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Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange and Kadir Nelson, ill. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009. ISBN 978-0-06-125364-5

 

Annotation: Coretta Scott’s epic illusions and poetry lays the background of American segregation that led to her and her husband Martin Luther King, Jr.’s nonviolent work in the civil rights movement.

 

Media: Oil paints on birch plywood.

 

Rating: 5Q/5P.

 

Curricular connections: History/Social Studies, English/Language Arts, Black History Month, Biographies/Autobiographies.

 

School level: Middle school or junior high, High school.

 

NP 07/29/09

 

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Coretta Scott Poetry by Ntozake Shange and Kadir Nelson, Ill.  New York: Amistad, 2009.

ISBN: 978-0-06-125365-2    

        

Oversized paintings bring Shange's poetic tribute to the life of Coretta Scott King to life with moments from her life with the Reverend Dr. King and life alone.

 

 

Media: Acrylic Paints

 

 

5Q/4P

 

 

D. Guhl Summer 2009

 

Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange and Kadir Nelson ill. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2009.

ISBN: 978-0061253645

Annotation: The life story of Coretta Scott King told in verse with the stirring emotional oil paintings of Kadir Nelson.

Curricular Connections: 5-8th grades: Civil Rights, Nonviolent Protest, US History

Aspects of Artwork: Kadir Nelson’s oil paintings are known for their emotion. He spends up to 3 months on a book’s illustrations. He spends a large amount of time on the research for his work as he feels the details and knowledge of the actual events are most important. He strives to portray  the strength and best of humanity. He uses dark colors when sharing darker emotional moments (walking in the dark to school, the line of men during the boycotts, and puts his subjects in the light and in closeup when showing strength, courage, pride as they faced the dust from the bus, Coretta’s closeup as she realizes her life’s task and when paired with her husband.

Media: oil paintings

Rating: 5Q/5P

RAC 7.28.09

 

 

 

Citation:  Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange and Kadir Nelson, ill.  New York:  Harpercollins Publishers, 2009.

 

One of my Top 10 selections

ISBN: 978-0061253645

Annotation: The life of Coretta Scott is told through Shange’s poetic verse accompanied by glorious oil paintings done by Kadir Nelson.

Media: Oil paintings on birch plywood

Personal Rating: 5Q/5P

Curricular Connections:  This is an excellent book to teach students about the Civil Rights Movement and Coretta Scott’s role in bringing freedom to African-Americans. There is a detailed afterward that supplies more biographical details about Scott and Shange’s verse brings Scott to life. Nelson’s paintings show Scott as the dignified and brilliant woman that she was.

Grade Level or Age Range: Grades 5-High School

Alliteration:  Shange uses alliteration throughout the book to give a lilting and poetic quality to the text. For example, “Some Southern mornings,” “dew dampening”, and “where slaves sought freedom.”

Simile:  Shange uses a simile to compare the moon to an orange.  He says, “the moon sits like an orange silver by the treetops.” This creates a vivid image for the reader that the South is a place of beauty.

Artwork:  Kadir Nelson’s oil paintings are exceptional.  He paints Coretta Scott in a dignified manner with golden brown hues and intense expressions. The picture of Coretta as a girl looking at a white school bus shows her in a full close up with piercing eyes. Her expression shows the pain and anguish of having to walk five miles to a colored school. Nelson’s style is expressive and emotional. When he shows protestors marching in Alabama, he depicts two men leading a group of many protestors.  Their expressions are strong and they are dressed in blue, which makes them stand out among the group.  He is a master at creating mood through color and expression.

By: Joanne Maher July 26th, 2009

 

Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange & Kadir Nelson, ill. New York: Amistad/HarperCollins Children's Books, 2009.

The life of Coretta Scott King is told in poems by Shange and oil paintings by Nelson. With her husband, Martin Luther King, Coretta sought to end the injustices of segragation through nonviolent means.

    - ISBN 978-0061253645

    - Media: oils on birch plywood

    - Rating: 5Q/5P

    - Curricular Connections: Grades 6-10, History/Social Studies, Poetry, Black History Month, Women's History Month

 

Lesson Plan – March on Washington, 1963

 

*Can be used to celebrate Black History Month in February

 

Grade Level: 5 - 6

 

Objectives:

Students will understand the following:

1.    Interpret and use timelines to map out Martin Luther King’s life.

2.    Analyze the impact of the March on Washington for the Civil Rights Movement

3.    Learn the events that led up to the March on Washington in 1963

 

Materials:

•    Copies of the book March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed The World by Christine King Farris (2008)

•    Copies of the book Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange (2009)

•    Copies of the book Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport (2001)

•    Regional maps of the southern U.S. (Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia) and a map of Washington D.C.

 

Procedures:

 

1.    Opener: Play an audio or video excerpt from Martin Luther King’s speech “I Have A Dream”. (Audio link: http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/resources/article/video_dr_martin_luther_king_jr_i_have_a_dream_speech/)

 

2.    Assign the readings of March On!, Coretta Scott and Martin’s Big Words, either at home or in class.

 

3.    Have students fill-out a timeline of important events in Martin Luther King’s life.

 

4.    Talk about some of the historical figures, places and incidents that occurred leading up to the March on Washington, such as Jim Crow laws, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott, Montgomery Bus Boycott, as well as incidents that followed such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and King’s assassination.

 

5.    Use maps to help students locate places mentioned in the books: Atlanta, GA, Montgomery, AL, Birmingham, AL, Memphis, TN, Washington, DC and the Lincoln Memorial.

 

6.    Use the following questions to create an in-class discussion or written homework assignment in which the students will analyze each question.

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1. What incident sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

 

2. What were Jim Crow laws and how did they affect African American citizens?

 

3. Why did young Coretta Scott walk five miles to the nearest school?

 

4. What leader did Martin and Coretta admire for his belief that nonviolence was the true path to liberation for an oppressed people?

 

5. What types of action(s) did Martin Luther King participate in to protest the injustices of segregation?

 

6. Why was President Kennedy nervous about the March on Washington?

 

7. Why is “I Have A Dream” an important speech in the history of our nation?

 

DPower 7/23/09

 

 

Coretta Scott* Poetry by  Ntozake Shange and Kadir Nelson, Ill.  New York: Amistad, 2009.