Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride

Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride

by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney

About the book:

Sojourner Truth was as strong and tall as most men. She was big, black and so beautiful. Born into slavery, Sojourner ran away as a young girl. She cherished her freedom, and believed it should be granted to everyone. But she didn’t fight for it with her mighty fists, and she didn’t stomp for it with her giant boots. Sojourner spoke the truth, and struggled against injustice with her brave, beautiful words. With lyrical text and spirited illustrations, the award-winning team of Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney brings one of America’s greatest heroes to life. Following Sojourner from her courageous plantation escape to her meeting with Abraham Lincoln, this is a stirring portrait of a woman who pulled herself up by her great big bootsraps. A warrior for justice above all else, Sourjourner allowed no bias to cross her path without a fight.

Andrea Davis Pinkney

has written several acclaimed picture books, works of nonfiction and novels. Her titles for middle grade readers include Solo Girl, Raven in a Dove House, Silent Thunder, and Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters, a Coretta Scott King Award Honor winner. She is also the author of the picture books Alvin Ailey; Duke Ellington (a Caldecott honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honor Book); and Ella Fitzgerald, each illustrated by her husband and frequent collaborator, Brian Pinkney. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

Brian Pinkney is the illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including the Caldecott Honor Books Duke Ellington and The Faithful Friend, and the Coretta Scott King Award winner In the Time of the Drums.

Author and Illustrator Interview:

1. Can you describe your process of working together on a book like Step-Stomp Stride?
2. What is the best part of writing and illustrating for children? What do you wish all kids knew about book-making?
3. Where do you find inspiration?

Pre-reading:

Have you ever heard of Sojourner Truth before? She was a famous American who lived long ago. What do you think she is remembered for?

Discussion questions:

1. Describe Sojournor. What did she look like? Act like? Say? How would someone describe you?
2.  What does it mean to be “meant for great things?” What great things are you meant for?
3. Why did Sojournor have several names? Who gave her each of the names she had? Which one was most important to her? Why?
4. What happened to Belle when she was only nine years old? Why was she considered valuable? How does this make you feel?
5. What had John Dumont promised Belle? Did he keep his promise?
6. What did Belle decide to do then? When did she finally stop?
7. How did the Quaker couple help Belle? What did she do with her new freedom?
8. What did freedom mean for Sojournor? What did she decide to do?
9. Why couldn’t Sojournor read or write? What was she really good at despite not being able to read?
10. What did Olive Gilbert help Sojournor do with her story?
11.  Do you think Sojournor was brave to speak out against slavery? How did she react to threats?
12. How did Sojournor stomp-stomp-stomp all over the stupidity of speeches she heard in Akron, Ohio? What do you think it was like in the church after she step, stomped, strided right out of there?

Projects:

Reading:

As you read the story of Sojournor Truth write down at least one fact, one question, and one response (a connection, thought or feeling about what you read) in the following chart and then discuss with your reading partner.

Facts	Questions	Responses

Writing:

Pretend that you were in the audience at that church in Akron, Ohio listening to those preachers discuss women’s rights. Write a letter home to someone describing what you heard and saw that important day.

History:

Create a timeline of Sojournor Truth’s life. Have at least five important dates on your timeline and illustrate it with drawings of your own.

The Humblebee Hunter

The Humblebee Hunter

Inspired by the Life and Experiments of Charles Darwin and his Children

by Deborah Hopkinson

Illustrated by Jen Corace

About the book:

On a beautiful day, the last thing Etty wants to do is sit inside baking honey cake. She’d much rather be outside. Who wouldn’t? And there’s no better person to be outside with than Etty’s father, Charles Darwin.

While many might be familiar with the story of Darwin’s theory of evolution, few of us have had the opportunity to see Darwin the family man—at home in England, doing what he loved best—walking, exploring, observing. All the while he pursued the answers to his most persistent questions, and he often had a little bit of help.

In her lyrical story of Charles Darwin at home with his children, Deborah Hopkinson portrays a very human side of one of the most revered figures in the history of science. In doing so, she sows the natural affinity children have for the scientific process.

About the author:

Deborah Hopkinson is the author of many acclaimed books for children including Stagecoach Sal; Apples for Oregon, an ALA Notable Book; and Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, winner of the IRA award. She lives in Oregon.

About the illustrator:

Jen Corace has illustrated many books for children, including Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal—a  2005 Book Sense Children’s Pick and an IRA Children’s Choice in 2006—and Little Hoot, also by Rosenthal. She recently illustrated Hansel and Gretel, a retelling by Cynthia Rylant. A graduate of the Rhose Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration, Jen lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island.

