As a class we watched the movie Akeelah and the Bee.
Not only was it a great movie, it also contained some very important lessons and themes. Many of the ideas from the movie are found in the real world, and the events in Akeelah and the Bee connected with people and events in history— People like Amelia Earhardt, Harriet Tubman, Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Marian Anderson, Harriet Quimby, Wilma Rudolph, Rev. Martin Luther King, and Booker T. Washington. Students read and studied picture books on these famous people. What are the connections between the movie and these real people’s lives? What central themes do these books hold? Keep reading to find out. But first, a poem from the movie.
Our Greatest Fear ~Marianne Williamson
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others. http://explorersfoundation.org/glyphery/122.html
Kyle Neudorf, Matthew Van Slyke and Darius Boler
In the book Jackie Robinson, and the movie Akeelah and the Bee they both had to go through obstacles. In Jackie Robinson, he had to overcome white people that didn't approve of him and what he was doing. In Akeelah and the bee she had to overcome her fear of messing up or losing. In life everyone has to go through obstacles. If we didn't go through them we wouldn't be the person that we are today.
In book Jackie Robinson and the movie Akeelah and the bee, both of the characters have people who help them succeed. In Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey helped Jackie become a major leaguer. In Akeelah and the bee, Mr. Larabee helped Akeelah win the national spelling bee. If we didn't have a person to help us succeed, the things that we have accomplished wouldn't be ours.
In the book Jackie Robinson, and Akeelah and the Bee both characters accomplished things in life. In Jackie Robinson, Jackie got to play Brooklyn Dodgers and won six National League pennants, also in 1955 he helped team a lot and won the Major league World champions. In Akeelah and Bee, Akeelah accomplished winning the National Spelling Bee. In life we have all accomplished something. When people accomplished something it makes us feel good about ourselves.
The central theme of the book Jackie Robinson is that skin color doesn't matter of who you are. For example, when the neighbors cursed and threw rocks at their house, also they tried to buy them out (Jackie Robinson). Also when Jackie tried to make the Army baseball team they wouldn't let him because he was black. Then when he had to ride the military bus the attendant said he had to sit in the back of the bus where he belonged.
Andrew, Cameron, Chris
In The movie Akeelah and the bee Dr.larabee Kept helping Akeelah get through the spelling bee, and God kept helping Harriet get through the woods and helped her get through slavery. Even when Harriet wanted to go back god made her keep going. She never gave up. the book Moses connect In many dierent ways. One connection is the fact that they both over came the obstacles that came with there challenge. Akeelah kept on trying even when she thought she could not make it to the spelling bee. Moses kept going even though she thought she couldn't free the slaves, but she kept going.
Another connection we found in our book is when Dr.larabee Kept helping Akeelah get through the spelling bee and kept telling her she could do it and had high expectations for her, and God kept helping Harriet get through the woods and help her get through slavery and god had high expectations for Harriet through there journey. Even when Harriet wanted to go back god made her keep going. She never gave up.
One last connection is when Harriet was leaving her family to get out of slavery and on the way she missed her family. This connects because in Akeelah and the bee her father got shot on the way home and died. Neither of them could have a father when they were on their quest. They both were missing a father figure or someone to help them on there journey.
We think that the central theme of the book is that to do to what you believe in even though it may be hard to get through it you need to get through it . Also try to persevere through the tough and diďŹƒcult situations you may come upon. We got this theme because harriet kept overcoming all of her obstacles thought her journey. This aects your life because you run into a lot of problems that you have to overcome.
We picked this picture because in Akeelahs school she wasn't accepted in the school because she was smarter than other kids. Marian wasn't either because she was a dierent color than the other people. It shouldn't matter that Akeelah could spell better than most kids. It also shouldn't matter that Marian is a dierent color, but it did. They probably could have done what they wanted to if these people didn't treat them this way.
I also picked this picture because Akeelah and Marian had someone to look up to Akeelah had Dr Larabee and Mariana had Mr. Boghetti and those both teachers helped them get to where they are now. Akeelah won the spelling bee and Marina got to sing at the Constitution hall.
She had gotten past most of the hard times she had to face. The obstacles were that she could not perform at the constitution hall because she was black. Akeelah didn't have much support from her school because the kids didn't really believe in her. Marian and Akeelah both had tough times because people didn't believe in them.
The central idea of the story "when Marian Sang" is that she persevered through the hard times in her life and even though no one else believed in her because she was black she never gave up and ended up perusing her dream when she sang Lincoln memorial. This could aect anyone's life because it's telling them that you should never give even through the hard times.
