NATIONAL
MATH + SCIENCE
INITIATIVE
English
Christopher Reeve:
The Americans with
Disabilities Act
Grade 7
Students will
demonstrate an understanding of the elements
of argumentation.
● analyze a text to determine how an author or
speaker communicates his or her purpose.
●
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Image. Reeve, Christopher. “Evening Session.”
Democratic Convention Recorded 08 26 1996.
C-SPAN. Web, http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/
EveningSessi. Permission pending.
Speech to the 1996 Democratic National Convention
by Christopher Reeve. Granted by permission of The
Estate of Christopher Reeve.
TEXT COMPLEXITY
Passages for the National Math and Science
Initiative (NMSI) English lessons are selected to
challenge students, while lessons and activities make
texts accessible. Guided practice with challenging
texts allows students to gain the proficiency
necessary to read independently at or above grade
level. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of
Christopher Reeve’s speech indicates that it is
appropriate for middle grades students.
Copyright © 2014 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org.
T E A C H E R
OBJECTIVES
This lesson is intended to introduce the elements
of argumentation, using a speech delivered by
Christopher Reeve to the 1996 Democratic National
Convention. Reeve’s purpose was to persuade the
delegates of the importance of Congress passing
the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this lesson,
students will identify the claims that Reeve makes
and the types of evidence he uses to support his
argument. Before presenting this lesson, the teacher
will want to review the Student Resource “Elements
of Argumentation.”
P A G E S
ABOUT THIS LESSON
i
English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
COGNITIVE RIGOR
English lessons for NMSI are designed to guide
students through a continuum of increasingly
complex thinking skills, including those outlined in
taxonomies such as the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy
and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Levels. The
activities in this lesson move students from the
identification of rhetorical elements (DOK 1) to an
analysis and evaluation of the speaker’s craft and
the effect his craft has on the audience (DOK 4).
The lesson engages students in all levels of Bloom’s
taxonomy.
T E A C H E R
P A G E S
This lesson is included in Module 6: Crafting an
Effective Argument.
ii
CONNECTION TO COMMON
CORE STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS
The activities in this lesson allow teachers to address
the following Common Core Standards:
RI.7.5:
RI.7.6:
RI.7.8:
Analyze the structure an author uses to
organize a text, including how the major
sections contribute to the whole and to
the development of the ideas.
Determine an author’s point of view or
purpose in a text and analyze how the
author distinguishes his or her position
from that of others.
Trace and evaluate the argument and
specific claims in a text, assessing
whether the reasoning is sound and the
evidence is relevant and sufficient to
support the claims.
Implicitly addressed in this lesson
RI.7.10: By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literary nonfiction in
the grades 6-8 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at
the high end of the range.
Explicitly addressed in this lesson
RI.7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence
to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
RI.7.2: Determine two or more central ideas of
a text and analyze their development
over the course of the text; provide an
objective summary of the text.
RI.7.3: Analyze the interactions between
individuals, events, and ideas in a text
(e.g., how ideas influence individuals or
events, or how individuals influence ideas
or events).
RI.7.4: Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative, connotative, and
technical meanings; analyze the impact
of a specific word choice on meaning and
tone.
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English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
CONNECTIONS TO AP*
Analysis of an argument is an important college
readiness skill. At an early age, students need
to begin the process of identifying the elements
of an effective argument in essays and speeches
so they can begin to effectively craft their own
argumentative and persuasive essays. Skill in writing
both argumentative and persuasive essays is vital for
success on the AP Language exam.
copies of the Student Activity
● YouTube clip or pictures of Christopher
Reeve as Superman
●
ASSESSMENTS
The following kinds of formative assessments are
embedded in this lesson:
guided questions
● graphic organizers
●
T E A C H E R
P A G E S
*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the
College Entrance Examination Board. The College Board was not
involved in the production of this material.
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
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iii
English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
T
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
T E A C H E R
P A G E S
his lesson is designed to take two-three
class periods to complete. Consider using
this at the beginning of the academic year to
introduce these concepts to students.
