In this video, Howard Rosenblum, CEO of the National Association of the Deaf, speaks on behalf of the NAD in response to the violence in Charlottesville in August 2017.   You will predict, watch, and then review the fingerspelled words in the video.  

Activity developed by Mark Halley

Objective: To identify fingerspelling in an ASL text.

Competencies Addressed:  Fingerspelling

Time Required for Activity: 10 mins

 

Predict and Prepare

You may recall the controversy and national attention that was caused in August 2017 when white nationalists, members of the Ku Klux Klan, and neo-Nazis marched in Charlottesville, Virginia. If you are unfamiliar with the events, do an internet search to learn about what happened. With an understanding of the upheaval in Charlottesville, predict what terms Mr. Rosenblum might fingerspell.

Watch the Video  

Watch the video and identify as many instances of fingerspelling as you can. See how many you accurately predicted.

Note:  Be sure to turn off the captions while watching the video.

Check Your Work

This is the list of fingerspelled items in the text.

  • National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
  • Charlottesville
  • Virginia (VA)
  • August
  • Statue
  • Of
  • Confederate
  • Supremacists
  • Racism
  • Bigotry
  • United States (US)

Watch the Video Again

Note:  Be sure to turn off the captions while watching the video.

Now that you have seen the video and the list of fingerspelled items, watch the video again to assess your current level of understanding.

Also, think about this question:

Why do you think Mr. Rosenblum may have chosen to fingerspell these concepts?