Becoming

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

"On Moving and Becoming"

In this activity, students will take a closer look at the former First Lady’s 2010 Let’s Move! Initiative and connect it to the larger themes in Becoming.

In Part 3 of Becoming, Michelle describes the beginnings of one of her most notable campaigns while serving as First Lady: The Let’s Move! Initiative.

In this activity, you will learn more about this key program, its impact on Americans, and how it fit into the larger context of Michelle Obama’s life and career. Complete the following steps:

• Research: What was the Let’s Move! initiative? The original site describing the program still exists on The White House’s digital archives. The website is a rich resource for learning about the various prongs of the program.
• Act: Pick one element from Let’s Move! to implement in your own life. On the original Let’s Move! website, review the Eat Healthy and Get Active sections. Which of these recommendations can you implement on a daily or weekly basis? Select one to add to your existing routines. Choose a way to document your implementation such as a journal, diary, or recording device.
• Evaluate: Analyze the overall impact of Let’s Move!. To understand the legacy of the initiative, review the Achievements section of the official website. You can also research outside reports on the program, such as Vox’s “How Michelle Obama Quietly Changed What Americans Eat” and The Washington Post’s “A Healthful Legacy: Michelle Obama Looks to the Future of ‘Let’s Move’” (subscription may be needed to view). Meet in groups of 3-5 peers to discuss the program’s overall impact; incorporate into your discussion your reactions to your personal implementation, your takeaways from research, and your impressions of the program’s accomplishments.

Come together as a large group, returning to Becoming, and discuss the following questions: What did you discuss in your small groups that helped you to see how the larger themes of the book may have shaped the Let’s Move! initiative? How is good health and access to high-quality nutritional information a kind of “privilege”? As you answer this question, reflect also on how other socioeconomic factors such as race or poverty may affect one’s health.

Teaching Suggestion: The Let’s Move! initiative had important consequences for children nationwide, but especially in low-income communities that might not otherwise have access to quality nutritional and health guidance. As such, you may want to provide additional context around the ways in which poor nutrition and lack of exercise can negatively impact a person’s future by reviewing Kaiser Permanente's article on "Healthy Eating in Children" and Health Affair’s “Health, Income, & Poverty: Where We Are & What Could Help.” This discussion may help students better connect Let’s Move! to the theme of Race, Privilege, and Access to Opportunities.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Michelle’s childhood in the South Side of Chicago is influential for many reasons.

• What is the most significant way in which her upbringing influences Michelle? (topic sentence)
• Examine 3 examples in the text that support your topic sentence. How do these examples represent lasting impacts?
• In your conclusion, briefly summarize how Michelle’s upbringing provided a firsthand lesson in the way Race, Privilege, and Access to Opportunities are intertwined.

2. The Obamas receive large amounts of positive and negative attention over the years.

• Why is staying grounded, in the face of public opinion, so important for the Obamas? (topic sentence)
• Analyze and discuss the ways in which they try to stay centered, for themselves and for their family. Choose 3 strong examples to discuss that support your topic sentence.
• In your conclusion, summarize the connection between the public’s attention on the family and The Importance of One’s Own Story.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. At various points in her narrative, Michelle worries about not being “good enough.” How does she overcome this feeling? How does the tone and style of the text showcase efforts in this struggle? In a 3-5 paragraph essay, explore how self-doubt can be a powerful, if painful, motivator for Becoming a more evolved version of oneself. Use details, examples, and quotations from the narrative to support your thinking.

2. President Obama faced many obstacles during his presidency in trying to pass legislation. From Michelle’s perspective in Becoming, why does she believe there is animosity between the two major American political parties, and what can be done to encourage them to work together for the good of the country? In a 3-5 paragraph essay based on text details, analyze and discuss the ways in which Race and Privilege may have affected the American people’s reception of the presidency. Include your evaluation of the ways in which race and privilege affect the functioning of democracy in a bipartisan government.

3. Michelle discusses the struggle of turning over much of her life to the public eye and losing her privacy in the process. Why does she agree to do so, even though she values her personal time and privacy? In a structured paragraph, analyze and discuss the 2-3 strongest examples of sacrifices of time or privacy; explain why these sacrifices are worthwhile in Michelle’s eyes. Additionally, evaluate the extent to which Michelle’s telling her Own Story in Becoming serves the purpose of reclaiming the narrative of her life.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following statements best describes how Michelle’s grandfather, Southside, has an influence on Michelle’s childhood?

