The Address (2014) - full transcript
Students of a special boarding school for kids with learning disabilities are challenged to learn about and recite the Gettysburg Address.
Announcer:
FUNDING FOR "THE ADDRESS"
WAS PROVIDED BY THE ANNE RAY
CHARITABLE TRUST;
BY MEMBERS
OF THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY,
A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
DEDICATED TO EDUCATING AMERICANS
ABOUT THEIR HISTORY
THROUGH DOCUMENTARY FILM--
MEMBERS INCLUDE THE PFEIL
FOUNDATION
AND ROBERT & BEVERLY
GRAPPONE--
BY THE CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
AS PART OF AMERICAN GRADUATE:
LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN,
A PUBLIC MEDIA EDUCATION
INITIATIVE
TO HELP COMMUNITIES ADDRESS
THE NATIONAL HIGH-SCHOOL
DROPOUT CRISIS
AND HELP KEEP MORE STUDENTS
ON A SUCCESSFUL PATH
TO COLLEGE AND CAREER;
AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THIS PBS STATION FROM...
"FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO... "
Second boy:
"OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
ON THIS CONTINENT
A NEW NATION..."
Third boy:
"CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
"AND DEDICATED
TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."
Announcer: IN JUST 272 WORDS,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN MANAGED
TO CONSECRATE A BATTLEFIELD,
HEAL A NATION,
RESHAPE A DEMOCRACY,
AND INSPIRE A GENERATION
OF SCHOOL KIDS
WHO'D NEVER GIVEN A SPEECH
BEFORE IN THEIR LIVES.
Boy: "FOR THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT
PERISH FROM THE EARTH."
[TRAIN CHUGGING;
STEAM HISSING]
[CHILD SPEAKING]
- JOSH, ARE YOU UP?
- NO.
[WATER RUNNING]
- YOU HAVE, LIKE, 2 MINUTES
TO CRAWL OUT OF BED, OK?
[BELL TOLLS]
Man: OK, GUYS, LET'S PLEASE
SIT UP STRAIGHT IN OUR CHAIRS.
LET'S GET READY TO
START MORNING MEETING.
TODAY, WE ARE INTRODUCING
THE TRADITION HERE AT GREENWOOD,
STUDYING AND MEMORIZING
THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS."
AND IN A LOT OF WAYS,
IT IS A RITE OF PASSAGE
HERE AT GREENWOOD.
ALL THE STUDENTS HAVE DONE IT
IN THE YEARS SINCE
WE'VE BEEN A SCHOOL.
IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HARD WORK
AND PERSEVERANCE.
IT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO DO
TO GET UP AND SPEAK IN PUBLIC
AND CERTAINLY RECITE
SOMETHING FROM MEMORY.
SOME OF YOU MIGHT GET IT
THE FIRST YEAR.
SOME OF YOU, IT MIGHT TAKE 2 OR
3 YEARS, AND THAT'S JUST FINE.
THIS IS A GREENWOOD COIN.
AND THE ONLY WAY FOR STUDENTS
TO GET THIS GREENWOOD COIN
IS TO RECITE
THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS."
AND I'll BE GIVING THESE COINS
OUT FEBRUARY 15th
WHEN YOU GET UP ON
THAT STAGE, STAND TALL,
AND RECITE THE "GETTYSBURG" IN
FRONT OF YOUR PEERS AND FAMILY.
SO, THAT STARTS TODAY.
LET'S END MORNING CIRCLE
ON THAT HIGH NOTE.
LET'S SIT UP STRAIGHT
IN OUR CHAIRS.
BE YOUR BEST TODAY, GUYS.
PLEASE STACK YOUR CHAIRS.
[KIDS TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
Miller, voice-over: OUR KIDS
HAVE COMPLEX LEARNING PROFILES.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT DIAGNOSES
LIKE DYSLEXIA, LIKE DYSGRAPHIA,
LIKE ADHD, LIKE
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING.
AND OUR STUDENTS HAVE
A COMBINATION OF MANY OF THEM.
SO MUCH FOCUS HAS BEEN
ON WHAT THEY'RE NOT GOOD AT.
THEY DON'T REALIZE
WHAT THEY'RE GOOD AT.
AND THAT, OF COURSE,
IS NOT HEALTHY.
[PLAYING "SEASONS OF LOVE"
FROM "RENT"]
SO MUCH OF THE EXPERIENCE
AT GREENWOOD
REALLY IS AN AWAKENING--
AN AWAKENING OF THE TALENT,
THE DISCOVERY OF THE PASSION.
AND THE SUCCESS SOMETIMES
FIRST HAPPENS IN THE WOODSHOP
OR THE MUSIC STUDIO,
NOT THE TUTORIAL ROOM,
BUT THAT IS A KERNEL OF SUCCESS
THAT THEN YOU BUILD ON.
[BOY SPEAKING]
Boy: WELL, IT'S KIND OF
A SHAME, THOUGH.
I DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO FIND OUT
WHAT SCHOOL I WAS GOING TO.
YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE
TO GET THE WRONG IMAGE
THAT I'M, YOU KNOW, DISABLED
OR I'M CHALLENGED
OR I'M HANDICAPPED.
'CAUSE EVEN THOUGH I KNOW
THAT'S NOT THE CASE
FOR PEOPLE THAT GO
TO THIS SCHOOL,
YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE
A LEARNING DISABILITY,
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SAY "YOU
HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY."
THEY'RE GONNA SAY
"YOU'RE DUMB," YOU KNOW?
Boy: AT MY LAST SCHOOL,
IF YOU WERE REALLY, LIKE,
IN THE REMEDIAL CLASSES,
YOU WERE CONSIDERED
NOT WORTHY.
YOU WERE STUPID.
YOU'RE WORTHLESS TO THE WORLD,
AND NOBODY CARED ABOUT YOU.
IT WASN'T FUN.
IT WAS NEVER FUN.
IN MY EMOTIONAL STATE
WHEN I CAME TO GREENWOOD,
WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED,
I WAS JUST SO TORN APART
AND SO LEFT OUT AND
SO NOTHING TO EVERYBODY,
AND GREENWOOD JUST
KIND OF IS LIKE A PLACE
WHERE YOU CAN REGAIN THAT STATE
OF I BELONG SOMEWHERE.
Man: IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME,
THE KIND OF COURAGE
THAT THE BOYS HAVE.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU'RE
A KID TO BE DIFFERENT.
AND FOR OUR BOYS, THERE IS A
DIFFERENCE THAT ISN'T EXTERNAL.
IT'S NOT LIKE
THEY HAVE A BIRTHMARK
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE
THAT IS MUCH DEEPER,
AND FOR MANY OF THEM
A DIFFERENCE
THAT THEY UNDERSTAND
VERY LITTLE ABOUT,
AND THAT TAKES
A LONG, LONG TIME
TO COME TO TERMS WITH,
TO UNDERSTAND,
AND NOT ONLY FOR THEM
BUT FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
MANY OF THEM GO THROUGH
EXPERIENCING INCREDIBLE HARDSHIP
BECAUSE OF THEIR DIFFERENCES.
[BOY SPEAKING]
[SECOND BOY SPEAKING]
[THIRD BOY SPEAKING]
[FOURTH BOY SPEAKING]
[BELL TOLLS]
- 80, YOU KNOW, ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT
I THINK
IS VERY IMPORTANT
IS TO UNDERSTAND
THE "GETTYSBURG"
BEFORE YOU LEARN IT,
PIECE BY PIECE,
SO THAT YOU'RE NOT JUST
REPEATING THE SENTENCES,
THAT YOU'RE REALLY
UNDERSTANDING
HOW THE SENTENCES
ARE CONSTRUCTED. OK?
SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK
AT THIS FIRST SECTION.
So, HERE'S
THE FIRST QUESTION.
WHAT IS THE FIRST QUESTION?
- "WHAT'S THE SUBJECT..."
- "OF THIS SENTENCE?"
THIS IS ONE SENTENCE.
- IT IS?
- "FOUR SCORE AND
SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR FATHERS
"“BROUGHT FORTH ON THIS
CONTINENT A NEW NATION
“CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND
DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL."
THAT IS ONE LONG SENTENCE.
- IS IT A RUN-ON?
- NO, IT'S NOT
A RUN-ON, ACTUALLY.
IT REALLY ISN'T.
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
SO, YOU KNOW THAT SENTENCES
HAVE SUBJECTS, ACTIONS,
AND EXPANDERS, RIGHT?
SO OUR EXPANDERS USUALLY ARE--
THEY TELL WHEN, WHERE, HOW.
ANY OTHER EXPANDERS
YOU CAN THINK OF?
- WHY?
- OR WHAT.
- YEAH.
- "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS
AGO", THAT'S AN EXPANDER.
WHICH ONE OF THESE
EXPANDERS DOES IT TELL?
- WHEN.
- WHEN.
AND WHEN WAS THAT
THAT LINCOLN'S
TALKING ABOUT A TIME?
- 1863.
- HE'S TALKING ABOUT A TIME
THAT'S 87 YEARS
PRIOR TO HIS SPEECH.
- OH.
- So, DO
YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?
I HAVE A LITTLE, SO "FOUR
SCORE"--SCORE IS 20, RIGHT?
1,2, 3,4 SCORE
WOULD BE 80, PLUS 7.
- 87.
- MM-HMM, SO 87 YEARS AGO,
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANS.
WHAT'S THE SUBJECT
OF THAT SENTENCE?
- OUR--THE FATHERS?
- OUR FATHERS.
YEAH, THAT'S WHO
THE SENTENCE IS ABOUT.
SO, LINCOLN STARTS OUT WITH
"FOUR-SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
OUR FATHERS..."
SO, WHAT ARE THE ACTIONS OR THE
DOING WORDS IN THIS SENTENCE?
WHAT DID OUR FATHERS DO?
- BROUGHT FORTH.
- BROUGHT FORTH.
THEY CREATED.
THEY BROUGHT FORTH.
AND WHAT DID OUR
FATHERS BRING FORTH?
- A NEW NATION.
- MM-HMM.
[BOY SPEAKING]
Woman: WE'VE DIVIDED
THE "GETTYSBURG"
INTO 5 PARAGRAPHS
FOR LEARNING.
- I CAN READ IT.
“"FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
"ON THIS CONTINENT,
A NEW NATION, CONCEIVED
"IN LIBERTY, AND DEDICATED
TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL".
- WELL, YOU
DID THAT VERY WELL.
CAN YOU TELL
WHAT WAS GOING ON
IN PARAGRAPH ONE, GEO,
ABOUT "FOUR SCORE"?
- HOW AMERICA
CAME TOGETHER.
AND IN PARAGRAPH 2,
IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
- YEAH, WELL, PARAGRAPH 2
IS LIKE THE PRESENT.
- OK, SO PARAGRAPH 1 IS ABOUT
THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY.
AND CAN YOU SHOW ON HERE
WHERE PRESIDENT LINCOLN IS?
- HE WAS THE 16th.
- HE'S THE 16th.
AND WHEN HE SAYS, "OUR
FATHERS" WHO STARTED THE COUNTRY
AND BROKE AWAY
FROM THE KING OF ENGLAND
FOR FREEDOM FOR PEOPLE...
- IT WAS GEORGE WASHINGTON,
JOHN ADAMS, THOMAS JEFFERSON,
AND WAS JAMES MADISON?
- YEAH, HE WAS.
- ALL RIGHT, AND THEN
THE OTHER THING THAT
WE TALKED ABOUT IN
THE SECOND PARAGRAPH.
HE SAID "WE ARE ENGAGED
IN A GREAT CIVIL WAR."
- WHICH BROKE UP
THE COUNTRY IN HALF.
SO MOST OF THE COUNTRY
WASN'T EVEN COLONIZED YET
OR NOT COLONIZED YET.
- FIRST CAME SOUTH--
- BUT--
- LET GEO SAY SOMETHING,
TOO, ALL RIGHT?
- FIRST CAME SOUTH CAROLINA,
THEN 10 OTHER STATES BROKE AWAY.
- YEAH, SO IT STARTED
WITH--
- SOUTH CAROLINA.
- SO HERE'S THE BORDERLINE
BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH.
- RIGHT,
AND THE SOUTH WANTED TO--
THEY SAID "WE WANT TO BE OUR
OWN COUNTRY. WE DON'T WANT
ANYTHING TO DO
WITH THE USA ANYMORE.
WE WANT TO BE THE
CONFEDERATE STATES."
AND WHAT DID LINCOLN SAY?
- LINCOLN SAID NO BECAUSE
WE WERE A COUNTRY.
WE BROKE FROM BRITAIN AND WE
DON'T WANT TO BREAK AGAIN, SO--
'CAUSE THEN WE
WOULD BE WEAK ENOUGH FOR...
- OH, BACK WHEN
THE COUNTRY STARTED?
YEAH, WE DIDN'T WANT TO
GO BACK TO THAT KIND OF--
WHERE PEOPLE CAN BOSS
OTHER PEOPLE AROUND.
- BUT MISSOURI...
- OK.
- WANTED TO BECOME
A SLAVE STATE.
- YEAH, AND THEN
SO WE--
- BUT THAT WAS A PROBLEM
'CAUSE THEN THERE WOULD
BE 12 AND 11,
SO THEY SEND IN
MASSACHUSETTS,
WHICH WAS MAINE
AND MASSACHUSETTS
SO THEY MADE MAINE
A STATE, TOO.
- YEAH, OK. WELL, YOU GUYS
BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.
Woman: WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
FIRST IS TAKE YOUR T SQUARE,
LINE UP YOUR HORIZON LINE,
SO I'M GOING TO GO UP TO
THE TOP OF MY FIRST LINE,
THE TOP OF THE ROOF,
AND I'M GOING TO LINE IT UP
WITH MY VANISHING POINT.
Man: FOR MOST
CHILDREN IN OUR CULTURE,
SCHOOL IS THE SECOND-MOST
IMPORTANT PLACE
THAT THEY ARE AFTER HOME.
IT'S THE CENTER OF THEIR
SOCIAL LIFE, IT'S THE CENTER
OF THEIR INTELLECTUAL LIFE,
IT IS THE PLACE WHERE THEY
GROW AND MEET CHALLENGES.
FOR A LOT OF THESE GUYS
WHO HAVE LANGUAGE-BASED
LEARNING DISABILITIES,
THAT'S NOT A
FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S AN ACTIVELY
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH
POSES A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
SIMILARLY, THEY POSE A LOT OF
CHALLENGES FOR THEIR TEACHERS,
THEIR CLASSMATES,
SOMETIMES THEIR PARENTS.
THESE ARE KIDS WHO FREQUENTLY
COME TO GREENWOOD QUITE
CONVINCED THAT THEY'RE STUPID
OR THAT THEY ARE INADEQUATE,
THAT THEY ARE IN SOME
WAY LACKING OR AT FAULT.
SO, FOR A KID WHO
HAS THAT EXPERIENCE,
TO UNDERTAKE
THE "GETTYSBURG"
AND TO BE ABLE TO SAY,
"I BELIEVE IN MYSELF
ENOUGH THAT I CAN DO THIS,"
THAT'S ASKING A LOT.
- ETHAN, LAST NIGHT
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
WAS TO MEMORIZE
THE NEXT PART
OF THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS."
CAN WE HEAR HOW YOU DID?
- YEAH.
- YOU WANT TO START
FROM THE BEGINNING?
- SURE.
- OK.
- "FOUR SCORE AND
SEVEN YEARS AGO OUR FATHERS
"“BROUGHT...ON THIS CONTINENT
A NEW NATION CONCEIVED
"IN LIBERTY AND DEDICATED TO
THE PROPOSITION THAT ALL MEN
ARE CREATED EQUAL."
- STOP. YOU MISSED
THE WORD "FORTH."
OK, SO LET'S GO BACK AND TRY
THAT AGAIN FROM THE BEGINNING.
- "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS
AGO OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
"ON THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION
CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
"AND DEDICATED TO THE
PROPOSITION THAT
"ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
“"THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE
NOR LONG REMEMBER
"WHAT WE SAY HERE,
BUT IT CAN NEVER FORGET
WHAT THEY DID HERE."
-"IT IS FOR US
THE LIVING RATHER."
- OH, YEAH.
“IT IS FOR US
THE LIVING, RATHER,
TO BE DEDICATED
HERE FOR...TO BE?"
- "TO THE UNFINISHED WORK
WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE."
- IS IT "OF WHICH?"
- NO. THERE'S NO "OF."
- OK.
- ONCE AGAIN.
- "DEDICATED HERE
TO THE UNFINISHED WORK
"WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT
HERE HAVE THUS FAR
SO NOBLY ADVANCED".
- THE ONLY THING THAT GETS ME
CONFUSED IS, "WHICH THEY."
- SURE, SURE, SURE.
- WHAT'S THE WORDS
FOR "WHICH" ONWARD?
- I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT IS IT?
- YOU'RE IN THAT
PARAGRAPH RIGHT HERE.
- "THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE.
"DEDICATED HERE TO THE
UNFINISHED WORK,
"WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT
HERE HAVE SO NOBLY--
- THUS FAR SO NOBLY--"
- "SO NOBLY ADVANCED."
SO THAT'S GOOD WORK.
YOU DID GOOD WORK LAST NIGHT
WHEN YOU WERE
PRACTICING THAT.
AWESOME. HOW YOU
FEELING ABOUT IT?
- BETTER.
- BETTER? GOOD.
AWESOME. BENJ?
- 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT,
SENSE OF REPEATING FOR ME
IS GOOD
THAT I CAN DO THAT.
- YEAH, YEAH.
SO, BENJ, YOUR JOB
LAST NIGHT WAS TO
JUST MEMORIZE
THE FIRST PART.
OK, PUT YOUR HAND DOWN.
THERE YOU GO.
AND WHEN YOU'RE READY.
YOU'LL START WITH THE
WORD "FOUR SCORE."
- "FOUR SCORE SEVEN YEARS AGO,
OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
ON THIS, UH, NATION"--
- CONTINENT.
- OH, "CONTINENT,
A NEW NATION CONCEIVED
IN LIBERTY BROUGHT ON--"
- AND...
- "AND BROUGHT ON THIS."
- NO. DEDICATED.
- OH, "DEDICATED TO THE
PROPOSITION THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL."
- CORRECT! STOP.
- SOMETIMES YOU GET
CONFUSED ON AFTER "LIBERTY"
AND THEN YOU GET CONFUSED
ON AFTER "PROPOSITION".
SO, WHEN YOU'RE STANDING UP
HERE, RIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA
WANT TO, LIKE,
“FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN..."
- I KINDA ZONED OUT,
SO I KINDA ZONED OUT.
- OK, ALL RIGHT, ETHAN,
WILL YOU SIT DOWN?
WILL YOU SIT DOWN,
ETHAN? OK.
- ...CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
AND DEDICATED...
- BUT I ALSO KINDA ZONED.
I'M LIKE, UH... UH...
- ALL RIGHT. SO, BENJ...
BENJ, I GET THAT,
AND YOU GET THAT
DON'T YOU?
- THAT I'M A SPACE CADET?
- THAT SOMETIMES ATTENTION
CAN BE AN ISSUE,
AND THAT'S WHAT
IT IS, RIGHT?
THAT'S WHAT IT IS
FOR YOU?
SO WE WILL PRACTICE YOU STANDING
STRAIGHT AND HOLDING ATTENTION,
KEEPING YOUR ATTENTION
FOR THE DURATION OF THE TIME
YOU'RE SAYING THE
"GETTYSBURG ADDRESS," OK?
WE'LL PRACTICE THAT.
- UH, WAIT.
- OK, SO YOU'RE GONNA DO
THE FIFTH AND LAST PART.
- YEAH, DEPENDING ON IF
I CAN MEMORIZE THAT, 'CAUSE
I ALWAYS GET CONFUSED ON...
"DEDICATED HERE TO THE
UNFINISHED WORK
WHICH THEY WHO..."
- IT'S RIGHT HERE.
"WHICH FOUGHT HERE..."
- "THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE
HAVE THUS SO--HAVE THUS FAR
SO NOBLY ADVANCED"
WHY CAN'T HE SWITCH IT AROUND?
“SO FAR NOBLY ADVANCED"
IT MAKES...
- YEAH.
- THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE
OLD ENGLISH.
- I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING,
I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING.
- NO.
- I'M NOT GOING TO DO
ANYTHING. LOOK. LOOK.
LOOK, LOOK RIGHT THERE.
- NO.
- THERE'S SOMETHING
ON YOUR SHIRT.
I'M DEAD SERIOUS. THERE'S
SOMETHING ON YOUR SHIRT.
- I DON'T GIVE A DAMN.
- WHOO! WHOO! WHOO!
-I'll DO IT. JUST
DON'T MAKE ME DO IT!
- I DID IT!
- AAH! OW!
- I'M GOING TO THE
LAST ROLLING STONES CONCERT.
- WHAT?
