Wit & Wisdom® Grade 2 Module 3: Civil Rights Heroes
Set 1: Right to Learn, Book 2
Literary Nonfiction
Fundations® Focus Concept: Double Vowel Syllable
(ai /ā/ rail; ay /ā/ day; ee /ē/ free; ea /ē/ speak; ey /ē/ hockey)
93% Decodable at Fundations® Level 2, Unit 11
93% Decodable with Recurring Content Words
Book Summary
Dorothy Height was a hardworking, outstanding student. In 1928, she won a trip to the state impromptu speech contest. She traveled with her teacher and principal to the contest. On the way, they stopped at a hotel to get ready. The hotel would not allow Dorothy to enter because of her skin color. Dorothy spoke of this injustice and the importance of freedom for all during the final round of the contest. Following her mother’s advice, Dorothy held herself together and delivered an award-winning speech.
Teacher Note
Consider modeling how to read Dorothy Height. Students may benefit from practice with this name. In addition, consider reading the quote on page 13 aloud as students join in. This quote includes some language Dorothy used in her original 1928 speech.
Also, consider pointing out to students that this book is not written in chronological order. The first page of the book shows the final scene, while pages 2–13 are written as a flashback leading up to the moment on page 14 when the winner is announced.
Arts Connection
A musical based on Dorothy Height’s memoirs debuted in 2005 at the Apollo Theater in New York City. It was called If This Hat Could Talk
Fundations® Alignment
Fundations®
Decodable Words through Level 2, Unit 11
African after all an and asked at back be became become before beforehand big breathed but came can’t capital cheered clear club confident contest deeply Dorothy Dorothy’s dress(ed) drive entered event everyone fill finally finals for free freedom gave get go going had hall happens hard helped her here hold home hotel human impressive impromptu in it just leaned left let long made make miles mom moment more name near needed never next not on opponents or outstanding part performing person pick plan prepare prize public quickly quit remembered respect same sang say serve she singing skin speak speaker speech spoke spot standing state stop stores student teacher tears ten than them then think this time topic trip turn up waited whatever white why wildly will winner with year yourself
Fundations® Alignment
Fundations® Trick Words through Level 2, Unit 11 a about also always Americans are as come could family from have how into is looked many mother’s nothing of once out people right said school’s some the their there they to together too walked wanted was were what where won words worked would you your
Words Not Yet Decodable in Fundations® through Level 2, Unit 11
A’s (letter grades) beautiful because color early eyes faced faces front given Height injustice judges judges’ justice minutes nervously podium principal restaurants restroom segregation soared special stopped trouble voice
Recurring Content Words Routine Additional Vocabulary Practice
One of the words you will see in this book is voice.
This word is voice.
Read it with me: voice.
In this book, the word voice is a noun that means “the sound that comes from your mouth when you are talking or singing.”
Dorothy’s voice soared as she spoke of freedom and justice for all.
Voice.
Read it with me: voice.
Turn to your partner and use voice in a sentence.
Other Recurring Content Words: injustice, justice, segregation
Let’s talk about another word in this book.
This word is confident
Read it with me: confident.
In this book, the word confident is an adjective that means “sure about one’s self.”
Performing helped Dorothy become more confident (p. 2).
Confident.
Read it with me: confident
Turn to your partner and use confident in a sentence.
Choose two events and describe the connection between them.
Specific
What skills and talents did Dorothy Height have?
Dorothy Height was an outstanding student who earned all As.
She was a talented singer and an impressive public speaker.
She was skilled at giving impromptu speeches.
What challenges did Dorothy face?
Dorothy faced the challenge of competing in the state finals of the impromptu speech contest where no person of color had won before.
Dorothy faced the challenge of segregation when she was not allowed inside a hotel to change her dress.
Notes:
How did Dorothy follow her mother’s advice to “hold yourself together”?
Dorothy followed her mother’s advice by not quitting the speech contest after facing unfair treatment at the hotel.
Dorothy followed her mother’s advice when she gave an excellent speech and won the contest.
How are Dorothy Height in this book and Linda Brown in Brown v. Board of Education similar?
Dorothy Height is similar to Linda Brown because they were both students who faced injustices caused by segregation.
Why is And the Winner Is . . . a good title for this book?
And the Winner Is . . . is a good title for this book because the book is about how Dorothy Height won a speech contest.
Image Discussion Guide
Possible Opening Questions
What do you notice about the images? What do you wonder?
What can you learn from the images? How do the images build your knowledge?
Page(s) Things to Notice
1 The picture on the page number looks like a hat.
More to Discuss
This folio is in the shape of a popular style of women’s hat from the 1920s. This hat, called a cloche, was named for a French word meaning “bell.” Some of Dorothy Height’s hats have been displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
5 Dorothy is holding the dress her mother gave her.
Although ready-made clothing was gaining popularity in the 1920s, many women continued to sew clothing for their family. Dorothy’s mother probably made this dress or hired a seamstress to make it.
6–7 This looks like a city. Dorothy traveled about 200 miles from her small hometown of Rankin, Pennsylvania, to the state capital of Harrisburg.
14 This page and the first page are the only ones with full color.
The illustrator has chosen to use limited colors for the flashbacks, the parts of the story that show what happened before the speech contest.
Notes:
Teachable Moments
Vocabulary | Using Context Clues
When we use context clues, we can use the other words in a sentence as well as the illustrations to help us understand a new word.
Read aloud page 3 as students follow along. Emphasize the word impromptu.
Encourage students to use context clues on page 3 to figure out the meaning of the word impromptu
Then ask: “What context clues did you use to figure out the meaning of impromptu?”
Style and Conventions | Using Apostrophes
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that looks like a floating comma. Sometimes it is used to replace missing letters in a contraction. Other times it is used with an s to show possession.
On page 5, an apostrophe is used to show a connection between the two people in the sentence “Dorothy’s mom gave her a beautiful white dress.” The apostrophe plus an s show the link between the words mom and Dorothy. The punctuation mark signals that the mom is Dorothy’s.
Ask: “How is an apostrophe used on page 6 in the sentence ‘Dorothy’s teacher and principal came with her on the trip to the finals’?”
Response Journal Ideas
Describe the connection between two events in this book.
Write three questions that you could use to learn more about Dorothy Height.
