The 6th graders are working on a unit that centers on Karen Hesse's novel, Witness. This work of historical fiction concerns what happened to a group of Vermonters when the Ku Klux Klan arrived in Vermont in the mid 1920's. Students will read the novel and explore historical events of the "Jazz Age" including Prohibition, the rise of organized crime, women's rights, The Leopold and Loeb trial, steam rail travel and other important events of the era. Students will also study the rise of racist groups in the United States and connect this learning to how racism affects Americans today. Students will also study the U.S. Constitution and its connection to the events in Witness. Writing will involve analysis of articles from America's premier organization against racism, the Southern Poverty and Law Center. This unit addresses core state reading standards for literature 1-6 and 9, reading standards for informational text 1-3 and writing standards 1a-e  and 9.