Sunday, February 8, 2015

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

Coretta Scott King Award (Author & Illustrator)
among many other honors
“ Our centuries-long struggle for freedom 
and equal rights had helped 
make the American promise of life, liberty, 
and the pursuit of happiness
 a reality for all Americans.  
We have come a mighty long way, honey, 
and we still have a good ways to go, 
but that promise and the right to fight 
for it is worth every ounce of its weight in gold. 
It is our nation’s heart and soul."

Heart and Soul is: Extraordinary, Illuminative, Encouraging, Great Read, and Educational




Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans
 Written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Published by Balzer and Bray- An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2011


 Reading Level:
Lexile: 1050L
Grade Level: 3-7
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud

Summary: 

This country was built on the idea that all men are created equal, but unfortunately not all men were treated equally for a long period of time. This book is about the journey that African Americans took to get from being slaves to free men and women who are integral parts of American society. Readers will learn about the transformation of African Americans from  the times of slavery, to fighting in American battles, to working the fields as sharecroppers, to women craving the right to vote, to participating in peaceful protests, and finally earning the right and ability to vote.  Read Kadir Nelson's heart-wrenching, inspiring story of the African American experience.

Electronic Resources for Educators:

Please use the following resources to extend your students learning and to provide background knowledge before reading the book.

Book trailer

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16735646
This is an interview with Kadir Nelson, he shares the meaning behind his artwork and gives some insight on his book.

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement
This website is a great tool to learn about the Civil Rights Movement.  There are videos, interviews, pictures and detailed summaries of the different events that occurred.


http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africanaage/essay-world-war-i.html
Heart and Soul goes into detail about the different American wars that African Americans were involved in.  This link has pictures and a summary of African Americans involvement and roles in World War I.

http://nmaahc.si.edu/

This is the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/

There are some great pictures, audio clips, and primary documents for you to use on this website.

Teaching Suggestions:

Key Vocabulary:


Comprehension Activities for the Classroom Teacher:

Before Reading Activity: 
1. Introduce key vocabulary.


Wordle.net


Brainstorm as a class and create a K-W-L chart on what students know and want to know about the African American Experience. 

During Reading Activity: 
-After reading each section of the book, break students into small groups and have them continue to fill in the K-W-L chart.
-While students are filling in the K-W-L chart write questions on the board after each section for them to discuss as a group. For example after Nelson talks about Jim Crow Laws, ask students what were Jim Crow Laws and how did they affect African Americans?
- Take time to model what a good literary discussion looks like and sounds like.
-After students have had time to discuss let them share their key points that were made with the rest of the class.
-This would also be a good time to extend on important topics that Nelson touches upon.  Please make use of the electronic resources that I have provided for you under electronic resources for educators. 

 Post Reading Activity: Finish filling in the K-W-L chart.  Break students into small groups and have them discuss the following questions. 
1. What was life like for a slave? Think about where they lived, who they lived with, how they were treated.
2. What were Jim Crow laws? How did they affect African Americans?
3. Today, African Americans have the right to vote and can sit anywhere on a bus.  What event(s) or people made this possible?  Talk about the Civil Rights Movement.

Writing Activity:
After reading and discussing Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson, why do you think Nelson chose to name his book Heart and Soul? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
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Monday, February 2, 2015

Fire From The Rock

"They're talking about integrating
the schools of Little Rock.
Coretta Scott King Award
It's been a rumor for years,
but this year it looks as though
it really will happen.
They want to take your
children and my children
and let these young people
 do what we can'--
change the world."

-Pastor Patterson





Fire From the Rock is: Enlightening, Engrossing, 
Informative, Insightful, and Clever
Fire From The Rock
Written by Sharon M. Draper
Published by Dutton Children's Book, 2007

Reading Level:
Lexile: 830L
Grade Level: 5.4
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud

Summary: 

Fire From The Rock follows the journey of an African American teenager who is asked to be among the first students to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. While Sylvia Faye Patterson ponders over this tremendous dream of equal schooling, she faces the evils of racism and a decision that would be both dangerous and life changing. Through Sharon M. Draper's insightful book, readers gain an understanding of what took place in Little Rock in 1957, and what the Little Rock Nine went through to change the American education system.

Electronic Resources for Educators:



This is a site for teachers and students to look through to learn more about the Little Rock Nine and what they experienced.


To deepen students' understanding, it is vital that they view videos and photographs of the integration of Central High School. This is Elizabeth Eckford's, one of the Little Rock Nine's story.

