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Task

Tasks: Good Trouble

Photo: We see John Lewis, he is an older Black man. He is bald. He is wearing a blue suit with a tie. Behind him we see a younger man. There is a street sign behind them. The sign says John Lewis Freedom.
Congressman John Lewis. Image: Erik S. Lesser / CC BY-NC 4.0

Understanding the film:

Work with a partner, use the notes you took while watching the film, discuss the questions, and write shared answers.

  1. Why was John Lewis an inspiration to many people?

  2. Why did John Lewis become a civil rights activist?

  3. What was it like to be a civil rights activist in the 1960s?

  4. What issues were important to John Lewis in his work as a Congressman?

  5. What did John Lewis mean by 'getting in good trouble'?

Analyse:

Write an analysis of the documentary.

Remember that you can go back and watch part or all of the documentary again by yourself.

If you want, you can work with a partner, and write a shared answer.

In the expandable box below, you will find a few tips about what to look for when analysing a documentary.

Analysing a documentary

A documentary presents an argument and tries to persuade the audience to view a person, place, or event in a certain way.

  • What is the main purpose/argument of the film?

  • Who are the people that the film focuses on?

  • How does the film establish credibility (ethos)? (E.g. authentic material, first hand accounts etc.)

  • What cinematic devices are used in telling the story of the film? (E.g. music, lighting, cutting, camera angles etc.)

  • How is the film structured, and how does the structure contribute to telling the story?

  • What is the message of the film, and is it convincingly delivered?

Research:

The following issues were important to John Lewis. Find out more about them and explain why these are important issues in American politics.

Present your findings in a written report, or in a ten-minute oral presentation.

  • Voting Rights

  • Gun Control

  • Health Care Reform

  • Immigration

Discuss:

Work with at least two partners – choose partners you don't work with that often.

  1. Are there issues that are important enough to get in trouble with the law and the authorities over? If yes, where do you draw the line? What form of action is acceptable?

  2. Are non-violent protests always acceptable?

  3. In a democracy, does it make sense to participate in protests? Isn't it enough that we participate in elections?

Analyse:

By following this link you can read the speech John Lewis held during the March on Washington in 1963.

Link to John Lewis' speech at the Voices of Democracy website

Study the speech closely and write a short text where you answer the questions below.

  • What literary and rhetorical devices do you notice in the text? Explain using examples.

  • How do the literary and rhetorical devices contribute to conveying the theme and message of the speech?

Related content

Subject material
Good Trouble

John Lewis was a civil rights activist who worked with Dr. King. He went on to become a Congressman.