivalent to a fraction ( n x b ) by using visual
fraction models, with attention to how the number
and size of the parts differ even though the two
fractions themselves are the same size. Use this
principle to recognize and generate equivalent
fractions
Math.4.G.2—Classify two-dimensional figures Figures and Attributes p. 121
based on the presence or absence of parallel or
perpendicular lines, or the presence or absence
of angles of a specified size

Recognize right triangles as a category, and

identify right triangles

McREL Standard Lesson(s)

Science 3.2—Knows that the Earth is one of Phases of the Moon p. 59
several planets that orbit the Sun and that the
Moon orbits the Earth
Science 5.1—Knows that plants and animals Life Cycle of Plants p. 144
progress through life cycles of birth, growth and
development, reproduction, and death; the details
of these life cycles are different for different
organisms
Science 8.3—Knows that substances can All About Changes p. 131
be classified by their physical and chemical
properties (e.g., magnetism, conductivity, density,
solubility, boiling and melting points)
Science 9—Understands the sources and Energy Abound p. 109
properties of energy
Science 11.2—Knows that good scientific Talking About Conclusions p. 87
explanations are based on evidence
(observations) and scientific knowledge
Science 12—Understands the nature of scientific Skills of a Scientist p. 123
inquiry
History 3.2—Understands geographic, Exploration and Settlement of the
economic, and religious reasons that brought the States p. 35
first explorers and settlers to the state or region,
who they were, and where they settled

26 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Introduction

Standards Chart (cont.)

McREL Standard Lesson(s)

History 3.10—Understands how the ideas of Key People in State History p. 41
significant people affected the history of the state
Civics 8.2—Understands the basic principles It’s Your Right! p. 127
of American democracy; right to life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness; responsibility for the
common good; equality of opportunity and equal
protection of the law; freedom of speech and
religion; majority rule with protection for minority
rights; and limitations on government, with power
held by the people and delegated by them to
those officials whom they elected to office
Civics 17.2—Knows the major responsibilities of Three Branches of Government
the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches p. 90
of his/her state government
Geography 2.1—Knows major physical and Our State’s Features p. 118
human features of places as they are represented
on maps and globes

TESOL and WIDA Standard Lesson(s)

English language learners communicate for All lessons
social, intercultural, and instructional purposes
within the school setting.
English language learners communicate All lessons
information, ideas, and concepts necessary for
academic success in the area of language arts.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 27

 Introduction

Content Area Correlations Chart

Content Area Lessons

Reading It’s in the Details p. 43; Read Between the

Lines p. 65; Nonfiction Text Structure
p. 135; Text Support p. 148
That’s My Opinion p. 29; Can You Predict?
Writing
p. 39; Transitions p. 45; Dialogue and
Description p. 77; Poetic Elements p. 125

Math Equations, Expressions, and Visual

Representations p. 37; Many Ways to
Multiply p. 80; The Power of a Place p. 99;
Figures and Attributes p. 121; Equivalent,
Equivalent! p. 138

Social Studies Exploration and Settlement of the States

p. 35; Key People in State History p. 41;
Three Branches of Government p. 90; Our
State’s Features p. 118; It’s Your Right!
p. 127

Science Phases of the Moon p. 59; Talking About

Conclusions p. 87; Energy Abound
p. 109; Skills of a Scientist p. 123; All About
Changes p. 131; Life Cycle of Plants p. 144

28 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

 That’s a Wrap!

ThatÕs My Opinion
Brain-Powered Strategy Standard
That’s a Wrap! Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting
a point of view with reasons and information

Vocabulary Words Materials

• evidence • That’s My Opinion Cards (pages 31–34)

• hook • index cards

• persuade • hole punch

• position • yarn or metal ring

• thesis • interview props (optional)

Preparation Note: Prior to the lesson, cut apart the That’s My Opinion Cards (pages 31–34).

Procedures

Model
1. Review the parts of a persuasive essay or 4. Transition to the lesson by asking students
opinion piece with students. about their study habits. Explain that a
lot of times, we think we know something
2. Using the persuasive essay model, tell because it looks familiar, but we do not
students that you think the school year really know it.
should be extended so that summer
vacation is only two weeks long. Use 5. Help students identify the parts of an
reasons and evidence to support your opinion piece and rank their importance.
opinion such as summer brain drain and
your desire for students to be able to 6. Choose a few of the parts and turn them
compete globally. into questions and answers that are written
in complete sentences. Use a few of the
3. Ask students to share their opinions on the That’s My Opinion Cards to model how
matter and back it up with evidence and to turn the parts of an opinion piece into
support as they would if they were writing questions and answers.
opinion pieces.
7. Tell students that they will be doing a
strategy called That’s a Wrap! (For detailed
information on this strategy, see page 12.)

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 29

 That’s a Wrap!

ThatÕs My Opinion (cont.)

Apply/Analyze
8. Using the study guide, notes, handouts, 13. Allow each group an opportunity to be
charts, or other resources, have students interviewed by those in the audience. The
practice using the parts of an opinion piece audience should ask questions they heard
to write questions. Distribute index cards from the presenters’ scripts. Encourage
to students, and have them write complete presenters not to look at their scripts for the
questions on the fronts of the cards and answers so that they begin to understand
answers on the backs. Use a hole punch the difference between “know” and “still
and join the cards together with yarn or a need to learn.” If students do not know an
metal ring. Tell students that they will use answer, teach them to say, “That’s a great
these questions later to write a script for a question! Let me find out,” and have them
mock interview. write down the question. At the end of
each interview, have students say, “That’s
a Wrap!”
Evaluate/Create
9. Once students have recorded some
questions, pause. Ask them to confirm with
partners why the questions are important
and justify why they “really need to know”
the answers. Model how to determine
importance, if necessary.

10. Using the questions they identified as

“really need to know,” have students work in
small groups to write scripts as if they were
giving interviews.

11. Have students work in small groups to

determine their roles. They can choose
famous people, someone in the school, or
make up names that relate to the matter,
such as Mr. O. Pinion, Mrs. Ida Liketo
Tellyou, or Ms. Evi Dence.

12. Students may create props to make the

interviews even greater successes. Allow
them to dress up or use fake microphones
for the interviews.

30 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

 That’s a Wrap!

ThatÕs My Opinion Cards

Teacher Directions: Cut apart the cards below.

How can you identify You can identify what

what a writing prompt a writing prompt is
is asking? asking by ______.

What should you do You should ______

before forming an before forming an
opinion or position opinion or position
on a topic? on a topic.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 31

 That’s a Wrap!

ThatÕs My Opinion Cards (cont.)

How do you focus To focus on a prompt

on a prompt when writing an
when writing an opinion piece, you
opinion piece? can ______.

How can you

hook an audience To hook the
and get them audience, you
interested in reading can ______.
your opinion?

32 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

 That’s a Wrap!

ThatÕs My Opinion Cards (cont.)

How can you

You can connect
connect related ideas
related
when you are writing
ideas by ______.
an opinion piece?

How should You should introduce

you introduce a a thesis statement
thesis statement? by ______.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 33

 That’s a Wrap!

ThatÕs My Opinion Cards (cont.)