Activity One
Direct students to read the text and record in the
margins any observations or inferences based
on the bold type. When sharing their initial
observations, students should recognize that Reeve
is a caring, compassionate individual who, despite
his disability, is hopeful that research will lead
to a cure for spinal cord injuries. To understand
Reeve’s connection to the audience, it is important
for students to understand his role as Superman
and the devastating effects of his accident. You can
find many photographs and video clips of Reeve
in his Superman persona on the Internet, along
with a brief clip of Reeve delivering this speech at
the Democratic National Convention (DNC). It is
important for students to see the contrast in Reeve
before and after his accident to understand the
impact he has on the audience.
Activity Two
To help students understand the audience Reeve
is addressing, you might require a short research
assignment on the process of selecting delegates
to primaries and caucuses in your state, or partner
with a social studies colleague who could present
background information on the delegation process.
Reeve’s purpose, which is provided in the prompt,
is really a call to action. By convincing the DNC
delegates of the importance of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, Reeve hopes they will persuade
their elected representatives in Congress to vote for
this legislation.
Activity Three
Students need to understand how writers support
their claims with evidence. Highlighting the words
that are repeated will help students to identify the
speech’s key ideas. Students can then identify the
claims Reeve makes about these topics. An example
iv
is provided, but you might want to complete the
activity with the whole class to guide students
through the process of identifying the claims. If
students work independently, help them understand
that they will probably word their claims differently,
but the idea of the claim should be similar to the
claims of their classmates. Remind students that
a claim will include a debatable or controversial
element. Explain to students that some claims are
explicitly stated in the text— “we’re all family, we
all have value.” Other claims are implicit and must
be formulated from the information in the text. Point
out to students that many people might disagree with
Reeve’s claim that we are all family and hold to a
very traditional interpretation of family being only
those related by birth, adoption, or marriage.
Activity Four
There are many types of evidence that speakers or
writers use to support their claims and persuade their
audience or readers. Explain to students that the
bold headings—comparisons, facts and statistics,
personal anecdotes, reference to authority, and
counterargument—are all devices that help create an
effective argument. After students complete Activity
Four, facilitate a discussion concerning why one
type of evidence might have a greater impact on a
particular audience than another type. For example,
medical doctors might find facts and statistics more
persuasive than a personal anecdote.
Activity Five
Summarizing texts is a crucial college readiness skill
for students, yet they often receive little instruction
in how to write a summary. Discuss with students
that the steps in Activity Three provide one strategy
to help them summarize an informational text. Select
several effective student samples to share under the
document camera with the class.
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NATIONAL
MATH + SCIENCE
INITIATIVE
“our nation cannot tolerate discrimination of
any kind”—Reeve is the type of person who
speaks out for causes he believes are important
like fairness and justice.
“When we put our minds to a problem, we can
usually find solutions”—Reeve is an optimistic
person who believes in teamwork.
“We’ve got to be smarter, do better”—Reeve
has high standards for himself and others.
“But merely being alive is not enough”—Reeve
will not settle for mediocrity. He wants everyone
to have the opportunity for an abundant life.
“It’s something we as a nation must do
together”—Reeve is a team player who believes
that we can accomplish more if we are united
for a cause.
“we are on the way to getting millions of people
around the world like me up and out of our
wheelchairs.” –Reeve is optimistic about finding
a cure for spinal cord injuries. He also sees
himself as an equal to others with spinal cord
injuries, despite his fame and wealth. HE wants
everyone to benefit from the research, not just
those in America.
“I believe America does not let its needy
citizens fend for themselves.”—Reeve is
patriotic and proud to be an American because
America takes care of those in need.
Activity Two
1. To be cast as Superman, Reeve must have been
athletic and physically fit. At the time of the
speech, he is in a wheelchair because he was
paralyzed in the horse riding accident. Because
he is paralyzed, he is passionate about helping
2. Members of the audience are delegates of the
Democratic National Convention, so they are
a diverse group of men and women in terms
of age, occupations, and religious views. Even
though they all represent the Democratic Party,
they may also have differing political views.
3. The audience knows and remembers Reeve as
Superman, running faster than a speeding train
and flying through the air with Lois Lane in
his arms. The fact that he is now confined to a
wheelchair creates feelings of sympathy and
compassion from the audience.
