Illuminating Lady Liberty (705 Words)

Home , Eiffel (company), Liberty Island, The New Colossus

Worksheet with mediation by Dorothea Buschmann

Illuminating Lady Liberty (705 words)

World and Press • 1st August issue 2019 • page 5 page 1 of 15

Worksheet with mediation

This worksheet includes reading comprehension exercises as well as pre-reading and post- reading sections with writing, speaking, and group exercises. Students also practice vocabulary and grammar and complete a mediation task at the end of the worksheet. Sample answers are given in the answer key.

Pre-reading

1. Think • Pair • Share: the Statue of Liberty

What comes to your mind when you think of the Statue of Liberty? What does the statue symbolize? Think about that for a moment. Then, get together with a partner and write down your ideas below. Collect everyone’s ideas together in class.

The Statue of Liberty, 2018, New York City. | PHOTO: Getty Images

______

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2. Interior monologues: arriving in New York City

Choose one of the options below, and write a short interior monologue (100 to 130 words). For information on interior monologues, see the fact file below.

Option 1: Put yourself in the position of a 19th-century immigrant from a far-away country arriving at New York Harbor. You see the Statue of Liberty appear in the distance. What goes through your mind? Write an interior monologue and express your thoughts. Option 2: Imagine that you were the Statue of Liberty and that you have seen millions of immigrants from all over the world arriving in New York City. You see yet another ship coming nearer from a distance. What goes through your mind? Write an interior monologue and express your thoughts.

Fact file: the interior monologue in literature • Interior monologues show the thoughts and feelings of a character. The readers learn what the character says only to him- or herself. • An interior monologue is like a window into the character’s mind and consciousness. Interior monologues usually appear in short bursts and can be quite emotional. • The character reflects on a situation he or she is in or went through and maybe ends the monologue with a decision or future plan. • In terms of style, monologues are written in the first person and do not need to have a logical structure. Thoughts, words, and associations can be arranged freely.

(For more information, please see: www.britannica.com/art/interior-monologue.)

Reading comprehension

1. Answer the following tasks and questions a) Create a timeline with the dates of the following events mentioned in the text. • “The New Colossus” was attached to the Statue of Liberty. • The Statue of Liberty was opened. • Ellis Island was opened. • Emma Lazarus wrote the poem “The New Colossus.” • An early model of the Statue of Liberty was created. • The Statue of Liberty Museum was opened.

______

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b) Use these pieces of information from the text to create sentences about the Statue of Liberty.

• 4.5 million:______

• crown:______

• torch: ______

• 150 feet:______

• stone pedestal:______

• the French:______

• Roman goddess of Libertas: ______

• freedom:______

• immigration, search of a better life:______

______

c) The article discusses the differences between the planned version of the statue and the version that was finally built. The main difference is an accessory held by “Lady Liberty.” Point out the changes that were made regarding this object and how this altered the message of the statue.

______

d) Explain why the Statue of Liberty Museum was built and what new perspectives it offers to people who visit the statue.

______

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2. How did Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus” contribute to making the Statue of Liberty an “icon for … immigrants seeking a better life” (para. 8)? Use the description of the poem and its quotation given in paragraph 9 of the article to answer the question. Optional: To answer the question, use the full poem found on the website of the Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46550/the-new-colossus).

3. Interior monologues: read and compare Students who have written an interior monologue as an immigrant in the pre-reading section will do option 1. Students who have written an interior monologue as the Statue of Liberty will do option 2.

Option 1: immigrant’s perspective Give three points altogether (similarities and differences) to compare your monologue with this quote from the article: “It’s hard to believe for a while that you’re really going to be in this country, but when you see the Statue of Liberty, you know it’s there … It’s thrilling.” (para. 10)

Option 2: Statue of Liberty’s perspective Write down three points in total that show how your monologue differs from or what it has in common with the poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus. (www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46550/the-new-colossus)

Vocabulary

1. Vocabulary practice: complete the expressions

Complete the expressions below with the words from the grid and add the German translations.

• basis • away from • money • with • of • sight of • believe • from

Expression German

a) to stem ______

b) to catch ______

c) to remind s.o.______

d) to raise ______

e) to shy ______

f) hard to ______

g) on a daily______

h) to replace ______

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2. Word associations: ways of walking

The first paragraph of the article talks about visitors shuffling off the ferries at Liberty Island. When people “shuffle,” they walk slowly, and they also make a little bit of noise because they drag their feet on the ground. This can be associated with carelessness or with having little space to walk in a dense crowd. It can also be associated with being tired. There are many other English verbs that describe a way of walking and evoke certain associations.

