Writing About Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X Write an essay about Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X and how they learned to read and write. Instructions: Follow the directions of the writing scaffold exactly. Write an essay that compares the learning to read and write experiences of Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X. (Before attempting this essay, you should have reviewed the chapters about the learning to read experiences of both Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X. Outline: Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X Learn to Read and Write 1. Begin your paper by introducing Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass. Then at the end of this one paragraph introduction, say that both of these men were consumed with the desire to learn to read and write well. Next in a second paragraph discuss this desire or why they wanted to learn to read and write well. 2. At the end of the second paragraph state your thesis. Here is a thesis you might want to use: In order for Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X to learn to read and write, both faced severe obstacles they had to overcome. Because of the strategies they use, their intelligence and character, ultimately, they were successful and became leaders in the civil rights movements of their times. Note: Everything mentioned in the first two paragraphs must be written in such a way that the thesis stated above in boldface can follow at the end of the second paragraph both naturally and logically. You will need to add connective word and phrases as you write. 3. The third paragraph begins the body of the essay. The body of the essay is a response to the thesis. It is in the body you will want to write about the obstacles that stood in their way. Then you will want to write about how these two men overcame their obstacles. Write about each man’s experiences separately so that in #4 below you can do a comparison of the two men. At this point you don’t need to make connections between their learning experiences. You will do that later. All of this will be four paragraphs. Paragraph One: The obstacles Frederick Douglass faced in learning to read and write. Paragraph Two: The strategies Frederick Douglass used to overcome the obstacles. Paragraph Three: The obstacles Malcolm X faced in learning to read and write. Paragraph Four: The strategies Malcolm X used to overcome the obstacles. It is up to you to plan and organize the appropriate information into these paragraphs. Don’t include any information that doesn’t conform to the thesis. Note: As you move from one paragraph to another, you will need to add words and phrases that serve to connect the paragraphs so that everything seems like one smoothly written piece. 4. After the above four paragraphs, write two paragraphs comparing the learning experiences of the two men. How were they similar and different? Paragraph One: Similarities. Paragraph Two: Differences. 5. Next write one paragraph that tells how certain aspects of intelligence and character allowed Frederick Douglass to learn to read and write well. What are they? How did they help him? Then follow that paragraph up with one more that tells how certain aspects of intelligence and character allowed Malcolm X learn to read and write well. What are they? How did they help him? (You do have the option to write four paragraphs here, but only do that if it doesn’t cause your paper to exceed the maximum length.) Note: While we discussed many aspects of character and intelligence, just write about the single most important aspect of intelligence and character for these two men.) 6. Continue by writing one paragraph that tells how, as a result of their learning to read and write so well, they both became great communicators and leaders in their civil rights movements of their times. Exactly what did they do that allows us to say this. You may use the posted background information to write this paragraph. Don’t go to Wikipedia. You don’t need to quote in this paragraph. We haven’t dealt with quoting from video sources. 7.. Conclude by summing up how it is possible to learn in very difficult, obstacle- laden environments. Refer again back to the experiences of Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass. It is also here that you can connect to your personal experience. Do you think you could learn in such difficult circumstances as these two men had to endure? Could anyone? Or were these two men so exceptional and unique that only someone like them could survive such environments as slavery and prison and still learn? (This can be two or three paragraphs.) This is your analysis/opinion. Its possible to quote in these paragraphs when making reference again to Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X. Requirements: Your paper must be word-processed. It must be 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pages. You should have several quotations (one per paragraph is recommended), each of which have been explained. If you want to quote from the video sources from our course website, then you should know how to do that. Follow the MLA rules of style. Don’t end a paragraph with a quotation. Note that generally it is not required to have quotes in the introduction, but I do recommend one or two.