4. His recent accident and rehabilitation have
motivated Reeve to use his celebrity status to
raise awareness of spinal cord injuries and to
try to persuade Congress to pass the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
5. Many members of the audience might have
a family member or friend with some type
of disability. If not, seeing Reeve, who once
played Superman, confined to a wheelchair,
would create interest in people with disabilities
because, if a tragedy like this could happen to
someone like Christopher Reeve, then it could
happen to anyone.
Activity Three
The key words students should identify are family,
values, disability, research, impossible. If students
identify other words (such as motto), help them
make the connection between their word and the key
words.
P A G E S
Answers will vary, but the following are possible
suggested answers.
Activity One
“I think it means that we’re all family,
that we all have value”—Reeve values all
individuals regardless of their race, religion, or
socio‑economic status.
other Americans with disabilities.
T E A C H E R
ANSWERS
English
Other claims:
As Americans, we are all family and should help one
another.
We must spend more money on research to cure
spinal cord injuries and other diseases.
America cannot tolerate discrimination of any kind.
If Americans work toward a common goal, anything
is possible.
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v
English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
Activity Four
1. He makes specific references to family or
people we consider to be like family—aunt,
brother, neighbor—that have a disability.
2. a.wrecking ball, sledge hammer, bulldozer,
dynamite
b.Stairs, walls, high cabinets or department
store racks, and curbs all create barriers for
individuals in wheelchairs.
T E A C H E R
P A G E S
c.Anything that causes a person to be closeminded would create a barrier in attitude.
Possible barriers might include a lack of
knowledge, preconceived ideas, or prejudices
about a particular subject.
d.The best way to tear down barriers in attitude
is to educate people and try to change
preconceived ideas.
e.a wrecking ball (or something similar)
f.Almost everyone listening would have seen
a building being demolished. By comparing
the Americans with Disabilities Act to a
force strong enough to tear down a building,
he demonstrates to the audience how much
power this civil rights legislation would
have in the lives of people with disabilities
and how much power it will take to change
people’s attitudes about disabilities.
3. conquering outer-space and putting a man on
the moon
a.Just as the moon was once an unexplored
frontier, the functions of the human brain and
central nervous system are a new frontier for
medical exploration.
b.This would be an effective comparison
because most people in his audience would
agree that putting a man on the moon at one
time in history seemed impossible, yet the
United States achieved the impossible within
a decade of President Kennedy’s challenge to
do so. The United States space program also
stirs feelings of nationalism in citizens. Many
vi
people in the audience would have been
in school during the 1960s when the space
program was striving to put a man on the
moon, so they would likely agree that we can
find a cure for spinal cord injuries.
4. a.One in four of us has some kind of disability.
b.About a quarter million Americans have a
spinal cord injury.
c.Our government spends about $8.7 billion a
year just maintaining these members of our
family.
d.But we spend only $40 million a year on
research that would actually improve the
quality of their lives. Reeve wants his
audience to see the enormity of the issue he
is advocating. The majority of the audience
probably does not know how many of their
fellow Americans have a disability; twentyfive percent of the population is a huge
number. This audience, because they are
actively involved in civic matters, would also
be interested in knowing how the government
is spending their tax dollars.
5. Reeve is a celebrity with a disability from
an injury that he received competing in an
Equestrian event. This is not a sport that most of
the audience will ever be involved in. Gregory
Patterson is an everyday individual who
received his disability while driving down a
city street, which is an activity that everyone in
the audience does almost daily. Reeve is trying
to make the audience realize that any one of
them could end up with a disability, so everyone
should encourage Congress to appropriate more
money for research.
6. President Roosevelt was left paralyzed by
polio at the age of 38, so like Reeve and so
many others he lived with a disability. As
President, he led the nation out of the Great
Depression, despite his disability. Since he
was a Democratic president, the audience
would be very familiar with Roosevelt and his
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English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
accomplishments as president.
7. a.He anticipates some members of the audience
objecting to spending more money on
research because Congress needs to “balance
the budget.”
T E A C H E R
P A G E S
b.Reeve acknowledges that the government
has limited resources and should spend every
dollar carefully, but he points out that in the
long run it will cost more to maintain people
with disabilities than to cure them.
Activity Five
Answers will vary.
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vii
English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
T E A C H E R
P A G E S
viii
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NATIONAL
MATH + SCIENCE
INITIATIVE
English
Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
Grade 7
Activity One: Read the following speech carefully. In the margins write any inferences that you make about
Christopher Reeve’s character or values that are revealed in the bold portion of text. An example has been
done for you.