A) He teaches her the value of hard work and never giving up on your dreams.

B) He teaches her to embrace uncertainty as a key to success in life.

C) He teaches her to value the sacrament of marriage.

D) He teaches her a love of music and an understanding of race relations in America.

2. What question from a cousin at a family party surprises Michelle when she is growing up?

A) Why Michelle talks “like a white girl”

B) Why Michelle never returns the cousin’s calls

C) Why Michelle acts like she’s superior to everyone

D) Why Michelle thinks she’s welcome at the party

3. What prominent figure is Michelle’s friend Santita Jackson related to?

A) Michael Jackson

B) Jesse Jackson

C) Mahalia Jackson

D) Stonewall Jackson

4. On what goal does Michelle become focused at the end of her time at Princeton?

A) Getting into law school

B) Getting Kevin back on the path to med school

C) Getting Santita’s approval

D) Getting married within 2 years of graduating

5. When Michelle agrees to mentor Barack Obama, why is she annoyed on his first day in the law office?

A) He is late to work.

B) He wears blue jeans instead of a suit.

C) He chews gum for the duration of their first meeting.

D) He slouches at his desk.

6. From what illness does Suzanne Alele, Michelle’s close friend and former roommate at Princeton, ultimately pass away?

A) A brain tumor

B) Leukemia

C) Cancer

D) Parkinson’s disease

7. Which of the following statements best describes why Michelle feels inspired by her supervisor at City Hall, Valerie?

A) Valerie is a relentless advocate for the unhoused community in Chicago.

B) Valerie is a single mother who prioritizes both work and family.

C) Valerie always prioritizes her mental health, no matter what.

D) Because Valerie has devoted her entire life to improving city government.

8. How does Michelle describe her and Barack’s parenting style after the birth of their eldest daughter (Malia)?

A) Obsessive, and a little boring

B) Structured, and a little rigid

C) Relaxed, and a little privileged

D) Fun, and a little chaotic

9. What major American historical event ultimately inspires Barack to run for president?

A) September 11

B) Hurricane Katrina

C) The Enron scandal

D) The Iraq War

10. In what stereotypical way is Michelle often portrayed in the press that caused her to struggle?

A) A “brainless wife”

B) A “Machiavellian figure”

C) A “low-class bumpkin”

D) An “angry Black woman”

11. After casting his vote on Election Day, how does Barack relax before the results are announced?

A) He watches TV with Michelle.

B) He reads a book alone in his study.

C) He plays basketball with Craig.

D) He eats a light meal with Malia.

12. When the Obama family enters the White House, why does Marian gain a reputation among the staff?

A) She insists on doing her own laundry and refuses secret service detail.

B) She insists on having her bedsheets pressed every night.

C) She always eats a bedtime snack of carrots and hummus.

D) She always runs four miles each morning around 4:30 am.

13. With whom does Michelle launch the White House gardening project?

A) 3rd graders

B) 4th graders

C) 5th graders

D) 6th graders

14. What does a bill that accompanies Michelle’s Let’s Go! initiative require of schools?

A) To play intramural sports three days each week

B) To have more strenuous fitness requirements in gym class

C) To have bigger portions added to school lunches

D) To add healthier foods to school lunches

15. How does the theme of Becoming speak not only to Michelle’s progress as a person, but to the future of America, as Michelle explores in her Epilogue?

A) With so much racial and political division, America is constantly in a state of shifting and evolving into something new.

B) With the election of Donald Trump, the nation is in the process of becoming a country she no longer recognizes.

C) She worries about how America will be able to morph into something new and better, while still clinging to an old set of rules and beliefs.

D) Securing American children’s future through wealth and economic success is central to their own process of “becoming.”

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. As described in the Preface, why does Michelle, in some ways, revel in no longer being First Lady?

2. While acting as First Lady, Michelle has a nightmare about big cats. What happens in the dream? What are the cats’ larger symbolism, in terms of Michelle’s life?