- 80?
[SINGING INDISTINCTLY]
- YEAH.
[BELL TOLLS]
Boy: "FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
OUR FATHERS BROUGHT
FORTH ON THIS CONTINENT
"A NEW NATION,
CONCEIVED WITH LIBERTY THAT,
AND, TO THE PROP..."
- AND...
- "AND DEDICATED TO THE
PROPOSITION THAT ALL SOLDIERS--
I MEAN ALL MEN ARE CREATED
TO--CREATED EQUAL."
- LET'S SLOW DOWN.
START FROM THE BEGINNING.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
RELAX.
YOU'RE DOING THIS REALLY WELL.
YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.
“CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY."
- "CONCEIVED IN
LIBERTY AND DEDICATED TO
THE PROPOSITION THAT ALL
SOLDIERS ARE CREATED"--
- "THAT ALL MEN..."
- "ALL MEN ARE CREATED
EQUAL. NOW WE..."
Ehrenberg: FOR A LOT OF
THESE GUYS, LANGUAGE-BASED TASKS
HAVE ALWAYS BEEN
DIFFICULT.
IT DOESN'T FIT FOR THEM.
So, FOR THOSE GUYS TO HAVE
A COMPLEX LANGUAGE-BASED TASK
THAT THEY HAVE TO MASTER,
THE "GETTYSBURG" IS SORT OF
THE ULTIMATE,
DIFFICULT THING.
THE LANGUAGE IS COMPLEX,
ITS CONCEPTUALLY COMPLEX,
IT HAS ALL KINDS
OF SOCIAL MEANING,
AND THEY HAVE TO GET UP THERE,
AND THEY HAVE TO TACKLE IT
AND THEY HAVE TO DO IT,
AND IT'S SCARY.
BUT WITH ENOUGH PUSHING
THROUGH AND ENOUGH SUPPORT,
THEY CAN MASTER IT, AND THEY
DO MASTER IT,
AND THAT'S A GREAT THING.
- "FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO."
- "FOUR SCORE AND
SEVEN YEARS AGO."
- "OUR FATHERS BROUGHT
FORTH ON THIS CONTINENT
A NEW NATION."
- "OUR FATHERS BROUGHT
FORTH ON THIS CONTINENT
A NEW NATION."
- AGAIN.
- "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS
AGO, OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
ON THIS CON-CONTINENT
A NEW NATION."
- "CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND
DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL."
- "CONCEIVED TO LIBERTY,
AND..."
- "DEDICATED"...
- "DECOR--DECORATED."
- DEDICATED.
- "DECI..."
- OK, HOLD IT. DEDICATED.
CAN YOU SAY
"DEDICATE"?
- DECIDATE.
- DED-I-CATE.
- DECIDATE.
- DEDICATE.
- I CAN SAY IT
IN A SENTENCE.
- OK. "CONCEIVED
IN LIBERTY. "
- "CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY."
- "AND DEDICATED."
- "AND DECORATED."
- "TO THE PROPOSITION THAT
ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."
- "TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE EQUAL."
- "ARE CREATED EQUAL."
- "CREATED EQUAL."
- "DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."
- "DECORATED TO THE PROPOSITION
OF ALL MEN ARE EQUAL."
- COOPER.
- "CREATED EQUAL."
- OK, WE'LL WORK ON THAT.
- CAN YOU SAY "DEAD"?
- DEAD.
- AND THEN SAY "CATE".
- CATE.
- NOW SAY "DEDICATE."
- DEDICATE.
- GOOD. EXCELLENT.
THERE IT WAS.
NICE JOB, NICE JOB.
[PLAYING "WHEN JOHNNY
COMES MARCHING HOME"]
- LET'S TRY IT AGAIN
FROM THE TOP.
[PLAYING "HIT THE ROAD,
JACK" INTRO]
Boy, singing:
2 HIT THE ROAD JACK 2
2 AND DON'T YOU COME BACK
NO MORE, NO MORE 2
2 NO MORE, NO MORE 2
2 HIT THE ROAD JACK, AND
DON'T YOU COME BACK NO MORE 2
» WHOA, WOMAN, OH, WOMAN,
DON'T YOU TREAT ME SO MEAN 2
2 YOU'RE THE MEANEST OLD
WOMAN THAT I'VE EVER SEEN 2
;1 GUESS IF YOU SAID SO 2
2 I'D HAVE TO PACK
MY THINGS AND GO 2
THAT'S RIGHT!
2 HIT THE ROAD JACK »
2 AND DON'T YOU COME BACK
NO MORE, NO MORE 2
2 NO MORE, NO MORE 2
2 HIT THE ROAD, JACK-- 2
[MUSIC STOPS]
- OK, WELL, WHAT
HAPPENED? YOU DIDN'T--
YOU JUST STOPPED.
YOU KEPT STARTING
AND STOPPING.
WERE YOU UNHAPPY WITH WHAT
YOU WERE DOING OR...
- NO, IT'S JUST--I'M THE TYPE
OF PERSON THAT IT HAS TO SOUND
THE WAY IT SOUNDS
OR IT DOESN'T SOUND AT ALL.
- NOW, SEE, ALEC, YOU ALSO
HAVE A SOUND IN YOUR HEAD
THAT YOU'RE TRYING
TO MATCH IT TO, RIGHT?
- YEAH, AND IT'S NOT...
- 80 YOU'RE NOT THERE YET.
- LIKE, YOU SEE HOW
WHEN I'M SINGING
"WHOA, WOMAN, OH WOMAN"
HOW I'M, LIKE, PUTTING
MY VOICE TO, LIKE, HIS
WHERE HE, LIKE, KINDA
SLURS IT IN SOME PARTS?
- YOU TRY TO MAKE YOUR VOICE
SOUND LIKE HIS, RIGHT?
- LIKE RAY CHARLES, BECAUSE
OTHERWISE IT DOESN'T SOUND--
- THAT'S THE WAY YOU HEAR IT.
- LIKE WHEN I
LISTEN TO THE RADIO
AND HEAR KNOCKOFFS OF A SONG,
I'M LIKE "PFFT" AND
1 JUST TURN IT OFF,
I'M LIKE "YEAH, RIGHT."
I LIKE THE ORIGINAL
AND IT HAS TO BE THE WAY
THE ORIGINAL IS
OR ELSE IT'S...NOT.
- RIGHT, WELL, THERE'S A
SAYING THAT I LIKE A LOT.
“THE PERFECT IS THE
ENEMY OF THE GOOD."
DO YOU EVER
HEAR THAT SAYING?
- NO.
- "THE PERFECT
IS THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD."
YOU GUYS GET THAT ONE?
“THE PERFECT..."
Boy: NOT AT ALL.
- IF YOU'RE TRYING
TO BE PERFECT--
Boy: OH, YEAH,
I GET THAT.
- YOU WON'T EVEN BE GOOD,
'CAUSE YOU'LL STOP.
YOU'LL STOP 'CAUSE "OH,
1 DID IT WRONG AND OH..."
SO SOMETIMES,
TRYING TO BE PERFECT
GETS IN YOUR WAY
OF JUST BEING GOOD.
Boy: THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST
FAMOUS SPEECHES OF ALL TIME!
AND THIS WAS LIKE 200,
300 YEARS AGO?
SO, EVEN IF HE SAID IT
FOR LIKE TWO MINUTES,
IT STILL MEANS A LOT.
I'M PROBABLY GOING TO BE,
LIKE BACK HOME WITH FRIENDS
AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE
LIKE, "OH, WHAT DID YOU DO?"
AND I'M GOING TO BE LIKE, "YEAH,
I WAS LEARNING 'GETTYSBURG"."
AND THEY'RE GONNA BE LIKE
"WHAT'S THAT?"
AND I CAN MEMORIZE HALF OF IT
WHEN THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW
THE FIRST SENTENCE,
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE
REALLY FUN.
USUALLY IT'S ALWAYS
HOW MY FRIENDS
ARE ALWAYS FASTER THAN ME
OR READ HIGHER LEVELS,
BUT AT LEAST I CAN HAVE
A LITTLE JUMP START
AT SOMETHING
THEY PROBABLY
WILL NEVER LEARN.
GEO LEARNED IT
IN LIKE, A WEEK.
AND I'M THINKING, IT TOOK HIM
ONE WEEK AND IT'S TAKING ME
PROBABLY ABOUT
LIKE TWO MONTHS?
[SIGHS]
KNOWING THAT THEY
CAN MEMORIZE IT
AND PROBABLY GONNA
GET THAT COIN,
MAYBE NEXT YEAR
I CAN GET THE COIN,
BUT I'M REALLY POSITIVE
I'M NOT GONNA PRESENT IT.
I WILL PRESENT IT WHEN
I LEARN THE WHOLE THING,
SO THAT'S PROBABLY
GONNA BE NEXT YEAR.
THE COIN IS A COIN FOR YOUR
SCHOOL, IT'S NOT JUST LIKE
A REGULAR GOOD LUCK COIN,
LIKE A COIN,
LIKE THE BASKETBALL HALL
OF FAME COIN, OR A PENNY,
BUT IT'S A COIN
THAT IS A SCHOOL COIN.
IT'S WORTH SOMETHING TO YOU
'CAUSE YOU WORKED FOR IT.
I CAN TELL MY FRIENDS, "HA HA,
PUBLIC SCHOOLS DON'T GIVE YOU
"THIS COIN THAT HAS
YOUR SCHOOL NAME ON IT.
"THEY MAY GIVE YOU A
SWEATSHIRT OR PAJAMA PANTS,
BUT THEY DON'T GIVE YOU A COIN
THAT SAYS 'NEVER GIVE UP."™
["WINTER WONDERLAND" PLAYING]
- EPIC!
- ARE YOU SERIOUSLY
DOING THAT?
- YEP, I'M SERIOUSLY DOING IT!
- READY?
- GO!
- FAIL.
- HI.
- 80, THIS IS [INDISTINCT].
- OK. BYE-BYE.
- CAN YOU MOVE?
[PIANO PLAYING JAZZ]
Boy: I STARTED PLAYING
AROUND WITH THE RUBIK'S CUBE
SINCE I WAS LIKE, UH...14.
THEN I KINDA GOT ADDICTED TO
IT SO I JUST KEEP DOING IT
EVERY DAY IN HERE, YEAH.
THEN IT JUST KINDA
BECAME LIKE A HABIT.
AND I DON'T REALLY HAVE
TO THINK WHILE DOING IT.
SO, IT'S PRETTY EASY.
TO, LIKE, SOLVE
THE RUBIK'S CUBE,
YOU HAVE TO, LIKE,
SOLVE ONE LAYER FIRST,
THEN THE SECOND LAYER,
THEN THE TOP LAYER.
AT FIRST, I JUST THINK OF
SOLVING THESE TWO LAYERS FIRST.
THEN THE TOP LAYER IS LIKE THE
HARDEST PART TO SOLVE, SO...
AND THEN IT GETS EASIER
IF YOU DO IT EVERY TIME.
IN MY LAST SCHOOL, EVERYONE
WAS TREATED THE SAME WAY.
AND WHEN I WAS THERE,
I WAS ACTUALLY DOING
PRETTY BAD IN SCHOOL,
BECAUSE I WASN'T REALLY
THAT FOCUSED IN CLASS,
PROBABLY BECAUSE I HAVE
A.D.D. OR SOMETHING.
BUT WHEN I MOVED HERE,
IT FELT AS IF MY A.D.D. STOPPED
BECAUSE I HAD THIS MOTIVATION
THAT MADE ME WANT TO
BECOME A NEW MAN.
“"CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
AND DEDICATED..."
THROUGHOUT MY CHILD LIFE,
I ACTUALLY RE-REALLY STUTTERED
LIKE A LOT.
AND I NOTICED THAT THIS
SPEECH WILL ACTUALLY KIND
OF IMPROVE MY STUTTERING,
AND MY PRONUNCIATION
IN WORDS TOO,
MY AR-ARTICULATION,
AND THE TH- SOUNDS.
"WE ARE MET
ON A GREAT BATTLEFIELD..."
[PLAYING SCALES ON PIANO]
I ACTUALLY WANTED TO ACTUALLY
RECITE THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS"
BECAUSE THERE WASN'T
ANYTHING ELSE
THAT I REALLY
WANTED TO RECITE.
BUT THEN, I KINDA NOTICED THAT
THE SPEECH, THE "ADDRESS" WAS
ACTUALLY REALLY
INSPIRING TO ME.
SO, IF I CITE--RECITE
THIS--THIS ADDRESS
IN FRONT OF PEOPLE,
I THINK IT WILL
MAKE ME FEEL LIKE
I CA-CAN ACTUALLY
DO ANYTHING I WANT
AND WILL--WILL EVENTUALLY
MAKE ME FEEL
LIKE A NEW MAN, I GUESS.
[CHILD SPEAKING]
- HI.
- 80, CAN YOU READ ME
THIS SENTENCE?
- UH..."PRESIDENT LINCOLN
SET HIS HURT ON FRE--"
- "HEART..."
- "...HEART ON
FWEE-ING THE SLAVES."
- UH-HUH. "FREEING" IS ANOTHER
WORD FOR YOU TO PRACTICE.
CAN I HEAR THAT AGAIN?
FRR...
- FWEEING.
- FRR...
- FWEE-ING.
- FREEING.
SO THE "R" IS TRICKY.
- YEAH. OK.
SO, PRESIDENT LINCOLN SET HIS
HEART ON FREEING THE SLAVES.
SO, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
-UM...
- SEND VALENTINES TO?
- NO, UH, WANT...TO?
- WANT.
UH-HUH,
WHAT DOES THAT SAY?
- WANT VERY MUCH.
- WANTED VERY MUCH.
SO, WE'VE GOT YOUR LITERAL
MEANING FOR "SET YOUR HEART ON"
AND THE FIGURATIVE
MEANING...FIGURATIVELY
IT MEANS SOMETHING YOU
WANT VERY MUCH.
- YES.
- 80, WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT
YOU HAVE SET YOUR HEART ON?
- "GETTYSBURG."
- ON "GETTYSBURG"
IN WHAT WAY?
- UH, GETTING FIRST,
SECOND, OR SURD PLACE.
- AHH! FIRST,
SECOND, OR THIRD PLACE.
IT'S SOMETHING WORTH
SETTING YOUR HEART ON,
IF THAT'S
WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
- YEAH.
- OK.
SO, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO
SAY IN A SENTENCE USING
"SET YOUR HEART ON"?
- I WANT TO SET MY HEART ON
GETTING FIRST, SECOND,
OR SURD PLACE
IN THE "GETTYSBURG" CONTEST.
- OK, SO I HAVE SET.
YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT.
- YEAH.
- YEAH, I HAVE
SET MY HEART ON... OK.
SO, FIRST OF ALL,
I WANT VERY NEAT WRITING
HERE ON THIS ONE.
YOU HAVE TO SLOW
YOURSELF DOWN.
- WAIT, UH, WHERE'S
MY BINDER AND BACKPACK?
- DO YOU HAVE
A BETTER PENCIL?
- YEAH.
- DO YOU NEED A GRIP?
- YEAH, I HAVE ONE.
- WHERE IS YOUR BINDER?
HOW LONG--
[DOOR CLOSES]
OK. WELL...
SO, HE IS FEARLESS IN TERMS OF
DOING THE "GETTYSBURG" EVEN IF,
YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT THOSE "ER"...
AND WE'RE WORKING ON IT,
BUT IT'S NOT REALLY TECHNICALLY
AT PERFORMANCE LEVEL
IN TERMS OF WHAT
HE CAN DO, BUT--
[DOOR OPENS]
So, DO YOU REMEMBER
YOUR SENTENCE?
HAVE YOU BEEN
THINKING ABOUT IT?
- YEAH.
- WHAT'S THE SENTENCE?
- "I HAVE SET MY HEART ON
GETTING FIRST, SECOND,
OR SURD PLACE--"
- OR...
- SURD PLACE.
- OK, SO YOU DID REALLY
WELL ON FIRST AND SECOND.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED ON THIRD?
- WHAT?
- I HEARD--I'M GOING TO SAY IT
THE WAY YOU SAID IT.
“SURD...
" OK!
- IS THAT CORRECT?
SURD?
- NO.
- NO, WHAT DID I DO?
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!
I WANT YOU TO BE LISTENING
USING YOUR EARS
AND WATCHING MY MOUTH.
I SAID, "SURD."
IS THAT THE WORD WE WANTED?
- NO, "THIRD."
- YES! GOOD JOB.
SO, READ THIS AGAIN.
- "I HAVE SET MY HEART
ON 'GETTYS--"
- "GETTING..."
- "GETTING FIRST,
SECOND, OR SURD"--
- "OR, OR THHH..."
- "THIRD PLACE IN THE
'GETTYSBURG' COMPETITION."
- EXCELLENT. OK.
SO, HERE ARE A COUPLE
OF PHRASES THAT WE NEED TO
PRACTICE BEFORE YOU GET
IN TO SAYING IT.
[YAWNS]
ARE YOU AWAKE?
- YEAH.
- DID YOU GET
ENOUGH SLEEP LAST NIGHT?
- NO.
- NO. HOW COME?
- MY PHONE KEPT GOING OFF.
I DIDN'T FALL
ASLEEP TILL 3 AM.
- AH! THAT'S NOT GOOD.
- YEAH.
"OUR FATHERS..."
- OK, "OUR FATHERS..."
"“BROUGHT FORTH ON THIS
CONTINENT A NEW NATION
CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY..."
- OK.
- "AND DEDICATED TO
THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN
ARE CREATED EQUAL."
- I'll GIVE YOU
SENTENCES ON ALL OF THOSE.
- THEY'RE ALL MASTERED.
- THOSE ALL
ARE MASTERED, OK.
-1,2,3,4,5.
- THAT'S A MASTER.
AND HOW ABOUT...
- "AS A FINAL RESTING
PLACE FOR THOSE
WHO HERE GAVE THEIR LIVES
THAT THAT NATION MIGHT LIVE."
- OK, I'll GIVE YOU
A SENTENCE ON THAT.
YOU KNOW,
THE "GETTYSBURG,"
IF YOU WIN A PRIZE,
IT'S WONDERFUL,
BUT I THINK THE BEST
PRIZE FOR YOU
IS THE FACT THAT YOU CAN
MASTER YOUR MOUTH AROUND
THESE "TH" AND "SS" SOUNDS,
THAT YOU CAN REALLY LEARN
TO HEAR YOURSELF
AND TO CORRECT THEM,
BECAUSE I CAN'T WALK
AROUND CORRECTING YOU
ALL THE TIME, CAN I?
- YEAH.
- YEAH, THAT
WOULDN'T BE SO FUN.
THAT WOULDN'T BE FUN
FOR ME EITHER.
SO, YOU HAVE TO REALLY
WORK ON THAT YOURSELF...
- OK.
- YOU KNOW,
PRACTICING THOSE.
THAT'S WHY I GAVE YOU
EXERCISES TO PRACTICE
OVER THE VACATION
AND YOU HAVE TO REALLY THINK
ABOUT THOSE SOUNDS.
- OK.
- AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE
DOING THE "GETTYSBURG."
SO, WOULD YOU PLEASE TURN
OFF YOUR CELL PHONE TONIGHT?
- YES.
- OK,
THAT'S A PROMISE?
- YEAH.
- FOR ALL YOUR TEACHERS,
BECAUSE IT MUST BE
REALLY HARD BEING IN SCHOOL
WHEN YOU'RE YAWNING
EVERY FEW MINUTES.
- YEAH.
- YEAH, I,
I BELIEVE THAT IT IS.
OK, GIVE ME...
JUST SAY THE WORD, "RATHER"
BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
- "RATHER."
- TELL ME SOMETHING
THAT YOU WOULD RATHER DO.
- SLEEP.
I WOULD RATHER SLEEP
THAN BE IN SCHOOL.
- OK, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
SOME DAYS I FEEL
THAT WAY, TOO.
BYE. HAVE A GOOD DAY!
- BYE. YOU TOO.
- LET'S SEE IF
IT'S GONNA WORK.
[PROJECTOR RUNNING]
OK.
[PROJECTOR RUNNING]
ALL RIGHT,
THIS SHOULD WORK.
[TAPE FLAPPING]
- COME ALONG, YOU!
- WHOEVER THAT IS,
HE'S WANTED IN CUSTODY...
[LIGHT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]
- DUDE, I DID THE BEST THING
WHILE I WAS HOME.
I JUMPED OFF OF
MY MIDDLE SCHOOL ROOF
AND DID A BARREL ROLL
DOWN A HILL.
IT WAS A 20-FOOT DROP.
IT WAS AWESOME.
[BELL TOLLS]
Woman: SO, WE'RE GOING TO DO
ONE MINUTE UP AND DOWN,
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO
JOG IN PLACE FOR TWO MINUTES.
- GUESS WHAT THE DAY
BEFORE "GETTYSBURG" IS?
VALENTINE'S DAY.