Body paragraphs are

How do you structure
structured by first
a body paragraph in
stating ______ then
opinion writing?
______.

Concluding
How do you structure paragraphs are
a conclusion in structured by first
opinion writing? referring to the
______ then ______.

34 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

 That’s a Wrap!

Exploration and Settlement

of the States
Brain-Powered Strategy Standard
Understands geographic, economic, and religious
That’s a Wrap!
reasons that brought the first explorers and
settlers to the state or region, who they were, and
where they settled

Vocabulary Words Materials

• expedition • index cards

• manifest destiny • hole punch

• missionary • yarn or metal ring

• navigate • interview props (optional)

• territory

Preparation Note: Prior to the lesson, be sure students have learned about exploration and
settlement of the states.

Procedures

Model
1. After students have learned about the 3. Say, “Today we will learn one way to
exploration and settlement of the states, study by practicing how to take important
access students’ background knowledge information and turn it into a question.
by asking them, “What would cause you to Thinking back on all that we have learned
leave home and look for a new frontier?” about exploration and settlement of
Allow students time to share their answers the states, tell me what you can recall.”
with the class. Record student responses Record any names, places, and events
on the board. students remember.

2. Transition to the lesson by asking students 4. Help students rank the importance of each
about their study habits. Explain that a fact. Choose a few of the parts and turn
lot of times, we think we know something them into questions and answers that are
because it looks familiar, but we do not written in complete sentences.
really know it.
5. Tell students that they will be doing a
strategy called That’s a Wrap! (For detailed
information on this strategy, see page 12.)

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 35

 That’s a Wrap!

Exploration and Settlement

of the States (cont.)

Apply/Analyze
6. Using the study guide, notes, handouts, 11. Allow each group an opportunity to be
charts, or other resources, have students interviewed by those in the audience. The
practice writing the facts in the form of audience should ask questions they heard
questions and answers. Distribute index from the presenters’ scripts. Encourage
cards to students, and have them write presenters not to look at their scripts for the
complete questions on the fronts of the answers so that they begin to understand
cards and answers on the backs. Use a the difference between “know” and “still
hole punch and join the cards together need to learn.” If students do not know an
with yarn or a metal ring. Tell students that answer, teach them to say, “That’s a great
they will use these questions later to write question! Let me find out,” and have them
scripts for mock interviews. write down the question. At the end of
each interview, have students say, “That’s
a Wrap!”
Evaluate/Create
7. Once students have recorded some
questions, ask them to confirm with
partners why the questions are important
and to justify why they “really need to know”
the answers. Model how to determine
importance, if necessary.

8. Using the questions they identified as

“really need to know,” have students work in
small groups to write scripts as if they were
conducting interviews.

9. Have students work in small groups to

determine their roles. They can choose
famous people, someone in the school, or
make up names that relate to the matter,
such as Mr. Trade Post, Mrs. Imi Grant, or
Ms. Terry Torri. Students can ask each
other questions for practice.

10. Students may create props to make the

interviews even greater successes. Allow
them to dress up or use fake microphones
for the interviews.

36 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

 That’s a Wrap!

Equations, Expressions,
and Visual Representations
Brain-Powered Strategy Standards
That’s a Wrap! Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a
one-digit whole number, and multiply two two-digit
numbers, using strategies based on place value
and the properties of operations

Illustrate and explain the calculation by using

equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models

Vocabulary Words Materials

• area models • index cards

• arrays • hole punch

• factor • yarn or metal ring

• product • interview props (optional)

• properties of operations

Preparation Note: Prior to the lesson, be sure students have had some experience with equations
and expressions.

Procedures

Model
1. After students have learned about 3. Transition to the lesson by asking students
the relationship between equations, about their study habits. Explain that a
expressions, and visual representations, lot of times, we think we know something
access students’ background knowledge because it looks familiar, but we do not
by asking them, “What steps do you do to really know it.
begin visualizing what an expression or
equation would look like?” 4. Say, “Today we will learn one way to
study by practicing how to take important
2. Allow students time to share their answers information and turn it into questions.
with the class. Record student responses Thinking back on all that we have learned
on the board. about the relationship between equations,
expressions, and visual representations,
tell me what you can recall.” Record
the key vocabulary, steps, and other key
information they remember.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 37

 That’s a Wrap!

Equations, Expressions,
and Visual Representations (cont.)

5. Help students rank the importance of each. 11. Students may create props to make the
Choose a few of the parts and turn them interviews even greater successes. Allow
into questions and answers that are written them to dress up or use fake microphones
in complete sentences. for the interviews.

6. Tell students that they will be doing a 12. Allow each group an opportunity to be
strategy called That’s a Wrap! (For detailed interviewed by those in the audience. The
information on this strategy, see page 12.) audience should ask questions they heard
from the presenters’ scripts. Encourage
presenters not to look at their scripts for the
Apply/Analyze answers so that they begin to understand
7. Using the study guide, notes, handouts, the difference between “know” and “still
charts, or other resources, have students need to learn.” If students do not know an
practice writing the key information in the answer, teach them to say, “That’s a great
form of questions and answers. Distribute question! Let me find out,” and have them
index cards to students, and have them write down the question. At the end of
write complete questions on the fronts of each interview, have students say, “That’s
the cards and answers on the backs. Use a Wrap!”
a hole punch and join the cards together
with yarn or a metal ring. Tell students that
they will use these questions later to write
scripts for mock interviews.

Evaluate/Create
8. Once students have recorded some
questions, pause. Ask them to confirm with
partners why the questions are important
and to justify why they “really need to know”
the answers. Model how to determine
importance, if necessary.

9. Using the questions they identified as

“really need to know,” have students work in
small groups to write scripts as if they were
conducting an interviews.

10. Have students work in small groups to

determine their roles. They can choose
famous people, someone in the school, or
make up names that relate to the matter,
such as Mr. Factor, Mrs. Multiple, or Ms.
D. Property. Students can ask each other
questions for practice.

38 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

 WPH Accordion

Can You Predict?

Brain-Powered Strategy Standard
WPH Accordion Orient the reader by establishing a situation and
introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize
an event sequence that unfolds naturally

Vocabulary Words Materials

• characters • narrative book with sequence of events
(e.g., Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg)
• narrator
• sticky notes
• orientation
• sample rough drafts of student narratives
• sequence
• half sheets of paper (cut horizontally)
• situation
• colored pencils or crayons

Preparation Note: Prior to the lesson, use sticky notes to mark a point or points in the chosen
narrative that stop at a “cliff-hanger.”

Procedures

Model
1. Review what a narrative story is. Ask 3. Read aloud the selected narrative text that
students to describe the elements of a demonstrates sequencing. Read the first
narrative and what makes it different than few pages to give students an idea of who
another type of writing such as persuasive. or what the story is about. Think aloud,
Explain that enjoyable narratives give “The first few pages of the story tell me that
readers clues as to what is going to this book is probably about the kids, Peter
happen, but don’t make it too obvious. and Judy. As I read some more, I find that
clues confirm I am right.”
2. Draw a three-column chart on the board.
Put a W in the first column, a P in the 4. Write Peter and Judy in the W column.
next column, and an H in the last column. For the P column, think aloud as you read
Create illustrations to remind students what various parts of the text, so students get a
each column represents, such as a face for feel for what might happen with the game
the W column, an arrow pointing to the right Jumanji. Ask students to record their
(future) for the P, and three horizontal lines predictions in the P column. Tell students
by the H for a list of what happened. that if you continue reading, you will find out
what happens, but you are not ready to do
that (leave a cliff-hanger).