Fill out the table below with the correct verb and association. The first one has already been done for you.

Verbs: ways of walking • to shuffle • to crawl • to limp • to march

• to meander • to skip • to stagger • to stomp

Associations

• tiredness • aimlessness • anger • babies • boxer being hit • joy • military • pain

Verb Definition Association to walk slowly without lifting your feet off the a) to shuffle tiredness ground b) to walk with difficulty, mainly favoring one leg c) to walk unsteadily as if about to fall

to walk with stiff regular steps that are d) equally long to walk lightly making a little jump with e) each step f) to walk intentionally with a loud heavy step g) to walk slowly without any clear direction h) to move forward on your hands and knees

(The definitions of the words have been adapted from www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com and dictionary.cambridge.org.)

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Grammar

Spot the mistake! Underline the wrong expression and correct it.

1. The French have built the Statue of Liberty in the 19th century.

______

2. If I would have been an immigrant in the 1880s, seeing the Statue of Liberty would have meant a lot to me.

______

3. Millions of people are visiting the Statue of Liberty each year.

______

4. The fact that the Statue of Liberty was intended to commemorate the abolition of slavery is an important information about the statue.

______

5. Many tourists visited the new Statue of Liberty museum since its opening last week.

______

6. The ferry goes direct from Liberty Island to Ellis Island.

______

Post-reading

1. Get the facts: liberty for all?

Professor Alan M. Kraut, the chairman of the history advisory committee of the Statue of Liberty Museum, is quoted saying that “Liberty was denied to many, many people when the statue was first being conceived.” (para. 12)

Think about an example that proves Kraut’s statement and explains what “liberty” means in this context. Also, say who the “many, many people” are in terms of groups in US society. Write a short statement to inform another student (about 100 to 130 words). Find a partner and share your statements.

Tip! Think about political rights connected to voting and social equality, for example.

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2. Group discussions: political protest at the Statue of Liberty

In July 2018, the Guardian reported on the following event: On Independence Day last year (July 4, 2018), political activist Therese Patricia Okoumou attempted to climb the Statue of Liberty to protest President Trump’s immigration policies. Okoumou, a US citizen who immigrated from the Congo, wanted to bring attention to family separations and the fact that children of immigrants are kept in cages at the US border. Other members of her protest group held banners against the recent enforcement of immigration policies under President Trump. Police officers evacuated the entire island. Okoumou was eventually arrested after a standoff with the police.

(The Guardian, July 7, 2018: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/07/statue-of-liberty- protester-patricia-okoumou-interview)

Group discussions • Form small groups of at least three students. • There needs to be the same number of groups that discuss “pros” (see below) as there are groups that discuss “cons”. • Pros: The pro-groups find reasons why people would approve of a political protest like Okoumou’s that uses a national symbol like the Statue of Liberty and a national day like the US Independence Day. • Cons: The con-groups find reasons why people would disapprove of these types of protests at such a time and place. • Each pro-group finds a con-group, and they discuss their points with each other.

3. Time to play! Viewing comprehension and quiz on the Statue of Liberty

Step 1: viewing comprehension and fact collection Watch this video on the Statue of Liberty and write down as many facts as possible: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOAS3bmtSAM (Business Insider, August 12, 2015, 4:44 mins)

Step 2: team quiz • Form teams of three students each. • Each one of you receives one of the quiz card sets below (student 1 receives set 1, student 2 receives set 2, student 3 receives set 3). • You only look at the answers of your own quiz card set. • Cut out your quiz cards. • One of you reads out a question from his/her set, the others try to answer the question. • Whoever answers the question first, gets the card. The student with the most cards is the winner of the round. • Play a second round to memorize the facts.

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QUIZ CARDS (STUDENT 1) ✂ ✂ ✂

1. 2. 3. Where was the Which other cities How firm does the Statue of Liberty were considered as statue stand in built? possible locations strong wind? for the statue?

4. 5. Answers: 1. in Paris, France Who is the person Is the exterior of the 2. Boston, Sacramento, and giving information statue made of Norfolk were also considered about the Statue of concrete? 3. moves three to five inches Liberty in the film? 4. a national park ranger 5. no – it is made of copper

QUIZ CARDS (STUDENT 2) ✂ ✂ ✂

6. 7. 8. Why was the sole of When did the statue When did the statue her right foot one of become a national start turning green? the last places to be monument? closed?

