Reading: Pass it Around Lesson Plan
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt Interdisciplinary Unit
By Cynthia Weeden

Overview

In this lesson, students read children’s books on slavery, including Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, Nettie’s Trip South, The Invisible Princess, and Big Jabe. Through these books, students extract information about the history of slavery. Older students could write their own children’s stories about the topic of slavery. Ideally suited for second graders, this lesson can be modified for older elementary school students.

Time Required

One class period.

Materials Needed

Copies of:

• Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
• Nettie’s Trip South
• The Invisible Princess
• Big Jabe

Pencil and Paper

Anticipatory Set

Have students discuss their definitions of freedom. You may use the board to chart out the responses, or you may have students, if they want, to free write on the topic first, then discuss their thoughts as a class.

Procedures

1. Tell students, "Today we are going to read a children’s book called Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson. Following this story, you will read other books on the topic of slavery."



2. Read Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt aloud to the students, checking for understanding. You can also discuss the wonderful illustrations in the book, with questions such as:


• "What mood do the colors make you feel on this page?
• What do you think the illustrator’s focus is on this page?
• What about the mood? Text of the story? Character?"


3. Split students into small groups. Each student will need a sheet of paper and pencil.



4. Tell the students that each group will get another children’s book on slavery, and they will have 15 minutes to read and write down a summary of the book before they have to pass the book to the next group.



5. Have students read the book and write a summary about the book. When you call time, they should rotate books to the left. Following are some suggested books:


• Nettie’s Trip South by Ann Turner
• The Invisible Princess by Faith Renggold
• Big Jabe by Jerdine Nolen


6. After students finish the books, have them draw a picture from their favorite book they heard today, making sure their illustrations include a one-sentence caption.



7. Closure: Ask students what they learned about slavery from the stories they read and chart their responses on the board. Explore with students what the books offered to help them understand the feelings of the enslaved. Then, go back to the initial discussion and responses on freedom and evaluate what freedom meant to each of the main characters in each of the books.

For Older Students

Have each student create his/her own children’s book that focuses on escaping to freedom. You can find blank books that students can use to design the cover and other pages at most teacher stores. While you want keep the story line on a basic level so that it can be understood at the local elementary school level, make sure each book has one element that is analytically challenging even for younger students, such as the ideas of justice, freedom, disobeying elders, the Constitution, or citizens’ rights.

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