Craft Lesson 4

Resources: Draper, Sharon. Fire From the Rock. New York: Dutton, 2007
Discussion- This lesson focuses on using reading to expand the student's perspectives of a variety of cultures. Many students have stereotypes and prejudices against other cultures due to a lack of experience with that culture. Reading can be used as a tool to expose students to a different lifestyle then their own. Before teaching the responsive writing exercise, the students should be familiar with civil rights and the social conditions in the 1950s. They should also be aware of African-American traditions and customs practiced during this time period.
How to Teach it- As the students are reading Fire from the Rock, they begin the assignment by taking notes of similarities and differences between the character's lives and their own. At the end of each reading they will write a short reaction response describing how they feel about the text. After finishing the book, the students will use the notes they have been compiling to write a one page response paper based on one of the following prompts- Have the students compare the events in the book to personal experiences. Have the students put themselves in the position of a main character and write from that perspective. Pose a controversial queston related to the book (segregation, racism, etc.) and have the students write their opinions. When the students have turned in their papers, the teacher can use their responses to generate a class discussion based on a variety of interconnected themes.