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 39

 WPH Accordion

Can You Predict? (cont.)

5. Tell students that they will be doing a 11. In their groups, have students read the first
strategy called WPH Accordion. (For few paragraphs of the narrative aloud to
detailed information on this strategy, see determine who or what is involved. Record
page 13.) the information on the W section. Have
students stop reading after a few more
paragraphs and record their own thoughts
Apply/Analyze in the P section for what they think will
6. Divide students into groups of three. Give happen. Share group members’ predictions
each group a different set of student and record all thoughts.
narratives. Distribute the half sheets of
paper to students. 12. Prompt students to read and discover what
happens and record their findings in the H
7. Instruct students to fold the paper in half section.
and then in half again to create four equal
sections. Then, have them bend the first 13. Jigsaw students so that there is at least one
crease back, second crease forward, and story representative in each group. Have
so on, in order to create an accordion students share what they learned about
effect. each narrative.

8. Have students turn the closed paper so that Evaluate/Create

the first fold is at the top. While keeping
the paper closed to the other sections, have 14. To debrief, ask students to discuss the
students write down the title of the story questions below. Guide them, as needed,
in the front section with colored pencils or to see patterns that will help them when
crayons. writing their own narratives:

9. On the second section, have students label • Did the author provide clues that could
a W in a corner for who or what is involved, help you accurately predict the sequence
and draw a face. On the third section, have of events?
students label the corner P for predict, • Were the clues too obvious or too hidden?
and draw an arrow pointed to the right,
indicating the future. • Did the sequence of events make sense?

• What clues might you have added (or

10. For the last section, instruct students to
eliminated) to help the reader predict
label an H in the corner, and draw three
accurately?
short horizontal parallel lines to list what
happens. • How does this help you as you set out to
write your next narrative?

• How does this affect you as a reader?

15. Have students create WPH charts prior to

their next narrative writing experience to
help them add clues to guide their readers.

40 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

 WPH Accordion

Key People in State History

Brain-Powered Strategy Standard
WPH Accordion Understands how the ideas of significant people
affected the history of the state

Vocabulary Words Materials

• culture • short biographies or paragraphs about
significant people in state history
• founder
• half sheets of paper (cut horizontally)
• influence
• colored pencils or crayons

Procedures

Model
1. Introduce the idea that there have been 4. Write the name of the person in the W
significant people in your state history. column. For the P column, think aloud as
Explain that without the influence of these you read on, so students get a feel for how
people, places, laws, and even some cities that person has had an influence in state
might be different. Tell students that they history. Tell students that if you continue
will learn about a few people today and how reading, you will find out what happens,
they influenced the state. but you are not ready to do that (leave a
cliff‑hanger).
2. Draw a three-column chart on the board.
Put a W in the first column, a P in the 5. Tell students that they will be doing a
next column, and an H in the last column. strategy called WPH Accordion. (For
Create illustrations to remind students what detailed information on this strategy, see
each column represents, such as a face for page 13.)
the W column, an arrow pointing to the right
(future) for the P, and three horizontal lines Apply/Analyze
by the H for a list of what happened.
6. Divide students into groups of three. Give
3. Read aloud a portion of one biography each group a paragraph or short biography.
or another paragraph about a significant Distribute the half sheets of paper to
person in your state history. Read the first students.
few sentences to give students an idea
of who or what the story is about. Think 7. Instruct students to fold the paper in half
aloud, “The first few sentences of the and then in half again to create four equal
paragraph tell me that this is about ______. sections. Then, have them bend the first
As I read some more, I find that clues crease back, second crease forward, and
confirm that I am right.” so on, in order to create an accordion
effect.

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 41

 WPH Accordion

Key People in State History (cont.)

8. Have students turn the closed paper so that Evaluate/Create

the first fold is at the top. While keeping
the paper closed to the other sections, have 14. To debrief, ask students to discuss the
students write down the name of your state questions below. Guide them, as needed,
in the front section with colored pencils or to see patterns that will help them when
crayons. writing their own narratives:

• Was your prediction on target?

9. On the second section, have students label
a W in a corner for who or what is involved, • Is it all right to have a wrong prediction?
and draw a face. On the third section, have
• Did your predictions make sense?
students label the corner P for predict,
and draw an arrow pointed to the right, • What clues or prior knowledge led you to
indicating the future. predict accurately?

10. For the last section, instruct students to • What clues did you miss that would have
label an H in the corner, and draw three helped you create a more accurate
short horizontal parallel lines to list what prediction?
happens.
• How did your thinking change? What
caused it to change?
11. In their groups, have students read the
first few sentences of the paragraph or • Did prior knowledge help you with learning
biography aloud to determine who or new knowledge?
what is involved. Record the information
on the W section. Have students stop 15. Have students research different historical
reading after a few more sentences, and figures and create biographies making sure
record their own thoughts in the P section to include clues to help the readers predict
for what they think will happen. Share accurately.
group members’ predictions and record all
thoughts.

12. Prompt students to read and discover what

happens, and record their findings in the H
section.

13. Jigsaw students so that there is at least one

story representative in each group. Have
students share what they learned about
WV

each person. Charleston

42 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

 WPH Accordion

ItÕs in the Details

Brain-Powered Strategy Standard
WPH Accordion Refer to details and examples in a text when
explaining what the text says explicitly and when
drawing inferences from the text

Vocabulary Words Materials

• explicitly • variety of nonfiction passages that use the text
structure of main idea/details
• inferences
• sticky notes
• text details
• half sheets of paper (cut horizontally)
• text examples
• colored pencils or crayons

Preparation Note: Prior to the lesson, use sticky notes to mark passages in the reading material that
stop at a point where students can use clues to make accurate predictions.

Procedures

Model
1. Show students the various reading material 3. Choose one of the texts. Read aloud the
you have chosen. Ask them to describe first few paragraphs to give students an
what they know about each of the texts idea of who or what the text is about. Think
based on the covers, titles, and text feature aloud, “The title of the text and the text
descriptions. Explain that today they will features tell me that this text is probably
practice being active readers and learn to about ______. As I read some more, I find
pay better attention to clues that authors that details confirm that I am right.”
give them about the main idea and details.
4. Write the main idea in the W column for
2. Draw a three-column chart on the board. who or what. For the P column, think aloud
Put a W in the first column, a P in the as you read on, so students get a feel for a
next column, and an H in the last column. few of the details the author is giving. Tell
Create illustrations to remind students what students that if you continue reading, you
each column represents, such as a face for will find out what happens, but you are not
the W column, an arrow pointing to the right ready to do that (leave a cliff-hanger).
(future) for the P, and three horizontal lines
by the H for a list of what happened. 5. Tell students that they will be doing a
strategy called WPH Accordion. (For
detailed information on this strategy, see
page 13.)

© Shell Education #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners 43

 WPH Accordion

ItÕs in the Details (cont.)