- [INDISTINCT]
- NO, IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY,
THE DAY BEFORE "GETTYSBURG."
HOW FUNNY IS THAT?
- HE'S GOING TO BE RECITING SOME
OF THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS."
3,4, 5.
GOOD JOB.
IAN, OFTEN TIMES, GETS A LITTLE
BIT TOO HYPER IN THE WAY
THAT HE IS NOT ABLE TO FOCUS ON
WHAT WE WANT HIM TO DO,
AND SO I PREPARE HIM BY
DOING SOME AEROBIC EXERCISE
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SEGUE HIM
INTO DOING SOME PUSHUPS.
AND THEN THE NEXT ACTIVITY,
HE'S GOING TO BE WORKING
ON HIS CORE MUSCLES.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS,
ALL OF THOSE KIND OF ELEMENTS
HELP PREPARE HIM
TO DO YOU KNOW, LIKE,
PREPARE HIM TO DO SOMETHING LIKE
IN CLASS THAT'S MORE TEDIOUS,
THAT HAS MEMORY WITH IT,
THAT SUSTAINS THE ATTENTION,
THAT KEEPS HIM MORE IN A STATE
TO BE READY TO DO SOMETHING
THAT IS ACADEMIC.
SO, IF YOU'RE READY?
- "THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE
“NOR LONG REMEMBER
WHAT WE SAY HERE,
“BUT IT CAN NEVER
FORGET WHAT THEY DID HERE.
"IT IS FOR US, THE LIVING,
RATHER TO BE DEDICATED HERE TO
THE UNFINISHED WORK
REMAINING BEFORE US."
- "WHICH THEY..."
- "WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE
HAVE THUS FAR"
- "SO NOBLY ADVANCED."
MM-HMM.
-"IT IS FOR US"--
-"IT IS RATHER FOR US..."
- "IT IS RATHER FOR US
TO BE DEDIC--TO BE--"
- "TO BE HERE
DEDICATED..."
- "TO THE GREAT TASK
REMAINING BEFORE US
THAT WE TAKE IN"--
- "THAT FROM
THESE HONORED DEAD..."
- "WE TAKE INCREASED DEVOTION
“TO THAT CAUSE FOR WHICH
"THEY GAVE THEIR LAST FULL
MEASURE OF DEVOTION
THAT THESE DEAD
SHALL NOT HAVE DIED"--
- "THAT WE HIGHLY..."
- "THAT WE HIGHLY RESOLVE
“THAT THESE DEAD SHALL NOT
HAVE DIED IN VAIN.
“THAT THIS NATION UNDER GOD
"SHALL HAVE A NEW
BIRTH OF FREEDOM
"AND THAT GOVERNMENT
OF THE BIR--PEOPLE,
“"FOR THE PEOPLE,
BY THE PEOP--
"BY THE PEOPLE,
FOR THE PEOPLE,
SHALL NOT PERISH
FROM THE EARTH."
- OK, OK. HOW DO YOU FEEL?
- COOKIE TIME!
Boy: WE MADE DEATH COOKIES,
WHICH I CAME UP WITH YESTERDAY.
- WELL, MINE--1 KIND OF
RAN OUT OF TOPPINGS,
BUT I JUST CHOSE
MY FAVORITES.
I DON'T KNOW WHY I SHOVED
SOUR PATCH KIDS IN THERE.
HA! I DON'T KNOW WHY.
I WAS BORED.
- NED, NED.
WHAT'S WITH THE HAT?
CAN YOU AT LEAST TELL US
WHAT THE HAT'S ABOUT?
- I WANTED TO BE
AN OLYMPIC RUNNER.
WELL, I CAN'T REALLY
TRAIN HERE,
BUT I JUST KEEP MY
JAMAICAN HAT ON ME FOR BOLT,
AND INSPIRATION IS ALWAYS AROUND
ME WITH MY HATS, ETHAN KNOWS.
I HAVE LIKE
10 GAZILLION HATS.
Woman:
PUT THOSE OVER HERE.
ALL RIGHT
YOU GUYS, HERE WE GO.
So, WE HAVE TO WORK KIND OF
QUICKLY 'CAUSE THIS IS GOING
TO COOL DOWN
AND JUST GET THICKER
AND ABSOLUTELY
OUT OF CONTROL HERE.
YOU GO LIKE THAT
AND PUT IT DOWN.
Boy: USE A SPOON!
- YOU GUYS, BE A LITTLE MORE
GENEROUS WITH THE CHOCOLATE.
Josh: NO, NO GENEROUSNESS.
- JOSH, THAT DOESN'T MEAN SPEED
IT UP. IT MEANS BE GENEROUS.
Josh: MORE GENEROUS?
[METAL BANGING]
- THIS ONE
COULD USE SOME MORE.
- WHERE DID HE GO?
WHERE IS NED?
DO WE KNOW WHERE HE IS?
[BOYS SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
- NED'S FRUSTRATED
'CAUSE HE DOESN'T KNOW
THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS"
AND HE WANTED TO
RECITE IT FOR YOU GUYS,
BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW IT.
SO, HE'S...
- REALLY FRUSTRATED.
- FEELING FRUSTRATED.
- KEEGAN, YOU'RE GONNA BE
SO SUGARED UP.
Keegan:
I ALREADY AM.
- YOU JUST HAVE TO
MEMORIZE...
YOU DON'T HAVE TO RECITE
THE "GETTYSBURG," NED.
IT'S AN OPTION.
[KIDS ALL TALKING
INDISTINCTLY]
[HAMMERING]
[DRILL WHIRRING]
- GIVE ME THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THESE TWO NUMBERS.
HOW FAR APART ARE THEY?
- OK.
- OK.
- GOOD
- GOOD
LAST ONE.
- NONE.
- ZERO.
THE DIFFERENCE
IS ZERO.
- 80, COOPER, HOW FAR, SINCE
LAST WEEK WHEN I SAW YOU,
HOW FAR DID YOU GET
ON THE "GETTYSBURG"?
- I KNOW TILL...
- HOW FAR DO YOU--THE LAST
WEEK WE WERE HERE--
- FAR SO FAR--
- OH, SO YOU'VE GOTTEN THAT
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THERE?
THAT'S FABULOUS.
THAT'S GREAT. OK.
- "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN
YEARS AGO, OUR FATHERS
"“BROUGHT FORTH ON THIS
CONTINENT A NEW NATION,
CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY--"
- I'M GOING TO STOP YOU
FOR A MINUTE, OK?
BECAUSE ONE OF THE WORDS
WE WORKED ON WAS IN THERE.
AND YOU KNOW WHICH WORD
I'M GONNA--
- NATION.
- YEAH, CAN
YOU SAY "NEW NATION?"
- NEW NATION.
- GOOD. ALL RIGHT, NOW START
FROM THE BEGINNING AGAIN.
- "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN
YEARS AGO, OUR FATHERS
"“BROUGHT FORTH ON THIS
CONTINENT A NEW NATION,
“CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY,
"AND DEDICATED
TO THE PROPOSITION
“THAT ALL MEN
ARE CREATED EQUAL.
"NOW WE ARE ENGAGED
IN A GREAT CIVIL WAR
TESTING WHETHER THAT NATION..."
Woman: "BUT IN A LARGER SENSE,
WE CANNOT DEDICATE..."
- "BUT IN A LARGER SENSE,
WE CANNOT DEDICATE..."
- RIGHT.
"WE CANNOT CONSECRATE..."
- "WE CANNOT CONCENCRATE."
- CONSECRATE.
- CONSECRATE.
- CONSECRATE.
NOW, DO YOU KNOW WHAT
THAT WORD MEANS, "CONSECRATE"?
- YEAH, THAT WORKS.
Stephenson: I SAY,
"FOUR SCORE..."
- "SEVEN YEARS AGO..."
- "OUR FATHERS...
- "BROUGHT FORTH..."
- "ON THIS..."
- "CONTINENT..."
- "A NEW NATION..."
- "CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY..."
- "DEDICATED..."
- "TO THE PROPOSITION..."
- "THAT ALL MEN
ARE CREATED EQUAL."
Boy: "TO THAT CAUSE FOR WHICH
THEY GAVE THE LAST FULL
"MEASURE OF DEVOTION--
"THAT WE HERE HIGHLY
RESOLVE THAT THESE DEAD
“SHALL NOT HAVE DIED IN VAIN,
“THAT THIS NATION,
UNDER GOD,
"SHALL HAVE A NEW
BIRTH OF FREEDOM
"AND THAT GOVERNMENT OF
THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE,
FOR THE PEOPLE, SHALL NOT
PERISH FROM THE EARTH."
Woman: TERRIFIC.
[BELL TOLLS]
Migneault: WHAT WE DO RELATIVE
TO THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS"
IS WE HAVE THEM DO
A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES,
AND ONE OF THEM
IS HANDWRITING.
AND SO, THERE ARE
THREE POSTERS HERE.
THIS FIRST ONE
IS FROM LAST YEAR.
THIS IS 2012, AND YOU'LL SEE
THEIR CURSIVE SIGNATURES,
AND THEN SOME OF THE KIDS
HAVE WRITTEN PARTS
OF THE "GETTYSBURG" IN PRINT
AND SOME WROTE THE WHOLE
"GETTYSBURG" IN CURSIVE.
SO IT'S PART OF THEIR REALLY
ASSIMILATING THE "GETTYSBURG"
BY WRITING IT
IN CURSIVE OR IN PRINT
AND THEN SIGNING OFF
THEIR SIGNATURE.
AND HERE HE IS.
THOMAS, GOOD MORNING.
- GOOD MORNING.
HOW ARE YOU?
- I'M GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
SO, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE
"GETTYSBURG ADDRESS,"
AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
DIVIDED IT UP INTO
1,2, 3,4, 5 SECTIONS
JUST SO THAT IT'S A LITTLE
EASIER TO REMEMBER.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK
YOU TO DO IS TO WRITE
THIS PART OF THE
"GETTYSBURG ADDRESS,"
AND I'M GOING TO GET YOU
A HIGHLIGHTER STRIP
SO THAT WE CAN...
- HIGHLIGHTER STRIP?
- MM-HMM.
AND SO IF WE PICK THIS
PARAGRAPH RIGHT HERE,
THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING
TO STAY, OK?
AND SO THEN, WHEN YOU
LOOK UP, YOU DON'T
HAVE TO DECIDE
WHICH ONE WAS IT,
THE FIRST ONE, THE SECOND
ONE OR THE THIRD ONE.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO
START RIGHT HERE.
- WOW, THAT'S REALLY COOL.
- YOU LIKE THAT?
GOOD. OK.
SO, LET'S HAVE YOU
START HERE.
WE'LL SKIP THIS
SPACE RIGHT HERE.
AND JUST TAKE
YOUR TIME, OK?
SO, "WHAT WE SAID HERE..."
- "SAID HERE."
- MM-HMM. YOU'RE DOING
A GREAT JOB.
I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND IT
TAKES A LOT OF CONCENTRATION.
THAT'S GOOD, AND THEN THIS
IS THE LAST PART OF IT.
"FORGET WHAT THEY DID HERE."
PERIOD.
OK, WOW.
THAT WAS A TASK! OK.
NOW, WE'RE GOING TO
PUT THIS AWAY.
YOU DID A MAGNIFICENT JOB.
IT WAS REALLY A LOT
OF WORK TO DO THAT.
[PIANO PLAYING UPBEAT TUNE]
[VAN HALEN'S "JUMP"
PLAYING ON PIANO]
- 'CAUSE I WANTED TO
LET YOU KNOW THAT IT'S--
Ian: LUNCHTIME!
Boy: COME ON! COME HERE!
[ALL TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
- WHOO!
- HI, TRAVIS.
Ehrenberg: AMERICAN
CULTURE IS IDENTIFIED
AS VERY INDIVIDUALISTIC,
AND YET THERE'S A TREMENDOUS
SOCIAL PRESSURE TO CONFORM
AND TO BE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE
AND TO MARGINALIZE AND
PATHOLOGIZE WITH PEOPLE
WHO FUNCTION DIFFERENTLY
IN ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF WAYS.
I WILL GET PARENTS
WHO WILL SAY TO ME,
"I JUST WANT MY KID
TO BE NORMAL."
AND SOMETIMES I HAVE TO
SAY TO THEM,
“IT'S NOT HIS JOB
TO BE NORMAL.
IT'S HIS JOB
TO BE WHO HE IS."
DOES THAT MEAN THAT THERE MIGHT
BE HARDSHIPS AHEAD FOR HIM?
YEAH, IT DOES.
BUT THE HARDSHIP OF TRYING
TO BE SOMEONE WHO YOU'RE NOT
IS EVEN WORSE.
- OK, "NOW WE ARE
ENGAGED AND...
"A GREAT CIVIL WAR...
TESTING..." WAIT.
"TESTING WHETHER..."
- YOU'RE RIGHT.
THAT WAS RIGHT.
- "TESTING WHETHER...UM..."
- WHAT ARE THEY TESTING?
- "THAT NATION OR ANY
NATION CAN LONG ENDURE..."
UM...NO.
"SO CONCEIVED AND DEDICATED
CAN LONG ENDURE"?
- TERRIFIC. YOU DID IT.
- REALLY? WHAT?
- YOU DID IT. IT'S NOT MAKING
COMPLETE SENSE TO YOU YET,
BUT YOU GOT THE WORDS,
ALL RIGHT?
- OH, WOW.
- 80 THIS TIME, THE OTHER
ONE TOOK US TWO DAYS
TO GET THAT FIRST SENTENCE.
THIS ONE'S HARDER,
AND YOU GOT IT IN--
- WOW.
- 10 MINUTES.
ALL RIGHT, TERRIFIC.
-"IT'S FOR US
THE LIVING RATHER..."
Stephenson: "IT IS FOR US
THE LIVING RATHER..."
-"IT'S FOR US
THE LIVING RATHER..."
- GO AGAIN.
“IT IS FOR US THE
LIVING RATHER..."
- "IT'S FOR US THE LIVING
RATHER TO BE DEDICATED TO
UNFINISHED WORK"--
- "DEDICATED HERE..."
- "HERE TO
UNFINISHED WORK"--
- SLOW DOWN AGAIN.
- CAN I JUST HAVE
THE SHEET IN FRONT OF ME?
- NO.
- I CAN'T LOOK
AT THE SHEET?
- NO.
- THAT'S, THAT'S--
- THAT'S HARD, ISN'T IT?
- ABRAHAM LINCOLN DID.
- NO, HE DIDN'T.
HE WROTE IT ON HIS HAND.
Rawley: ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE
GOING TO FOCUS ON THIS ONE.
THIS IS THE ONE WE WANT
TO SPEND OUR DAY ON.
CAN YOU SAY THIS ONE FOR US?
Boy: "CONCEIVED"?
- CONCEIVED.
YOU WROTE A SENTENCE FOR
THAT THE OTHER DAY, RIGHT?
AND WHAT DOES
“CON" MEAN, RACE?
Race: TOGETHER OR WITH.
- TOGETHER OR WITH.
OK, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO
JOT DOWN THE WORD
"TOGETHER" RIGHT THERE.
AND IS THERE A SUFFIX
ON THAT WORD, JOSH?
Josh: "-CEIVED"? -ED?
- OK, -ED, SO IT COULD
BE PAST TENSE.
SO LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FIND
“-CEIVE" OR THERE'S ALSO
A VERSION OF IT CALLED "-CEPT".
- FOUND IT.
- OH, IT'S ON
THE FIRST PAGE. YES.
- "TAKE, RECEIVE, RECEIVED,
RECEPTION, ACCEPT, CONCEPTION."
- OK, AND CONCEPTION
HAS TO DO WITH BIRTH,
MAYBE HAVING A BABY,
BUT ALSO LIKE
YOU COULD HAVE SOME
KIND OF CONCEPT OR IDEA.
AND THAT'S THE WAY IT IS
IN THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS."
THE WORD "DETRACT"
IS ALSO IN THE "GETTYSBURG."
- "-TRACT" MEANS TO PULL,
TO PULL OR DOWN.
- OK, YEAH,
"DE-" MEANS DOWN AWAY,
AND "-TRACT" MEANS TO PULL.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE "-TRACT"
IN HERE THIS YEAR, RIGHT?
BUT HOW DOES HE USE IT IN
THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS"?
- HERE, THIS IS ONE.
- OK, "THE BRAVE MEN LIVING AND
DEAD WHO STRUGGLED HERE HAVE
CONSECRATED IT FAR ABOVE OUR
POOR POWER TO ADD OR DETRACT".
IN OTHER WORDS, THE DEAD HAVE
MADE THE LAND HOLY AND THERE'S
NOTHING LINCOLN CAN DO TO ADD
TO WHAT THEY'VE DONE
OR TO TAKE AWAY FROM.
OK, I'll GIVE YOU A LITTLE--I'll
GET YOU STARTED RIGHT HERE.
“THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE..."
HERE, LET'S MAKE IT
SO WE CAN SEE--
- CAN I DO PARAGRAPH 3?
- SURE, BUT CAN WE PUT THIS
TOGETHER, THOUGH?
- OH, YEAH.
- OK, "THE WORLD..."
I'll PUT IT TOGETHER
AND YOU CAN READ IT FOR ME, OK?
- I GUESS.
- THEN IF YOU WANT TO
DO PARAGRAPH 3, YOU CAN.
- I GUESS.
- ALL RIGHT, "THE WORLD
WILL LITTLE NOTE..."
RACE, CAN YOU HELP US?
CAN YOU DOUBLE TASK THERE?
“THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE..."
- "NOR LONG REMEMBER
WHAT WE SAY HERE..."
- "WHAT WE SAY HERE..."
GO ON.
- "BUT IT CAN NEVER FORGET
WHAT THEY DID HERE."
- OK, "WHAT THEY
DID HERE..." GO ON.
Boys and woman: "IT IS
FOR US THE LIVING RATHER
“TO BE DEDICATED HERE
TO THE UNFINISHED WORK
"WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE HAVE
THUS FAR SO NOBLY ADVANCED.
“IT IS RATHER FOR US TO BE HERE
DEDICATED TO THE GREAT TASK
"REMAINING BEFORE US, THAT FROM
THESE HONORED DEAD, WE TAKE
“"INCREASED DEVOTION TO THAT
CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY GAVE THE
"LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION.
"THAT WE HERE HIGHLY RESOLVE
THAT THESE DEAD SHALL NOT HAVE
“DIED IN VAIN,
THAT THIS NATION UNDER GOD..."
Woman: HE NEEDS TO
SAY SOMETHING,
BECAUSE IF HE JUST
HOLDS THAT INSIDE,
HOW IS HE GOING TO FEEL
IF HE DOESN'T SAY TO HIS...
Ian: LIKE ME,
WHICH IS GREAT.
- HOW IS HE GOING
TO FEEL IF HE...
IF HE HOLDS THAT...
- I ANSWERED
YOUR QUESTION.
- THAT SENSE OF
I DIDN'T GET THE--
- HE'S GOING TO
FEEL HORRIBLE.
- HE'S GOING TO FEEL HORRIBLE.
IT'S GOING TO GO MORE INWARD.
- WHICH IS HOW I FEEL.
- THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL?
- EVERY DAY OF
MY FRIGGIN' LIFE.
- BECAUSE YOU DON'T LET--YOU
DON'T TALK ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL?
- NO, BECAUSE EVERYONE'S RIPPED
ME APART IN THE PAST YEARS.
- DOES THIS HELP YOU AT ALL
IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT--
- NO.
-NO?
- NO, I CAN'T EVEN FIGHT
FOR MYSELF ANYMORE,
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE IF I DO, I'M
GONNA GET BEATEN OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW.
- YOU THINK IF YOU
STAND UP FOR YOURSELF,
YOU'RE GOING TO GET BEATEN?
- YEAH, BY OTHER KIDS,
'CAUSE THEY JUST GET REALLY
PISSED ALL THE TIME.
- 80, IT SOUNDS LIKE
YOU NEED A LITTLE BIT--
- I DON'T
SEE THAT SIDE.
- A LITTLE
BIT OF ADULT HELP.
- YOU DON'T SEE THAT SIDE?
WELL, NOW THIS IS THE THING--
- I SEE EVERY SIDE
OF EVERY ASPECT.
- SO LISTEN TO ME
FOR ONE SECOND.
YOU GUYS ARE TWO
DIFFERENT PEOPLE, RIGHT?
DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING
TO SEE THINGS FROM
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE?
- YEAH.
- NO!
- HE SEES THE SIDES OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE BAD--
- WELL, BUT THAT MIGHT BE--
HOLD ON JUST A SECOND.
THAT MIGHT BE WHERE
IAN IS RIGHT NOW.
BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO REALLY DO
IS SORT OF STICK WITH THIS
AND THE REASON I THINK
IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR YOU
TO BE IN A CLASS WHERE
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PASSIVE,
AGGRESSIVE, AND ASSERTIVE
IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE
HOLDING THINGS INSIDE
AND YOU DON'T FEEL SAFE,
THEN SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO
FIND A SAFE
PERSON TO TALK TO.