Questions to consider:

1. What is Henrietta being asked to learn how to do? What do you get asked to do that you’d rather not?
2. Where would Henrietta rather be? Do you love to play outside best too?
3. What do you think is a kitchen garden? If you had one what would you grow?
4. What did mother compare Henrietta’s father to? What animal or insect are you most like?
5. Describe what happened when Mr. Darwin tried to capture three rare beetles at the same time.
6. What were Henrietta’s favorite stories about? If you could go anywhere in the world to study an animal where would you go and what would you research?
7. What was the most important thing Mr. Darwin collected? How did he teach this habit to his children?
8. What questions did the children create before each of their experiments?
9. How does Etty finally get out of the kitchen? Do you think she’s happy? What details let you know?
10. Explain how the family would keep track of the bees. What was the question that this experiment would answer?
11.  What did Henrietta observe about the bee?
12. After reading this book, what else would you like to learn about Charles Darwin and his experiments?

Across the curriculum:

Reading:

Like Darwin, good readers look for important facts as they study a topic. As you read or listen to the story make a list of all the facts you know about Henrietta and her family. Then, circle which facts you think are most important to the story. Discuss with a reading partner about why you chose these facts.

Writing:

The author, Deborah Hopkinson, tells the story of a family but uses poetic language to bring it to life. Reread the story and find at least three phrases that are written in a poetic way. What makes this writing memorable? How does she use details and strong verbs to create images in the reader’s mind? Revise your current piece of writing inspired by the author’s work.

Science:

Like Henrietta and her siblings, go outside and observe closely something in nature. Create a question that you would like answered and try to develop an experiment. Fill out the following chart as your guide:

What I observed:	A question I have:	An experiment that could answer this question:

Math:

Math and Science are great companions. It’s good to take data and then convert it into charts or graphs that can be easily understood by others without having to read long paragraphs! Go into your backyard (or nearby park) and take data on how many of the following you can count: trees, birds, bushes, clouds, children, and insects. Then, put the data into two different types of graphs.

Art:

On the last page of the story the artist decided to do a close up of the bumblebee, just as Henrietta had to closely observe it. Go outside and choose one thing (it does not have to be an insect or animal) and create a sketch that zooms in and fills the page with a detailed drawing. Add color if you wish.

Music:

Sing this tune to “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”

Let’s go follow

the humble bee, the humble bee,

the humble bee

Let’s go follow the humble bee

and count as he lands!

Let’s go out play for worms

play for worms, play for worms

Let’s go out and play for worms

and see if they notice!

Let’s go out

and count some snakes, count some snakes

count some snakes

let’s go out and count some snakes

as many as we can!

Lets go out and experiment

experiment, experiment!

Let’s go out and experiment

and see what we can learn!

T

Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean

Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean

by Sarah Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle

About the book:

“Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.”  - Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart developed a love of flying at a very young age… and she wasn’t about to let any man get in the way of her dreams. What began as a simple joy became something much deeper—a commitment to open doors for all women. As Amelia built a name for herself in the field of aviation—breaking numerous recores along the way—she inspired future trailblazers to soar to new heights.

In Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean, Taylor and Towle focus on Amelia’s triumphant crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, offering us a glimpse of her relentless ambition and her tireless will to promote women’s rights. But above all, author and illustrator leave us with a sense of her deep-rooted desire to touch the sky.

About the creators:

Sarah Stewart Taylor is the Agatha Award-nominated author of the Sweeney St. George mystery series, which follows the exploits of an art historian who specializes in funerary imagery. She teachers writing at the Center for Cartoon Studies, and is co-founder of the Writer’s Center, a teaching space and drop-in workshop open to the public in White River Junction, Vermont. Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean is the first graphic novel she has written. She lives in North Hartland, Vermont, with her husband and two sons. Visit her website at www.SarahStewartTaylor.com.

Ben Towle is an Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist and comics educator whose most recent graphic novel is Midnight Sun, which chronicles the fate of an Italian airship expedition to the North Pole in 1928. Aside from Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean, he is currently hard at work on Oyster War, a raucous adventure story set around the Chesapeake Bay at the turn of the twentieth century. Ben lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Creator Interview:

1. What fascinated you most about Amelia Earheart’s story?
2. Could you describe a bit about your process for research and writing this book?
3. What advice would you give young people who would like to write or become cartoonist?

Artist:

1. How would you describe your process for bringing Amelia Earhart’s story to life?
2. Is revision a big part of an artist’s work like it is for writers?
3. What is your next project?

