Our class decided to have an adventure this year. We wanted to learn about the Arctic and decided to follow Jon Waterman's travels. It is fun, exciting, and interesting. We are learning about Inuit ways, community, and culture. We are learning to compare, contrast, and connect complex ideas.We have been making comparisons between our reading and the Arctic Challenge. We have found lots of connections, and this is one comparison. We have studied about Jackie Robinson and the Inuits. Jackie Robinson helped African Americans get rights to be treated equally in this country through baseball. On April 1, 1999, the Inuit had their land returned to them. Their culture and pride in their community is important to their survival. We can all learn from this.
Jackie started sports like his older brothers Edgar and Mack. Mack set a world record in track that Jackie later broke. In college at UCLA, he did track, football, baseball, and basketball. He was a great athlete, but he quit school because he thought he would never play in a major league sport.
Jackie Robinson was the first black major league baseball player. When you look at his early life, his story is amazing. His family was very poor. His mother raised Jackie and his three older brothers and sister. He was in a gang when he was in high school. A mechanic told him he was acting like a stupid sheep.
Branch Rickey asked Jackie to be the first African American baseball player in 1946. He was looking for a good man with courage who would stand up for the rights of his people. He played for Montreal and the Dodgers. Branch Rickey told him to marry Rae, because he would need her support. He got married, and the other wives would not talk to her. At first no one liked him, because he was an African American player and did not play well. He did not play well, because he thought no one wanted him on the team but the manager. Once some teammates were on his side, he started to play great. He never gave up, because he knew what he was doing would help African Americans have equal opportunities. He made the All Star Team year after year, and helped the Dodgers win the National League Pennant many times. But the way he stood up for African Americans is what makes him so special. Jackie Robinson was a very brave man.
Jackie Robinson was "a giant who could teach us about the meaning of the word courage" (Duane Jefferson). Jackie was strong, and he was strong in heart too. He was a man that showed all athletes, no matter what race, have the right to play sports and strive for the goals he reached.
To understand our comparisons you first need to know a little about the Inuit. We have read a lot about their culture, food, language, celebrations, religion, and how they live. It is very different from Los Angeles where Jackie Robinson grew up. The climate is very difficult to survive in. Even so, we see things that are alike and that we admire.
The Inuit do not like the name Eskimo-"eaters of raw meat." They like their name Inuit which means the "people who are alive at this time." The most impressive thing about the Inuit is how they work as a community. They work together. They share celebrations. They hunt together. They eat different foods. They live different too. They leave their doors unlocked, and people go in and wait for them to return.
The Inuit are people who can survive off the land as a community. They work together, share celebrations, and hardships.
Drum dancing is special for the Inuit. They would go to the largest igloo. Everyone sings while a man dances with the drum. A male Inuit picks up the drum, the women sing a song, and they pass the drum to a friend. They pass it on and change songs. The songs are stories about the land and hunting.
How are the Inuit and the story of Jackie Robinson alike? Jackie Robinson stood up for the rights of African Americans and his culture, the Inuit are proud of their culture and do not want to lose it.
The Inuit are poor, and Jackie Robinson was poor. For the Inuit it was tough to survive. For Jackie it was tough to survive. The environment was tough for both. Their richness was their courage.
Jackie played for the Dodgers but he did not play good because he thought no one was on his side. In a crowd, he felt alone. After he felt support, he played like he had been playing for years. He was great. He built up courage and helped the community of African Americans have equal rights.
The Inuit and Jackie Robinson both showed courage, but in different ways. Louis was dog sledding, and he saw a polar bear. He got his gun and shot his last bullet. He grazed the bear's head. The bear was ready to kill him, and he stabbed him one time in the ribs. He had no time for fear or a family to worry about. He fed the community with the bear and kept the fur.
Written by Carlos, Hillary, Kirklin, Leslie, Michael, Rosemary, &Tony
"He struck a mighty blow for equality, freedom and the American way of life.Jackie Robinson was a good citizen, a great man, and a true American
champion."
-- Ronald Reagan, Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony, 1986
"He led America by example. He reminded our people of what was right and he
reminded them of what was wrong. I think it can be safely said today that
Jackie Robinson made the United States a better nation."
-- Gene Budig, American League President, 1997
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