THAT COULD BE
A TRUSTED ADULT.
IT COULD BE A TRUSTED FRIEND.
- IT COULD BE NO ONE.
- YOU MIGHT NOT FEEL SAFE
ABOUT SAYING THAT IN FRONT OF...
YOU MIGHT NOT FEEL SAFE
ABOUT BEING ASSERTIVE
IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY,
RIGHT?
BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
TO FIND SOMEONE THAT YOU
CAN SHARE THOSE THINGS WITH.
- ...NOT GONNA BE ABLE
TO MAKE IT THERE...
- THESE GUYS ARE REALLY WORKING
ON THEIR COMMUNICATION STYLE.
THEY'RE WORKING ON HOW
THEY STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES.
AS YOU COULD SEE SORT OF
IN THIS GROUP,
THERE ARE SOME FUNNY
DISCONNECTS.
REALLY, I'M JUST TRYING TO
HELP THEM DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS
SO THAT WHEN THERE'S
A CONFLICT, OR YOU KNOW,
AS YOU SEE, IAN IS REALLY,
REALLY--HE'S REALLY STRESSED OUT
AND HAS HAD A LOT OF
NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES.
AND SO THE IDEA IS TO TRY
TO HELP HIM HAVE MORE TOOLS
IN HIS TOOLBOX WHEN
THERE'S A CONFLICT.
I WANT TO SHARE
SOMETHING WITH YOU GUYS
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT,
AND IT REALLY HELPS WITH
THIS TOPIC IN PARTICULAR.
IT'S CALLED AN "I STATEMENT".
HAVE YOU HEARD OF THAT?
- OH, I FEEL, LIKE AN
"I FEEL" STATEMENT.
- IT'S LIKE AN
"I FEEL" STATEMENT.
- IT'S NOT WORTH IT.
- YOU KNOW WHAT, IAN,
YOU JUST GOT TO TAKE
A DEEP BREATH AND TRY IT
AND TRY IT AGAIN,
AND TRY IT AGAIN,
BECAUSE EVENTUALLY
IT REALLY IS WORTH IT.
- I'VE TRIED
OVER 3,947 TIMES.
- REALLY?
- IT DOESN'T WORK.
- OK. I WANT TO SHARE IT
WITH THESE GUYS,
AND I WANT TO PRACTICE IT WITH
YOU BECAUSE IT'S A FORMULA.
IT'S A WAY FOR YOU TO
SAY HOW YOU FEEL,
AND AN "I STATEMENT"
INCLUDES A FEELING, RIGHT?
AND IT INCLUDES THE WORD "I"
BECAUSE WHO DO YOUR
FEELINGS BELONG TO?
- ME.
- OK, WHO DO YOUR
FEELINGS BELONG TO, CHASE?
Chase: ME.
- IAN?
- THE GOVERNMENT.
- THE GOVERNMENT, OK.
- I'M GOING
TO TAKE A RESET.
Ethan: WHAT IF,
IN HIS SITUATION--
Ian: DO NOT MENTION ME
WHILE I'M GONE,
OTHERWISE I WILL BE
REALLY UPSET.
- ALL RIGHT, WE'LL NOT
MENTION HIM WHILE HE'S GONE.
John: BASICALLY WHAT A RESET IS,
IS WHEN A STUDENT IS
MISBEHAVING,
A TEACHER WILL ASK THEM
TO RESET,
WHICH MEANS TO LEAVE THE CLASS,
TO LEAVE THE LEARNING AREA
FOR A FEW MINUTES,
SOMETIMES LONGER,
TO JUST GET A HOLD
OF THEMSELVES AND GET
INTO A PLACE WHERE THEY
CAN MENTALLY FOCUS AND...
BE A FUNCTIONING MEMBER
OF THE CLASS.
FOR ME, RESETS DON'T
HAPPEN THAT OFTEN.
I USUALLY GAUGE WHEN
I'M LOSING CONTROL.
BUT SOME STUDENTS TAKE
MORE RESETS THAN OTHERS,
AND WHATEVER GETS THEM TO FOCUS,
THAT'S WHAT THEY NEED TO DO,
AND EVERYBODY'S DIFFERENT.
Ehrenburg: HERE ARE A LOT
OF KIDS WHO HAVE A BACKLOG
OF A LOT OF ANGER
AND FREQUENTLY WILL
ACT OUT ON THAT ANGER.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO
IS DEVELOP THE CAPACITY
IN THE KID TO RECOGNIZE
WHEN HE'S GETTING UPSET
AND THE RESET IS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
SO A KID CAN ASK FOR A RESET
OR A TEACHER CAN SAY,
"YOU NEED TO TAKE A RESET".
Woman: KEEGAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE
LEAVE THE CLASSROOM?
YOU MAY NOT DRAW ON THE DESKS.
Keegan: YOU SAID IT WOULD BE
BETTER TO DRAW WITH PENCILS.
- [LAUGHING]
- ON PAPER, KEEGAN, ON PAPER.
[CLASS LAUGHING]
PLEASE GO OUT THERE, PULL
YOURSELF TOGETHER AND COME BACK.
OK. SO, LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN.
[BELL DINGS]
SILENT RESETTING,
GETTING READY
FOR CLASS TO START.
[MULTIPLE, SUSTAINED GUNFIRE]
[BOY NARRATING]
[HORSE WHINNIES]
[OVERLAPPING SHOUTING]
["BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM"
PLAYING]
[DISTANT CANNON FIRES]
- WHOA!
- WAKE UP.
[GROWLING]
- WHOO!
[OVERLAPPING CHATTER]
Hamm: YOU KNOW, FOR MANY KIDS,
JUST FINISHING,
JUST COMPLETING IT
WOULD BE A GOAL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN NED,
BUT NED CAME HERE SURE THAT HE
WAS NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE
TO DO IT, AND AS OF
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS,
HE'S SEEING THE END, HE'S SEEING
THAT HE CAN ACTUALLY DO
THE WHOLE GETTYSBURG,
AND HE'S SO HAPPY.
HE CAME HERE VERY KIND OF
DEFEATED IN A LOT OF WAYS,
JUST BY HIS OLD SCHOOL
AND BY LEARNING,
AND THINGS WERE HARD FOR HIM.
SO, FOR HIM, WELL, GETTING
THE COIN MIGHT BE SOMETHING
THAT HE WANTS, BUT I DON'T THINK
HE CARES WHETHER HE WINS.
BUT JUST THE FACT THAT HE
CAN ACTUALLY MEMORIZE IT
AND MIGHT GET UP AND DO IT;
WE DON'T KNOW YET,
BUT HE'S VERY SERIOUSLY
CONSIDERING IT.
Miller: AND FINALLY
THIS MORNING,
A GREAT WAY TO CLOSE OUT
MORNING CIRCLE. WHERE'S NED?
NED. HEY.
Woman: COME ON UP.
Kids: COME ON, NED! NED!
- WHOO!
- GO, NED!
Ned: "FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
"OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
ON THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION
“"CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
AND DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
“THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
"NOW WE ARE ENGAGED
IN A GREAT CIVIL WAR,
"TESTING WHETHER
THAT NATION OR ANY NATION
SO CONCEIVED AND SO DEDICATED
CAN LONG ENDURE."
Hamm: THIS KID, IN SPITE
OF ALL OF HIS EMOTIONAL STUFF,
THAT BAGGAGE THAT HE CAME WITH,
HE WAS ABLE TO WORK THROUGH IT
AND EVEN MAYBE THROWING
HIS TANTRUMS
AND THROWING THE HAT
OR WHATEVER HE NEEDED TO DO,
THAT'S WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO
TO GET TO THE PLACE
WHERE HE COULD FEEL CONFIDENT.
- "THAT THIS NATION, UNDER GOD
"SHALL HAVE
A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM
"AND THAT GOVERNMENT
OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE,
FOR THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT
PERISH FROM THE EARTH."
- ALL RIGHT!
- WHOO!
Miller: OUTSTANDING, NED.
GREAT JOB. YOU ARE QUALIFIED.
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL THINGS
IN THE COURSE OF THE YEAR,
TO SEE YOU GUYS STUDY
THIS SPEECH,
HAVE THE COURAGE
TO GET UP AND RECITE IT
IN FRONT OF PEOPLE,
HAVE THE COURAGE
TO NOT GET IT RIGHT
AND KEEP GOING
AND KEEP TRYING.
IT'S AWESOME.
LET'S THINK ABOUT THAT.
CONTINUE YOUR HARD WORK.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE
WHO HAVE QUALIFIED ALREADY.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T
QUALIFIED YET, KEEP WORKING.
OK, GUYS, HAVE A GREAT DAY
TODAY, PLEASE STACK YOUR CHAIRS.
[OVERLAPPING CHATTER]
- REMEMBER, JOIN THE RACE.
YOU MIGHT JUST WIN.
Ehrenberg: YOU THINK
YOU WANT TO DO THIS?
Ben: NO.
- I'M NOT ASKING
IF YOU'RE SCARED TO DO IT.
I KNOW THAT. I ASKED
A DIFFERENT QUESTION.
- I DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S
A GROWTH POINT FOR YOU,
THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU, FOR
YOUR GROWTH, TO DO IT, EVEN IF--
- NO.
- NO.
- 'CAUSE I'll BACK OFF OF IT IF
IT'S REALLY NOT A GOAL OF YOURS.
- IT'S REALLY NOT.
- YOU CAN DO THIS.
PERSONALLY, I DON'T CARE
WHETHER YOU DO IT OR NOT.
WHAT I CARE ABOUT IS
THAT YOU NOT
NOT DO IT BECAUSE
IT'S FEARFUL FOR YOU.
- 1 JUST DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
[BELL DINGS]
Man: ALL RIGHT GUYS,
LET'S TAKE A MINUTE,
STAND UP BEHIND OUR CHAIRS.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL
LUNCHTIME TREAT TODAY.
INSTEAD OF STARTING
OUR MEAL WITH THE GRACE,
WE ARE GOING TO START WITH
ANOTHER GETTYSBURG QUALIFIER.
IAN IS GOING TO SHARE
THE ADDRESS WITH US.
SO PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT,
GET YOURSELVES SETTLED,
LET'S BE RESPECTFUL TO IAN.
IAN, WHEN YOU'RE READY.
Ian: "FOURSCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH ON
THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION..."
Ian, voice-over: WHEN YOU'RE
ANGRY, IT'S NEVER GOOD.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE GRIT
AND PERSEVERANCE,
YOU CAN GET THROUGH
STUFF A LOT MORE.
Ian: "...NOW WE ARE ENGAGED IN
A GREAT CIVIL WAR, TESTING..."
Ian, voice-over: THIS YEAR
I'M RECITING THE GETTYSBURG,
AND THAT'S HUGE FOR ME.
IT JUST TELLS PEOPLE
I'M NOT STUPID,
I'M NOT DUMB, I'M NOT,
LIKE, WORTHLESS.
"FOR THOSE WHO HERE
GAVE THEIR LIVES
THAT THAT NATION MIGHT LIVE..."
Ian, voice-over: EVERY KID THAT
HAS BEEN BULLIED EXCESSIVELY,
THEIR LIFE IS A BATTLEFIELD,
AND EVERY TIME YOU'RE
SHOT DOWN, YOU JUST GET--
YOU TRY TO GET RIGHT BACK UP,
BUT THEN THEY JUST KEEP
SHOOTING YOU AND SHOOTING YOU.
WHEN YOU'RE DOWN FOR THE COUNT,
EITHER A DEVIL CRIES
AND YOU'RE DONE,
OR THE ANGELS SING,
THEY LIFT YOU UP, THEY HEAL YOU.
"...RATHER TO BE DEDICATED HERE
TO THE UNFINISHED WORK
WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE HAVE
THUS FAR SO NOBLY ADVANCED."
I WANT TO GO UP THERE, I WANT
TO NAIL IT, I WANT TO GET OFF,
I WANT TO SHAKE STEWART'S HAND,
AND I WANT TO GET THAT COIN.
IT'S THE TURN
OF A NEW BEGINNING
WHEN THAT COIN HITS
MY HAND.
- GOOD JOB, IAN.
[HORSE WHINNIES]
[TEEN BOY NARRATING]
[BELL DINGS]
Rebecca: COOPER.
- YEAH?
- TIME TO ROLL, MY DEAR.
Boy: TODAY IS GETTYSBURG DAY.
I AM EXCITED
AND A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS,
BUT I'M MORE EXCITED
THAN NERVOUS.
Man: YOU NEED TO TIE YOUR TIE?
WELL, I GOT TO WAKE
EVERYONE UP FIRST.
YOU GOT YOURS TIED.
Ethan, voice-over: I'M NOT
REALLY THAT NERVOUS ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, I'M SORT OF NERVOUS,
BUT I CAN'T BE.
I DON'T KNOW REALLY WHAT
THE EXPRESSION IS, BUT I'M NOT,
LIKE...SCARED OUT
OF MY WITS ABOUT IT.
AND THE SPEECH IS ONLY
TWO MINUTES LONG
AND I KNOW IT TOP
FROM BOTTOM, INSIDE-OUT.
SHOULDN'T REALLY BE
A PROBLEM FOR ME.
- THERE.
- THANK YOU.
Nate: OK, COOPER,
OUT OF BED. LET'S GO.
Stewart: SO TODAY IS THE DAY.
WE'VE BEEN BUILDING UP
TO THIS FOR--
REALLY SINCE YOU GUYS CAME BACK
FROM THANKSGIVING, RIGHT?
AND I'M SURE THERE WERE DAYS,
MAYBE NOT EVEN THAT LONG AGO,
WHERE YOU WERE FRUSTRATED
WITH IT AND DIDN'T THINK YOU
COULD DO IT, BUT YOU KEPT
PUSHING FORWARD,
AND THAT'S GREAT.
AND, GUYS, FOR YOU, WHILE WE'RE
ALL HERE TOGETHER, TOO,
WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE,
IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, RIGHT,
WHICH MIGHT HAPPEN,
ANNIE'S RIGHT THERE.
SHE CAN GIVE YOU A CUE.
AND BECAUSE SHE'S
REALLY CLOSE TO YOU,
SHE CAN PROBABLY GIVE YOU
A CUE THAT NOBODY ELSE IS
REALLY GOING TO HEAR,
EXCEPT YOU, RIGHT?
Annie: IT WILL BE SUBTLE,
IT WILL BE QUIET.
YOU WILL REMEMBER
THIS DAY, OK?
YOU WILL REMEMBER
HOW YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW--
MAYBE A LITTLE NERVOUS,
MAYBE REALLY CONFIDENT--
IN PREPARATION FOR TONIGHT.
SO, SIT UP FOR A SECOND.
LET'S SIT UP STRAIGHT.
LET'S SOAK IT IN,
LET'S TAKE A MOMENT
AND JUST RECOGNIZE
HOW WE'RE FEELING.
GET CENTERED;
GET READY TO LAUNCH
INTO THIS REALLY
SPECIAL DAY TODAY.
AND FEEL REALLY PROUD
OF WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED.
- LOOKING SHARP.
[LAUGHTER]
- TOP BUTTON'S IMPORTANT,
BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
- READY?
[OVERLAPPING CHATTER]
[APPLAUSE]
[KEVIN SIGHS]
"FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO..."
- "FOUR SCORE AND
SEVEN YEARS AGO..."
- "FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO..."
- "OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH ON
THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION..."
- "A NEW NATION CONCEIVED
IN LIBERTY AND DEDICATED
TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN..."
- "THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL."
[BOY NARRATING]
“I'M SORRY; I DON'T WANT
TO BE AN EMPEROR.
"THAT IS NOT MY BUSINESS.
"I DON'T WANT TO RULE
OR CONQUER ANYONE.
“I SHOULD LIKE TO HELP
EVERYONE, IF POSSIBLE:
"JEW, GENTILE, BLACK, WHITE.
"WE ALL WANT TO HELP
ONE ANOTHER.
"HUMAN BEINGS ARE LIKE THAT.
"WE WANT TO LIVE BY
EACH OTHER'S HAPPINESS,
NOT BY EACH OTHER'S MISERY."
- "FELLOW CITIZENS, PARDON ME,
"ALLOW ME TO ASK,
"WHY AM I CALLED UPON
TO SPEAK HERE TODAY?
"WHAT HAVE I, OR THOSE
THAT REPRESENTED YOU
"WITH YOUR NATIONAL
INDEPENDENCE?
"ARE THE GREAT PRINCIPLES
OF POLITICAL FREEDOM
"AND OF NATURAL JUSTICE EMBODIED
IN THAT DECLARATION
OF INDEPENDENCE EXTENDED TO US?"
- WE SHALL FIGHT IN FRANCE.
"WE SHALL FIGHT
IN THE SEAS AND OCEANS.
"WE SHALL FIGHT WITH
GROWING CONFIDENCE
"AND GROWING STRENGTH
IN THE AIR.
"WE SHALL DEFEND OUR ISLAND,
WHATEVER THE COST MAY BE.
"WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE BEACHES,
"WE SHALL FIGHT IN
THE LANDING GROUNDS.
"WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE FIELDS
AND IN THE STREETS.
WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE HILLS.
WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER."
[APPLAUSE]
- "NOW WE ARE ENGAGED
IN A GREAT CIVIL WAR,
"TESTING WHETHER
THAT NATION OR ANY NATION
SO CONCEIVED AND SO DEDICATED,
CAN LONG ENDURE."
- "WE ARE MET ON A GREAT
BATTLEFIELD OF THAT WAR.
"WE HAVE COME TO DEDICATE
A PORTION OF THAT FIELD
"AS A FINAL RESTING PLACE FOR
THOSE WHO HERE GAVE THEIR LIVES
THAT THAT NATION MIGHT LIVE."
-"IT IS ALTOGETHER FITTING AND
PROPER THAT WE SHOULD DO THIS."
- "BUT, IN A LARGER SENSE,
WE CANNOT DEDICATE--
WE CANNOT CONSECRATE--
WE CANNOT HALLOW THIS GROUND."
- "THE BRAVE MEN, LIVING
AND DEAD, WHO STRUGGLED HERE"
- "HAVE CONSECRATED IT,
FAR ABOVE
OUR POOR POWER TO ADD
OR DETRACT."
- "THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE,
NOR LONG REMEMBER WHAT
WE SAY HERE, BUT IT CAN NEVER
FORGET WHAT THEY DID HERE."
-"IT IS FOR US THE LIVING,
RATHER, TO BE DEDICATED HERE
“TO THE UNFINISHED WORK
WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE
HAVE THUS FAR
SO NOBLY ADVANCED."
- "IT IS RATHER FOR US
TO BE HERE DEDICATED
TO THE GREAT TASK
REMAINING BEFORE US"
- "THAT FROM THESE HONORED DEAD
WE TAKE INCREASED DEVOTION
“TO THAT CAUSE
FOR WHICH THEY GAVE
THE LAST FULL MEASURE
OF DEVOTION"
- "THAT WE HERE HIGHLY
RESOLVE THAT THESE DEAD
SHALL NOT HAVE DIED IN VAIN,"
- "THAT THIS NATION, UNDER GOD,
"SHALL HAVE
A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM--
"AND THAT GOVERNMENT
OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE,
FOR THE PEOPLE, SHALL NOT
PERISH FROM THE EARTH."
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
"FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO... "
Second boy:
"OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
ON THIS CONTINENT
A NEW NATION..."
Third boy:
"CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
"AND DEDICATED
TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."
Announcer: IN JUST 272 WORDS,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN MANAGED
TO CONSECRATE A BATTLEFIELD,
HEAL A NATION,
RESHAPE A DEMOCRACY,
AND INSPIRE A GENERATION
OF SCHOOL KIDS
WHO'D NEVER GIVEN A SPEECH
BEFORE IN THEIR LIVES.
Boy: "FOR THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT
PERISH FROM THE EARTH."
Announcer:
FUNDING FOR "THE ADDRESS"
WAS PROVIDED BY THE ANNE RAY
CHARITABLE TRUST;
BY MEMBERS
OF THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY,
A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
DEDICATED TO EDUCATING AMERICANS
ABOUT THEIR HISTORY
THROUGH DOCUMENTARY FILM--
MEMBERS INCLUDE THE PFEIL
FOUNDATION
AND ROBERT & BEVERLY
GRAPPONE--
BY THE CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
AS PART OF AMERICAN GRADUATE:
LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN,
A PUBLIC MEDIA EDUCATION
INITIATIVE
TO HELP COMMUNITIES ADDRESS
THE NATIONAL HIGH-SCHOOL
DROPOUT CRISIS
AND HELP KEEP MORE STUDENTS
ON A SUCCESSFUL PATH
TO COLLEGE AND CAREER;
AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THIS PBS STATION FROM...