Questions to consider:

1. Why does Amelia come to Trepassy, Newfoundland? Why is this location ideal? Would you put your faith in a place called “Dead Man’s Bay?”
2. Deduce why Grace’s mother calls her “Nosy Nelly.” List careers where being a nosy questioning person is an asset.
3. Explain why Earhart and her team has so much difficulty getting airborne. How do they try to solve the issues?
4. Theorize how the Trepassy Herlad got started. Why do you think she created it? What clues lead you to believe this?
5. Summarize what happened to the other women who tried to fly the Atlantic. Would you want to be the first at something? What?
6. How does it become a race for Amelia? Do you think competition makes something more interesting or worthwhile?
7. What do the men on the team do to pass the time? Explain why this is probably not the best idea. What do you do when you’re bored?
8. Determine how Amelia Earhart became interested in flying? Do you think her father regretted introducing it to her or not? Why?
9. Consider Amelia Earhart’s choices compared to most women of her time. How did she behave compared to her contemporaries? Do you consider her brave?
10. “The ocean up her is hungry for foolish souls.” Would you consider Earhart foolish or not? Why?
11. How does Grace learn the outcome of her Atlantic flight? What does she do with the information?
12. At the end of the book how has Grace changed? Do you think Amelia Earhart was a big influence on her life or not? Who are your personal heroes? Why?

Projects:

Art: Create a new series of cartoon’s which depict another even in Amelia Earhart’s life. Use the illustrations by Ben Towle as inspiration and include at least ten frames. Be sure to vary the perspective in at least three.

History: Research life in the 1920’s and create a poster, pamphlet, powerpoint or commercial about what you learned. Consider one of the following topics: women’s rights or issues, music, art and architecture, technology, transportation, medicine or entertainment.

Math: In pairs create equations which calculate either how much gas is needed per miles for Amelia Earhart to fly her plane or how man hours per miles it would take her to complete a trip across the Atlantic.

Science: Create a diagram explaining the physics of flight. Be sure to define any necessary terms for the lay person to understand it.

Almost Astronauts

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women who Dared to Dream

by Tanya Lee Stone

About the book:

What are the requirements for being shot off into space with the hopes and fears of a nation riding on your ability to pilot a hunk of metal? Mastery of flying, as well as courage, intelligence, resistance to stress and fitness—any checklist would certainly include these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was an unspoken rule in place: you must be male, and you must be white. Yet, nearly twenty years before the first women were allowed into the astronaut program, a group of thirteen women proved not onlky that they were as tough as any man, but also that they were brave enough to challenge the government. Almost Astronauts tells the story of the “Mercury 13” women, who were blocked by prejudice, jealous, and a note scrawled by one of the most powerful men in Washington. In the end, the inspiring example of these space age pioneers empowered young people to take their rightful place in the sky and beyond, piloting jets and commanding space capsules.

About the author:

Tanya Lee Stone is a former editor and an award-winning author who often writes about strong women. When she first learned about the “Mercury 13” she “could not believe that such a dramatic story about courageous women, a fight for justice, and American heroes behaving badly was not already known the world over.” As she did her own original research, she learned a dark secret about the early space program that had been hidden for forty years.

Pre-reading:

Without showing students your book have them draw a detailed picture of an astronaut with and without their uniform. Afterwards count how many drew a picture of a woman compared to a man. Discuss the results.

Discussion guide:

1. What is the significance of the chapter title “T Minus 38 Years?” What was life like for women in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s? How had World War II changed American women?
2. How did Betty Skelton and Ruth Nichols help pave the way for the other women? Without forward-thinking men like Randy Lovelace and Donald Flickinger who believed women had equal skills and abilities do you think it would’ve taken even longer for women to reach space? Why or why not?
3. Describe the astronaut fitness tests. Would you want to endure them yourself? Have you ever trained for anything? How did it compare to the training and testing the women went through? Do you think they were being even more thorough and exacting on the women? Why?
4. What do you think will be revealed about our current stereotypes and misconceptions when people look back 40 years from now? Are there groups of people who are still denied their rights and opportunities? Why?
5. Who was Jerrie Cobb? Why was she such an important member of the Mercury 13? Why was her performance in the isolation tank so extraordinary? How do you think you would fare under those conditions? What other tests did she endure? To what outcomes? Despite her success why do you think comparisons with the men were avoided overall?
6. Why did women feel compelled to be quiet about any feminist views in their jobs and life? What consequences did they face if they showed any feminist leanings? Are their views today that are still that unpopular?
7. The Mercury 13 women represented a broad questioning of women’s roles of the period, “Not just what is a woman capable of but what is a woman’s place” (p. 54) Why was this so far outside the expectations and norm of the time?
8. Why was the 2^nd round of testing cancelled? How would you feel if you were told no to pursuing your dreams? How did the requirement of the test jet pilot give NASA the perfect excuse?
9. How high up did the conspiracy to keep women out of the space program go? Why didn’t Johnson want to admit women to the program?
10. How did Jackie Cochran put the nail in the coffin for women joining the space program during the 60’s? What was her motivation? Were you surprised to learn that a woman would hold back others in this way?
11. How does the book show people who are considered classic American heroes in a new light? Do you think their views were representative of most men at the time? Do you think most of them have changed their minds about women and minorities or have just become more discreet with stating their opinions?
12. What changes finally opened the doorways for women to become astronauts? Why did it take so long? Who were some of the pioneering women to first slip on the uniform of astronaut and fulfill the Mercury 13 women’s dreams?