Reeve must care
about all people
if he is willing to
call them family.
(1) Over the last few years, we’ve heard a lot about something called
family values. And like many of you, I’ve struggled to figure out what that
means but since my accident, I’ve found a definition that seems to make
sense. I think it means that we’re all family, that we all have value. And
if that’s true, if America really is a family, then we have to recognize that
many members of our family are hurting.
(2) Just to take one aspect of it, one in five of us has some kind of disability.
You may have an aunt with Parkinson’s disease. A neighbor with a spinal
cord injury. A brother with AIDS. And if we’re really committed to this
idea of family, we’ve got to do something about it.
(3) First of all, our nation cannot tolerate discrimination of any kind.
That’s why the Americans with Disabilities Act is so important and must
be honored everywhere. It is a civil rights law that is tearing down barriers
both in architecture and in attitude.
Reeve is
compassionate
and appreciates
the people in his
life who are caring
(5) Sure, we’ve got to balance the budget. And we will. We have to be for him now that
he is disabled.
(4) Its purpose is to give the disabled access not only to buildings, but
also to every opportunity in society. I strongly believe our nation must
give its full support to the caregivers who are helping people with
disabilities live independent lives.
extremely careful with every dollar that we spend. But we’ve also got to
take care of our family—and not slash programs people need. We should
be enabling, healing, curing.
(6) One of the smartest things we can do about disability is invest in
research that will protect us from disease and lead to cures. This country
already has a long history of doing just that.
(7) When we put our minds to a problem, we can usually find solutions.
But our scientists can do more. And we’ve got to give them the chance.
That means more funding for research. Right now, for example, about a
quarter-million Americans have a spinal cord injury.
(8) Our government spends about $8.7 billion a year just maintaining
these members of our family. But we spend only $40 million a year on
research that would actually improve the quality of their lives, get them off
public assistance, or even cure them. We’ve got to be smarter, do better.
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1
English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
Because the money we invest in research today is going to determine the
quality of life of members of our family tomorrow.
(9) During my rehabilitation, I met a young man named Gregory Patterson.
When he was innocently driving through Newark, N.J., a stray bullet from
a gang shooting went through his car window—right into his neck—and
severed his spinal cord. Five years ago, he might have died. Today, because
of research, he’s alive.
(10) But merely being alive is not enough. We have a moral and an
economic responsibility to ease his suffering and prevent others from
experiencing such pain. And to do that: we don’t need to raise taxes. We
just need to raise our expectations.
(11) America has a tradition many nations probably envy: we frequently
achieve the impossible. That’s part of our national character. That’s what
got us from one coast to another. That’s what got us the largest economy in
the world. That’s what got us to the moon.
Reeve is not
willing to settle
for less than the
best—he sets
high standards
for himself and
others.
(12) On the wall of my room when I was in rehab was a picture of the
space shuttle blasting off, autographed by every astronaut now at NASA.
On the top of the picture it says, “We found nothing is impossible.” That
should be our motto. Not a Democratic motto, not a Republican motto, but
an American motto because this is not something one party can do alone.
It’s something that we as a nation must do together.
(13) So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem
improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become
inevitable. If we can conquer outer space, we should be able to conquer
inner space, too. The frontier of the brain, the central nervous system,
and all the afflictions of the body that destroy so many lives, and rob our
country of so much potential. Research can provide hope for people who
suffer from Alzheimer’s. We’ve already discovered the gene that causes it.
(14) Research can provide hope for people like Muhammad Ali and the
Rev. Billy Graham who suffer from Parkinson’s. Research can provide
hope for the millions of Americans like Kirk Douglas, who suffer from
stroke. We can ease the pain of people like Barbara Jordan, who battled
multiple sclerosis.
(15) We can find treatments for people like Elizabeth Glaser whom we
lost to AIDS. And now that we know that nerves in the spinal cord can
regenerate, we are on the way to getting millions of people around the
world like me up and out of our wheelchairs.
(16) Fifty-six years ago, FDR dedicated new buildings for the national
institutes of health. He said, “The defense this nation seeks, involves
a great deal more than building airplanes, ships, guns, and bombs. We
2
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English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
cannot be a strong nation unless we are a healthy nation.” He could have
said that today.