Apply/Analyze
6. Divide students into groups of five. Give 13. Jigsaw students so that there is at least one
each group a text, and distribute a half text in each group. Have students share
sheet of paper to each student. what they learned about each text.

7. Instruct students to fold the paper in half

Evaluate/Create
and then in half again to create four equal
sections. Then, have them bend the first 14. To debrief, ask students to discuss the
crease back, second crease forward, and questions below. Guide them, as needed,
so on, in order to create an accordion to see patterns that will help them when
effect. writing their own narratives:

8. Instruct students to turn the closed paper • Was your prediction on target?
so that the first fold is at the top. While
• Is it all right to have a wrong prediction?
keeping the paper closed to the other
sections, have students write down Text • Did your predictions make sense?
Features on the front section with colored
pencils or crayons. • What clues or prior knowledge led you to
predict accurately?
9. On the second section, have students label • What clues did you miss that would have
a W in a corner for who or what is involved, helped you create a more accurate
and draw a face. On the third section, have prediction?
students label the corner P for predict,
and draw an arrow pointed to the right, • How did your thinking change?
indicating the future.
• Did prior knowledge help you with learning
new knowledge?
10. For the last section, instruct students to
label an H in the corner and draw three
15. Have students find partners. Working
short horizontal parallel lines to list what
in pairs, have students share what they
happens.
learned and create bulletin boards for
others to enjoy.
11. In their groups, have students read the
first few paragraphs of the text aloud to
determine who or what is involved. Record
the information on the W section. Have
students stop reading after a few more
sentences and record their own thoughts in
the P section about the details in the text.
Share group members’ predictions and
record all thoughts.

12. Prompt students to read and discover more

details and record their findings in the H
section.

44 #51181—Brain-Powered Lessons to Engage All Learners © Shell Education

Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Voice from
the South
 This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the
laws of the country where you are located before using this
eBook.

Title: A Voice from the South

Author: Anna J. Cooper

Release date: April 2, 2020 [eBook #61741]

Most recently updated: October 17, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Richard Tonsing, Mary Glenn Krause,

amsibert
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
images
generously made available by The Internet
Archive/American
Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A VOICE FROM

THE SOUTH ***
A VOICE FROM THE SOUTH.

BY
A BLACK WOMAN OF THE SOUTH.

XENIA, OHIO:
THE ALDINE PRINTING HOUSE.
1892.

COPYRIGHT 1892
BY
ANNA JULIA COOPER.
A VOICE FROM THE SOUTH.

“With regret
I forget
If the song be living yet,
Yet remember, vaguely now,
It was honest, anyhow.”

To

Bishop Benjamin William Arnett,

With profound regard for his heroic

devotion to

God and the Race,

both in Church and in State,—and with
sincere esteem for his unselfish espousal of
the cause of the Black Woman and of every
human interest that lacks a Voice and needs
a Defender, this, the primary utterance of
my heart and pen,
Is Affectionately Inscribed.
 CONTENTS.

PART FIRST.

Soprano Obligato.

Womanhood a Vital Element in the Regeneration and Progress of a

Race 9

The Higher Education of Woman 48

“Woman vs. The Indian” 80

The Status of Woman in America 127

PART SECOND.

Tutti ad Libitum.

Has America a Race Problem; If so, How can it best be Solved? 149

The Negro as presented in American Literature 175

What Are We Worth? 228

The Gain from a Belief 286

 OUR RAISON D’ÊTRE.

n the clash and clatter of our American Conflict, it has been

said that the South remains Silent. Like the Sphinx she
inspires vociferous disputation, but herself takes little part
in the noisy controversy. One muffled strain in the Silent
South, a jarring chord and a vague and uncomprehended
cadenza has been and still is the Negro. And of that muffled
chord, the one mute and voiceless note has been the sadly
expectant Black Woman,
An infant crying in the night,
An infant crying for the light;
And with no language—but a cry.

The colored man’s inheritance and apportionment is still the

sombre crux, the perplexing cul de sac of the nation,—the dumb
skeleton in the closet provoking ceaseless harangues, indeed, but
little understood and seldom consulted. Attorneys for the plaintiff
and attorneys for the defendant, with bungling gaucherie have
analyzed and dissected, theorized and synthesized with sublime
ignorance or pathetic misapprehension of counsel from the black
client. One important witness has not yet been heard from. The
summing up of the evidence deposed, and the charge to the jury have
been made—but no word from the Black Woman.
It is because I believe the American people to be conscientiously
committed to a fair trial and ungarbled evidence, and because I feel it
essential to a perfect understanding and an equitable verdict that
truth from each standpoint be presented at the bar,—that this little
Voice has been added to the already full chorus. The “other side” has
not been represented by one who “lives there.” And not many can
more sensibly realize and more accurately tell the weight and the fret
of the “long dull pain” than the open-eyed but hitherto voiceless
Black Woman of America.
The feverish agitation, the perfervid energy, the busy objectivity of
the more turbulent life of our men serves, it may be, at once to cloud
or color their vision somewhat, and as well to relieve the smart and
deaden the pain for them. Their voice is in consequence not always
temperate and calm, and at the same time radically corrective and
sanatory. At any rate, as our Caucasian barristers are not to blame if
they cannot quite put themselves in the dark man’s place, neither
should the dark man be wholly expected fully and adequately to
reproduce the exact Voice of the Black Woman.
Delicately sensitive at every pore to social atmospheric conditions,
her calorimeter may well be studied in the interest of accuracy and
fairness in diagnosing what is often conceded to be a “puzzling” case.
If these broken utterances can in any way help to a clearer vision and
a truer pulse-beat in studying our Nation’s Problem, this Voice by a
Black Woman of the South will not have been raised in vain.

Tawawa Chimney Corner;

Sept. 17, 1892.
 SOPRANO OBLIGATO.

For they the Royal-hearted Women are

Who nobly love the noblest, yet have grace
For needy, suffering lives in lowliest place;
Carrying a choicer sunlight in their smile,
The heavenliest ray that pitieth the vile.

Though I were happy, throned beside the king,

I should be tender to each little thing
With hurt warm breast, that had no speech to tell
Its inward pangs; and I would soothe it well
With tender touch and with a low, soft moan
For company.