Projects:

Language Arts:

Write a pamphlet biography about a woman who has been a pioneer in her field. Find at least five important facts about her work, five dates that were key in her life and who she inspired.

Science:

Create a timeline of the first forty years of the space program add in important dates for women in an alternative color for comparison.

Art:

Inspired by the story of the Mercury 13 women create a piece of art which honors their contribution. Explain your use of color, form and texture in an artist’s statement which you also turn in with the project.

Social Studies:

Research and read common periodicals, newspapers and other print from the late 1950’s and early 1960’s to find depictions and expectations of women and their roles in the family and work place. Compare to periodicals and newspapers of today. Create a venn diagram comparing what you found.

Math:

Research the distance between the Earth and the moon, Mars, Venus and the sun. Calculate how long it would take to get there in your family car traveling an average speed of 65 MPH.

This guide uses the following Language and Reading Curriculum Standards:

Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities. 


Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Using Almost Astronauts in your classroom with this guide uses the following National Science Standards:

NS.5-8.1 Science As Inquiry

Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

Understandings about scientific inquiry

NS.5—8.4 Earth and Space Science

Structure of the earth system

Earth in the Solar System

NS.5-8.5 Science and Technology

Abilities of technological design

Understandings about science and technology

NS.5-8.7 History and Nature of Science

Science as a human endeavor

Nature of Science

History of Science

Satchel Paige

Satchel Paige
Striking Out Jim Crow
by James Sturm & Rich Tommaso

About the book:

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Leroy “Satchel” Paige (1905?-1982) changed the face of the game in a career that spanned five decades. Much has been written about this larger-than-life pitcher, but when it comes to Paige, fact does not easily separate from fiction. He made a point of writing his own history…and then rewriting it. Told from the point of view of a fictional sharecropper, this compelling narrative follows Paige from his earliest days on the mound through the pinnacle of his career. A tall, lanky fireballer, he was arguably the Negro Leagues’ hardest thrower, most entertaining storyteller and greatest gate attraction. Playing for dozens of teams, Paige vanquished thousands of batters; but his part in helping strike out Jim Crow may be his most lasting legacy.

In stark prose and powerful graphics, author and artist share the story of a sports hero, role model, consummate showman, and era-defining American.

About the guide:

This guide includes discussion questions intended to provoke thought and insight into the themes of the book which include baseball, violence, racism, boundaries, discrimination, and fame.

Discussion guide:

1. How does the author and illustrator weave the story Emmet Wilson, a sharecropper, with the story of Satchel Paige? Why do you think they made this choice instead of a typical biography?
2. Why is Emmet Wilson willing to leave his home and family? Compare his opportunities at home during this time period to those he’ll have in the black baseball league.
3. Describe the narrator’s experience as an opponent to the famous Satchel Paige.  What does the game reveal to the reader about both Paige and Wilson?
4. Explain why the narrator then returns to Tuckwilla, Alabama. As a reader, how do you know that time has passed in the story? What is Emmet’s main conflict now?
5. How do Dizzy Dean and Satchel Paige capitalize on their talents to make the most money? Despite this what is Paige still refused? How would you handle this kind of discrimination?
6. Why does Emmet feel compelled to attend Mr. Jennings’s celebration? What happens ? Would you be able to bring yourself to attend?
7. By 1941 how has Satchel Paige’s career climbed? What does he say about himself? Why do you think the Jim Crow laws of the south persisted over such a long time period?
8. Emmet tries to “humble down” to the Jennings twins but they resort to violence to make their point. What do they do? Why is Emmet afraid to retaliate?  How does impact every single aspect of his life, even his faith?
9. Summarize the game between the famous Satchel Paige and the Tuckwilla, Alabama home team. What does watching this game do for the Wilson men?
10. How does the graphic novel format add to your understanding of the subjects presented? What have you learned about the institutions of sharecropping and the Jim Crow laws that you might have missed otherwise?

