Still I Rise

In this activity, students focus on a key line in the poem to make connections to the poem’s speaker and the theme of Identity.

Angelou’s speaker declares, “I am the dream and the hope of the slave” (Line 40). Whose dream or hope are you? Your family, your culture or ethnicity, your religion, your gender, your coach or teacher, or something or someone else?

• To begin, complete this sentence frame: I am the _____ and the _____ of the _____. You may revise the word “the,” if needed.
• Using photographs or commercial images, create a collage that illustrates your sentence. Consider the ways in which color, line, shape, or something else will work to show transition.
• Incorporate your written sentence into the collage.
• Your teacher will create an Identity gallery in the classroom or somewhere on campus for you to display your work.
• Work as a class to plan a gallery opening, which may include invited guests, student speakers, refreshments, a question-and-answer session, and much more.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who might benefit from auditory strategies might consider creating a musical collage using free software.