Answers: 9. 10. 6. because the workers went What do the chains What was the statue in and out through it until they had finished their work and shackles under called before she 7. in 1924 her foot represent? got her present 8. around 1900 name? 9. slavery and oppression 10. “Liberty Enlightening the World”

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QUIZ CARDS (STUDENT 3)

✂ ✂ ✂

11. 12. 13. Who designed the What does the light Why have visitors inner framework of of the torch stand been denied access the statue? for? to the torch?

Answers: 14. 15. 11. Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel tower) What date can be What was more 12. liberty and freedom seen on the tablet expensive, the 13. no longer considered to the statue holds and statue or the be safe what does it refer pedestal it stands 14. July 4, 1776 (in Roman letters), Independence Day to? on? 15. pedestal: cost $275,000 (statue was $250,000)

Mediation

An American friend of yours, Brian, likes to collect political cartoons. He has a large number of cartoons featuring the Statue of Liberty. You have come across a very drastic image used on the front page of the German magazine “Der Spiegel” shortly after Donald Trump had become president. It shows the president in a victorious stance after having beheaded the Statue of Liberty, presenting her bleeding head in one hand and a bloody knife in the other. You send your friend a link to the image as shown by the German magazine Focus. You also give him a short warning about the brutality of it.

Link to image: • www.focus.de/kultur/medien/drastische-abbildung-spiegel-cover-stellt-donald-trump-auf-eine- stufe-mit-is-henkern_id_6595555.html (Focus online, Feb. 5, 2017)

Brian is shocked about the image and is wondering how Germans responded to it. He would like to know whether such a cover is in style with standard German journalism or whether it caused controversy.

You do some research and find a critical editorial published in the German newspaper “Die Welt.” You decide to summarize the position of the author to give Brian an example of a journalist’s response to the cover.

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• Write an e-mail to Brian to answer his question. • Use the paragraphs 1 to 7 (568 words) of the article (see link below). The passage ends in “… als er glaubt.” • Write no more than 200 words.

Source: • Die Welt: “Dieses ‚Spiegel‘-Cover entwertet den Journalismus“ by Clemens Wergin • www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article161803798/Dieses-Spiegel-Cover-entwertet-den- Journalismus.html (Feb. 4, 2017)

Vocabulary: entwerten to devalue – ekelhaft disgusting – beschädigen to damage

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ANSWER KEY

Pre-reading

1. Answers will vary; students may give some points from the information given below. • Place: New York Harbor; stands on a small island (Liberty Island) • Color: green (made of copper, which turns green when it comes in contact with damp air) • Statue: holds up a torch, the flame is golden; wears a crown; holds a tablet in the other hand that says July 4, 1776 (US Independence Day); 305 feet (about 93 meters) high including the pedestal it stands on • History: given to the US by the French in the late 19th century; based on the Roman goddess of Libertas. • Symbol: immigration and the hope to improve one’s life, one of the first things that immigrants saw when they arrived in the US; it is a national symbol for the US, its values and ideals: freedom, equality, the US as the land of opportunity that offers everyone a chance of a better life) For more information, please see the following links: • www.britannica.com/topic/Statue-of-Liberty • www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/the-statue-of-liberty-as-a-symbol.htm

2. Sample answers

Option 1: At last, at long last! We have finally made it! Such a long journey and so much heartache at leaving everybody behind. We might never see them again. But here we are, at last. How proud the statue looks. How tall it is. How strong it is. Will this country make us strong too? Where will we find the strength to build our new lives after all this hardship? I need to stop doubting. I need to start thinking about our children. They will be better off here. There is no doubt about that. Always think of the children. Oh, I wish we had already landed … (106 words) Option 2: Oh, you poor creatures. You have been through so much hardship. You have much hope in your eyes and souls and so few things in your pockets. What gave you the strength to leave everything behind and hope for a better life here? Your old lives must have been hell for you to undertake this voyage. Welcome to this country that has always been a nation of immigrants, a haven for the oppressed. I hold my torch high to show you the welcome I want to give you, the freedom that is waiting for you here, and the chances you will be able to carve out for yourselves. Come onshore quickly, but remember that the hard times might not quite be over yet … (123 words)

