Afro Hair Discrimination

1.Read the extractfrom Zadie Smith's novelWhite Teethand identify the following elements.
a.The passage describesa process in different ways. What is it?
b.Make a listof elements associated with suffering.
c.Make a listof the instruments mentioned in the text.
d.What chemical productis used?
e.What other familiar or even vulgar wordsare used to refer to this chemical product?
f.Find 5 different adjectives or expressionsto describe the result of the process.

2.Use your answersin Activity 1 above to explain what you understood. You may use the following prompts.

------------------
Toolbox
In the passage, black women are all determined to ...
They seem willing to ... in order to ...
It does not matter [how + adjective] it is, the women will stop at nothing to ...
No matter [how + adjective] the process is, the women are desperate to ...
The women knew perfectly well that the process was ..., yet they ...
Although the women knew [how +adjective] the process was ..., they still ...
------------------

3.Discuss your answerswith a partner to see if you both understood the text in the same way.

White Teeth - Zadie Smith Biography

Zadie Smith was born on 25 October 1975 inWillesden, to a Jamaican mother and a British father.
She is a British novelist, essayist, and short story writer. Her debut novel,White Teeth(2000), immediately became a bestseller and won a number of awards.

Extract 1: [0:43 - 1:02]
Extract 2: [1:30 - 1:54]
Extract 3: [1:54 - 4:10]

Extract 1 - Whole Class Worksheet

1.Watch the Extract 1 [0:43 - 1:02] with thesound offand imagine what the situation is.

2.Watch the extractwith thesound onand identifythe stressed words which convey the important information. If you need a little help, you can do Activity 3 below.

3.Watch the extractwith thesound onand identifythe words you actually hear in the word cloud below.

4.In pairs, explainwhat they mean in context. If some of the words are unfamiliar to you, you can use a dictionary.

5.Are they positive or negative?

6.What do you expectthe other extracts to be about? 

------------------
Toolbox
In my opinion, ... 
From what we said about video number 1, ...
Chances are the other videos are about ... 
------------------

7.Recap in your own wordswhat the extract is about and what you think of it.

Extracts 2 & 3 - Groups A & B Worksheet

1.Students in group A watch Extract 2 [1:30 - 1:54]and complete the corresponding activities (Group A Worksheet).

2.Students in group B watch Extract 3 [1:54 - 4:10]and complete the corresponding activities (Group B Worksheet).

3. Group A and group B exchange questionsto gather information about both videos.
Do not forget to fill in the "People Mentioned Chart."

Extract 2 - Group A Worksheet

Watch Sue's testimony[1:30 - 1:54]and do the following activities.

1.Spot the stressed wordswhich convey the important information. If you find it difficult, you can do Exercise 2 below.

2. Stressed words.
a. In the list below, selectthe words which are stressed.
middle – know – remember – cut it – black – think – really – work – better – shocking – do – present well – was – perm – said – dreadlocks.
b.In Exercise a., what words in the listwere not stressed? What kind of words are they?

3.Now reorder the stressed wordsand take a few minutes to get ready to tell Sue's story in one or two sentences. This will help you answer the questions asked by students in group B.

4. Looking at Sue today, imaginewhat her reaction was at the time and what she decided to do.

Extract 3 - Group B Worksheet

Watch Extract 3 [1:54 - 4:10]and do the following activities.

1. Put the screengrabs from the videoin the right order.
Screengrabs: 
a.[3:06]
b.[3:33]
c.[3:45]
d.[2:48]
e.[2:12]
f.[2:07]
g.[2:23]
h.[2:27]
i.[2:57]
j.[2:01]
k.[2:37]

2.Watch the extract againand match the screengrabs to the expressions below. Be careful, some expressions will not be used!
in the 17th century onward – self-made black millionaire – treatments – more civilised – 1905 – stripped of their hair heritage – Declaration of Independence – previous to slavery – New York City – colonisation of Africa – 1948 Britain – African slaves – traditional hair routines were destroyed – cover their hair – the origin of stereotypes – hairstyles and designs and colours – attracting their men – 1786 – straightening – London

3. Watch the extract againand focus on the interviews. Write down the stressed words you hear in their interviews.

Kadian: ...
Sue: ...
Altea: ...

4.Explain, in your own words, what they sayusing: Althea / Sue / Kadian explained that ... / said that ... 

5.Be ready to sum upthe video. This will help you answer the questions asked by students in group A.

------------------
Toolbox
Time expressions
in the past
before
after
a long time ago
centuries ago
when they lived in Africa ...
when they arrived in America
Past versus present
used to + BV
no longer
Control, violence
... were forced to + BV
... were ordered to ...
... were made to + BV
------------------

Be ready to explainhow attitudes towards black hair have evolved.
You will use the key wordsfrom the different extracts of the video and the toolboxes.
Do not forget to fill inyour "Personal Recap Chart."

People Mentioned Chart

Fill in the chart below(you can draw it in your notebook, fill it in online or download it).

Afro Hair Discrimination

White Teeth - Worksheet

White Teeth - Zadie Smith Biography

Afro Hair Discrimination - Recap

People Mentioned Chart

White Teeth - Worksheet

White Teeth - Zadie Smith Biography

Natural Hair Social Documentary - Video

Extract 1 - Whole Class Worksheet

Extracts 2 & 3 - Groups A & B Worksheet

Extract 2 - Group A Worksheet

Extract 3 - Group B Worksheet

Afro Hair Discrimination - Recap

People Mentioned Chart