Famous People Lessons: English Lesson on Malcolm X

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

Malcolm X, a.k.a. El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was a black American activist who had a lasting impact on race relations in America. His speeches and political work helped bring to the world’s attention the evil of racism in the USA. He led an extraordinary life that would take him from poverty, crime and prison to being a much respected community leader.

He was born Malcolm Little in 1925 but rejected his surname later in life because it represented his slavery past. He adopted ‘X’ to signify his unknown ancestry. Malcolm was top of his class at junior high school and wanted to be a lawyer. A teacher told him he was the wrong colour to study law and he dropped out of high school.

He moved to New York in 1943 and slowly became involved in drug dealing, gambling, robbery and other crimes. In 1946, he was sent to prison for ten years. He became an avid reader and educated himself in many topics. He also converted to Islam and met leaders of the Nation of Islam and the Black Muslims. He left prison in 1952.

In 1954, Malcolm X became leader of a Nation of Islam temple in New York. He became well known for his political views and regularly appeared on TV and in newspapers. He became famous around the world. In 1964, Malcolm X made his pilgrimage to Mecca, where he realized all races were the same. Malcolm X was assassinated while making a speech in 1965.

249 words

Flesch Kinkaid 8.8

SYNONYM MATCH

Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	a.k.a.	a.	remarkable
2	lasting	b.	also known as
3.	extraordinary	c.	quit
4.	represented	d.	continuing
5.	ancestry	e.	symbolized
6.	dropped out of	f.	descent
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	slowly	g.	opinions
8.	prison	h.	keen
9.	avid	i.	killed
10.	well known	j.	gradually
11	views	k	famous
12	assassinated	l	jail

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.	a lasting impact on race	a.	were the same
2	the evil	b.	colour to study law
3.	He adopted ‘X’ to signify his	c.	of racism
4.	A teacher told him he was the wrong	d.	in drug dealing
5.	he dropped out	e.	unknown ancestry
6.	slowly became involved	f.	while making a speech
7.	He also converted	g.	appeared on TV
8.	regularly	h.	of high school
9.	he realized all races	i.	relations in America
10.	Malcolm X was assassinated	j.	to Islam

LISTENING GAP FILL

Malcolm X, a.k.a. El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was a black American _________________ a lasting impact on race relations in America. His speeches and political work helped _________________ attention the _________________ the USA. He led an extraordinary life that would take him _________________ and prison to being a much respected community leader.

He was born Malcolm Little in 1925 but _________________ later in life because it represented _________________. He adopted ‘X’ to signify his _________________. Malcolm was top of his class at junior high school and wanted to be a lawyer. A teacher told him he was the wrong colour to study law and he _________________ high school.

He moved to New York in 1943 and slowly _________________ in drug dealing, gambling, robbery _________________. In 1946, he was sent to prison for ten years. He _________________ reader and educated himself in many topics. He also _________________ and met leaders of the Nation of Islam and the Black Muslims. He left prison in 1952.

In 1954, Malcolm X _________________ a Nation of Islam temple in New York. He became well known for his political _________________ appeared on TV and in newspapers. He became famous around the world. In 1964, Malcolm X _________________ to Mecca, where he realized all races were the same. Malcolm X was _________________ making a speech in 1965.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.

Malcolm X, a.k.a. El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was a black American activist / activism who had a lasting / lasted impact on race relations in America. His speeches and political work helped bring to the world’s attention the evil of racist / racism in the USA. He led an extraordinary life that would take him from poverty, crime and prison to being a much / many respected community leader.

He was born Malcolm Little in 1925 but rejected / rejection his surname later in living / life because it represented his slavery before / past. He adopted ‘X’ to signify his unknown ancestry. Malcolm was top of his class at junior high school and wanted to be a lawyer. A teacher told him he was the wrong colour to study law and he dropped off / out of high school.

He moved to New York in 1943 and slowly / slowed became involved in drug dealing, gambling, robbery and other / another crimes. In 1946, he was sent to prison for ten years. He became an avid reading / reader and educated himself in many topics. He also converted by / to Islam and met leaders of the Nation of Islam and the Black Muslims. He left prison in 1952.