FUNDING FOR "THE ADDRESS"
WAS PROVIDED BY THE ANNE RAY
CHARITABLE TRUST;
BY MEMBERS
OF THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY,
A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
DEDICATED TO EDUCATING AMERICANS
ABOUT THEIR HISTORY
THROUGH DOCUMENTARY FILM--
MEMBERS INCLUDE THE PFEIL
FOUNDATION
AND ROBERT & BEVERLY
GRAPPONE--
BY THE CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
AS PART OF AMERICAN GRADUATE:
LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN,
A PUBLIC MEDIA EDUCATION
INITIATIVE
TO HELP COMMUNITIES ADDRESS
THE NATIONAL HIGH-SCHOOL
DROPOUT CRISIS
AND HELP KEEP MORE STUDENTS
ON A SUCCESSFUL PATH
TO COLLEGE AND CAREER;
AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THIS PBS STATION FROM...
"FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO... "
Second boy:
"OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
ON THIS CONTINENT
A NEW NATION..."
Third boy:
"CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
"AND DEDICATED
TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."
Announcer: IN JUST 272 WORDS,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN MANAGED
TO CONSECRATE A BATTLEFIELD,
HEAL A NATION,
RESHAPE A DEMOCRACY,
AND INSPIRE A GENERATION
OF SCHOOL KIDS
WHO'D NEVER GIVEN A SPEECH
BEFORE IN THEIR LIVES.
Boy: "FOR THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT
PERISH FROM THE EARTH."
[TRAIN CHUGGING;
STEAM HISSING]
[CHILD SPEAKING]
- JOSH, ARE YOU UP?
- NO.
[WATER RUNNING]
- YOU HAVE, LIKE, 2 MINUTES
TO CRAWL OUT OF BED, OK?
[BELL TOLLS]
Man: OK, GUYS, LET'S PLEASE
SIT UP STRAIGHT IN OUR CHAIRS.
LET'S GET READY TO
START MORNING MEETING.
TODAY, WE ARE INTRODUCING
THE TRADITION HERE AT GREENWOOD,
STUDYING AND MEMORIZING
THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS."
AND IN A LOT OF WAYS,
IT IS A RITE OF PASSAGE
HERE AT GREENWOOD.
ALL THE STUDENTS HAVE DONE IT
IN THE YEARS SINCE
WE'VE BEEN A SCHOOL.
IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HARD WORK
AND PERSEVERANCE.
IT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO DO
TO GET UP AND SPEAK IN PUBLIC
AND CERTAINLY RECITE
SOMETHING FROM MEMORY.
SOME OF YOU MIGHT GET IT
THE FIRST YEAR.
SOME OF YOU, IT MIGHT TAKE 2 OR
3 YEARS, AND THAT'S JUST FINE.
THIS IS A GREENWOOD COIN.
AND THE ONLY WAY FOR STUDENTS
TO GET THIS GREENWOOD COIN
IS TO RECITE
THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS."
AND I'll BE GIVING THESE COINS
OUT FEBRUARY 15th
WHEN YOU GET UP ON
THAT STAGE, STAND TALL,
AND RECITE THE "GETTYSBURG" IN
FRONT OF YOUR PEERS AND FAMILY.
SO, THAT STARTS TODAY.
LET'S END MORNING CIRCLE
ON THAT HIGH NOTE.
LET'S SIT UP STRAIGHT
IN OUR CHAIRS.
BE YOUR BEST TODAY, GUYS.
PLEASE STACK YOUR CHAIRS.
[KIDS TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
Miller, voice-over: OUR KIDS
HAVE COMPLEX LEARNING PROFILES.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT DIAGNOSES
LIKE DYSLEXIA, LIKE DYSGRAPHIA,
LIKE ADHD, LIKE
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING.
AND OUR STUDENTS HAVE
A COMBINATION OF MANY OF THEM.
SO MUCH FOCUS HAS BEEN
ON WHAT THEY'RE NOT GOOD AT.
THEY DON'T REALIZE
WHAT THEY'RE GOOD AT.
AND THAT, OF COURSE,
IS NOT HEALTHY.
[PLAYING "SEASONS OF LOVE"
FROM "RENT"]
SO MUCH OF THE EXPERIENCE
AT GREENWOOD
REALLY IS AN AWAKENING--
AN AWAKENING OF THE TALENT,
THE DISCOVERY OF THE PASSION.
AND THE SUCCESS SOMETIMES
FIRST HAPPENS IN THE WOODSHOP
OR THE MUSIC STUDIO,
NOT THE TUTORIAL ROOM,
BUT THAT IS A KERNEL OF SUCCESS
THAT THEN YOU BUILD ON.
[BOY SPEAKING]
Boy: WELL, IT'S KIND OF
A SHAME, THOUGH.
I DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO FIND OUT
WHAT SCHOOL I WAS GOING TO.
YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE
TO GET THE WRONG IMAGE
THAT I'M, YOU KNOW, DISABLED
OR I'M CHALLENGED
OR I'M HANDICAPPED.
'CAUSE EVEN THOUGH I KNOW
THAT'S NOT THE CASE
FOR PEOPLE THAT GO
TO THIS SCHOOL,
YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE
A LEARNING DISABILITY,
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SAY "YOU
HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY."
THEY'RE GONNA SAY
"YOU'RE DUMB," YOU KNOW?
Boy: AT MY LAST SCHOOL,
IF YOU WERE REALLY, LIKE,
IN THE REMEDIAL CLASSES,
YOU WERE CONSIDERED
NOT WORTHY.
YOU WERE STUPID.
YOU'RE WORTHLESS TO THE WORLD,
AND NOBODY CARED ABOUT YOU.
IT WASN'T FUN.
IT WAS NEVER FUN.
IN MY EMOTIONAL STATE
WHEN I CAME TO GREENWOOD,
WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED,
I WAS JUST SO TORN APART
AND SO LEFT OUT AND
SO NOTHING TO EVERYBODY,
AND GREENWOOD JUST
KIND OF IS LIKE A PLACE
WHERE YOU CAN REGAIN THAT STATE
OF I BELONG SOMEWHERE.
Man: IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME,
THE KIND OF COURAGE
THAT THE BOYS HAVE.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU'RE
A KID TO BE DIFFERENT.
AND FOR OUR BOYS, THERE IS A
DIFFERENCE THAT ISN'T EXTERNAL.
IT'S NOT LIKE
THEY HAVE A BIRTHMARK
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE
THAT IS MUCH DEEPER,
AND FOR MANY OF THEM
A DIFFERENCE
THAT THEY UNDERSTAND
VERY LITTLE ABOUT,
AND THAT TAKES
A LONG, LONG TIME
TO COME TO TERMS WITH,
TO UNDERSTAND,
AND NOT ONLY FOR THEM
BUT FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
MANY OF THEM GO THROUGH
EXPERIENCING INCREDIBLE HARDSHIP
BECAUSE OF THEIR DIFFERENCES.
[BOY SPEAKING]
[SECOND BOY SPEAKING]
[THIRD BOY SPEAKING]
[FOURTH BOY SPEAKING]
[BELL TOLLS]
- 80, YOU KNOW, ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT
I THINK
IS VERY IMPORTANT
IS TO UNDERSTAND
THE "GETTYSBURG"
BEFORE YOU LEARN IT,
PIECE BY PIECE,
SO THAT YOU'RE NOT JUST
REPEATING THE SENTENCES,
THAT YOU'RE REALLY
UNDERSTANDING
HOW THE SENTENCES
ARE CONSTRUCTED. OK?
SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK
AT THIS FIRST SECTION.
So, HERE'S
THE FIRST QUESTION.
WHAT IS THE FIRST QUESTION?
- "WHAT'S THE SUBJECT..."
- "OF THIS SENTENCE?"
THIS IS ONE SENTENCE.
- IT IS?
- "FOUR SCORE AND
SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR FATHERS
"“BROUGHT FORTH ON THIS
CONTINENT A NEW NATION
“CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND
DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL."
THAT IS ONE LONG SENTENCE.
- IS IT A RUN-ON?
- NO, IT'S NOT
A RUN-ON, ACTUALLY.
IT REALLY ISN'T.
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
SO, YOU KNOW THAT SENTENCES
HAVE SUBJECTS, ACTIONS,
AND EXPANDERS, RIGHT?
SO OUR EXPANDERS USUALLY ARE--
THEY TELL WHEN, WHERE, HOW.
ANY OTHER EXPANDERS
YOU CAN THINK OF?
- WHY?
- OR WHAT.
- YEAH.
- "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS
AGO", THAT'S AN EXPANDER.
WHICH ONE OF THESE
EXPANDERS DOES IT TELL?
- WHEN.
- WHEN.
AND WHEN WAS THAT
THAT LINCOLN'S
TALKING ABOUT A TIME?
- 1863.
- HE'S TALKING ABOUT A TIME
THAT'S 87 YEARS
PRIOR TO HIS SPEECH.
- OH.
- So, DO
YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?
I HAVE A LITTLE, SO "FOUR
SCORE"--SCORE IS 20, RIGHT?
1,2, 3,4 SCORE
WOULD BE 80, PLUS 7.
- 87.
- MM-HMM, SO 87 YEARS AGO,
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANS.
WHAT'S THE SUBJECT
OF THAT SENTENCE?
- OUR--THE FATHERS?
- OUR FATHERS.
YEAH, THAT'S WHO
THE SENTENCE IS ABOUT.
SO, LINCOLN STARTS OUT WITH
"FOUR-SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
OUR FATHERS..."
SO, WHAT ARE THE ACTIONS OR THE
DOING WORDS IN THIS SENTENCE?
WHAT DID OUR FATHERS DO?
- BROUGHT FORTH.
- BROUGHT FORTH.
THEY CREATED.
THEY BROUGHT FORTH.
AND WHAT DID OUR
FATHERS BRING FORTH?
- A NEW NATION.
- MM-HMM.
[BOY SPEAKING]
Woman: WE'VE DIVIDED
THE "GETTYSBURG"
INTO 5 PARAGRAPHS
FOR LEARNING.
- I CAN READ IT.
“"FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
"ON THIS CONTINENT,
A NEW NATION, CONCEIVED
"IN LIBERTY, AND DEDICATED
TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL".
- WELL, YOU
DID THAT VERY WELL.
CAN YOU TELL
WHAT WAS GOING ON
IN PARAGRAPH ONE, GEO,
ABOUT "FOUR SCORE"?
- HOW AMERICA
CAME TOGETHER.
AND IN PARAGRAPH 2,
IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
- YEAH, WELL, PARAGRAPH 2
IS LIKE THE PRESENT.
- OK, SO PARAGRAPH 1 IS ABOUT
THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY.
AND CAN YOU SHOW ON HERE
WHERE PRESIDENT LINCOLN IS?
- HE WAS THE 16th.
- HE'S THE 16th.
AND WHEN HE SAYS, "OUR
FATHERS" WHO STARTED THE COUNTRY
AND BROKE AWAY
FROM THE KING OF ENGLAND
FOR FREEDOM FOR PEOPLE...
- IT WAS GEORGE WASHINGTON,
JOHN ADAMS, THOMAS JEFFERSON,
AND WAS JAMES MADISON?
- YEAH, HE WAS.
- ALL RIGHT, AND THEN
THE OTHER THING THAT
WE TALKED ABOUT IN
THE SECOND PARAGRAPH.
HE SAID "WE ARE ENGAGED
IN A GREAT CIVIL WAR."
- WHICH BROKE UP
THE COUNTRY IN HALF.
SO MOST OF THE COUNTRY
WASN'T EVEN COLONIZED YET
OR NOT COLONIZED YET.
- FIRST CAME SOUTH--
- BUT--
- LET GEO SAY SOMETHING,
TOO, ALL RIGHT?
- FIRST CAME SOUTH CAROLINA,
THEN 10 OTHER STATES BROKE AWAY.
- YEAH, SO IT STARTED
WITH--
- SOUTH CAROLINA.
- SO HERE'S THE BORDERLINE
BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH.
- RIGHT,
AND THE SOUTH WANTED TO--
THEY SAID "WE WANT TO BE OUR
OWN COUNTRY. WE DON'T WANT
ANYTHING TO DO
WITH THE USA ANYMORE.
WE WANT TO BE THE
CONFEDERATE STATES."
AND WHAT DID LINCOLN SAY?
- LINCOLN SAID NO BECAUSE
WE WERE A COUNTRY.
WE BROKE FROM BRITAIN AND WE
DON'T WANT TO BREAK AGAIN, SO--
'CAUSE THEN WE
WOULD BE WEAK ENOUGH FOR...
- OH, BACK WHEN
THE COUNTRY STARTED?
YEAH, WE DIDN'T WANT TO
GO BACK TO THAT KIND OF--
WHERE PEOPLE CAN BOSS
OTHER PEOPLE AROUND.
- BUT MISSOURI...
- OK.
- WANTED TO BECOME
A SLAVE STATE.
- YEAH, AND THEN
SO WE--
- BUT THAT WAS A PROBLEM
'CAUSE THEN THERE WOULD
BE 12 AND 11,
SO THEY SEND IN
MASSACHUSETTS,
WHICH WAS MAINE
AND MASSACHUSETTS
SO THEY MADE MAINE
A STATE, TOO.
- YEAH, OK. WELL, YOU GUYS
BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.
Woman: WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
FIRST IS TAKE YOUR T SQUARE,
LINE UP YOUR HORIZON LINE,
SO I'M GOING TO GO UP TO
THE TOP OF MY FIRST LINE,
THE TOP OF THE ROOF,
AND I'M GOING TO LINE IT UP
WITH MY VANISHING POINT.
Man: FOR MOST
CHILDREN IN OUR CULTURE,
SCHOOL IS THE SECOND-MOST
IMPORTANT PLACE
THAT THEY ARE AFTER HOME.
IT'S THE CENTER OF THEIR
SOCIAL LIFE, IT'S THE CENTER
OF THEIR INTELLECTUAL LIFE,
IT IS THE PLACE WHERE THEY
GROW AND MEET CHALLENGES.
FOR A LOT OF THESE GUYS
WHO HAVE LANGUAGE-BASED
LEARNING DISABILITIES,
THAT'S NOT A
FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S AN ACTIVELY
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH
POSES A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
SIMILARLY, THEY POSE A LOT OF
CHALLENGES FOR THEIR TEACHERS,
THEIR CLASSMATES,
SOMETIMES THEIR PARENTS.
THESE ARE KIDS WHO FREQUENTLY
COME TO GREENWOOD QUITE
CONVINCED THAT THEY'RE STUPID
OR THAT THEY ARE INADEQUATE,
THAT THEY ARE IN SOME
WAY LACKING OR AT FAULT.
SO, FOR A KID WHO
HAS THAT EXPERIENCE,
TO UNDERTAKE
THE "GETTYSBURG"
AND TO BE ABLE TO SAY,
"I BELIEVE IN MYSELF
ENOUGH THAT I CAN DO THIS,"
THAT'S ASKING A LOT.
- ETHAN, LAST NIGHT
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
WAS TO MEMORIZE
THE NEXT PART
OF THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS."
CAN WE HEAR HOW YOU DID?
- YEAH.
- YOU WANT TO START
FROM THE BEGINNING?
- SURE.
- OK.
- "FOUR SCORE AND
SEVEN YEARS AGO OUR FATHERS
"“BROUGHT...ON THIS CONTINENT
A NEW NATION CONCEIVED
"IN LIBERTY AND DEDICATED TO
THE PROPOSITION THAT ALL MEN
ARE CREATED EQUAL."
- STOP. YOU MISSED
THE WORD "FORTH."
OK, SO LET'S GO BACK AND TRY
THAT AGAIN FROM THE BEGINNING.
- "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS
AGO OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
"ON THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION
CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
"AND DEDICATED TO THE
PROPOSITION THAT
"ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
“"THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE
NOR LONG REMEMBER
"WHAT WE SAY HERE,
BUT IT CAN NEVER FORGET
WHAT THEY DID HERE."
-"IT IS FOR US
THE LIVING RATHER."
- OH, YEAH.
“IT IS FOR US
THE LIVING, RATHER,
TO BE DEDICATED
HERE FOR...TO BE?"
- "TO THE UNFINISHED WORK
WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE."
- IS IT "OF WHICH?"
- NO. THERE'S NO "OF."
- OK.
- ONCE AGAIN.
- "DEDICATED HERE
TO THE UNFINISHED WORK
"WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT
HERE HAVE THUS FAR
SO NOBLY ADVANCED".
- THE ONLY THING THAT GETS ME
CONFUSED IS, "WHICH THEY."
- SURE, SURE, SURE.
- WHAT'S THE WORDS
FOR "WHICH" ONWARD?
- I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT IS IT?
- YOU'RE IN THAT
PARAGRAPH RIGHT HERE.
- "THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE.
"DEDICATED HERE TO THE
UNFINISHED WORK,
"WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT
HERE HAVE SO NOBLY--
- THUS FAR SO NOBLY--"
- "SO NOBLY ADVANCED."
SO THAT'S GOOD WORK.
YOU DID GOOD WORK LAST NIGHT
WHEN YOU WERE
PRACTICING THAT.
AWESOME. HOW YOU
FEELING ABOUT IT?
- BETTER.
- BETTER? GOOD.
AWESOME. BENJ?
- 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT,
SENSE OF REPEATING FOR ME
IS GOOD
THAT I CAN DO THAT.
- YEAH, YEAH.
SO, BENJ, YOUR JOB
LAST NIGHT WAS TO
JUST MEMORIZE
THE FIRST PART.
OK, PUT YOUR HAND DOWN.
THERE YOU GO.
AND WHEN YOU'RE READY.
YOU'LL START WITH THE
WORD "FOUR SCORE."
- "FOUR SCORE SEVEN YEARS AGO,
OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
ON THIS, UH, NATION"--
- CONTINENT.
- OH, "CONTINENT,
A NEW NATION CONCEIVED
IN LIBERTY BROUGHT ON--"
- AND...
- "AND BROUGHT ON THIS."
- NO. DEDICATED.
- OH, "DEDICATED TO THE
PROPOSITION THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL."
- CORRECT! STOP.
- SOMETIMES YOU GET
CONFUSED ON AFTER "LIBERTY"
AND THEN YOU GET CONFUSED
ON AFTER "PROPOSITION".
SO, WHEN YOU'RE STANDING UP
HERE, RIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA
WANT TO, LIKE,
“FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN..."
- I KINDA ZONED OUT,
SO I KINDA ZONED OUT.
- OK, ALL RIGHT, ETHAN,
WILL YOU SIT DOWN?
WILL YOU SIT DOWN,
ETHAN? OK.
- ...CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
AND DEDICATED...
- BUT I ALSO KINDA ZONED.
I'M LIKE, UH... UH...
- ALL RIGHT. SO, BENJ...
BENJ, I GET THAT,
AND YOU GET THAT
DON'T YOU?
- THAT I'M A SPACE CADET?
- THAT SOMETIMES ATTENTION
CAN BE AN ISSUE,
AND THAT'S WHAT
IT IS, RIGHT?
THAT'S WHAT IT IS
FOR YOU?
SO WE WILL PRACTICE YOU STANDING
STRAIGHT AND HOLDING ATTENTION,
KEEPING YOUR ATTENTION
FOR THE DURATION OF THE TIME
YOU'RE SAYING THE
"GETTYSBURG ADDRESS," OK?
WE'LL PRACTICE THAT.
- UH, WAIT.
- OK, SO YOU'RE GONNA DO
THE FIFTH AND LAST PART.
- YEAH, DEPENDING ON IF
I CAN MEMORIZE THAT, 'CAUSE
I ALWAYS GET CONFUSED ON...
"DEDICATED HERE TO THE
UNFINISHED WORK
WHICH THEY WHO..."
- IT'S RIGHT HERE.
"WHICH FOUGHT HERE..."
- "THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE
HAVE THUS SO--HAVE THUS FAR
SO NOBLY ADVANCED"
WHY CAN'T HE SWITCH IT AROUND?
“SO FAR NOBLY ADVANCED"
IT MAKES...
- YEAH.
- THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE
OLD ENGLISH.
- I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING,
I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING.
- NO.
- I'M NOT GOING TO DO
ANYTHING. LOOK. LOOK.
LOOK, LOOK RIGHT THERE.
- NO.
- THERE'S SOMETHING
ON YOUR SHIRT.
I'M DEAD SERIOUS. THERE'S
SOMETHING ON YOUR SHIRT.
- I DON'T GIVE A DAMN.
- WHOO! WHOO! WHOO!
-I'll DO IT. JUST
DON'T MAKE ME DO IT!
- I DID IT!
- AAH! OW!
- I'M GOING TO THE
LAST ROLLING STONES CONCERT.
- WHAT?
- 80?
[SINGING INDISTINCTLY]
- YEAH.