Reading comprehension 1. a) Timeline 1870: An early model of the Statue of Liberty was created. (para. 6) 1883: Emma Lazarus wrote the poem “The New Colossus”. (para. 9) 1886: The Statue of Liberty was opened. (para. 9) 1892: Ellis Island was opened. (para. 9) 1903: “The New Colossus” was attached to the Statue of Liberty. (para. 9) 2019: The Statue of Liberty Museum was opened. (para. 2)

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b) Sample sentences • The Statue of Liberty has 4.5 million visitors each year. (para. 1) • The statue wears a crown. (para. 2) • The statue holds a torch in its hand. (para. 1) • The statue itself is 150 feet tall. (para. 3) • The statue stands on a massive stone pedestal. (para. 2) • The French built the Statue of Liberty. (paras. 3, 4, 6) • The statue is based on the Roman goddess Libertas. (para. 6) • The statue is a symbol of freedom across the world. (para. 3) • The statue is associated with immigration and the search of a better life. (para. 8) c) Sample answer The statue’s original message was about emancipation. Its French creators wanted to commemorate the abolition of slavery in the US. Therefore, Bartholdi, the statue’s designer, based it on the Roman goddess Libertas who is often associated with freed Roman slaves. Originally, the Statue of Liberty was supposed to hold broken chains in her left hand. The chains were symbolic of slavery and being unfree. Broken chains symbolized that this oppression had been crushed. In the later model of the statue, the chains were replaced by a tablet representing the rule of law. The chains and shackle were moved beneath the statue’s feet. They are somewhat hidden now and can only be seen if you are in a helicopter. Moving the chains changed the message of the statue. Its original idea of emancipation was replaced by the message we know today: The statue is associated with freedom, immigration, and the search of a better life. (paras. 3, 5–8) d) Sample answer The Statue of Liberty Museum was created to offer more to visitors who may not be able to enter the statue. After the 9/11 terror attacks, fewer visitors are allowed to enter the statue due to security concerns. The museum offers a critical perspective of the statue as a symbol of freedom for all. It shows that freedom was not accessible in the same way for all people at the time when the statue was created and opened. The museum highlights that minorities, like African Americans, and women at the end of 19th century did not have the same personal liberties as the rest of society. Even though the museum also celebrates the concept of liberty, it adds a sceptical view on the American ideal of universal liberty and shows that not all people in America could take the statue as a symbol of their reality. (subhead, paras. 2, 4, 11, 12)

2. Sample answer Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus” contributed to making the Statue of Liberty an icon for immigrants seeking a better life in several ways. The description of the poem and the quotation show that the statue was personified as someone who welcomes immigrants and is therefore supportive of them. The quotation focuses on the suffering that immigrants experienced. They are described as “huddled masses” (para. 9), suggesting that the statue sees them approaching on a ship after an exhausting journey. They are also described as “yearning to breathe free,” which has a double meaning. It relates to their exhaustion, but it is also a metaphor for their situation in their home countries, where they were unfree or even oppressed. With this focus, the poem helped to make the statue an icon for immigrants because they possibly felt that their suffering was seen and understood. Furthermore, the poem describes the US (as represented by the statue) as supportive and welcoming and as a country that promises immigrants a better life.

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Optional section: additional sample points • The Statue of Liberty is personified as a motherly, caring figure (“Mother of Exiles,” “mild eyes”); the connotations include: supportive, helpful, nurturing, being in good hands. • The statue welcomes immigrants from all over the world, no exceptions (“Glows world-wide welcome”). • The statue helps them on their way to a new life in a country that promises a better future (“I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”). • The poem focuses on the suffering of people: “tired,” “poor,” “homeless,” hard life and journey (“tempest-tost”), “imprisoned,” “wretched refuse of [their home country’s] teeming shore.” • It also focuses on the hopes of immigrants: better life in the US (“golden door”). • In conclusion, the poem shows how the Statue of Liberty is focused on the hopes and sufferings of immigrants. It also shows the US in a positive light as a country that offers both the possibility of and support for achieving a better life.