Panel discussion questions:

1. Are there still disparate wages among whites and African-Americans today? Why?
2. Do you think the Arican American newspapers were welcome below the Mason Dixon line or not? Why?  How do most people communicate about important issues today?
3. What is the most interesting fact you learned about baseball from this story?
4. How did the police handle lynchings during this time period?  How was this a form of terror and control?

Projects:

Language arts/ Art:

Create several graphic novel pages about an important sport, academic or social hero of your own. Be sure to research information about your subject’s life so that the panels educate and entertain.

Create a Venn diagram and compare and contrast the lives of Satchel Paige and Emmet Wilson.

History:

Research one of the following topics from the novel and develop a PowerPoint, website, or newspaper article about what you learned (site at least three different sources, only two of them may be online):

National Negro League

African American Press

History of American Baseball

Barnstorming

Railroad

Brotherhood of Sleeping Porters

Jim Crow laws

Lynching

Graphic novels

River of Words

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams

by Jen Bryant

Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

About the book:

When he wrote poems,

he felt as free

as the Passaic River as it

rushed to the falls.

Willie’s notebooks filled up,

one after another.

Willie’s words gave him freedom and peace but he also knew he needed to earn a living. So when he grew up, he went off to medical school and became a doctor—one of the busiest men in town! Yet he never stopped writing poetry.

In this picture book biography of William Carlos Williams, Jen Bryant’s engaging prose and Melissa Sweet’s stunning mixed-media illustrations pay homage to the amazing man who found a way to earn a living and to honor his calling to be a poet.

About the author:

Jen Bryant has written several books for young readers, including Music for the End of Time (Eerdmans), Pieces of Georgia, and the acclaimed novel-in-verse The Trial (both Random House). Jen lives in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania. For more information please visit www.jenbryant.com

 

About the illustrator:

Melissa Sweet has illustrated The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon, Girls Think of Everything, and Carmine: A Little More Red (all Houghton Mifflin), which was given the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award. Melissa lives in Rockport, Maine. For more information please visit www.melissasweet.net

Pre-reading:

Have you ever heard of William Carlos Williams? Have you red or heard his poems “This Is Just to Say” or “The Red Wheelbarrow?” His poems are famous. What do you think makes a writer famous? What types of poems do you like to write? Who decides if something is poetry?

Questions to consider:

1. What does it mean to “make something of yourself?” What will you make of yourself? Is this different than having a job? How?
2. Where did Willie like to better than anywhere else? Where is your favorite spot? Why? What do you like to notice?
3. Mr. Abbott was an important teacher for Willie. Why? Who has been your most important teacher? When do you see pictures in your own mind’s eye?
4. How did Willie imitate other writers? Is this the same as copying? Whose work would you like to imitate?
5. Why does Willie decide to write about ordinary things? Make a list of ordinary things you would like to write about.
6. How does Willie break out of traditional poetry? What experiments does he make with words? How can you experiment with words?
7. Why did Willie decide to become a medical doctor? Why do you think poets don’t earn a lot of money?
8. Who were Willie’s friends at the university? How did they influence his writing? How do your friends influence your own thoughts and work?
9. Describe Dr. Williams medical practice. How is it different than today’s doctors? Would you like to practice medicine or not? Why?
10. Which illustration is your favorite? Why do you think Melissa Sweet decided to use the colors and papers that she did?

Projects:

Language arts:

After reading dozens of William Carlos Williams poems try your hand at a poem that is inspired by his river of words. Williams believed that poems should be “not in ideas but in things.” So study, observe and take notes on ordinary things to get your topic and images for your poems. Try to use fresh comparisons and pare down your words until only the most important images remain.

Art:

Inspired by the collage of Melissa Sweet, illustrate your own William Carlos Williams poem. Use a variety of papers and create a palette that matches the mood of your piece.

History:

Research the life of another important writer and create a timeline of their life.

Science:

Poetry is good training for a scientist because observation is important to both. Choose a natural subject (like a leaf, tree, or pond) and take detailed notes about what you see, hear, smell, feel and notice. Create a sketch about it and then after one week revisit it and create a new set of notes and sketches. Write a short journal about what you learned.

Music:

Sing to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

Write, write, write a poem

Try one every day

Study the most ordinary—

it’s a kind of play!