—George Eliot.
[1]
WOMANHOOD A VITAL ELEMENT IN THE
REGENERATION AND PROGRESS OF A
RACE.

he two sources from which, perhaps, modern

civilization has derived its noble and ennobling ideal
of woman are Christianity and the Feudal System.
1. Read before the convocation of colored clergy of the
Protestant Episcopal Church at Washington, D. C., 1886.
In Oriental countries woman has been uniformly
devoted to a life of ignorance, infamy, and complete
stagnation. The Chinese shoe of to-day does not more entirely dwarf,
cramp, and destroy her physical powers, than have the customs,
laws, and social instincts, which from remotest ages have governed
our Sister of the East, enervated and blighted her mental and moral
life.
Mahomet makes no account of woman whatever in his polity. The
Koran, which, unlike our Bible, was a product and not a growth, tried
to address itself to the needs of Arabian civilization as Mahomet with
his circumscribed powers saw them. The Arab was a nomad. Home
to him meant his present camping place. That deity who, according
to our western ideals, makes and sanctifies the home, was to him a
transient bauble to be toyed with so long as it gave pleasure and then
to be thrown aside for a new one. As a personality, an individual soul,
capable of eternal growth and unlimited development, and destined
to mould and shape the civilization of the future to an incalculable
extent, Mahomet did not know woman. There was no hereafter, no
paradise for her. The heaven of the Mussulman is peopled and made
gladsome not by the departed wife, or sister, or mother, but by houri
—a figment of Mahomet’s brain, partaking of the ethereal qualities of
angels, yet imbued with all the vices and inanity of Oriental women.
The harem here, and—“dust to dust” hereafter, this was the hope, the
inspiration, the summum bonum of the Eastern woman’s life! With
what result on the life of the nation, the “Unspeakable Turk,” the
“sick man” of modern Europe can to-day exemplify.
Says a certain writer: “The private life of the Turk is vilest of the
vile, unprogressive, unambitious, and inconceivably low.” And yet
Turkey is not without her great men. She has produced most brilliant
minds; men skilled in all the intricacies of diplomacy and
statesmanship; men whose intellects could grapple with the deep
problems of empire and manipulate the subtle agencies which check-
mate kings. But these minds were not the normal outgrowth of a
healthy trunk. They seemed rather ephemeral excrescencies which
shoot far out with all the vigor and promise, apparently, of strong
branches; but soon alas fall into decay and ugliness because there is
no soundness in the root, no life-giving sap, permeating,
strengthening and perpetuating the whole. There is a worm at the
core! The homelife is impure! and when we look for fruit, like apples
of Sodom, it crumbles within our grasp into dust and ashes.
It is pleasing to turn from this effete and immobile civilization to a
society still fresh and vigorous, whose seed is in itself, and whose
very name is synonymous with all that is progressive, elevating and
inspiring, viz., the European bud and the American flower of modern
civilization.
And here let me say parenthetically that our satisfaction in
American institutions rests not on the fruition we now enjoy, but
springs rather from the possibilities and promise that are inherent in
the system, though as yet, perhaps, far in the future.
“Happiness,” says Madame de Stael, “consists not in perfections
attained, but in a sense of progress, the result of our own endeavor
under conspiring circumstances toward a goal which continually
advances and broadens and deepens till it is swallowed up in the
Infinite.” Such conditions in embryo are all that we claim for the land
of the West. We have not yet reached our ideal in American
civilization. The pessimists even declare that we are not marching in
that direction. But there can be no doubt that here in America is the
arena in which the next triumph of civilization is to be won; and here
too we find promise abundant and possibilities infinite.
Now let us see on what basis this hope for our country primarily
and fundamentally rests. Can any one doubt that it is chiefly on the
homelife and on the influence of good women in those homes? Says
Macaulay: “You may judge a nation’s rank in the scale of civilization
from the way they treat their women.” And Emerson, “I have thought
that a sufficient measure of civilization is the influence of good
women.” Now this high regard for woman, this germ of a prolific idea
which in our own day is bearing such rich and varied fruit, was
ingrafted into European civilization, we have said, from two sources,
the Christian Church and the Feudal System. For although the
Feudal System can in no sense be said to have originated the idea, yet
there can be no doubt that the habits of life and modes of thought to
which Feudalism gave rise, materially fostered and developed it; for
they gave us chivalry, than which no institution has more sensibly
magnified and elevated woman’s position in society.
Tacitus dwells on the tender regard for woman entertained by
these rugged barbarians before they left their northern homes to
overrun Europe. Old Norse legends too, and primitive poems, all
breathe the same spirit of love of home and veneration for the pure
and noble influence there presiding—the wife, the sister, the mother.
And when later on we see the settled life of the Middle Ages
“oozing out,” as M. Guizot expresses it, from the plundering and
pillaging life of barbarism and crystallizing into the Feudal System,
the tiger of the field is brought once more within the charmed circle
of the goddesses of his castle, and his imagination weaves around
them a halo whose reflection possibly has not yet altogether
vanished.
It is true the spirit of Christianity had not yet put the seal of
catholicity on this sentiment. Chivalry, according to Bascom, was but
the toning down and softening of a rough and lawless period. It gave
a roseate glow to a bitter winter’s day. Those who looked out from
castle windows revelled in its “amethyst tints.” But God’s poor, the
weak, the unlovely, the commonplace were still freezing and starving
none the less in unpitied, unrelieved loneliness.
 Respect for woman, the much lauded chivalry of the Middle Ages,
meant what I fear it still means to some men in our own day—respect
for the elect few among whom they expect to consort.
The idea of the radical amelioration of womankind, reverence for
woman as woman regardless of rank, wealth, or culture, was to come
from that rich and bounteous fountain from which flow all our liberal
and universal ideas—the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And yet the Christian Church at the time of which we have been
speaking would seem to have been doing even less to protect and
elevate woman than the little done by secular society. The Church as
an organization committed a double offense against woman in the
Middle Ages. Making of marriage a sacrament and at the same time
insisting on the celibacy of the clergy and other religious orders, she
gave an inferior if not an impure character to the marriage relation,
especially fitted to reflect discredit on woman. Would this were all or
the worst! but the Church by the licentiousness of its chosen servants
invaded the household and established too often as vicious
connections those relations which it forbade to assume openly and in
good faith. “Thus,” to use the words of our authority, “the religious
corps became as numerous, as searching, and as unclean as the frogs
of Egypt, which penetrated into all quarters, into the ovens and
kneading troughs, leaving their filthy trail wherever they went.” Says
Chaucer with characteristic satire, speaking of the Friars:
‘Women may now go safely up and doun,
In every bush, and under every tree,
Ther is non other incubus but he,
And he ne will don hem no dishonour.’

Henry, Bishop of Liege, could unblushingly boast the birth of twenty-

two children in fourteen years.[2]
2. Bascom.
It may help us under some of the perplexities which beset our way
in “the one Catholic and Apostolic Church” to-day, to recall some of
the corruptions and incongruities against which the Bride of Christ
has had to struggle in her past history and in spite of which she has
kept, through many vicissitudes, the faith once delivered to the
saints. Individuals, organizations, whole sections of the Church
militant may outrage the Christ whom they profess, may ruthlessly
trample under foot both the spirit and the letter of his precepts, yet
not till we hear the voices audibly saying “Come let us depart hence,”
shall we cease to believe and cling to the promise, “I am with you to
the end of the world.”
“Yet saints their watch are keeping,
The cry goes up ‘How long!’
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.”