Teaching Suggestions:

Key Vocabulary:


Comprehension Activities for the Classroom Teacher

Before Reading Activity: Find out what students already know and address what they need to know about The Little Rock Nine before reading Fire From the Rock.  Watch Interviews, look at photographs, read some short books about this topic, or watch a film about the integration of Central High School. 
- Watch pieces of the movie "The Integration of Little Rock Central High school." 
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnK6STv6xGk- An interview with the Little Rock Nine, fifty years later. Please use other resources from the electronic resources for educators section.
-After watching videos have your students write about their reaction towards the videos and then give them time to share their reactions with a partner.

 During Reading Activity: Split page note taking
-Distribute the following handout

-as students read they will fill in this chart with evidence from the book. They will look for reasons that Sylvia or others wanted to integrate Central High School and vice versa.
-Students should use sticky notes and mark the page numbers where they find information
-The teacher should create a large T chart on the board. One side will say reasons to integrate and the other reasons not to integrate.
-After reading each section and giving students time to fill in their own charts have them share their findings of why Sylvia Faye and other characters did or did not want to integrate. Write them on the board so that all students can see everyones thinking.
-Make predictions as to whether or not Sylvia will choose to be part of the group to integrate the high school.

Post Reading Activity: Opinionnaire-
Engage students by asking their opinions about the book. This activity is similar to a poll, students share their personal opinions in the form of a personal  statement. You might look at the history of the integration of Central High School and then ask students questions about their opinions on the methods of integration or other important factors included in the book. The goal is to give them information that is fact based so that they can form opinions. 

 Writing Activity: 
~Why did Sylvia decide to not be part of the group to integrate Central High School? Give several pieces of evidence.  
~What was Sylvia's reaction when watching the news as Elizabeth Eckford walked up to school? Why do you think she reacted this way?
~ If you were asked to Integrate Central High School would you choose to be part of the integration process? Why or why not? Use information from the book to support your answer.
 
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Thursday, January 29, 2015

Out of the Dust

John Newbery Medal
among many other notable awards
"And I know 
that all the time 
I was trying to get
 out of the dust,
the fact is,
what I am,
I am because of 
the dust.
And what I am 
is good enough.
Even for me."                              

 -Billie Jo



Out of the Dust is: Inspiring, Realistic, Historical, Heart-wrenching, Authentic
Out of the Dust
Written by Karen Hesse
Published by Scholastic, 1997  

 Reading Level:
Lexile: NP
Grade Level: 5.1
Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud, Guided Reading
Summary: During The Great Depression, fourteen year-old Billy Jo lives in the Dust Bowl with her father and pregnant mother.  With the frequent dust storms that destroy her father's crops, her family is left searching for ways to survive the depression and life in Oklahoma.  The one activity that takes Billy Jo away from all of the stress is playing the piano.  After her world is turned upside down by a horrible accident, Billy Jo is left wounded both mentally and physically. This story is about a young girl's quest for happiness, love, and forgiveness.  

Electronic Resources for Educators:



This interactive website is full of great activities for teachers to use to teach students about the Dust Bowl.  There are lesson plans and many online activities that give students an idea about what living in the Dust Bowl might have been like during the Great Depression.


This Library of Congress has great activities for teachers to use to help students understand the story as it connects to history.  There are fantastic primary sources in this document for teachers to let students read Manuscripts from the Federal Writer's Project about the Dust Bowl. There are also songs that students can listen to that Billy Jo would have heard or played on the piano.  

Teaching Suggestions:


Key Vocabulary:


Comprehension Activities for the Classroom Teacher:

Before Reading Activity:
In order for students to best understand the setting and the challenges that the characters face in the story, they need to know about the Dust Bowl. I recommend watching The Dust Bowl a film by Ken Burns.  If you do not have access to it then here are some different links that will help your students learn about the Dust Bowl.

Lessons from the Dust Bowl

Uncovering the Dust Bowl

Sting Dust and Forgotten Lives

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/dust/procedure.html

- While your students watch videos or read different articles about the Dust Bowl have them write down some important facts that they learn about it.  You can write some questions on the board that you want them to look/listen for as they read informational texts or watch videos on the topic.





During Reading Activity:Generative Reading Activity  
- the goal in this activity is to help students to become independent readers. Students read specific chapters and then come up with five discussion questions. The student becomes the leader of classroom/group for the chapter that they are assigned to.  This promotes students to learn on own.  It is very important that the teacher models for students how to come up with discussion questions. All students will complete all reading but a specific student will come up with the discussion questions for the particular chapter. 

 Post Reading Activity: Readers Theatre-
In groups students should create scripts related to the Dust Bowl or the book. They will then perform the play.  The scripts should demonstrate understanding of the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, or Billy Jo's life.

 Writing Activity:
 After Billie Jo meets the man in the boxcar, she decides to return home. Write a few paragraphs explaining why meeting this man influenced Billie Jo to return home to her father and the dust.
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