A Marian Anderson quote s
Alyssa W David L
This certain page describes that Booker, (main character) worked so hard to reach his goal and Traveled so far from Ohio to Washington D.C, while having little money, and only a few tattered threads to wear. In Akeelah and the bee, she accomplished her dream/goal by working hard at what she wanted and did not care ( later on ) what people said about her. They both wanted to accomplish what they wanted , there dream/goal.
This part of the story Booker needed more money to get into college so Booker did anything to get the supply and money for collage so he worked on unloading ships to get the money he needed. This connects to Akeelah And The Bee, for example, She wanted all the help and support for the spelling bee so she got help from nabbors, friends, family to do great in the spelling competition.
When a black man discovered to read the naborhood would gather around and listen to him read and that was Bookers goal was to to what the man was doing, reading. This connects to Akeelah And The Bee because Akeelahs father loved to spell and when her father died when Akeelah was 6 she was determined to do what her dad and herself loved to do by practicing and both of them accomplished there goal because Akeelah won the national spelling bee and Booker accomplished going to school and both of them became very smart.
The central Theme of this story is to set a goal for yourself go for it even if it takes time and work, for example Booker was a slave for a while but when he was a teen and freedom came he heard about a great school called Hampton Institute and he wanted to go very badly But he could not go by train because he was too poor so he had to WALK more than 500 miles but he was determined to get into Hampton Institute and he accomplished his goal by working hard and
.
believing in himself
Axel Andrews Ivette Villalpando
Akeelah and Martin have a connection because they both saw there fathers as role models Akeelah wanted to spell like her father did. Martin wanted to be a preacher like his father. We chose this because if there fathers were different they wouldn't have grown to be what they are now. If Akeelah's dad wasn't there or he was different she probably wouldn't have wanted to spell. If martin's dad wasn't there he probably wouldn't have wanted to be a preacher.
Akeelah and Martin had a connection because they were both discriminated against.
When Akeelah went to her Spanish friend's party, Dylan's dad discriminated against her. If he didn't do that she might not have been as strong as she is now. Martin was discriminated against and if he wasn't then he probably wouldn't have done what he did.
Akeelah and Martin had a connection because they both wanted to help their communities. Akeelah wanted her community to be better when she signed up for the spelling bee. This is important because if she didn't do it and win her community would still be the same as it was then. Martin Luther king Jr. wanted to be a preacher to make his community better. This
is important because if he didn't the world would still be segregated.
The central theme of the book is that one persons words can change the world. We got this central theme because he would gives speeches and people would stop being mean and stop segregating when they heard him. This changes my life (Axel) because it makes me think that I don't have to beat someone up to make them listen. This changes my life because I don't have to solve all my problems through violence.
By: Sofia T, and Olivia G, Teal W.!
When Wilma was almost 5, she got polio (a crippled leg) and it affected how she interacted with kids and how she handled her life. When Akeelah was 6 she lost her dad and that affected the way she dealt with life .Sometimes when a person has something heartbroken to them it affects the way they handle their life decisions. We think both Wilma and Akeelah would have a worse life if they didn't go through the pain they went
through.
When Wilma went to church she had courage that she could walk without her brace. In the same way Akeelah had courage In herself that she could win The national spelling bee. We think that Both Wilma and Akeelah are both courages and they belive in themselves to get through life without any obstacles.
When Wilma was older she won the Olympics just like how Akeelah won the national spelling bee. They both accomplished their goals. We think that they couldn't done anything better without anyone encouraging them to do the stuff they did.
We think the central idea is determination can get you places in life. We think that because both in Akeelah, and Wilma's story, they both showed determination in many different ways. The central theme affects our life because it makes us want to do things to make us better in life. And encourage others to do the same. !
Addition Resources.
Corey F. and Jacob C.
Harriet Quimby was the first female pilot to have a flying license and the first female pilot to cross the English Channel. She hadn't always dreamed of flying, yet she made history doing it. Akeelah never thought she would ever enter a spelling bee, let alone win the biggest in the country. She was always good with words, but she had never even heard of the spelling bee before middle school. In either the book or the movie, if Harriet and Akeelah had never heard of what they're known for, they wouldn't be known for it at all. Sometimes when you just learn about an activity or something else in your life, and you are really determined to do it, you can go the farthest possible way to becoming great in that activity. We think that Harriet Quimby and Akeelah Anderson would not have become who they are if they had not tried their best to do something great.