In 1954, Malcolm X became leader / leadership of a Nation of Islam temple in New York. He became well known for his political / politics views and regularly appeared on TV and on / in newspapers. He became famous around the world. In 1964, Malcolm X made his pilgrimage to Mecca, where he realized all / every races were the same. Malcolm X was assassinated while making a speech in 1965.

SPELLING

The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	a lasting impact on race tosnearli
2.	the evil of sciarm
3.	poverty, crime and sprion
4.	community darlee
Paragraph 2
5.	his lrvesya past
6.	He adopted ‘X’ to signify his unknnwo ancestry
7.	wanted to be a rylewa
8.	he odderpp out of high school
Paragraph 3
9.	became ledvivon in drug dealing
10.	he was sent to oinsrp for ten years
11.	He became an avid aerred
12.	educated himself in many pocits
Paragraph 4
13.	well known for his political vswei
14.	eayllrrug appeared on TV
15.	he realized all races were the same
16.	making a hpeecs

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	prison to being a much respected community leader.
( )	relations in America. His speeches and political work helped bring to the world’s attention the evil of
( )	He was born Malcolm Little in 1925 but rejected his surname later in life because it represented his slavery
( 1 )	Malcolm X, a.k.a. El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was a black American activist who had a lasting impact on race
( )	were the same. Malcolm X was assassinated while making a speech in 1965.
( )	political views and regularly appeared on TV and in newspapers. He became famous around the
( )	crimes. In 1946, he was sent to prison for ten years. He became an avid reader and educated
( )	himself in many topics. He also converted to Islam and met leaders of the Nation of Islam
( )	racism in the USA. He led an extraordinary life that would take him from poverty, crime and
( )	In 1954, Malcolm X became leader of a Nation of Islam temple in New York. He became well-known for his
( )	past. He adopted ‘X’ to signify his unknown ancestry. Malcolm was top of his class at junior high school and wanted to
( )	be a lawyer. A teacher told him he was the wrong colour to study law and he dropped out of high school.
( )	world. In 1964, Malcolm X made his pilgrimage to Mecca, where he realized all races
( )	and the Black Muslims. He left prison in 1952.
( )	He moved to New York in 1943 and slowly became involved in drug dealing, gambling, robbery and other

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	impact lasting a America in relations race on
2.	attention bring the to evil the of world’s racism
3.	community respected much a being leader
4.	unknown ‘X’ ancestry to He signify adopted his
5.	colour he A was teacher the told wrong him
6.	years In 1946 , he was sent to prison for ten
7.	avid an became He himself educated and reader
8.	to also Islam converted He
9.	made pilgrimage Mecca X his to Malcolm
10.	Malcolm speech a making while assassinated was X

MALCOLM X DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	What do you know about Malcolm X?
2.	Would you like to have met Malcolm X?
3.	What would you like to know about Malcolm X and why?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

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STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	What did you learn from this text about Malcolm X?
2.	What questions would you like to have asked Malcolm X?
3.	What would his answers have been to those questions?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

MALCOLM X SURVEY

Write five questions about Malcolm X in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Malcolm X for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Malcolm X. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MALCOLM X POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Malcolm X. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Malcolm X. Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he did every day and what he thought about.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Malcolm X. Ask him three questions about his life. Tell him how important he is in today’s world. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Malcolm X expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	a.k.a.	a.	also known as
2	lasting	b.	continuing
3.	extraordinary	c.	remarkable
4.	represented	d.	symbolized
5.	ancestry	e.	descent
6.	dropped out of	f.	quit
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	slowly	g.	gradually
8.	prison	h.	jail
9.	avid	i.	keen
10.	well known	j.	famous
11	views	k	opinions
12	assassinated	l	killed

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	a lasting impact on race	a.	relations in America
2	the evil	b.	of racism
3.	He adopted ‘X’ to signify his	c.	unknown ancestry
4.	A teacher told him he was the wrong	d.	colour to study law
5.	he dropped out	e.	of high school
6.	slowly became involved	f.	in drug dealing
7.	He also converted	g.	to Islam
8.	regularly	h.	appeared on TV
9.	he realized all races	i.	were the same
10.	Malcolm X was assassinated	j.	while making a speech

ALL OTHER EXERCISES:

Look at the text in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.

Famous People Lessons.com English Lesson Plan on Malcolm X