However much then the facts of any particular period of history may
seem to deny it, I for one do not doubt that the source of the
vitalizing principle of woman’s development and amelioration is the
Christian Church, so far as that church is coincident with
Christianity.
Christ gave ideals not formulæ. The Gospel is a germ requiring
millennia for its growth and ripening. It needs and at the same time
helps to form around itself a soil enriched in civilization, and
perfected in culture and insight without which the embryo can
neither be unfolded or comprehended. With all the strides our
civilization has made from the first to the nineteenth century, we can
boast not an idea, not a principle of action, not a progressive social
force but was already mutely foreshadowed, or directly enjoined in
that simple tale of a meek and lowly life. The quiet face of the
Nazarene is ever seen a little way ahead, never too far to come down
to and touch the life of the lowest in days the darkest, yet ever
leading onward, still onward, the tottering childish feet of our
strangely boastful civilization.
By laying down for woman the same code of morality, the same
standard of purity, as for man; by refusing to countenance the
shameless and equally guilty monsters who were gloating over her
fall,—graciously stooping in all the majesty of his own spotlessness to
wipe away the filth and grime of her guilty past and bid her go in
peace and sin no more; and again in the moments of his own
careworn and footsore dejection, turning trustfully and lovingly,
away from the heartless snubbing and sneers, away from the cruel
malignity of mobs and prelates in the dusty marts of Jerusalem to
the ready sympathy, loving appreciation and unfaltering friendship
of that quiet home at Bethany; and even at the last, by his dying
bequest to the disciple whom he loved, signifying the protection and
tender regard to be extended to that sorrowing mother and ever
afterward to the sex she represented;—throughout his life and in his
death he has given to men a rule and guide for the estimation of
woman as an equal, as a helper, as a friend, and as a sacred charge to
be sheltered and cared for with a brother’s love and sympathy,
lessons which nineteen centuries’ gigantic strides in knowledge, arts,
and sciences, in social and ethical principles have not been able to
probe to their depth or to exhaust in practice.
It seems not too much to say then of the vitalizing, regenerating,
and progressive influence of womanhood on the civilization of to-
day, that, while it was foreshadowed among Germanic nations in the
far away dawn of their history as a narrow, sickly and stunted
growth, it yet owes its catholicity and power, the deepening of its
roots and broadening of its branches to Christianity.
The union of these two forces, the Barbaric and the Christian, was
not long delayed after the Fall of the Empire. The Church, which fell
with Rome, finding herself in danger of being swallowed up by
barbarism, with characteristic vigor and fertility of resources,
addressed herself immediately to the task of conquering her
conquerers. The means chosen does credit to her power of
penetration and adaptability, as well as to her profound, unerring,
all-compassing diplomacy; and makes us even now wonder if aught
human can successfully and ultimately withstand her far-seeing
designs and brilliant policy, or gainsay her well-earned claim to the
word Catholic.
She saw the barbarian, little more developed than a wild beast. She
forbore to antagonize and mystify his warlike nature by a full blaze of
the heartsearching and humanizing tenets of her great Head. She
said little of the rule “If thy brother smite thee on one cheek, turn to
him the other also;” but thought it sufficient for the needs of those
times, to establish the so-called “Truce of God” under which men
were bound to abstain from butchering one another for three days of
each week and on Church festivals. In other words, she respected
their individuality: non-resistance pure and simple being for them an
utter impossibility, she contented herself with less radical measures
calculated to lead up finally to the full measure of the benevolence of
Christ.
Next she took advantage of the barbarian’s sensuous love of gaudy
display and put all her magnificent garments on. She could not
capture him by physical force, she would dazzle him by gorgeous
spectacles. It is said that Romanism gained more in pomp and ritual
during this trying period of the Dark Ages than throughout all her
former history.
The result was she carried her point. Once more Rome laid her
ambitious hand on the temporal power, and allied with
Charlemagne, aspired to rule the world through a civilization
dominated by Christianity and permeated by the traditions and
instincts of those sturdy barbarians.
Here was the confluence of the two streams we have been tracing,
which, united now, stretch before us as a broad majestic river. In
regard to woman it was the meeting of two noble and ennobling
forces, two kindred ideas the resultant of which, we doubt not, is
destined to be a potent force in the betterment of the world.
Now after our appeal to history comparing nations destitute of this
force and so destitute also of the principle of progress, with other
nations among whom the influence of woman is prominent coupled
with a brisk, progressive, satisfying civilization,—if in addition we
find this strong presumptive evidence corroborated by reason and
experience, we may conclude that these two equally varying
concomitants are linked as cause and effect; in other words, that the
position of woman in society determines the vital elements of its
regeneration and progress.
Now that this is so on a priori grounds all must admit. And this
not because woman is better or stronger or wiser than man, but from
the nature of the case, because it is she who must first form the man
by directing the earliest impulses of his character.
Byron and Wordsworth were both geniuses and would have
stamped themselves on the thought of their age under any
circumstances; and yet we find the one a savor of life unto life, the
other of death unto death. “Byron, like a rocket, shot his way upward
with scorn and repulsion, flamed out in wild, explosive, brilliant
excesses and disappeared in darkness made all the more palpable.”[3]
 3. Bascom’s Eng. Lit. p. 253.
Wordsworth lent of his gifts to reinforce that “power in the
Universe which makes for righteousness” by taking the harp handed
him from Heaven and using it to swell the strains of angelic choirs.
Two locomotives equally mighty stand facing opposite tracks; the
one to rush headlong to destruction with all its precious freight, the
other to toil grandly and gloriously up the steep embattlements to
Heaven and to God. Who—who can say what a world of
consequences hung on the first placing and starting of these
enormous forces!
Woman, Mother,—your responsibility is one that might make
angels tremble and fear to take hold! To trifle with it, to ignore or
misuse it, is to treat lightly the most sacred and solemn trust ever
confided by God to human kind. The training of children is a task on
which an infinity of weal or woe depends. Who does not covet it? Yet
who does not stand awe-struck before its momentous issues! It is a
matter of small moment, it seems to me, whether that lovely girl in
whose accomplishments you take such pride and delight, can enter
the gay and crowded salon with the ease and elegance of this or that
French or English gentlewoman, compared with the decision as to
whether her individuality is going to reinforce the good or the evil
elements of the world. The lace and the diamonds, the dance and the
theater, gain a new significance when scanned in their bearings on
such issues. Their influence on the individual personality, and
through her on the society and civilization which she vitalizes and
inspires—all this and more must be weighed in the balance before
the jury can return a just and intelligent verdict as to the innocence
or banefulness of these apparently simple amusements.
Now the fact of woman’s influence on society being granted, what
are its practical bearings on the work which brought together this
conference of colored clergy and laymen in Washington? “We come
not here to talk.” Life is too busy, too pregnant with meaning and far
reaching consequences to allow you to come this far for mere
intellectual entertainment.
The vital agency of womanhood in the regeneration and progress
of a race, as a general question, is conceded almost before it is fairly
stated. I confess one of the difficulties for me in the subject assigned
lay in its obviousness. The plea is taken away by the opposite
attorney’s granting the whole question.
“Woman’s influence on social progress”—who in Christendom
doubts or questions it? One may as well be called on to prove that the
sun is the source of light and heat and energy to this many-sided
little world.
Nor, on the other hand, could it have been intended that I should
apply the position when taken and proven, to the needs and
responsibilities of the women of our race in the South. For is it not
