The People Speak Reflection by Naisha Lyons

1. The People Speak Naisha Lyons KSU M.ED

2. Reflection After viewing the people speak, I am proud to know that everyone does not believe what is written in our history books. One of the most powerful quotes from the movie for me came at the beginning. Zinn stated that he wanted to hear the voices of the people that have been ignored. This statement for me is phenomenal. I was always taught that there is two sides to every story. America has its side written in every textbook across the nation.

3. Reflection What about the other side? Isnt it just as important to hear from the people that suffered during these times? Do we not care? Hearing the words of people through history is incredible. It amazed me how so many groups were fighting for the same thing. Justice. Some of the most emotional words came from the people that experienced injustice first hand. It must have been difficult to live in a nation that wanted you to fight for them but would not fight for you.

4. Reflection This movie shows how important it is to look at different perspectives of history. Everything is not as squeaky clean as it appears. As a teacher, it is our duty to provide students with accurate information that is age appropriate. There are many ways to do this by integrating literature and social studies.

5. Fostering Critical Thinkers One of the takeaways that I will implement in my class is to continue to foster critical thinkers. This is one of the most important duties that I have as a teacher. I want my students to question, question, question. Having the ability to critically think about situations and problems can benefit them for the rest of their lives. In the movie, the words we heard were from people that did not accept things how they were. They decided to speak up.

6. Using Language Arts Throughout the course of the film the actors used language arts to present history to the viewers. I can use this in my classroom by allowing my students to put on plays, do readers theater and living museums. Incorporating rich literature that supports what we are learning in social studies is a easy but great way to integrate the content areas.

7. Various Perspectives Exposing my students to various perspectives of an event can build awareness and compassion. In kindergarten, students have to learn empathy for others around them. Explaining another persons point of view can help with this. I will implement this in my classroom by holding class meetings where student can discuss any issues or feelings that they have in a supportive environment that is free from judgment.

The People Speak Reflection by Naisha Lyons

Education