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90 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 11
ACTIVITY 1.17
continued
The Road to Success
GRAMMAR USAGE
Precise Language
Precise language makes
use of exact nouns and
vivid verbs to create strong images and make writing more understandable. Precise language can also create a specific tone in a piece of writing. In paragraph 3, for example, Barack Obama says his grandfather signed up on a specific day, “the day after Pearl Harbor.” Similarly, he says his grandmother worked “on a bomber assembly line.” His precise language gives us a clearer picture of events and also helps establish the down- to-earth, populist tone of the speech.
Find other examples of exact nouns and noun phrases in this address. How do they contribute to the tone of the speech?
My Notes
3 While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor he signed up for duty, joined Patton’s army and marched across Europe. Back home, my grandmother raised a baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through FHA, and moved west, all the way to Hawaii, in search of opportunity.
4 And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter, a common dream, born of two continents. My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or “blessed,” believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential. They are both passed away now. Yet, I know that, on this night, they look down on me with pride.
5 I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents’ dreams live on in my two precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible. Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation, not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
6 That is the true genius of America, a faith in the simple dreams, the insistence on small miracles; that we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm; that we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door; that we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe; that we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted—or at least, most of the time.
7 This year, in this election, we are called to reaffirm our values and our commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we are measuring up,
to the legacy of our forebearers, and the promise of future generations. And fellow Americans—Democrats, Republicans, Independents—I say to you tonight: we have more work to do. More to do for the workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their union jobs at the Maytag plant that’s moving to Mexico, and now they’re having
to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour; more to do for the father I met who was losing his job and choking back tears, wondering how he would pay $4,500 a month for the drugs his son needs without the health benefits he counted on; more to do for the young woman in East St. Louis, and thousands more like her, who have the grades, have the drive, have the will, but doesn’t have the money to go to college.
8 Don’t get me wrong. The people I meet in small towns and big cities, in diners and office parks, they don’t expect government to solve all their problems. They know they have to work hard to get ahead and they want to. Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you: They don’t want their tax money wasted by a welfare agency or the Pentagon. Go into any inner city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can’t teach kids to learn. They know that parents have to teach,
TEACHER
ACTIVITY 1.17 continued
5 Based on the observations you made during the first reading, you may want to adjust the reading mode. For example, you may decide to have students read parts of the speech aloud with appropriate expression.
TO TEACHER
Consider showing parts or all of Barack Obama’s historic speech, which is available through a search of www.c-span.org. Discuss how Obama uses inflections in his voice as well as hand gestures to support his ideas.
6 After students read the Grammar & Usage side note, have them identify other examples of precise language in the speech. In paragraph 3, for example, Obama references the G.I. Bill, a government-sponsored higher education program, and FHA, a type of home mortgage made available by the government. Explain that these are not only precise details drawn from the context of everyday life but also add support for Obama’s argument that government has a role to play in the realization of the American Dream.
90 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 11
SCAFFOLDING THE TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS
1. Key Idea and Details (RI.11–12.1) How
does the speaker characterize America in his speech? Reread paragraph 2. What words and phrases does Obama use to describe the United States? What description of the country does he give in paragraph 3?
2. Craft and Structure (RI.11–12.6) How does the speaker use rhetoric in paragraphs 5 and 6 to advance his point of view? How does Obama appeal to his audience’s ethos—their sense of pride in America? How does this help develop his point of view?
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© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.
© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.