Robert Smalls, The Boat Thief

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s

American Heroes

Robert Smalls: The Boat Thief

Illustrated by Patrick Faricy

About the book:

On a moonlit night in the spring of 1862, a group of slaves stole one of the Confederacy’s most crucial gunships from its wharf in the South Carolina port of Charleston and delivered it to the Federal Navy. This audacious and intricately coordinated escape, masterminded by a twenty-four-year-old black sailor named Robert Smalls, astonished the world and exploded the Confederate claim that Southern slaves did not crave freedom or have the ability to take decisive action.

Robert Small’s heroic career had only begun. A brilliant military strategist, he was quickly promoted to the rank of captain in the Federal Navy, where he served fearlessly in many critical battles. Not only was Smalls a great soldier, he was also a powerful activist, whose eloquent appeal to Abraham Lincoln convinced the president to enlist 5,000 former slaves in the Union armed forces, shattering the color barrier that had kept black men out. Smalls drew great crowds as a spokesman for the abolitionist cause, and his fame as a man of outstanding character inspired the broad public support that encouraged Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Smalls also served six terms in the United States Congress.

In this moving picture book, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. tells the story of another great American hero, a man whose dedication to the cause of freedom gave him courage in the face of extraordinary dangers.

About the author:

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a lawyer for the Natural Resources Defense Council, president of Waterkeeper Alliance, and a professor at Pace University Law School Environmental Litigation Clinic. He has written two books for adults and two other books for children, Saint Francis of Assisi: A Life of Joy and Joshua Chamberlain and the American Civil War, the first in his series of “American Heroes” biographies. He lives with his wife and children in West Chester County, New York.

About the illustrator:

Patrick Faricy is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He has illustrated several children’s books, and his work has appeared in numerous magazines. He lives with his wife and three children in a suburb of Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Pre-reading:

How could a boat thief be an American hero? What type of person do you think Robert Smalls is? Why?

Discussion Guide:

1. Why do you think Robert Small’s mother taught her son about the cruelties of slavery? What else did he learn from his mother?
2. Explain how Robert learned to sail. Who profited from his skills and hard labor? How would your feel if you could only keep 1/16 of what you earned each month?
3. Why was The Planter such a pivotal ship to the Confederate army? What else did Robert Smalls know that would serve the Union army that he learned while a slave?
4. Why did Smalls choose the early hours of May 13, 1862 to execute his plan? Explain the steps in preparing the crew and families for the adventure.
5. List the steps Smalls had to take to deliver the Planter to Federal navy. Which part do you think was most dangerous?
6. How did Lincoln reward Robert Smalls and his crew for their bravery? What was the Confederate response to the loss of the Planter?
7. Why was Robert Smalls promoted to captain on Morris Island? Why was this such a distinction?
8. Explain how Smalls was instrumental in shattering the color barrier in military service. How else did he serve President Lincoln?
9. What event prompted Philadelphia to decide to integrate their streetcars? What modern example of civil disobedience does this remind you of?
10.  Describe how Smalls served the people of South Carolina after the war. How did he show that he was not bitter from slavery or his mistreatment by white supremacists?
11. How did South Carolina and other southern states lose ground in equality and freedom after the Civil War? How did Robert Smalls combat this movement?
12.  Which illustration in the book is your favorite depiction of Robert Small’s heroic life? Why do you think the illustrator chose the pallet of colors that he did?

Projects:

History:

Create a timeline of Robert Smalls’s life based on the book by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Add important political dates to your timeline too (like the beginning and end of the Civil War). Add at least three pictures or illustrations to your timeline.

Math:

Research the cost of common goods and land just after the Civil War. How much was Robert Smalls’s reward worth? Calculate what that same money would be equivalent to today.

Reading:

Fill out the following chart wit details from the story which show how Robert Smalls was intelligent, courageous, and action-oriented. Then, give examples of how you might show the same qualities in your own life.

	Intelligent	Courageous	Action-Oriented
Robert Smalls
You

Language Arts:

Write an episode of heroism from a modern-day hero. Use Robert Smalls: Boat Thief as a mentor text. What qualities of good writing are used in the story that you can apply to your own writing? How does Kennedy “show not tell” important information? How does he include important information without losing his reader?

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

Moses

When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom

by Carole Boston Weatherford

illustrated by Kadir Nelson

About the book:

“I set the North Star in the heavens and I mean for you to be free”

Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman hears these words from God one summer night and decides to leave her husband and family behind and escape. Taking with her only her faith, she must creep through woods with hounds at her feet, sleep for days in a potato hole and trust people who could have easily turned her in.

But she was never alone.

