Becoming Muhammad Ali

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Becoming a Hero”

In this activity, through reflection and research, students analyze influences that shape the lives and actions of great figures.

Who are some of the historical figures that Cassius and his friends mention in Becoming Muhammad Ali? As a class, make a list on the board.

Then, choose one figure. Use reputable, scholarly resources to research that person; compile key facts about their life and accomplishments. Then write one poem from their perspective as a child or teen. As you work on your poem, think about how Becoming Muhammad Ali attempted to show how Cassius Clay grew up to become the greatest boxer of all time. Be sure to come up with a title too!

Consider volunteering to read your poems aloud. After the volunteers read their poems, discuss the following questions as a class:

• Is it easier to tell a biography through a poem than by writing a paragraph?
• Did you include any symbols in your poem? If so, did you use figurative language to emphasize that symbol?
• What details of the person’s life did you change or adapt? Did it change the truth of this person’s story?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks to using this medium to teach history?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be beneficial to review or introduce literary devices before beginning the activity (symbol, metaphor, imagery, hyperbole, personification, etc.). Having available a collection of other verse novels, especially any that address history or historical figures, might be useful for comparing and contrasting the merits of using this medium for historical subjects (examples include Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again, Jennifer Roy’s Yellow Star, and Caroline Starr Rose’s May B).

Differentiation Suggestion: For English language learners or students with learning differences, consider allowing them to choose a different format to tell their story (graphic passage, oral storytelling, etc.).

Paired Resource Extension: Our Friend Martin

Our Friend Martin is a 1999 animated cartoon about a young Black boy who is transported to the time of Martin Luther King’s youth. As a class, watch this video and consider the following questions:

1. What does this film suggest about how Martin Luther King became Martin Luther King?

2. How is this story similar to and different from Becoming Muhammad Ali?

Teaching Suggestion: If you opt to show this film, which is about one hour in length, you can use these discussion questions as a segue into the activity above. Instead of having students write in verse, encourage them to think about how they might present their story in a different format.