written, “Cursed is he that cometh after the king?” and has not the
King already preceded me in “The Black Woman of the South”?[4]
4. Pamphlet published by Dr. Alex. Crummell.
They have had both Moses and the Prophets in Dr. Crummell and
if they hear not him, neither would they be persuaded though one
came up from the South.
I would beg, however, with the Doctor’s permission, to add my
plea for the Colored Girls of the South:—that large, bright, promising
fatally beautiful class that stand shivering like a delicate plantlet
before the fury of tempestuous elements, so full of promise and
possibilities, yet so sure of destruction; often without a father to
whom they dare apply the loving term, often without a stronger
brother to espouse their cause and defend their honor with his life’s
blood; in the midst of pitfalls and snares, waylaid by the lower
classes of white men, with no shelter, no protection nearer than the
great blue vault above, which half conceals and half reveals the one
Care-Taker they know so little of. Oh, save them, help them, shield,
train, develop, teach, inspire them! Snatch them, in God’s name, as
brands from the burning! There is material in them well worth your
while, the hope in germ of a staunch, helpful, regenerating
womanhood on which, primarily, rests the foundation stones of our
future as a race.
It is absurd to quote statistics showing the Negro’s bank account
and rent rolls, to point to the hundreds of newspapers edited by
colored men and lists of lawyers, doctors, professors, D. D’s, LL D’s,
etc., etc., etc., while the source from which the life-blood of the race
is to flow is subject to taint and corruption in the enemy’s camp.
 True progress is never made by spasms. Real progress is growth. It
must begin in the seed. Then, “first the blade, then the ear, after that
the full corn in the ear.” There is something to encourage and inspire
us in the advancement of individuals since their emancipation from
slavery. It at least proves that there is nothing irretrievably wrong in
the shape of the black man’s skull, and that under given
circumstances his development, downward or upward, will be
similar to that of other average human beings.
But there is no time to be wasted in mere felicitation. That the
Negro has his niche in the infinite purposes of the Eternal, no one
who has studied the history of the last fifty years in America will
deny. That much depends on his own right comprehension of his
responsibility and rising to the demands of the hour, it will be good
for him to see; and how best to use his present so that the structure
of the future shall be stronger and higher and brighter and nobler
and holier than that of the past, is a question to be decided each day
by every one of us.
The race is just twenty-one years removed from the conception
and experience of a chattel, just at the age of ruddy manhood. It is
well enough to pause a moment for retrospection, introspection, and
prospection. We look back, not to become inflated with conceit
because of the depths from which we have arisen, but that we may
learn wisdom from experience. We look within that we may gather
together once more our forces, and, by improved and more practical
methods, address ourselves to the tasks before us. We look forward
with hope and trust that the same God whose guiding hand led our
fathers through and out of the gall and bitterness of oppression, will
still lead and direct their children, to the honor of His name, and for
their ultimate salvation.
But this survey of the failures or achievements of the past, the
difficulties and embarrassments of the present, and the mingled
hopes and fears for the future, must not degenerate into mere
dreaming nor consume the time which belongs to the practical and
effective handling of the crucial questions of the hour; and there can
be no issue more vital and momentous than this of the womanhood
of the race.
Here is the vulnerable point, not in the heel, but at the heart of the
young Achilles; and here must the defenses be strengthened and the
watch redoubled.
We are the heirs of a past which was not our fathers’ moulding.
“Every man the arbiter of his own destiny” was not true for the
American Negro of the past: and it is no fault of his that he finds
himself to-day the inheritor of a manhood and womanhood
impoverished and debased by two centuries and more of
compression and degradation.
But weaknesses and malformations, which to-day are attributable
to a vicious schoolmaster and a pernicious system, will a century
hence be rightly regarded as proofs of innate corruptness and radical
incurability.
Now the fundamental agency under God in the regeneration, the
re-training of the race, as well as the ground work and starting point
of its progress upward, must be the black woman.
With all the wrongs and neglects of her past, with all the weakness,
the debasement, the moral thralldom of her present, the black
woman of to-day stands mute and wondering at the Herculean task
devolving upon her. But the cycles wait for her. No other hand can
move the lever. She must be loosed from her bands and set to work.
Our meager and superficial results from past efforts prove their
futility; and every attempt to elevate the Negro, whether undertaken
by himself or through the philanthropy of others, cannot but prove
abortive unless so directed as to utilize the indispensable agency of
an elevated and trained womanhood.
A race cannot be purified from without. Preachers and teachers are
helps, and stimulants and conditions as necessary as the gracious
rain and sunshine are to plant growth. But what are rain and dew
and sunshine and cloud if there be no life in the plant germ? We
must go to the root and see that that is sound and healthy and
vigorous; and not deceive ourselves with waxen flowers and painted
leaves of mock chlorophyll.
We too often mistake individuals’ honor for race development and
so are ready to substitute pretty accomplishments for sound sense
and earnest purpose.
A stream cannot rise higher than its source. The atmosphere of
homes is no rarer and purer and sweeter than are the mothers in
those homes. A race is but a total of families. The nation is the
aggregate of its homes. As the whole is sum of all its parts, so the
character of the parts will determine the characteristics of the whole.
These are all axioms and so evident that it seems gratuitous to
remark it; and yet, unless I am greatly mistaken, most of the
unsatisfaction from our past results arises from just such a radical
and palpable error, as much almost on our own part as on that of our
benevolent white friends.
The Negro is constitutionally hopeful and proverbially
irrepressible; and naturally stands in danger of being dazzled by the
shimmer and tinsel of superficials. We often mistake foliage for fruit
and overestimate or wrongly estimate brilliant results.
The late Martin R. Delany, who was an unadulterated black man,
used to say when honors of state fell upon him, that when he entered
the council of kings the black race entered with him; meaning, I
suppose, that there was no discounting his race identity and
attributing his achievements to some admixture of Saxon blood. But
our present record of eminent men, when placed beside the actual
status of the race in America to-day, proves that no man can
represent the race. Whatever the attainments of the individual may
be, unless his home has moved on pari passu, he can never be
regarded as identical with or representative of the whole.
Not by pointing to sun-bathed mountain tops do we prove that
Phœbus warms the valleys. We must point to homes, average homes,
homes of the rank and file of horny handed toiling men and women
of the South (where the masses are) lighted and cheered by the good,
the beautiful, and the true,—then and not till then will the whole
plateau be lifted into the sunlight.
Only the Black Woman can say “when and where I enter, in the
quiet, undisputed dignity of my womanhood, without violence and
without suing or special patronage, then and there the whole Negro
race enters with me.” Is it not evident then that as individual
workers for this race we must address ourselves with no half-hearted
zeal to this feature of our mission. The need is felt and must be
recognized by all. There is a call for workers, for missionaries, for
men and women with the double consecration of a fundamental love
of humanity and a desire for its melioration through the Gospel; but
superadded to this we demand an intelligent and sympathetic
comprehension of the interests and special needs of the Negro.
 I see not why there should not be an organized effort for the
protection and elevation of our girls such as the White Cross League
in England. English women are strengthened and protected by more
than twelve centuries of Christian influences, freedom and
civilization; English girls are dispirited and crushed down by no such
all-levelling prejudice as that supercilious caste spirit in America
which cynically assumes “A Negro woman cannot be a lady.” English
womanhood is beset by no such snares and traps as betray the