(17) President Roosevelt showed us that a man who could barely lift himself
out of a wheelchair could still lift a nation out of despair. And I believe—
and so does this administration—in the most important principle FDR
taught us: America does not let its needy citizens fend for themselves.
America is stronger when all of us take care of all of us. Giving new life to
that ideal is the challenge before us tonight.
Thank you very much.
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3
English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
Activity Two: Understanding Author and Audience
Read the introductory background information in the box below and answer the questions that follow.
Christopher Reeve was the actor who played Clark Kent/Superman in Superman: The Movie (1978). In an
accident in 1995, Reeve was thrown from a horse and left paralyzed. In 1996 he spoke at the Democratic
National Convention to convince the audience of the importance of passing the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
1. What can you infer about Christopher Reeve based on the information provided in the box?
2. What assumptions can you make about the audience?
(Who attends the Democratic National Convention? How old are the delegates likely to be? What
gender? What race? What economic status?)
3. What is the relationship between Reeve and the audience?
4. What has motivated Reeve to give this speech?
5. Why might members of the audience have been interested in the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Activity Three: Identifying Claims
A claim is a debatable or controversial statement the speaker or writer intends to prove with evidence. Claims can be explicitly stated—Students learn better when they have eaten breakfast—or implied by the
words and details in a text.
1. Read Christopher Reeve’s speech carefully. As you read, highlight or circle any key words that are
repeated throughout the passage. List those words in the space below.
2. These key words will help you identify the major claims that Christopher Reeve makes in the speech.
For example, the word disability or a form of the word is repeated four times. One claim that Reeve
makes is that Americans should not discriminate against people with disabilities.
Identify other claims that Reeve makes in his speech.
4
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English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
Now that we have identified Christopher Reeve’s major claims, it is important to understand how he
communicates his message to the audience and what evidence or reasoning he uses to support his claims.
Activity Four: Supporting Claims with Evidence
Comparisons
1. In Paragraph 1, Reeve refers to America as a family. How does Reeve extend this idea of family in
Paragraph 2?
2. Consider the phrase, “tearing down barriers in both architecture and attitude,” in Paragraph 3.
a. What type of tool or machinery can be used to tear down buildings?
b. What “barriers” in “architecture” affect people with disabilities?
c. What does Reeve mean by “barriers” in “attitude”?
d. How can someone tear down a barrier in attitude?
e. Reeve is comparing this particular “civil law” to a .
f. Why is this an effective comparison?
3. In Paragraphs 11 and 12, Reeve introduces another comparison. He compares conquering brain and
spinal cord injuries to .
a. In what ways does he show the audience the two are similar?
b. What makes this an effective comparison for his audience?
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5
English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
Facts and Statistics
4. Reread Paragraphs 2, 7, and 8. Identify the statistical information that Reeve includes in his speech.
a. b. c. d. Why do you think he chose these particular facts and statistics to share with this particular audience?
Personal Anecdotes
An anecdote is a brief story or recounting of events. Anecdotes—whether humorous, poignant, or simply
amusing—usually have a rhetorical purpose.
5. In Paragraphs 9 and 10, Reeve uses a personal anecdote about George Patterson. What is Reeve’s
purpose? How well does the anecdote accomplish his purpose?
Reference to Authority
6. In Paragraphs 16 and 17, Reeve quotes Franklin Roosevelt. What are some of the reasons that Reeve
would include a reference to FDR in this speech?
6
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English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
Counterargument
Counterargument is the opposing view or objection to the writer’s position. By anticipating opposing
views and acknowledging their validity, a writer makes his own argument stronger.
7. In Paragraph 5, Reeve acknowledges one of the objections his audience might have to the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
a. What objection does Reeve anticipate?
b. What is his counterargument?
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7
English—Christopher Reeve: The Americans with Disabilities Act
Activity Five: Summarizing the Argument
Write a concise and objective summary of Christopher Reeve’s speech. The first sentence of the summary
should identify Reeve’s purpose and audience. You should also include the major claims he makes
concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act. Make sure you do not include your own opinions or
critiques concerning Reeve’s speech.
8
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