[BELL TOLLS]
Boy: "FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
OUR FATHERS BROUGHT
FORTH ON THIS CONTINENT
"A NEW NATION,
CONCEIVED WITH LIBERTY THAT,
AND, TO THE PROP..."
- AND...
- "AND DEDICATED TO THE
PROPOSITION THAT ALL SOLDIERS--
I MEAN ALL MEN ARE CREATED
TO--CREATED EQUAL."
- LET'S SLOW DOWN.
START FROM THE BEGINNING.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
RELAX.
YOU'RE DOING THIS REALLY WELL.
YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.
“CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY."
- "CONCEIVED IN
LIBERTY AND DEDICATED TO
THE PROPOSITION THAT ALL
SOLDIERS ARE CREATED"--
- "THAT ALL MEN..."
- "ALL MEN ARE CREATED
EQUAL. NOW WE..."
Ehrenberg: FOR A LOT OF
THESE GUYS, LANGUAGE-BASED TASKS
HAVE ALWAYS BEEN
DIFFICULT.
IT DOESN'T FIT FOR THEM.
So, FOR THOSE GUYS TO HAVE
A COMPLEX LANGUAGE-BASED TASK
THAT THEY HAVE TO MASTER,
THE "GETTYSBURG" IS SORT OF
THE ULTIMATE,
DIFFICULT THING.
THE LANGUAGE IS COMPLEX,
ITS CONCEPTUALLY COMPLEX,
IT HAS ALL KINDS
OF SOCIAL MEANING,
AND THEY HAVE TO GET UP THERE,
AND THEY HAVE TO TACKLE IT
AND THEY HAVE TO DO IT,
AND IT'S SCARY.
BUT WITH ENOUGH PUSHING
THROUGH AND ENOUGH SUPPORT,
THEY CAN MASTER IT, AND THEY
DO MASTER IT,
AND THAT'S A GREAT THING.
- "FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO."
- "FOUR SCORE AND
SEVEN YEARS AGO."
- "OUR FATHERS BROUGHT
FORTH ON THIS CONTINENT
A NEW NATION."
- "OUR FATHERS BROUGHT
FORTH ON THIS CONTINENT
A NEW NATION."
- AGAIN.
- "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS
AGO, OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
ON THIS CON-CONTINENT
A NEW NATION."
- "CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND
DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL."
- "CONCEIVED TO LIBERTY,
AND..."
- "DEDICATED"...
- "DECOR--DECORATED."
- DEDICATED.
- "DECI..."
- OK, HOLD IT. DEDICATED.
CAN YOU SAY
"DEDICATE"?
- DECIDATE.
- DED-I-CATE.
- DECIDATE.
- DEDICATE.
- I CAN SAY IT
IN A SENTENCE.
- OK. "CONCEIVED
IN LIBERTY. "
- "CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY."
- "AND DEDICATED."
- "AND DECORATED."
- "TO THE PROPOSITION THAT
ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."
- "TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE EQUAL."
- "ARE CREATED EQUAL."
- "CREATED EQUAL."
- "DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."
- "DECORATED TO THE PROPOSITION
OF ALL MEN ARE EQUAL."
- COOPER.
- "CREATED EQUAL."
- OK, WE'LL WORK ON THAT.
- CAN YOU SAY "DEAD"?
- DEAD.
- AND THEN SAY "CATE".
- CATE.
- NOW SAY "DEDICATE."
- DEDICATE.
- GOOD. EXCELLENT.
THERE IT WAS.
NICE JOB, NICE JOB.
[PLAYING "WHEN JOHNNY
COMES MARCHING HOME"]
- LET'S TRY IT AGAIN
FROM THE TOP.
[PLAYING "HIT THE ROAD,
JACK" INTRO]
Boy, singing:
2 HIT THE ROAD JACK 2
2 AND DON'T YOU COME BACK
NO MORE, NO MORE 2
2 NO MORE, NO MORE 2
2 HIT THE ROAD JACK, AND
DON'T YOU COME BACK NO MORE 2
» WHOA, WOMAN, OH, WOMAN,
DON'T YOU TREAT ME SO MEAN 2
2 YOU'RE THE MEANEST OLD
WOMAN THAT I'VE EVER SEEN 2
;1 GUESS IF YOU SAID SO 2
2 I'D HAVE TO PACK
MY THINGS AND GO 2
THAT'S RIGHT!
2 HIT THE ROAD JACK »
2 AND DON'T YOU COME BACK
NO MORE, NO MORE 2
2 NO MORE, NO MORE 2
2 HIT THE ROAD, JACK-- 2
[MUSIC STOPS]
- OK, WELL, WHAT
HAPPENED? YOU DIDN'T--
YOU JUST STOPPED.
YOU KEPT STARTING
AND STOPPING.
WERE YOU UNHAPPY WITH WHAT
YOU WERE DOING OR...
- NO, IT'S JUST--I'M THE TYPE
OF PERSON THAT IT HAS TO SOUND
THE WAY IT SOUNDS
OR IT DOESN'T SOUND AT ALL.
- NOW, SEE, ALEC, YOU ALSO
HAVE A SOUND IN YOUR HEAD
THAT YOU'RE TRYING
TO MATCH IT TO, RIGHT?
- YEAH, AND IT'S NOT...
- 80 YOU'RE NOT THERE YET.
- LIKE, YOU SEE HOW
WHEN I'M SINGING
"WHOA, WOMAN, OH WOMAN"
HOW I'M, LIKE, PUTTING
MY VOICE TO, LIKE, HIS
WHERE HE, LIKE, KINDA
SLURS IT IN SOME PARTS?
- YOU TRY TO MAKE YOUR VOICE
SOUND LIKE HIS, RIGHT?
- LIKE RAY CHARLES, BECAUSE
OTHERWISE IT DOESN'T SOUND--
- THAT'S THE WAY YOU HEAR IT.
- LIKE WHEN I
LISTEN TO THE RADIO
AND HEAR KNOCKOFFS OF A SONG,
I'M LIKE "PFFT" AND
1 JUST TURN IT OFF,
I'M LIKE "YEAH, RIGHT."
I LIKE THE ORIGINAL
AND IT HAS TO BE THE WAY
THE ORIGINAL IS
OR ELSE IT'S...NOT.
- RIGHT, WELL, THERE'S A
SAYING THAT I LIKE A LOT.
“THE PERFECT IS THE
ENEMY OF THE GOOD."
DO YOU EVER
HEAR THAT SAYING?
- NO.
- "THE PERFECT
IS THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD."
YOU GUYS GET THAT ONE?
“THE PERFECT..."
Boy: NOT AT ALL.
- IF YOU'RE TRYING
TO BE PERFECT--
Boy: OH, YEAH,
I GET THAT.
- YOU WON'T EVEN BE GOOD,
'CAUSE YOU'LL STOP.
YOU'LL STOP 'CAUSE "OH,
1 DID IT WRONG AND OH..."
SO SOMETIMES,
TRYING TO BE PERFECT
GETS IN YOUR WAY
OF JUST BEING GOOD.
Boy: THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST
FAMOUS SPEECHES OF ALL TIME!
AND THIS WAS LIKE 200,
300 YEARS AGO?
SO, EVEN IF HE SAID IT
FOR LIKE TWO MINUTES,
IT STILL MEANS A LOT.
I'M PROBABLY GOING TO BE,
LIKE BACK HOME WITH FRIENDS
AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE
LIKE, "OH, WHAT DID YOU DO?"
AND I'M GOING TO BE LIKE, "YEAH,
I WAS LEARNING 'GETTYSBURG"."
AND THEY'RE GONNA BE LIKE
"WHAT'S THAT?"
AND I CAN MEMORIZE HALF OF IT
WHEN THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW
THE FIRST SENTENCE,
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE
REALLY FUN.
USUALLY IT'S ALWAYS
HOW MY FRIENDS
ARE ALWAYS FASTER THAN ME
OR READ HIGHER LEVELS,
BUT AT LEAST I CAN HAVE
A LITTLE JUMP START
AT SOMETHING
THEY PROBABLY
WILL NEVER LEARN.
GEO LEARNED IT
IN LIKE, A WEEK.
AND I'M THINKING, IT TOOK HIM
ONE WEEK AND IT'S TAKING ME
PROBABLY ABOUT
LIKE TWO MONTHS?
[SIGHS]
KNOWING THAT THEY
CAN MEMORIZE IT
AND PROBABLY GONNA
GET THAT COIN,
MAYBE NEXT YEAR
I CAN GET THE COIN,
BUT I'M REALLY POSITIVE
I'M NOT GONNA PRESENT IT.
I WILL PRESENT IT WHEN
I LEARN THE WHOLE THING,
SO THAT'S PROBABLY
GONNA BE NEXT YEAR.
THE COIN IS A COIN FOR YOUR
SCHOOL, IT'S NOT JUST LIKE
A REGULAR GOOD LUCK COIN,
LIKE A COIN,
LIKE THE BASKETBALL HALL
OF FAME COIN, OR A PENNY,
BUT IT'S A COIN
THAT IS A SCHOOL COIN.
IT'S WORTH SOMETHING TO YOU
'CAUSE YOU WORKED FOR IT.
I CAN TELL MY FRIENDS, "HA HA,
PUBLIC SCHOOLS DON'T GIVE YOU
"THIS COIN THAT HAS
YOUR SCHOOL NAME ON IT.
"THEY MAY GIVE YOU A
SWEATSHIRT OR PAJAMA PANTS,
BUT THEY DON'T GIVE YOU A COIN
THAT SAYS 'NEVER GIVE UP."™
["WINTER WONDERLAND" PLAYING]
- EPIC!
- ARE YOU SERIOUSLY
DOING THAT?
- YEP, I'M SERIOUSLY DOING IT!
- READY?
- GO!
- FAIL.
- HI.
- 80, THIS IS [INDISTINCT].
- OK. BYE-BYE.
- CAN YOU MOVE?
[PIANO PLAYING JAZZ]
Boy: I STARTED PLAYING
AROUND WITH THE RUBIK'S CUBE
SINCE I WAS LIKE, UH...14.
THEN I KINDA GOT ADDICTED TO
IT SO I JUST KEEP DOING IT
EVERY DAY IN HERE, YEAH.
THEN IT JUST KINDA
BECAME LIKE A HABIT.
AND I DON'T REALLY HAVE
TO THINK WHILE DOING IT.
SO, IT'S PRETTY EASY.
TO, LIKE, SOLVE
THE RUBIK'S CUBE,
YOU HAVE TO, LIKE,
SOLVE ONE LAYER FIRST,
THEN THE SECOND LAYER,
THEN THE TOP LAYER.
AT FIRST, I JUST THINK OF
SOLVING THESE TWO LAYERS FIRST.
THEN THE TOP LAYER IS LIKE THE
HARDEST PART TO SOLVE, SO...
AND THEN IT GETS EASIER
IF YOU DO IT EVERY TIME.
IN MY LAST SCHOOL, EVERYONE
WAS TREATED THE SAME WAY.
AND WHEN I WAS THERE,
I WAS ACTUALLY DOING
PRETTY BAD IN SCHOOL,
BECAUSE I WASN'T REALLY
THAT FOCUSED IN CLASS,
PROBABLY BECAUSE I HAVE
A.D.D. OR SOMETHING.
BUT WHEN I MOVED HERE,
IT FELT AS IF MY A.D.D. STOPPED
BECAUSE I HAD THIS MOTIVATION
THAT MADE ME WANT TO
BECOME A NEW MAN.
“"CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
AND DEDICATED..."
THROUGHOUT MY CHILD LIFE,
I ACTUALLY RE-REALLY STUTTERED
LIKE A LOT.
AND I NOTICED THAT THIS
SPEECH WILL ACTUALLY KIND
OF IMPROVE MY STUTTERING,
AND MY PRONUNCIATION
IN WORDS TOO,
MY AR-ARTICULATION,
AND THE TH- SOUNDS.
"WE ARE MET
ON A GREAT BATTLEFIELD..."
[PLAYING SCALES ON PIANO]
I ACTUALLY WANTED TO ACTUALLY
RECITE THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS"
BECAUSE THERE WASN'T
ANYTHING ELSE
THAT I REALLY
WANTED TO RECITE.
BUT THEN, I KINDA NOTICED THAT
THE SPEECH, THE "ADDRESS" WAS
ACTUALLY REALLY
INSPIRING TO ME.
SO, IF I CITE--RECITE
THIS--THIS ADDRESS
IN FRONT OF PEOPLE,
I THINK IT WILL
MAKE ME FEEL LIKE
I CA-CAN ACTUALLY
DO ANYTHING I WANT
AND WILL--WILL EVENTUALLY
MAKE ME FEEL
LIKE A NEW MAN, I GUESS.
[CHILD SPEAKING]
- HI.
- 80, CAN YOU READ ME
THIS SENTENCE?
- UH..."PRESIDENT LINCOLN
SET HIS HURT ON FRE--"
- "HEART..."
- "...HEART ON
FWEE-ING THE SLAVES."
- UH-HUH. "FREEING" IS ANOTHER
WORD FOR YOU TO PRACTICE.
CAN I HEAR THAT AGAIN?
FRR...
- FWEEING.
- FRR...
- FWEE-ING.
- FREEING.
SO THE "R" IS TRICKY.
- YEAH. OK.
SO, PRESIDENT LINCOLN SET HIS
HEART ON FREEING THE SLAVES.
SO, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
-UM...
- SEND VALENTINES TO?
- NO, UH, WANT...TO?
- WANT.
UH-HUH,
WHAT DOES THAT SAY?
- WANT VERY MUCH.
- WANTED VERY MUCH.
SO, WE'VE GOT YOUR LITERAL
MEANING FOR "SET YOUR HEART ON"
AND THE FIGURATIVE
MEANING...FIGURATIVELY
IT MEANS SOMETHING YOU
WANT VERY MUCH.
- YES.
- 80, WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT
YOU HAVE SET YOUR HEART ON?
- "GETTYSBURG."
- ON "GETTYSBURG"
IN WHAT WAY?
- UH, GETTING FIRST,
SECOND, OR SURD PLACE.
- AHH! FIRST,
SECOND, OR THIRD PLACE.
IT'S SOMETHING WORTH
SETTING YOUR HEART ON,
IF THAT'S
WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
- YEAH.
- OK.
SO, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO
SAY IN A SENTENCE USING
"SET YOUR HEART ON"?
- I WANT TO SET MY HEART ON
GETTING FIRST, SECOND,
OR SURD PLACE
IN THE "GETTYSBURG" CONTEST.
- OK, SO I HAVE SET.
YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT.
- YEAH.
- YEAH, I HAVE
SET MY HEART ON... OK.
SO, FIRST OF ALL,
I WANT VERY NEAT WRITING
HERE ON THIS ONE.
YOU HAVE TO SLOW
YOURSELF DOWN.
- WAIT, UH, WHERE'S
MY BINDER AND BACKPACK?
- DO YOU HAVE
A BETTER PENCIL?
- YEAH.
- DO YOU NEED A GRIP?
- YEAH, I HAVE ONE.
- WHERE IS YOUR BINDER?
HOW LONG--
[DOOR CLOSES]
OK. WELL...
SO, HE IS FEARLESS IN TERMS OF
DOING THE "GETTYSBURG" EVEN IF,
YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT THOSE "ER"...
AND WE'RE WORKING ON IT,
BUT IT'S NOT REALLY TECHNICALLY
AT PERFORMANCE LEVEL
IN TERMS OF WHAT
HE CAN DO, BUT--
[DOOR OPENS]
So, DO YOU REMEMBER
YOUR SENTENCE?
HAVE YOU BEEN
THINKING ABOUT IT?
- YEAH.
- WHAT'S THE SENTENCE?
- "I HAVE SET MY HEART ON
GETTING FIRST, SECOND,
OR SURD PLACE--"
- OR...
- SURD PLACE.
- OK, SO YOU DID REALLY
WELL ON FIRST AND SECOND.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED ON THIRD?
- WHAT?
- I HEARD--I'M GOING TO SAY IT
THE WAY YOU SAID IT.
“SURD...
" OK!
- IS THAT CORRECT?
SURD?
- NO.
- NO, WHAT DID I DO?
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!
I WANT YOU TO BE LISTENING
USING YOUR EARS
AND WATCHING MY MOUTH.
I SAID, "SURD."
IS THAT THE WORD WE WANTED?
- NO, "THIRD."
- YES! GOOD JOB.
SO, READ THIS AGAIN.
- "I HAVE SET MY HEART
ON 'GETTYS--"
- "GETTING..."
- "GETTING FIRST,
SECOND, OR SURD"--
- "OR, OR THHH..."
- "THIRD PLACE IN THE
'GETTYSBURG' COMPETITION."
- EXCELLENT. OK.
SO, HERE ARE A COUPLE
OF PHRASES THAT WE NEED TO
PRACTICE BEFORE YOU GET
IN TO SAYING IT.
[YAWNS]
ARE YOU AWAKE?
- YEAH.
- DID YOU GET
ENOUGH SLEEP LAST NIGHT?
- NO.
- NO. HOW COME?
- MY PHONE KEPT GOING OFF.
I DIDN'T FALL
ASLEEP TILL 3 AM.
- AH! THAT'S NOT GOOD.
- YEAH.
"OUR FATHERS..."
- OK, "OUR FATHERS..."
"“BROUGHT FORTH ON THIS
CONTINENT A NEW NATION
CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY..."
- OK.
- "AND DEDICATED TO
THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN
ARE CREATED EQUAL."
- I'll GIVE YOU
SENTENCES ON ALL OF THOSE.
- THEY'RE ALL MASTERED.
- THOSE ALL
ARE MASTERED, OK.
-1,2,3,4,5.
- THAT'S A MASTER.
AND HOW ABOUT...
- "AS A FINAL RESTING
PLACE FOR THOSE
WHO HERE GAVE THEIR LIVES
THAT THAT NATION MIGHT LIVE."
- OK, I'll GIVE YOU
A SENTENCE ON THAT.
YOU KNOW,
THE "GETTYSBURG,"
IF YOU WIN A PRIZE,
IT'S WONDERFUL,
BUT I THINK THE BEST
PRIZE FOR YOU
IS THE FACT THAT YOU CAN
MASTER YOUR MOUTH AROUND
THESE "TH" AND "SS" SOUNDS,
THAT YOU CAN REALLY LEARN
TO HEAR YOURSELF
AND TO CORRECT THEM,
BECAUSE I CAN'T WALK
AROUND CORRECTING YOU
ALL THE TIME, CAN I?
- YEAH.
- YEAH, THAT
WOULDN'T BE SO FUN.
THAT WOULDN'T BE FUN
FOR ME EITHER.
SO, YOU HAVE TO REALLY
WORK ON THAT YOURSELF...
- OK.
- YOU KNOW,
PRACTICING THOSE.
THAT'S WHY I GAVE YOU
EXERCISES TO PRACTICE
OVER THE VACATION
AND YOU HAVE TO REALLY THINK
ABOUT THOSE SOUNDS.
- OK.
- AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE
DOING THE "GETTYSBURG."
SO, WOULD YOU PLEASE TURN
OFF YOUR CELL PHONE TONIGHT?
- YES.
- OK,
THAT'S A PROMISE?
- YEAH.
- FOR ALL YOUR TEACHERS,
BECAUSE IT MUST BE
REALLY HARD BEING IN SCHOOL
WHEN YOU'RE YAWNING
EVERY FEW MINUTES.
- YEAH.
- YEAH, I,
I BELIEVE THAT IT IS.
OK, GIVE ME...
JUST SAY THE WORD, "RATHER"
BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
- "RATHER."
- TELL ME SOMETHING
THAT YOU WOULD RATHER DO.
- SLEEP.
I WOULD RATHER SLEEP
THAN BE IN SCHOOL.
- OK, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
SOME DAYS I FEEL
THAT WAY, TOO.
BYE. HAVE A GOOD DAY!
- BYE. YOU TOO.
- LET'S SEE IF
IT'S GONNA WORK.
[PROJECTOR RUNNING]
OK.
[PROJECTOR RUNNING]
ALL RIGHT,
THIS SHOULD WORK.
[TAPE FLAPPING]
- COME ALONG, YOU!
- WHOEVER THAT IS,
HE'S WANTED IN CUSTODY...
[LIGHT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]
- DUDE, I DID THE BEST THING
WHILE I WAS HOME.
I JUMPED OFF OF
MY MIDDLE SCHOOL ROOF
AND DID A BARREL ROLL
DOWN A HILL.
IT WAS A 20-FOOT DROP.
IT WAS AWESOME.
[BELL TOLLS]
Woman: SO, WE'RE GOING TO DO
ONE MINUTE UP AND DOWN,
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO
JOG IN PLACE FOR TWO MINUTES.
- GUESS WHAT THE DAY
BEFORE "GETTYSBURG" IS?
VALENTINE'S DAY.
- [INDISTINCT]
- NO, IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY,
THE DAY BEFORE "GETTYSBURG."
HOW FUNNY IS THAT?