3. Individual student answers

Vocabulary 1. Correct expressions with German translations a) to stem from (herrühren von) e) to shy away from (sich scheuen vor) b) to catch sight of (erblicken) f) hard to believe (kaum vorstellbar) c) to remind s.o. of (jdn. erinnern an) g) on a daily basis (täglich) d) to raise money (Geld aufbringen) h) to replace with (ersetzen durch)

2. Verbs and associations Verb Association Verb Association a) to shuffle tiredness e) to skip joy b) to limp pain f) to stomp anger c) to stagger boxer being hit g) to meander aimlessness d) to march military h) to crawl babies

Grammar

1. The French have built the Statue of Liberty in the 19th century. Corrected: The French built the … 2. If I would have been an immigrant in the 1880s, seeing the Statue of Liberty would have meant a lot to me. Corrected: If I had been an immigrant … 3. Millions of people are visiting the Statue of Liberty each year. Corrected: Millions of people visit … 4. The fact that the Statue of Liberty was intended to commemorate the abolition of slavery is an important information about the statue. Corrected: … is an important piece of information … 5. Many tourists visited the new Statue of Liberty Museum since its opening last week. Corrected: Many tourists have visited the … 6. The ferry goes direct from Liberty Island to Ellis Island. Corrected: The ferry goes directly from …

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Explanations 1. Simple past is used here because the event (i.e., the construction of the statue) is linked to a definite point in time in the past / a definite time period in the past (“in the 19th century”). Present perfect is only used to describe something that lasts up to the present moment. Therefore, present perfect cannot be used with time adverbials that refer to a definite point in the past. 2. If-clauses do not take “would.” 3. Simple present is used to describe events that happen regularly (“every year”). 4. The noun “information” is uncountable, so there cannot be “an information” or “informations” but only “information” in general. If you want to refer to one particular fact, you say “a piece of information,” as you do when you talk about advice (“a piece of advice”). 5. “Since” requires present perfect because it describes an event that started in the past and continues up to the present moment. 6. The verb “to go” needs an adverb here.

Post-reading

1. Sample statement At the time when the statue was opened, many people in the US did not enjoy the freedom it promised. “Freedom” or “liberty” in this context meant having certain rights, for example, political rights such as voting. The right to vote was denied to women and African Americans at the time, who were among the “many, many people” mentioned in the quote. This meant that they did not have any say in choosing the people who would govern them. The women’s movement fought for the right to vote until an amendment to the constitution was ratified in 1920. African Americans gained legal equality through the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-1960s. This included overcoming legal barriers that stopped them from exercising their right to vote. (125 words) • www.history.com/topics/womens-history/19th-amendment-1 • www.history.com/topics/black-history/voting-rights-act • www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zcpcwmn/revision/1

2. Sample reasons Pros • If you want to draw attention to a cause, then you might need to resort to spectacular actions that will be noticed by the media. • Both the place and the date proved to be highly effective in this case and received a lot of media attention. • Sensational pictures and extreme action can draw more attention and media coverage than articles, speeches, and other forms of verbal protest. A protest like Okoumou’s can be seen as a last resort from someone who feels that action needs to be taken about a cause they are fighting for. • The Statue of Liberty, which has welcomed many generations of immigrants, has a strong symbolic meaning for American people and especially migrants. Because of this, it is a good place to protest against inhumane practices concerning immigrants at the US border.

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Cons • National holidays like the 4th of July should be free of political activism, which is bound to be controversial. • National holidays should be days of peace and celebrating together, not days of protest, conflict, and standoffs with the police. • Places of national importance like the Statue of Liberty should also be highly respected, and people should not use them for their own political agenda. • Politicians can easily refuse to acknowledge protests that are too aggressive and extreme. This might be counter-productive to the protestors’ aims.

3. For answers to the quiz questions, please see the quiz card sets.

Mediation Sample answer Hi Brian, Sorry to have shocked you with this image. I thought you might have seen it before because it also made it into American newspapers like the Washington Post. You might be relieved to hear that this image is far from being standard practice in German journalism. It was heavily criticized here. An editorial published in a national German newspaper is an example of this. The author thinks that the cover was disgusting and definitely meant to shock people to get attention. It was supposed to create publicity for the magazine at any price. The cover shows a loss of moral standards, and it devalues and damages journalism. So, you can see that the image caused controversy here too and that it is not common practice to make atrocious comparisons like this one showing Trump in the style of IS terrorists who triumphantly behead their victims. Still, the author says that he has observed that this phenomenon is spreading among journalists that criticize Trump. By the way, do you have any other cartoons showing the Statue of Liberty and Trump? I’m curious to see how this subject is covered by others. Looking forward to hearing from you! Best, Louis (200 words)