In lyrical text, Carole Boston Weatherford describes Tubman’s spiritual journey as she hears the voice of God guiding her north to freedom on that very first trip to escape the brutal practice of forced servitude. Tubman would make nineteen subsequent trips back south, never being caught, but none as profound as this first one. Courageous, compassionate, and deeply religious, Harriet Tubman and her bravery and relentless pursuit of freedom are a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

This is a unique and moving portrait of one of the most inspiring figures of the Underground Railroad. Kadir Nelson’s emotionally charged paintings embody strength healing and hope.

About the author:

Carole Boston Weatherford has authored well over a dozen children’s books including The Sound That Jazz Makes, illustrated by Eric Valasquez, which was an NAACP Image Award finalist and winner of the Carter G. Woodson Award from the National Council for the Social Studies. Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People was the winner of the Juvenile Literature Award from American Association of University Women- North Carolina. A minister’s wife, Ms. Weatherford makes her home in North Carolina and has roots in the same Maryland county where Harriet Tubman was born.

About the illustrator:

Kadir Nelson began drawing at the age of three, displaying an artistic talent before he could write or spell. His children’s books include Ellington Was Not a Street, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner, by Ntozake Shange, as well as Big Jabe: Hewitt Andersons’ Great Big Life, winner of the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators Original Art show, and the Coretta Scott King Honor Book Thunder Rose, all by Jerdine Nolen. Mr. Nelson makes his home in California with his family.

About the guide:

This guide includes discussion questions intended to provoke thought and insight into the themes of the book, which include freedom, justice, family, risk and hope.

Author Interview:

1. What inspired you to tell this particular part of Harriet Tubman’s story?
2. Even your prose reads like poetry. How do you manage it?
3. What advice do you have for young writers?
4. What kind of research did you do for the book? What was the most interesting fact that you learned?
5. What can your fans look forward to next?

Pre-reading:

Read the forward aloud to students. What do you think Harriet Tubman will do for the slaves? Why?

Discussion Guide:

1. Harriet Tubman heard God’s voice. Why do you think some people can while others cannot hear their god? Could anyone learn to listen or is it a special gift?
2. Why doesn’t Harriet tell anyone her plans? Would you be able to keep this secret?
3. Describe what Harriet must do to stay safe on her journey?
4. Which part would have scared you the most? Why?
5. How does Harriet know who to trust along the way? How do the strangers help her?
6. How does she escape the dogs on her trail? What other dangers does she face?
7. What do you think the phrase “Your faith has wings” means? How does Harriet prove her faith?
8. Where does Harriet escape to? Why is this a safe place for her?
9. What is the Underground Railroad? How does it work?
10.  Why is Harriet Tubman called Moses? Who was the biblical Moses? What did he do for his people? What did Harriet do for hers?

Projects:

Language Arts:

Read the author’s note at the end of the story. Write five facts from it that you found most interesting. Then, write five questions you wish you could ask Harriet Tubman herself.

Math:

Brain Teasers:

1. How many miles did Harriet Tubman walk to gain her freedom? (in the author’s note)
2. If there are 2,000 steps in every mile then how many steps did Harriet make?
3. How many miles did Harriet travel if she made 19 trips back to the south?
4. If the runaways need to make it in five days how many miles must they travel each day?
5. Harriet is thought to have freed nearly 300 slaves. On average, how many slaves went with her each time?

Music:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/singers/sfeature/songs.html

Visit this website and hear many of the slave spirituals that were popular during Harriet Tubman’s life.

Art:

Create a collage about freedom. Use any materials you like but explain your piece in a brief artist’s statement or journal. Why did you use the pictures, colors and textures that you did? What would Harriet Tubman think of your piece? How does art help people understand each other?

www.TracieVaughnZimmer.com

Martin's Big Words

Martin’s Big Words

by Doreen Rappaport

Illustrated by Bryan Collier

Discussion Guide:

Pre-reading:

What is a leader? What does a person do to become a leader? What makes a good leader?

Genre: Biography

We study biography to learn from the lives of others. Why is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. an important person to read about? What can we learn from the way he lived his life? The author, Doreen Rappaport, inserted many of Dr. King’s own words throughout the text. Why do you think this was an important thing to do?

Illustration:

Read the illustrator’s note and study each page before answering the following questions: What does the collage add to the story of Dr. King? Which illustration is your favorite? Why? Why do you think they decided not to put any words on the cover of the book?

What does Bryan Collier mean when he says, “…windows allow you to look past where you are.” Why is that idea important to the Civil Right movement?

Theme: Equality

The Civil Rights Movement worked to create equal opportunities for African-American people. What are some specific examples in education, employment, and public settings that needed to change for equality? Are there still things that need to be changed?

Setting:

What are the major settings in the biography of Dr. King? Which illustrations give you a clue that it is in a different time than today? What part of the country did most of Dr. King’s work focus on? Why?