- HE'S GOING TO BE RECITING SOME
OF THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS."
3,4, 5.
GOOD JOB.
IAN, OFTEN TIMES, GETS A LITTLE
BIT TOO HYPER IN THE WAY
THAT HE IS NOT ABLE TO FOCUS ON
WHAT WE WANT HIM TO DO,
AND SO I PREPARE HIM BY
DOING SOME AEROBIC EXERCISE
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SEGUE HIM
INTO DOING SOME PUSHUPS.
AND THEN THE NEXT ACTIVITY,
HE'S GOING TO BE WORKING
ON HIS CORE MUSCLES.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS,
ALL OF THOSE KIND OF ELEMENTS
HELP PREPARE HIM
TO DO YOU KNOW, LIKE,
PREPARE HIM TO DO SOMETHING LIKE
IN CLASS THAT'S MORE TEDIOUS,
THAT HAS MEMORY WITH IT,
THAT SUSTAINS THE ATTENTION,
THAT KEEPS HIM MORE IN A STATE
TO BE READY TO DO SOMETHING
THAT IS ACADEMIC.
SO, IF YOU'RE READY?
- "THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE
“NOR LONG REMEMBER
WHAT WE SAY HERE,
“BUT IT CAN NEVER
FORGET WHAT THEY DID HERE.
"IT IS FOR US, THE LIVING,
RATHER TO BE DEDICATED HERE TO
THE UNFINISHED WORK
REMAINING BEFORE US."
- "WHICH THEY..."
- "WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE
HAVE THUS FAR"
- "SO NOBLY ADVANCED."
MM-HMM.
-"IT IS FOR US"--
-"IT IS RATHER FOR US..."
- "IT IS RATHER FOR US
TO BE DEDIC--TO BE--"
- "TO BE HERE
DEDICATED..."
- "TO THE GREAT TASK
REMAINING BEFORE US
THAT WE TAKE IN"--
- "THAT FROM
THESE HONORED DEAD..."
- "WE TAKE INCREASED DEVOTION
“TO THAT CAUSE FOR WHICH
"THEY GAVE THEIR LAST FULL
MEASURE OF DEVOTION
THAT THESE DEAD
SHALL NOT HAVE DIED"--
- "THAT WE HIGHLY..."
- "THAT WE HIGHLY RESOLVE
“THAT THESE DEAD SHALL NOT
HAVE DIED IN VAIN.
“THAT THIS NATION UNDER GOD
"SHALL HAVE A NEW
BIRTH OF FREEDOM
"AND THAT GOVERNMENT
OF THE BIR--PEOPLE,
“"FOR THE PEOPLE,
BY THE PEOP--
"BY THE PEOPLE,
FOR THE PEOPLE,
SHALL NOT PERISH
FROM THE EARTH."
- OK, OK. HOW DO YOU FEEL?
- COOKIE TIME!
Boy: WE MADE DEATH COOKIES,
WHICH I CAME UP WITH YESTERDAY.
- WELL, MINE--1 KIND OF
RAN OUT OF TOPPINGS,
BUT I JUST CHOSE
MY FAVORITES.
I DON'T KNOW WHY I SHOVED
SOUR PATCH KIDS IN THERE.
HA! I DON'T KNOW WHY.
I WAS BORED.
- NED, NED.
WHAT'S WITH THE HAT?
CAN YOU AT LEAST TELL US
WHAT THE HAT'S ABOUT?
- I WANTED TO BE
AN OLYMPIC RUNNER.
WELL, I CAN'T REALLY
TRAIN HERE,
BUT I JUST KEEP MY
JAMAICAN HAT ON ME FOR BOLT,
AND INSPIRATION IS ALWAYS AROUND
ME WITH MY HATS, ETHAN KNOWS.
I HAVE LIKE
10 GAZILLION HATS.
Woman:
PUT THOSE OVER HERE.
ALL RIGHT
YOU GUYS, HERE WE GO.
So, WE HAVE TO WORK KIND OF
QUICKLY 'CAUSE THIS IS GOING
TO COOL DOWN
AND JUST GET THICKER
AND ABSOLUTELY
OUT OF CONTROL HERE.
YOU GO LIKE THAT
AND PUT IT DOWN.
Boy: USE A SPOON!
- YOU GUYS, BE A LITTLE MORE
GENEROUS WITH THE CHOCOLATE.
Josh: NO, NO GENEROUSNESS.
- JOSH, THAT DOESN'T MEAN SPEED
IT UP. IT MEANS BE GENEROUS.
Josh: MORE GENEROUS?
[METAL BANGING]
- THIS ONE
COULD USE SOME MORE.
- WHERE DID HE GO?
WHERE IS NED?
DO WE KNOW WHERE HE IS?
[BOYS SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
- NED'S FRUSTRATED
'CAUSE HE DOESN'T KNOW
THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS"
AND HE WANTED TO
RECITE IT FOR YOU GUYS,
BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW IT.
SO, HE'S...
- REALLY FRUSTRATED.
- FEELING FRUSTRATED.
- KEEGAN, YOU'RE GONNA BE
SO SUGARED UP.
Keegan:
I ALREADY AM.
- YOU JUST HAVE TO
MEMORIZE...
YOU DON'T HAVE TO RECITE
THE "GETTYSBURG," NED.
IT'S AN OPTION.
[KIDS ALL TALKING
INDISTINCTLY]
[HAMMERING]
[DRILL WHIRRING]
- GIVE ME THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THESE TWO NUMBERS.
HOW FAR APART ARE THEY?
- OK.
- OK.
- GOOD
- GOOD
LAST ONE.
- NONE.
- ZERO.
THE DIFFERENCE
IS ZERO.
- 80, COOPER, HOW FAR, SINCE
LAST WEEK WHEN I SAW YOU,
HOW FAR DID YOU GET
ON THE "GETTYSBURG"?
- I KNOW TILL...
- HOW FAR DO YOU--THE LAST
WEEK WE WERE HERE--
- FAR SO FAR--
- OH, SO YOU'VE GOTTEN THAT
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THERE?
THAT'S FABULOUS.
THAT'S GREAT. OK.
- "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN
YEARS AGO, OUR FATHERS
"“BROUGHT FORTH ON THIS
CONTINENT A NEW NATION,
CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY--"
- I'M GOING TO STOP YOU
FOR A MINUTE, OK?
BECAUSE ONE OF THE WORDS
WE WORKED ON WAS IN THERE.
AND YOU KNOW WHICH WORD
I'M GONNA--
- NATION.
- YEAH, CAN
YOU SAY "NEW NATION?"
- NEW NATION.
- GOOD. ALL RIGHT, NOW START
FROM THE BEGINNING AGAIN.
- "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN
YEARS AGO, OUR FATHERS
"“BROUGHT FORTH ON THIS
CONTINENT A NEW NATION,
“CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY,
"AND DEDICATED
TO THE PROPOSITION
“THAT ALL MEN
ARE CREATED EQUAL.
"NOW WE ARE ENGAGED
IN A GREAT CIVIL WAR
TESTING WHETHER THAT NATION..."
Woman: "BUT IN A LARGER SENSE,
WE CANNOT DEDICATE..."
- "BUT IN A LARGER SENSE,
WE CANNOT DEDICATE..."
- RIGHT.
"WE CANNOT CONSECRATE..."
- "WE CANNOT CONCENCRATE."
- CONSECRATE.
- CONSECRATE.
- CONSECRATE.
NOW, DO YOU KNOW WHAT
THAT WORD MEANS, "CONSECRATE"?
- YEAH, THAT WORKS.
Stephenson: I SAY,
"FOUR SCORE..."
- "SEVEN YEARS AGO..."
- "OUR FATHERS...
- "BROUGHT FORTH..."
- "ON THIS..."
- "CONTINENT..."
- "A NEW NATION..."
- "CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY..."
- "DEDICATED..."
- "TO THE PROPOSITION..."
- "THAT ALL MEN
ARE CREATED EQUAL."
Boy: "TO THAT CAUSE FOR WHICH
THEY GAVE THE LAST FULL
"MEASURE OF DEVOTION--
"THAT WE HERE HIGHLY
RESOLVE THAT THESE DEAD
“SHALL NOT HAVE DIED IN VAIN,
“THAT THIS NATION,
UNDER GOD,
"SHALL HAVE A NEW
BIRTH OF FREEDOM
"AND THAT GOVERNMENT OF
THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE,
FOR THE PEOPLE, SHALL NOT
PERISH FROM THE EARTH."
Woman: TERRIFIC.
[BELL TOLLS]
Migneault: WHAT WE DO RELATIVE
TO THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS"
IS WE HAVE THEM DO
A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES,
AND ONE OF THEM
IS HANDWRITING.
AND SO, THERE ARE
THREE POSTERS HERE.
THIS FIRST ONE
IS FROM LAST YEAR.
THIS IS 2012, AND YOU'LL SEE
THEIR CURSIVE SIGNATURES,
AND THEN SOME OF THE KIDS
HAVE WRITTEN PARTS
OF THE "GETTYSBURG" IN PRINT
AND SOME WROTE THE WHOLE
"GETTYSBURG" IN CURSIVE.
SO IT'S PART OF THEIR REALLY
ASSIMILATING THE "GETTYSBURG"
BY WRITING IT
IN CURSIVE OR IN PRINT
AND THEN SIGNING OFF
THEIR SIGNATURE.
AND HERE HE IS.
THOMAS, GOOD MORNING.
- GOOD MORNING.
HOW ARE YOU?
- I'M GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
SO, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE
"GETTYSBURG ADDRESS,"
AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
DIVIDED IT UP INTO
1,2, 3,4, 5 SECTIONS
JUST SO THAT IT'S A LITTLE
EASIER TO REMEMBER.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK
YOU TO DO IS TO WRITE
THIS PART OF THE
"GETTYSBURG ADDRESS,"
AND I'M GOING TO GET YOU
A HIGHLIGHTER STRIP
SO THAT WE CAN...
- HIGHLIGHTER STRIP?
- MM-HMM.
AND SO IF WE PICK THIS
PARAGRAPH RIGHT HERE,
THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING
TO STAY, OK?
AND SO THEN, WHEN YOU
LOOK UP, YOU DON'T
HAVE TO DECIDE
WHICH ONE WAS IT,
THE FIRST ONE, THE SECOND
ONE OR THE THIRD ONE.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO
START RIGHT HERE.
- WOW, THAT'S REALLY COOL.
- YOU LIKE THAT?
GOOD. OK.
SO, LET'S HAVE YOU
START HERE.
WE'LL SKIP THIS
SPACE RIGHT HERE.
AND JUST TAKE
YOUR TIME, OK?
SO, "WHAT WE SAID HERE..."
- "SAID HERE."
- MM-HMM. YOU'RE DOING
A GREAT JOB.
I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND IT
TAKES A LOT OF CONCENTRATION.
THAT'S GOOD, AND THEN THIS
IS THE LAST PART OF IT.
"FORGET WHAT THEY DID HERE."
PERIOD.
OK, WOW.
THAT WAS A TASK! OK.
NOW, WE'RE GOING TO
PUT THIS AWAY.
YOU DID A MAGNIFICENT JOB.
IT WAS REALLY A LOT
OF WORK TO DO THAT.
[PIANO PLAYING UPBEAT TUNE]
[VAN HALEN'S "JUMP"
PLAYING ON PIANO]
- 'CAUSE I WANTED TO
LET YOU KNOW THAT IT'S--
Ian: LUNCHTIME!
Boy: COME ON! COME HERE!
[ALL TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
- WHOO!
- HI, TRAVIS.
Ehrenberg: AMERICAN
CULTURE IS IDENTIFIED
AS VERY INDIVIDUALISTIC,
AND YET THERE'S A TREMENDOUS
SOCIAL PRESSURE TO CONFORM
AND TO BE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE
AND TO MARGINALIZE AND
PATHOLOGIZE WITH PEOPLE
WHO FUNCTION DIFFERENTLY
IN ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF WAYS.
I WILL GET PARENTS
WHO WILL SAY TO ME,
"I JUST WANT MY KID
TO BE NORMAL."
AND SOMETIMES I HAVE TO
SAY TO THEM,
“IT'S NOT HIS JOB
TO BE NORMAL.
IT'S HIS JOB
TO BE WHO HE IS."
DOES THAT MEAN THAT THERE MIGHT
BE HARDSHIPS AHEAD FOR HIM?
YEAH, IT DOES.
BUT THE HARDSHIP OF TRYING
TO BE SOMEONE WHO YOU'RE NOT
IS EVEN WORSE.
- OK, "NOW WE ARE
ENGAGED AND...
"A GREAT CIVIL WAR...
TESTING..." WAIT.
"TESTING WHETHER..."
- YOU'RE RIGHT.
THAT WAS RIGHT.
- "TESTING WHETHER...UM..."
- WHAT ARE THEY TESTING?
- "THAT NATION OR ANY
NATION CAN LONG ENDURE..."
UM...NO.
"SO CONCEIVED AND DEDICATED
CAN LONG ENDURE"?
- TERRIFIC. YOU DID IT.
- REALLY? WHAT?
- YOU DID IT. IT'S NOT MAKING
COMPLETE SENSE TO YOU YET,
BUT YOU GOT THE WORDS,
ALL RIGHT?
- OH, WOW.
- 80 THIS TIME, THE OTHER
ONE TOOK US TWO DAYS
TO GET THAT FIRST SENTENCE.
THIS ONE'S HARDER,
AND YOU GOT IT IN--
- WOW.
- 10 MINUTES.
ALL RIGHT, TERRIFIC.
-"IT'S FOR US
THE LIVING RATHER..."
Stephenson: "IT IS FOR US
THE LIVING RATHER..."
-"IT'S FOR US
THE LIVING RATHER..."
- GO AGAIN.
“IT IS FOR US THE
LIVING RATHER..."
- "IT'S FOR US THE LIVING
RATHER TO BE DEDICATED TO
UNFINISHED WORK"--
- "DEDICATED HERE..."
- "HERE TO
UNFINISHED WORK"--
- SLOW DOWN AGAIN.
- CAN I JUST HAVE
THE SHEET IN FRONT OF ME?
- NO.
- I CAN'T LOOK
AT THE SHEET?
- NO.
- THAT'S, THAT'S--
- THAT'S HARD, ISN'T IT?
- ABRAHAM LINCOLN DID.
- NO, HE DIDN'T.
HE WROTE IT ON HIS HAND.
Rawley: ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE
GOING TO FOCUS ON THIS ONE.
THIS IS THE ONE WE WANT
TO SPEND OUR DAY ON.
CAN YOU SAY THIS ONE FOR US?
Boy: "CONCEIVED"?
- CONCEIVED.
YOU WROTE A SENTENCE FOR
THAT THE OTHER DAY, RIGHT?
AND WHAT DOES
“CON" MEAN, RACE?
Race: TOGETHER OR WITH.
- TOGETHER OR WITH.
OK, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO
JOT DOWN THE WORD
"TOGETHER" RIGHT THERE.
AND IS THERE A SUFFIX
ON THAT WORD, JOSH?
Josh: "-CEIVED"? -ED?
- OK, -ED, SO IT COULD
BE PAST TENSE.
SO LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FIND
“-CEIVE" OR THERE'S ALSO
A VERSION OF IT CALLED "-CEPT".
- FOUND IT.
- OH, IT'S ON
THE FIRST PAGE. YES.
- "TAKE, RECEIVE, RECEIVED,
RECEPTION, ACCEPT, CONCEPTION."
- OK, AND CONCEPTION
HAS TO DO WITH BIRTH,
MAYBE HAVING A BABY,
BUT ALSO LIKE
YOU COULD HAVE SOME
KIND OF CONCEPT OR IDEA.
AND THAT'S THE WAY IT IS
IN THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS."
THE WORD "DETRACT"
IS ALSO IN THE "GETTYSBURG."
- "-TRACT" MEANS TO PULL,
TO PULL OR DOWN.
- OK, YEAH,
"DE-" MEANS DOWN AWAY,
AND "-TRACT" MEANS TO PULL.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE "-TRACT"
IN HERE THIS YEAR, RIGHT?
BUT HOW DOES HE USE IT IN
THE "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS"?
- HERE, THIS IS ONE.
- OK, "THE BRAVE MEN LIVING AND
DEAD WHO STRUGGLED HERE HAVE
CONSECRATED IT FAR ABOVE OUR
POOR POWER TO ADD OR DETRACT".
IN OTHER WORDS, THE DEAD HAVE
MADE THE LAND HOLY AND THERE'S
NOTHING LINCOLN CAN DO TO ADD
TO WHAT THEY'VE DONE
OR TO TAKE AWAY FROM.
OK, I'll GIVE YOU A LITTLE--I'll
GET YOU STARTED RIGHT HERE.
“THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE..."
HERE, LET'S MAKE IT
SO WE CAN SEE--
- CAN I DO PARAGRAPH 3?
- SURE, BUT CAN WE PUT THIS
TOGETHER, THOUGH?
- OH, YEAH.
- OK, "THE WORLD..."
I'll PUT IT TOGETHER
AND YOU CAN READ IT FOR ME, OK?
- I GUESS.
- THEN IF YOU WANT TO
DO PARAGRAPH 3, YOU CAN.
- I GUESS.
- ALL RIGHT, "THE WORLD
WILL LITTLE NOTE..."
RACE, CAN YOU HELP US?
CAN YOU DOUBLE TASK THERE?
“THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE..."
- "NOR LONG REMEMBER
WHAT WE SAY HERE..."
- "WHAT WE SAY HERE..."
GO ON.
- "BUT IT CAN NEVER FORGET
WHAT THEY DID HERE."
- OK, "WHAT THEY
DID HERE..." GO ON.
Boys and woman: "IT IS
FOR US THE LIVING RATHER
“TO BE DEDICATED HERE
TO THE UNFINISHED WORK
"WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE HAVE
THUS FAR SO NOBLY ADVANCED.
“IT IS RATHER FOR US TO BE HERE
DEDICATED TO THE GREAT TASK
"REMAINING BEFORE US, THAT FROM
THESE HONORED DEAD, WE TAKE
“"INCREASED DEVOTION TO THAT
CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY GAVE THE
"LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION.
"THAT WE HERE HIGHLY RESOLVE
THAT THESE DEAD SHALL NOT HAVE
“DIED IN VAIN,
THAT THIS NATION UNDER GOD..."
Woman: HE NEEDS TO
SAY SOMETHING,
BECAUSE IF HE JUST
HOLDS THAT INSIDE,
HOW IS HE GOING TO FEEL
IF HE DOESN'T SAY TO HIS...
Ian: LIKE ME,
WHICH IS GREAT.
- HOW IS HE GOING
TO FEEL IF HE...
IF HE HOLDS THAT...
- I ANSWERED
YOUR QUESTION.
- THAT SENSE OF
I DIDN'T GET THE--
- HE'S GOING TO
FEEL HORRIBLE.
- HE'S GOING TO FEEL HORRIBLE.
IT'S GOING TO GO MORE INWARD.
- WHICH IS HOW I FEEL.
- THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL?
- EVERY DAY OF
MY FRIGGIN' LIFE.
- BECAUSE YOU DON'T LET--YOU
DON'T TALK ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL?
- NO, BECAUSE EVERYONE'S RIPPED
ME APART IN THE PAST YEARS.
- DOES THIS HELP YOU AT ALL
IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT--
- NO.
-NO?
- NO, I CAN'T EVEN FIGHT
FOR MYSELF ANYMORE,
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE IF I DO, I'M
GONNA GET BEATEN OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW.
- YOU THINK IF YOU
STAND UP FOR YOURSELF,
YOU'RE GOING TO GET BEATEN?
- YEAH, BY OTHER KIDS,
'CAUSE THEY JUST GET REALLY
PISSED ALL THE TIME.
- 80, IT SOUNDS LIKE
YOU NEED A LITTLE BIT--
- I DON'T
SEE THAT SIDE.
- A LITTLE
BIT OF ADULT HELP.
- YOU DON'T SEE THAT SIDE?
WELL, NOW THIS IS THE THING--
- I SEE EVERY SIDE
OF EVERY ASPECT.
- SO LISTEN TO ME
FOR ONE SECOND.
YOU GUYS ARE TWO
DIFFERENT PEOPLE, RIGHT?
DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING
TO SEE THINGS FROM
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE?
- YEAH.
- NO!
- HE SEES THE SIDES OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE BAD--
- WELL, BUT THAT MIGHT BE--
HOLD ON JUST A SECOND.
THAT MIGHT BE WHERE
IAN IS RIGHT NOW.
BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO REALLY DO
IS SORT OF STICK WITH THIS
AND THE REASON I THINK
IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR YOU
TO BE IN A CLASS WHERE
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PASSIVE,
AGGRESSIVE, AND ASSERTIVE
IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE
HOLDING THINGS INSIDE
AND YOU DON'T FEEL SAFE,
THEN SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO
FIND A SAFE
PERSON TO TALK TO.
