Author: Sharon M. Draper
Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Dutton Children’s Book,
Publishing City: New York, New York
Reading Level:
-- Grade Level Equivalent: 5.4
-- Lexile: 830L
--Interest Level 6-8
Diversity.
Civil Rights.
Tolerance.
Acceptance
African American.
Genre: Poetry, Historical Fiction
Delivery Suggestions: Read a-loud, small group
Sylvia is a typical teenager. She thinks about school friends and boys. She is thrust into the middle of the Civil Rights when she is chosen to be one of the students to be integrated in Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Sylvia is worried that she would be leaving lifelong friends (including a new boyfriend) and is worried about being excluded from social activities. Before she makes her final decision, racial tension turns into flame and nothing will stop the change from coming.
Helpful Links and Teaching Strategies:
Electronic Resources:
Before, During, and After Reading Strategies:
Integration – the action or process of integrating
Smoldering - show or feel barely suppressed anger, hatred, or another powerful emotion
Chenille – a tufted velvety cord or yarn, used for trimming furniture and making carpets and clothing
Philosophically – very thoughtful
Grits – a dish of coarsely ground corn kernels boiled with water or milk
Exasperation – a feeling of intense irritation or annoyance
Gouged – make a grove/hole/ indentation with or as if with a gouge
Writing Activity: Explain the title of the novel. Why does the title have more than one possible interpretation? Find several examples of reference to “fire” and “rock” within the story. Students will then use voki to animate their responses.
Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Dutton Children’s Book,
Publishing City: New York, New York
Reading Level:
-- Grade Level Equivalent: 5.4
-- Lexile: 830L
--Interest Level 6-8
Diversity.
Civil Rights.
Tolerance.
Acceptance
African American.
Genre: Poetry, Historical Fiction
Delivery Suggestions: Read a-loud, small group
Sylvia is a typical teenager. She thinks about school friends and boys. She is thrust into the middle of the Civil Rights when she is chosen to be one of the students to be integrated in Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Sylvia is worried that she would be leaving lifelong friends (including a new boyfriend) and is worried about being excluded from social activities. Before she makes her final decision, racial tension turns into flame and nothing will stop the change from coming.
Helpful Links and Teaching Strategies:
Electronic Resources:
- http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=23 This website contains information about the author as well as the other books that Sharon Draper has written.
- http://www.voki.com/ Students can use this website to animate sections of the book.
Before, During, and After Reading Strategies:
- Before Reading: KWL Students will complete a KWL chart about what they know about the civil rights movement. Students will then conduct additional research to broaden their understanding of this time period.
- During Reading: Expert Jigsaw, allow students to first meet in a group discussing the same key questions about the text, then have the students mix with others who had different questions and discuss all the questions relating to the text.
- After Reading: Exit Slip have student spend a few jotting down their thoughts about the book.
- Use this book to teach:
- Conflict and Resolution
- Social studies and the Civil Rights Moment
- Historical Fiction
Integration – the action or process of integrating
Smoldering - show or feel barely suppressed anger, hatred, or another powerful emotion
Chenille – a tufted velvety cord or yarn, used for trimming furniture and making carpets and clothing
Philosophically – very thoughtful
Grits – a dish of coarsely ground corn kernels boiled with water or milk
Exasperation – a feeling of intense irritation or annoyance
Gouged – make a grove/hole/ indentation with or as if with a gouge
Writing Activity: Explain the title of the novel. Why does the title have more than one possible interpretation? Find several examples of reference to “fire” and “rock” within the story. Students will then use voki to animate their responses.