When Harriet Quimby announced that she was going to cross the English Channel, she had many people who did not believe that she could do it. Even another pilot, Gustav Hamel, oered to dress up in her clothes so that Harriet didn't have to risk her life. Akeelah had people who did not support her in her eorts to win the spelling bee either. There were girls at her school, other competitors, and even her mother didn't believe in her. This shows that both Harriet and Akeelah had to deal with people telling them that they could not accomplish what they were aiming to. Even if most people don't support you, you have to be strong and take control or things may not turn out how you would like it to. We think that if maybe more people had supported both Harriet and Akeelah, things would have turned out very dierently.
Harriet Quimby was going to fly across the English Channel, and some people didn't support her. Then, some of those same people were there to watch her take flight. Akeelah had lots of people who didn't support her in the spelling bee. Then, when she was at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, everyone, even those who hadn't believed she could do it, were supporting her. This shows that with all of their support, it boosted both Harriet's and Akeelah's self confidence when they were making their big 'debuts.' Everybody needs people to support them when it is their time to shine, the most important part of their lives up to this point.
We think that the central theme of the book is that you should follow what you think is right, even if a majority of the people don't want you to. Harriet had lots of people who didn't think that she could fly across the English Channel, yet she had made up her mind and she wasn't going to back out. This could connect to our lives because if we decide to do things and people don't agree with us about those things, we shouldn't let hem control what we do in our lives.
• Ever watching to see what will happen • They both had a problem when they were kids Akeelah with her father killed Joe with him not being able to speak until 6 years old • They both had to be leave in themselves _____________________________________________________
In the book "A Nation's Hope The Story Of A Boxing legend Joe Louis" is related to the movie "Akeelah And The Bee". The book "A Nation's Hope The Story Of A Boxing legend Joe Louis" related to "Akeelah and the bee because they both had a problem when they were six years olds. Akeelah's problem when she was six is her father died when he was coming home from work. He was shot. Joe's problem is just like Akeelah's problem. Joes problem is that he was not able to talk until he was six. when he finally could speak he stammered, it was ridicules.
Another thing that Akeelah and Joe have in common is that they did not believe in them self. So they didn't work hard enough. Akeelah didn't work hard enough because she thought she was never going to make it to the spelling bee. So at first she did not even try. Joe didn't believe in himself because he was hit down in his match. So after that match he did not believe in himself.
Last but not least at the end after Akleeah And Joe believed in themselves everyone was listening and watching. For Akeelah everyone in her school and town was watching the tv and listening to the radio to see what was going to happen. For Joe all across the country everyone or at least most people were listening to see if Joe was going to win or not. Everyone watching show that they were backing Joe up, and Akeelah.
To achieve you must believe (Yes it is that simple)
It shows that to Achieve you must believe because he did not believe in him self, so he did not achieve. But at the end of the story when Joe was believing in himself in did achieve. Blake's- For me this saying affected my life because this year when I was running, I wonted to get 4 miles on the Elliptical, but I kept only getting 3 miles. But one time when I was running I remembered this saying, and that time remembered that saying I got 4.3 miles. David c's- This saying helped me when I played baseball because I think will not achieve when I played last year, because I broke my arm. But when I did believe I achieved.
Drusilla H. and Dayna E. And Marlin H.
This picture shows Amelia building a roller coaster, but her cousins said "You can't do that, Amelia!". The picture is also related to Akeelah and the Bee because some kids were telling Akeelah she wasn't so smart. That was at the school spelling bee and she met Dr. Larabee. We felt that Amelia and Akeelah were both doubted, but the girls put what the people said to them behind themselves. That let them carry on with their dreams.
Both the girls had a passion and a dream that they knew was their goal. In this picture Amelia is picturing herself at the plane show, and was hoping to be able to fly one of her own planes one day. Amelia's dream was to fly a plane when she was older, as a career. Akeelah's dream was to complete the spelling bee for her dad. Something that was similar between Amelia and Akeelah was that they were both picturing their dreams like when Akeelah was talking to her dad, and Amelia was picturing her dream.
This picture shows how Amelia helped her friend in a crash during a plane race. This was related to Akeelah because she had helped Dylan in the big spelling bee so that they could both win. We thought that this was a connection because they both helped a friend along the way to their goal.
The central theme in this book is not to let anyone stand in the way of your dreams and let you mind explode with them, then chase after them. Don't let go of your dreams just because someone tells you that you can't do it. The theme could aect our lives because if someone tells us we wouldn't be able to reach our goal that would just push us more to reach our goal in life and prove that person wrong.