THAT COULD BE
A TRUSTED ADULT.
IT COULD BE A TRUSTED FRIEND.
- IT COULD BE NO ONE.
- YOU MIGHT NOT FEEL SAFE
ABOUT SAYING THAT IN FRONT OF...
YOU MIGHT NOT FEEL SAFE
ABOUT BEING ASSERTIVE
IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY,
RIGHT?
BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
TO FIND SOMEONE THAT YOU
CAN SHARE THOSE THINGS WITH.
- ...NOT GONNA BE ABLE
TO MAKE IT THERE...
- THESE GUYS ARE REALLY WORKING
ON THEIR COMMUNICATION STYLE.
THEY'RE WORKING ON HOW
THEY STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES.
AS YOU COULD SEE SORT OF
IN THIS GROUP,
THERE ARE SOME FUNNY
DISCONNECTS.
REALLY, I'M JUST TRYING TO
HELP THEM DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS
SO THAT WHEN THERE'S
A CONFLICT, OR YOU KNOW,
AS YOU SEE, IAN IS REALLY,
REALLY--HE'S REALLY STRESSED OUT
AND HAS HAD A LOT OF
NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES.
AND SO THE IDEA IS TO TRY
TO HELP HIM HAVE MORE TOOLS
IN HIS TOOLBOX WHEN
THERE'S A CONFLICT.
I WANT TO SHARE
SOMETHING WITH YOU GUYS
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT,
AND IT REALLY HELPS WITH
THIS TOPIC IN PARTICULAR.
IT'S CALLED AN "I STATEMENT".
HAVE YOU HEARD OF THAT?
- OH, I FEEL, LIKE AN
"I FEEL" STATEMENT.
- IT'S LIKE AN
"I FEEL" STATEMENT.
- IT'S NOT WORTH IT.
- YOU KNOW WHAT, IAN,
YOU JUST GOT TO TAKE
A DEEP BREATH AND TRY IT
AND TRY IT AGAIN,
AND TRY IT AGAIN,
BECAUSE EVENTUALLY
IT REALLY IS WORTH IT.
- I'VE TRIED
OVER 3,947 TIMES.
- REALLY?
- IT DOESN'T WORK.
- OK. I WANT TO SHARE IT
WITH THESE GUYS,
AND I WANT TO PRACTICE IT WITH
YOU BECAUSE IT'S A FORMULA.
IT'S A WAY FOR YOU TO
SAY HOW YOU FEEL,
AND AN "I STATEMENT"
INCLUDES A FEELING, RIGHT?
AND IT INCLUDES THE WORD "I"
BECAUSE WHO DO YOUR
FEELINGS BELONG TO?
- ME.
- OK, WHO DO YOUR
FEELINGS BELONG TO, CHASE?
Chase: ME.
- IAN?
- THE GOVERNMENT.
- THE GOVERNMENT, OK.
- I'M GOING
TO TAKE A RESET.
Ethan: WHAT IF,
IN HIS SITUATION--
Ian: DO NOT MENTION ME
WHILE I'M GONE,
OTHERWISE I WILL BE
REALLY UPSET.
- ALL RIGHT, WE'LL NOT
MENTION HIM WHILE HE'S GONE.
John: BASICALLY WHAT A RESET IS,
IS WHEN A STUDENT IS
MISBEHAVING,
A TEACHER WILL ASK THEM
TO RESET,
WHICH MEANS TO LEAVE THE CLASS,
TO LEAVE THE LEARNING AREA
FOR A FEW MINUTES,
SOMETIMES LONGER,
TO JUST GET A HOLD
OF THEMSELVES AND GET
INTO A PLACE WHERE THEY
CAN MENTALLY FOCUS AND...
BE A FUNCTIONING MEMBER
OF THE CLASS.
FOR ME, RESETS DON'T
HAPPEN THAT OFTEN.
I USUALLY GAUGE WHEN
I'M LOSING CONTROL.
BUT SOME STUDENTS TAKE
MORE RESETS THAN OTHERS,
AND WHATEVER GETS THEM TO FOCUS,
THAT'S WHAT THEY NEED TO DO,
AND EVERYBODY'S DIFFERENT.
Ehrenburg: HERE ARE A LOT
OF KIDS WHO HAVE A BACKLOG
OF A LOT OF ANGER
AND FREQUENTLY WILL
ACT OUT ON THAT ANGER.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO
IS DEVELOP THE CAPACITY
IN THE KID TO RECOGNIZE
WHEN HE'S GETTING UPSET
AND THE RESET IS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
SO A KID CAN ASK FOR A RESET
OR A TEACHER CAN SAY,
"YOU NEED TO TAKE A RESET".
Woman: KEEGAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE
LEAVE THE CLASSROOM?
YOU MAY NOT DRAW ON THE DESKS.
Keegan: YOU SAID IT WOULD BE
BETTER TO DRAW WITH PENCILS.
- [LAUGHING]
- ON PAPER, KEEGAN, ON PAPER.
[CLASS LAUGHING]
PLEASE GO OUT THERE, PULL
YOURSELF TOGETHER AND COME BACK.
OK. SO, LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN.
[BELL DINGS]
SILENT RESETTING,
GETTING READY
FOR CLASS TO START.
[MULTIPLE, SUSTAINED GUNFIRE]
[BOY NARRATING]
[HORSE WHINNIES]
[OVERLAPPING SHOUTING]
["BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM"
PLAYING]
[DISTANT CANNON FIRES]
- WHOA!
- WAKE UP.
[GROWLING]
- WHOO!
[OVERLAPPING CHATTER]
Hamm: YOU KNOW, FOR MANY KIDS,
JUST FINISHING,
JUST COMPLETING IT
WOULD BE A GOAL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN NED,
BUT NED CAME HERE SURE THAT HE
WAS NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE
TO DO IT, AND AS OF
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS,
HE'S SEEING THE END, HE'S SEEING
THAT HE CAN ACTUALLY DO
THE WHOLE GETTYSBURG,
AND HE'S SO HAPPY.
HE CAME HERE VERY KIND OF
DEFEATED IN A LOT OF WAYS,
JUST BY HIS OLD SCHOOL
AND BY LEARNING,
AND THINGS WERE HARD FOR HIM.
SO, FOR HIM, WELL, GETTING
THE COIN MIGHT BE SOMETHING
THAT HE WANTS, BUT I DON'T THINK
HE CARES WHETHER HE WINS.
BUT JUST THE FACT THAT HE
CAN ACTUALLY MEMORIZE IT
AND MIGHT GET UP AND DO IT;
WE DON'T KNOW YET,
BUT HE'S VERY SERIOUSLY
CONSIDERING IT.
Miller: AND FINALLY
THIS MORNING,
A GREAT WAY TO CLOSE OUT
MORNING CIRCLE. WHERE'S NED?
NED. HEY.
Woman: COME ON UP.
Kids: COME ON, NED! NED!
- WHOO!
- GO, NED!
Ned: "FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
"OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
ON THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION
“"CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
AND DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
“THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
"NOW WE ARE ENGAGED
IN A GREAT CIVIL WAR,
"TESTING WHETHER
THAT NATION OR ANY NATION
SO CONCEIVED AND SO DEDICATED
CAN LONG ENDURE."
Hamm: THIS KID, IN SPITE
OF ALL OF HIS EMOTIONAL STUFF,
THAT BAGGAGE THAT HE CAME WITH,
HE WAS ABLE TO WORK THROUGH IT
AND EVEN MAYBE THROWING
HIS TANTRUMS
AND THROWING THE HAT
OR WHATEVER HE NEEDED TO DO,
THAT'S WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO
TO GET TO THE PLACE
WHERE HE COULD FEEL CONFIDENT.
- "THAT THIS NATION, UNDER GOD
"SHALL HAVE
A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM
"AND THAT GOVERNMENT
OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE,
FOR THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT
PERISH FROM THE EARTH."
- ALL RIGHT!
- WHOO!
Miller: OUTSTANDING, NED.
GREAT JOB. YOU ARE QUALIFIED.
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL THINGS
IN THE COURSE OF THE YEAR,
TO SEE YOU GUYS STUDY
THIS SPEECH,
HAVE THE COURAGE
TO GET UP AND RECITE IT
IN FRONT OF PEOPLE,
HAVE THE COURAGE
TO NOT GET IT RIGHT
AND KEEP GOING
AND KEEP TRYING.
IT'S AWESOME.
LET'S THINK ABOUT THAT.
CONTINUE YOUR HARD WORK.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE
WHO HAVE QUALIFIED ALREADY.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T
QUALIFIED YET, KEEP WORKING.
OK, GUYS, HAVE A GREAT DAY
TODAY, PLEASE STACK YOUR CHAIRS.
[OVERLAPPING CHATTER]
- REMEMBER, JOIN THE RACE.
YOU MIGHT JUST WIN.
Ehrenberg: YOU THINK
YOU WANT TO DO THIS?
Ben: NO.
- I'M NOT ASKING
IF YOU'RE SCARED TO DO IT.
I KNOW THAT. I ASKED
A DIFFERENT QUESTION.
- I DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S
A GROWTH POINT FOR YOU,
THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU, FOR
YOUR GROWTH, TO DO IT, EVEN IF--
- NO.
- NO.
- 'CAUSE I'll BACK OFF OF IT IF
IT'S REALLY NOT A GOAL OF YOURS.
- IT'S REALLY NOT.
- YOU CAN DO THIS.
PERSONALLY, I DON'T CARE
WHETHER YOU DO IT OR NOT.
WHAT I CARE ABOUT IS
THAT YOU NOT
NOT DO IT BECAUSE
IT'S FEARFUL FOR YOU.
- 1 JUST DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
[BELL DINGS]
Man: ALL RIGHT GUYS,
LET'S TAKE A MINUTE,
STAND UP BEHIND OUR CHAIRS.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL
LUNCHTIME TREAT TODAY.
INSTEAD OF STARTING
OUR MEAL WITH THE GRACE,
WE ARE GOING TO START WITH
ANOTHER GETTYSBURG QUALIFIER.
IAN IS GOING TO SHARE
THE ADDRESS WITH US.
SO PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT,
GET YOURSELVES SETTLED,
LET'S BE RESPECTFUL TO IAN.
IAN, WHEN YOU'RE READY.
Ian: "FOURSCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH ON
THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION..."
Ian, voice-over: WHEN YOU'RE
ANGRY, IT'S NEVER GOOD.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE GRIT
AND PERSEVERANCE,
YOU CAN GET THROUGH
STUFF A LOT MORE.
Ian: "...NOW WE ARE ENGAGED IN
A GREAT CIVIL WAR, TESTING..."
Ian, voice-over: THIS YEAR
I'M RECITING THE GETTYSBURG,
AND THAT'S HUGE FOR ME.
IT JUST TELLS PEOPLE
I'M NOT STUPID,
I'M NOT DUMB, I'M NOT,
LIKE, WORTHLESS.
"FOR THOSE WHO HERE
GAVE THEIR LIVES
THAT THAT NATION MIGHT LIVE..."
Ian, voice-over: EVERY KID THAT
HAS BEEN BULLIED EXCESSIVELY,
THEIR LIFE IS A BATTLEFIELD,
AND EVERY TIME YOU'RE
SHOT DOWN, YOU JUST GET--
YOU TRY TO GET RIGHT BACK UP,
BUT THEN THEY JUST KEEP
SHOOTING YOU AND SHOOTING YOU.
WHEN YOU'RE DOWN FOR THE COUNT,
EITHER A DEVIL CRIES
AND YOU'RE DONE,
OR THE ANGELS SING,
THEY LIFT YOU UP, THEY HEAL YOU.
"...RATHER TO BE DEDICATED HERE
TO THE UNFINISHED WORK
WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE HAVE
THUS FAR SO NOBLY ADVANCED."
I WANT TO GO UP THERE, I WANT
TO NAIL IT, I WANT TO GET OFF,
I WANT TO SHAKE STEWART'S HAND,
AND I WANT TO GET THAT COIN.
IT'S THE TURN
OF A NEW BEGINNING
WHEN THAT COIN HITS
MY HAND.
- GOOD JOB, IAN.
[HORSE WHINNIES]
[TEEN BOY NARRATING]
[BELL DINGS]
Rebecca: COOPER.
- YEAH?
- TIME TO ROLL, MY DEAR.
Boy: TODAY IS GETTYSBURG DAY.
I AM EXCITED
AND A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS,
BUT I'M MORE EXCITED
THAN NERVOUS.
Man: YOU NEED TO TIE YOUR TIE?
WELL, I GOT TO WAKE
EVERYONE UP FIRST.
YOU GOT YOURS TIED.
Ethan, voice-over: I'M NOT
REALLY THAT NERVOUS ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, I'M SORT OF NERVOUS,
BUT I CAN'T BE.
I DON'T KNOW REALLY WHAT
THE EXPRESSION IS, BUT I'M NOT,
LIKE...SCARED OUT
OF MY WITS ABOUT IT.
AND THE SPEECH IS ONLY
TWO MINUTES LONG
AND I KNOW IT TOP
FROM BOTTOM, INSIDE-OUT.
SHOULDN'T REALLY BE
A PROBLEM FOR ME.
- THERE.
- THANK YOU.
Nate: OK, COOPER,
OUT OF BED. LET'S GO.
Stewart: SO TODAY IS THE DAY.
WE'VE BEEN BUILDING UP
TO THIS FOR--
REALLY SINCE YOU GUYS CAME BACK
FROM THANKSGIVING, RIGHT?
AND I'M SURE THERE WERE DAYS,
MAYBE NOT EVEN THAT LONG AGO,
WHERE YOU WERE FRUSTRATED
WITH IT AND DIDN'T THINK YOU
COULD DO IT, BUT YOU KEPT
PUSHING FORWARD,
AND THAT'S GREAT.
AND, GUYS, FOR YOU, WHILE WE'RE
ALL HERE TOGETHER, TOO,
WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE,
IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, RIGHT,
WHICH MIGHT HAPPEN,
ANNIE'S RIGHT THERE.
SHE CAN GIVE YOU A CUE.
AND BECAUSE SHE'S
REALLY CLOSE TO YOU,
SHE CAN PROBABLY GIVE YOU
A CUE THAT NOBODY ELSE IS
REALLY GOING TO HEAR,
EXCEPT YOU, RIGHT?
Annie: IT WILL BE SUBTLE,
IT WILL BE QUIET.
YOU WILL REMEMBER
THIS DAY, OK?
YOU WILL REMEMBER
HOW YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW--
MAYBE A LITTLE NERVOUS,
MAYBE REALLY CONFIDENT--
IN PREPARATION FOR TONIGHT.
SO, SIT UP FOR A SECOND.
LET'S SIT UP STRAIGHT.
LET'S SOAK IT IN,
LET'S TAKE A MOMENT
AND JUST RECOGNIZE
HOW WE'RE FEELING.
GET CENTERED;
GET READY TO LAUNCH
INTO THIS REALLY
SPECIAL DAY TODAY.
AND FEEL REALLY PROUD
OF WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED.
- LOOKING SHARP.
[LAUGHTER]
- TOP BUTTON'S IMPORTANT,
BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
- READY?
[OVERLAPPING CHATTER]
[APPLAUSE]
[KEVIN SIGHS]
"FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO..."
- "FOUR SCORE AND
SEVEN YEARS AGO..."
- "FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO..."
- "OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH ON
THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION..."
- "A NEW NATION CONCEIVED
IN LIBERTY AND DEDICATED
TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN..."
- "THAT ALL MEN ARE
CREATED EQUAL."
[BOY NARRATING]
“I'M SORRY; I DON'T WANT
TO BE AN EMPEROR.
"THAT IS NOT MY BUSINESS.
"I DON'T WANT TO RULE
OR CONQUER ANYONE.
“I SHOULD LIKE TO HELP
EVERYONE, IF POSSIBLE:
"JEW, GENTILE, BLACK, WHITE.
"WE ALL WANT TO HELP
ONE ANOTHER.
"HUMAN BEINGS ARE LIKE THAT.
"WE WANT TO LIVE BY
EACH OTHER'S HAPPINESS,
NOT BY EACH OTHER'S MISERY."
- "FELLOW CITIZENS, PARDON ME,
"ALLOW ME TO ASK,
"WHY AM I CALLED UPON
TO SPEAK HERE TODAY?
"WHAT HAVE I, OR THOSE
THAT REPRESENTED YOU
"WITH YOUR NATIONAL
INDEPENDENCE?
"ARE THE GREAT PRINCIPLES
OF POLITICAL FREEDOM
"AND OF NATURAL JUSTICE EMBODIED
IN THAT DECLARATION
OF INDEPENDENCE EXTENDED TO US?"
- WE SHALL FIGHT IN FRANCE.
"WE SHALL FIGHT
IN THE SEAS AND OCEANS.
"WE SHALL FIGHT WITH
GROWING CONFIDENCE
"AND GROWING STRENGTH
IN THE AIR.
"WE SHALL DEFEND OUR ISLAND,
WHATEVER THE COST MAY BE.
"WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE BEACHES,
"WE SHALL FIGHT IN
THE LANDING GROUNDS.
"WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE FIELDS
AND IN THE STREETS.
WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE HILLS.
WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER."
[APPLAUSE]
- "NOW WE ARE ENGAGED
IN A GREAT CIVIL WAR,
"TESTING WHETHER
THAT NATION OR ANY NATION
SO CONCEIVED AND SO DEDICATED,
CAN LONG ENDURE."
- "WE ARE MET ON A GREAT
BATTLEFIELD OF THAT WAR.
"WE HAVE COME TO DEDICATE
A PORTION OF THAT FIELD
"AS A FINAL RESTING PLACE FOR
THOSE WHO HERE GAVE THEIR LIVES
THAT THAT NATION MIGHT LIVE."
-"IT IS ALTOGETHER FITTING AND
PROPER THAT WE SHOULD DO THIS."
- "BUT, IN A LARGER SENSE,
WE CANNOT DEDICATE--
WE CANNOT CONSECRATE--
WE CANNOT HALLOW THIS GROUND."
- "THE BRAVE MEN, LIVING
AND DEAD, WHO STRUGGLED HERE"
- "HAVE CONSECRATED IT,
FAR ABOVE
OUR POOR POWER TO ADD
OR DETRACT."
- "THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE,
NOR LONG REMEMBER WHAT
WE SAY HERE, BUT IT CAN NEVER
FORGET WHAT THEY DID HERE."
-"IT IS FOR US THE LIVING,
RATHER, TO BE DEDICATED HERE
“TO THE UNFINISHED WORK
WHICH THEY WHO FOUGHT HERE
HAVE THUS FAR
SO NOBLY ADVANCED."
- "IT IS RATHER FOR US
TO BE HERE DEDICATED
TO THE GREAT TASK
REMAINING BEFORE US"
- "THAT FROM THESE HONORED DEAD
WE TAKE INCREASED DEVOTION
“TO THAT CAUSE
FOR WHICH THEY GAVE
THE LAST FULL MEASURE
OF DEVOTION"
- "THAT WE HERE HIGHLY
RESOLVE THAT THESE DEAD
SHALL NOT HAVE DIED IN VAIN,"
- "THAT THIS NATION, UNDER GOD,
"SHALL HAVE
A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM--
"AND THAT GOVERNMENT
OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE,
FOR THE PEOPLE, SHALL NOT
PERISH FROM THE EARTH."
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
"FOUR SCORE
AND SEVEN YEARS AGO... "
Second boy:
"OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH
ON THIS CONTINENT
A NEW NATION..."
Third boy:
"CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY
"AND DEDICATED
TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."
Announcer: IN JUST 272 WORDS,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN MANAGED
TO CONSECRATE A BATTLEFIELD,
HEAL A NATION,
RESHAPE A DEMOCRACY,
AND INSPIRE A GENERATION
OF SCHOOL KIDS
WHO'D NEVER GIVEN A SPEECH
BEFORE IN THEIR LIVES.
Boy: "FOR THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT
PERISH FROM THE EARTH."
Announcer:
FUNDING FOR "THE ADDRESS"
WAS PROVIDED BY THE ANNE RAY
CHARITABLE TRUST;
BY MEMBERS
OF THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY,
A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
DEDICATED TO EDUCATING AMERICANS
ABOUT THEIR HISTORY
THROUGH DOCUMENTARY FILM--
MEMBERS INCLUDE THE PFEIL
FOUNDATION
AND ROBERT & BEVERLY
GRAPPONE--
BY THE CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
AS PART OF AMERICAN GRADUATE:
LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN,
A PUBLIC MEDIA EDUCATION
INITIATIVE
TO HELP COMMUNITIES ADDRESS
THE NATIONAL HIGH-SCHOOL
DROPOUT CRISIS
AND HELP KEEP MORE STUDENTS
ON A SUCCESSFUL PATH
TO COLLEGE AND CAREER;
AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THIS PBS STATION FROM...