Feds join Hempstead noose investigation

Ben Amato | Educational consultant

Expository Writing - ELA Standards 1, 3 and 4

A noose hanging from a tree is a very powerful symbol of racism and hate. It refers to the thousands of lynchings that haunt us from our nation's prejudiced past. Lately this symbol of hate has been the center of civil rights demonstrations in Jena, LA, where thousands marched to support the Jena 6. Today's lessons is centered upon a noose was found inside the Hempstead Police Station.

Television Component
The CW 11 News at Ten had a story on the noose which was discovered in the Hempstead Police Station men's locker room. View the video twice and then answer the Multiple Choice questions.

Newspaper Component
Today's Newsday contains the article "Feds join Hempstead noose investigation." Read the story and then using the facts and details within, complete the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle.

Language Arts Component
"It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important."
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968)

A noose is a powerful symbol is hatred and racism, for it symbolizes the brutality that prejudice spawns. To have it found the grounds of a high school, as in Jena, LA illustrates the racism that is still present in the Deep South. To have it found hanging inside a New York State police station speaks to issues that are very close to home.

Situation
Based upon the details in the article and interviews, and your own knowledge racial tensions on Long Island, write an EXPOSITORY ESSAY about the noose investigation taking place in Hempstead, New York.

The Nature and Structure of an EXPOSITORY ESSAY An EXPOSITORY ESSAY is a form of writing in which things are explained and described. The goal of this style is to inform the reader of some event, issue or discovery. Typical of all formal styles of writing, this essay will follow a set pattern of 3 paragraphs.

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

Expository essays begin with the TOPIC, where in short, direct sentences the issue or event is explained. Details about the SETTING and CAST are presented next. These sentences tell WHO the major players are and WHERE the story is being played out. The final sentence of this section is where the writer presents his/her OPINION on the issue. This is a "grabber" that makes the reader want to read the rest of the essay.

BODY PARAGRAPH
This section concerns the details of the story. Using the information from the article and interviews, the writer should present the facts in a strong, direct manner. It is best to arrange details in an ORDER OF IMPORTANCE. Place the more significant details at the start of the essay and the lesser ones later in the paragraph. The aim of an expository essay is to inform the reader, but the writer should also try to bring the reader to their opinion by using logic and the evidence.

This section may be longer than just one paragraph, depending on how many facts and details are gathered from the article and television news story. Use the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle and the answers to the Multiple-Choice Quiz as a resource so you can make sure all the important facts have been included.

CONCLUSION
The final section of an expository essay should drive home the opinion of the writer. Repeat the TOPIC in a short, clear phrase and then answer a few questions expressing your own thoughts on the situation. What does this noose symbolize? Why was it put in the police locker room? What does this act of prejudice illustrate about racial tension on Long Island? Then express to your audience your opinion about the noose, racism and prejudice. End this section with a look towards the future. How will the issues of race, prejudice and hate symbols be treated in the near future?

ENHANCEMENT
NPR has a wonderful story about the racism and prejudice that erupted in Jena, LA. It also began with a noose, this one hanging from a "whites only" tree that once stood on the grounds of high school in Jena. Listen to that news broadcast to understand the power of that symbol of racial injustice and the response it generated, nationwide.