Freedom Essay

Overview:

Students will compare and contrast the “Freedom” speech given by President Roosevelt in 1941 to the State of the Union address given President Obama in 2016 and/or President Trump's Address to Congress 2017. Students will write an argument comparing the significance of the “Four Freedoms” in the 1940’s to this decade. Students may identify areas of need in today’s world which warrant additional freedoms that need to be addressed.

Enduring Understandings/ Essential Questions:

1. The Four Freedoms are as important today as they were in 1941.
2. In our changing world, there is still work to be done to provide equal rights to all the nation and the world’s citizens.
   • Are the Four Freedoms as important today as they were during the World War II era?
   • Do these freedoms cover all of the human rights issues that arise today?
   • Are there additional freedoms which we need to fight for so all people are treated equally, providing everyone with an opportunity to live a good life?

Objectives:

• Students will analyze and compare speeches given in recent times with President Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms Speech.
• Students will research present and past national and world events to support personal claims regarding importance of the Four Freedoms.
• Students will write a persuasive essay supporting or disputing the original Four Freedoms. In addition, students may through their research and knowledge of national and world events, name and support additional freedoms which are necessary for the sake of all people.

Background:

World War II began in 1939. The United States was not involved in the beginning of the war, however, President Franklin Roosevelt believed that the United States would eventually need to play a larger role. In January 1941, he made his speech to Congress. In his speech, President Roosevelt named the Four Freedoms, which he stated are the rights of everyone in the world. After the speech, in an effort to convey the underlying message of the Four Freedoms, the President reached out to the art world for help. Many artists created works to reflect the meaning of these freedoms in the form of paintings, sculptures, prints, musical compositions, and more. Norman Rockwell thought a lot about these ideals. In February and March of 1943, his completed Four Freedoms illustrations were published in The Saturday Evening Post, each along with a related essay. Exceedingly popular at the time and distributed widely as prints and posters, Norman Rockwell's illustrations raised over 132 million dollars toward the war effort through the purchase of war bonds. Prints of Rockwell’s Four Freedoms were given as premiums when people purchased war bonds in varying denominations. His illustrations became the face of the Four Freedoms and they continue to represent the meaning of these freedoms today.

 

Materials:

Classroom Supplies:

• President Roosevelt’s Freedom Speech:
• http://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/fdr-the-four-freedoms-speech-text/
• President Obama’s State of the Union Address 2016
• http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/01/12/full-text-president-obama-2016-state-union-address/78702196/

• President Trump’s Address to Congress 2017
• http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/28/politics/donald-trump-speech-transcript-full-text/index.html
• An auditory version of FDR’s speech is available at the following link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B18l3IS3A8UlSjJLclVyaFYtODg

• Access to newspapers, periodicals, books, and Internet for research

 

Activity:

• Students should have had opportunity to close read and discuss the original illustrations representing the Four Freedom prior to beginning this work.
• Students will closely read President Roosevelt's Annual Message to Congress (1941), President Obama’s State of the Union Address (2016), and/or President Trump's Address to Congress (2017),  marking the text as they read.
• After reading each text, a group discussion(s) should be scheduled to offer students opportunity to clarify meaning of the texts and think more deeply about the significance of these speeches.
• While engaged in research, students will note take evidence supporting, or disputing the importance of the four freedoms during the present day.
• Students should be offered opportunities to engage in conversations and reflection about the research and their thinking about their findings in relation to the texts that they read.
• Students will write an argument, supporting or disputing an ongoing need for the four original freedoms. Their essays should compare and contrast the need for the freedoms during World War II versus today. They may name and support additional freedoms that they can support as being needed in today’s world.

Assessment:

• As students engaged in close reading of speech texts, did they mark text to elevate thinking and understanding?
• Did student use a variety of resources to research national and world events?
• In their essay, did students compare and contrast the similarity or differences of these eras and provide supporting evidence?
• Did students clearly state their claims and provide support for them?