unprotected, untrained colored girl of the South, whose only crime
and dire destruction often is her unconscious and marvelous beauty.
Surely then if English indignation is aroused and English manhood
thrilled under the leadership of a Bishop of the English church to
build up bulwarks around their wronged sisters, Negro sentiment
cannot remain callous and Negro effort nerveless in view of the
imminent peril of the mothers of the next generation. “I am my
Sister’s keeper!” should be the hearty response of every man and
woman of the race, and this conviction should purify and exalt the
narrow, selfish and petty personal aims of life into a noble and sacred
purpose.
We need men who can let their interest and gallantry extend
outside the circle of their æsthetic appreciation; men who can be a
father, a brother, a friend to every weak, struggling unshielded girl.
We need women who are so sure of their own social footing that they
need not fear leaning to lend a hand to a fallen or falling sister. We
need men and women who do not exhaust their genius splitting hairs
on aristocratic distinctions and thanking God they are not as others;
but earnest, unselfish souls, who can go into the highways and
byways, lifting up and leading, advising and encouraging with the
truly catholic benevolence of the Gospel of Christ.
As Church workers we must confess our path of duty is less
obvious; or rather our ability to adapt our machinery to our
conception of the peculiar exigencies of this work as taught by
experience and our own consciousness of the needs of the Negro, is
as yet not demonstrable. Flexibility and aggressiveness are not such
strong characteristics of the Church to-day as in the Dark Ages.
As a Mission field for the Church the Southern Negro is in some
aspects most promising; in others, perplexing. Aliens neither in
language and customs, nor in associations and sympathies, naturally
of deeply rooted religious instincts and taking most readily and
kindly to the worship and teachings of the Church, surely the task of
proselytizing the American Negro is infinitely less formidable than
that which confronted the Church in the Barbarians of Europe.
Besides, this people already look to the Church as the hope of their
race. Thinking colored men almost uniformly admit that the
Protestant Episcopal Church with its quiet, chaste dignity and
decorous solemnity, its instructive and elevating ritual, its bright
chanting and joyous hymning, is eminently fitted to correct the
peculiar faults of worship—the rank exuberance and often ludicrous
demonstrativeness of their people. Yet, strange to say, the Church,
claiming to be missionary and Catholic, urging that schism is sin and
denominationalism inexcusable, has made in all these years almost
no inroads upon this semi-civilized religionism.
Harvests from this over ripe field of home missions have been
gathered in by Methodists, Baptists, and not least by
Congregationalists, who were unknown to the Freedmen before their
emancipation.
Our clergy numbers less than two dozen[5] priests of Negro blood
and we have hardly more than one self-supporting colored
congregation in the entire Southland. While the organization known
as the A. M. E. Church has 14,063 ministers, itinerant and local,
4,069 self-supporting churches, 4,275 Sunday-schools, with property
valued at $7,772,284, raising yearly for church purposes $1,427,000.
5. The published report of ’91 shows 26 priests for the entire country,
including one not engaged in work and one a professor in a non-sectarian school,
since made Dean of an Episcopal Annex to Howard University known as King Hall.
Stranger and more significant than all, the leading men of this race
(I do not mean demagogues and politicians, but men of intellect,
heart, and race devotion, men to whom the elevation of their people
means more than personal ambition and sordid gain—and the men
of that stamp have not all died yet) the Christian workers for the
race, of younger and more cultured growth, are noticeably drifting
into sectarian churches, many of them declaring all the time that
they acknowledge the historic claims of the Church, believe her
apostolicity, and would experience greater personal comfort,
spiritual and intellectual, in her revered communion. It is a fact
which any one may verify for himself, that representative colored
men, professing that in their heart of hearts they are Episcopalians,
are actually working in Methodist and Baptist pulpits; while the
ranks of the Episcopal clergy are left to be filled largely by men who
certainly suggest the propriety of a “perpetual Diaconate” if they
cannot be said to have created the necessity for it.
Now where is the trouble? Something must be wrong. What is it?
A certain Southern Bishop of our Church reviewing the situation,
whether in Godly anxiety or in “Gothic antipathy” I know not,
deprecates the fact that the colored people do not seem drawn to the
Episcopal Church, and comes to the sage conclusion that the Church
is not adapted to the rude untutored minds of the Freedmen, and
that they may be left to go to the Methodists and Baptists whither
their racial proclivities undeniably tend. How the good Bishop can
agree that all-foreseeing Wisdom, and Catholic Love would have
framed his Church as typified in his seamless garment and unbroken
body, and yet not leave it broad enough and deep enough and loving
enough to seek and save and hold seven millions of God’s poor, I
cannot see.
But the doctors while discussing their scientifically conclusive
diagnosis of the disease, will perhaps not think it presumptuous in
the patient if he dares to suggest where at least the pain is. If this be
allowed, a Black woman of the South would beg to point out two
possible oversights in this southern work which may indicate in part
both a cause and a remedy for some failure. The first is not
calculating for the Black man’s personality; not having respect, if I
may so express it, to his manhood or deferring at all to his
conceptions of the needs of his people. When colored persons have
been employed it was too often as machines or as manikins. There
has been no disposition, generally, to get the black man’s ideal or to
let his individuality work by its own gravity, as it were. A conference
of earnest Christian men have met at regular intervals for some years
past to discuss the best methods of promoting the welfare and
development of colored people in this country. Yet, strange as it may
seem, they have never invited a colored man or even intimated that
one would be welcome to take part in their deliberations. Their
remedial contrivances are purely theoretical or empirical, therefore,
and the whole machinery devoid of soul.
 The second important oversight in my judgment is closely allied to
this and probably grows out of it, and that is not developing Negro
womanhood as an essential fundamental for the elevation of the
race, and utilizing this agency in extending the work of the Church.
Of the first I have possibly already presumed to say too much since
it does not strictly come within the province of my subject. However,
Macaulay somewhere criticises the Church of England as not
knowing how to use fanatics, and declares that had Ignatius Loyola
been in the Anglican instead of the Roman communion, the Jesuits
would have been schismatics instead of Catholics; and if the religious
awakenings of the Wesleys had been in Rome, she would have
shaven their heads, tied ropes around their waists, and sent them out
under her own banner and blessing. Whether this be true or not,
there is certainly a vast amount of force potential for Negro
evangelization rendered latent, or worse, antagonistic by the halting,
uncertain, I had almost said, trimming policy of the Church in the
South. This may sound both presumptuous and ungrateful. It is
mortifying, I know, to benevolent wisdom, after having spent itself in
the execution of well conned theories for the ideal development of a
particular work, to hear perhaps the weakest and humblest element
of that work asking “what doest thou?”
Yet so it will be in life. The “thus far and no farther” pattern cannot
be fitted to any growth in God’s kingdom. The universal law of
development is “onward and upward.” It is God-given and inviolable.
From the unfolding of the germ in the acorn to reach the sturdy oak,
to the growth of a human soul into the full knowledge and likeness of
its Creator, the breadth and scope of the movement in each and all
are too grand, too mysterious, too like God himself, to be
encompassed and locked down in human molds.
After all the Southern slave owners were right: either the very
alphabet of intellectual growth must be forbidden and the Negro
dealt with absolutely as a chattel having neither rights nor
sensibilities; or else the clamps and irons of mental and moral, as
well as civil compression must be riven asunder and the truly
enfranchised soul led to the entrance of that boundless vista through
which it is to toil upwards to its beckoning God as the buried seed
germ to meet the sun.
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