Across the Curriculum

Language Arts:

Write a biography of another hero or major figure of the Civil Rights Movement. Use a similar style to that of Doreen Rappaport- allowing your subject to speak for herself whenever possible.

Write a letter to Dr. King about what you learned from him.

Vocabulary:

Define the following words and draw a picture that will help you remember what they mean:

hymn, citizen, courage, protest, rights, movement, peace, freedom, and segregation.

Social Studies:

In small groups, research one of the following events or people from the Civil Rights Movement and create a pamphlet about it. Include who was involved, where it took place, why it is important, and what effect it had. Present your findings to the class.

Brown vs. Board of Education

Montgomery Bus Boycott

March on Birmingham, Alabama

March on Washington, D. C.

24^th Amendment

Voting Rights Act

Civil Rights Act

Bombing of the 16^th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham

Ruby Bridges

Rosa Parks

Mathematical/ Logical:

Fill out the diagram on Dr. Martin Luther King or create one of your own about what you learned about his life.

Art:

Explore the technique of collage and depict another scene or person from the Civil Rights Movement.

Science/Health:

Dr. King worked hard to help people earn a living wage, enough money to help their families get out of poverty. Research what effects poverty has on children’s health and education. Make a poster about what you learned.

Music:

Find recordings of these songs that were sung during the Civil Rights Movement. Write a brief journal about why you think they were important.

"Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing,"

We Shall Overcome."

"Oh, Freedom."

"Only a Pawn in Their Game,"

"I'm on My Way."

“How I Got Over."

Careers:

Make a list of all the careers mentions in Martin’s Big Words. Many of these jobs are done in service to other people. Brainstorm all the service jobs that you can in the following industries:  food service, medicine, and education.

Martin’s Big Words

by Doreen Rappaport

Illustrated by Bryan Collier

Discussion Guide:

Pre-reading:

What is a leader? What does a person do to become a leader? What makes a good leader?

Genre: Biography

We study biography to learn from the lives of others. Why is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. an important person to read about? What can we learn from the way he lived his life? The author, Doreen Rappaport, inserted many of Dr. King’s own words throughout the text. Why do you think this was an important thing to do?

Illustration:

Read the illustrator’s note and study each page before answering the following questions: What does the collage add to the story of Dr. King? Which illustration is your favorite? Why? Why do you think they decided not to put any words on the cover of the book?

What does Bryan Collier mean when he says, “…windows allow you to look past where you are.” Why is that idea important to the Civil Right movement?

Theme: Equality

The Civil Rights Movement worked to create equal opportunities for African-American people. What are some specific examples in education, employment, and public settings that needed to change for equality? Are there still things that need to be changed?

Setting:

What are the major settings in the biography of Dr. King? Which illustrations give you a clue that it is in a different time than today? What part of the country did most of Dr. King’s work focus on? Why?

Across the Curriculum

Language Arts:

Write a biography of another hero or major figure of the Civil Rights Movement. Use a similar style to that of Doreen Rappaport- allowing your subject to speak for herself whenever possible.

Write a letter to Dr. King about what you learned from him.

Vocabulary:

Define the following words and draw a picture that will help you remember what they mean:

hymn, citizen, courage, protest, rights, movement, peace, freedom, and segregation.

Social Studies:

In small groups, research one of the following events or people from the Civil Rights Movement and create a pamphlet about it. Include who was involved, where it took place, why it is important, and what effect it had. Present your findings to the class.

Brown vs. Board of Education

Montgomery Bus Boycott

March on Birmingham, Alabama

March on Washington, D. C.

24^th Amendment

Voting Rights Act

Civil Rights Act

Bombing of the 16^th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham

Ruby Bridges

Rosa Parks

Mathematical/ Logical:

Fill out the diagram on Dr. Martin Luther King or create one of your own about what you learned about his life.

Art:

Explore the technique of collage and depict another scene or person from the Civil Rights Movement.

Science/Health:

Dr. King worked hard to help people earn a living wage, enough money to help their families get out of poverty. Research what effects poverty has on children’s health and education. Make a poster about what you learned.

Music:

Find recordings of these songs that were sung during the Civil Rights Movement. Write a brief journal about why you think they were important.

"Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing,"

We Shall Overcome."

"Oh, Freedom."

"Only a Pawn in Their Game,"

"I'm on My Way."

“How I Got Over."

Careers:

Make a list of all the careers mentions in Martin’s Big Words. Many of these jobs are done in service to other people. Brainstorm all the service jobs that you can in the following industries:  food service, medicine, and education.