Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Lesson Plan

The Sharecropping Economy

Kind of Activity:

Role Play

Objective:

Students will be able to better understand the novel's plot and historical context

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1

Structure:

This is a classwide role-playing demo aimed at helping students better understand the economic situation Mr. Turner describes to Mama Before the activity begins, all students should closely read Mr. Turner's explanation of the financial arrangement with the Wallace store near the end of Chapter 4.

Begin by dividing students into 3 groups: sharecroppers (the majority of the class), a landowning group (1 to 3 students), and a shop owner...