Brown Girl Dreaming Curricular Text Set

GRADE 4

Some questions to ask before, during, and after the reading unit (KWL chart questions):

  • What do you already know about the civil rights movement?
  • When you think about the civil rights movement, who comes to mind?
  • What are some important events in the movement that you know about?

Class Profile

This text set was created for a 4th grade classroom. The majority of students in this class are reading at a 4th grade level. This text set also takes into consideration ELL learners, and students reading below level.

Text Set Theme: The United States Civil Rights Movement

The purpose of this text set is for students to build their knowledge about the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in order to develop a deeper understanding of the anchor text, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. While gathering texts for this set, we used the Teaching Tolerance website, School Library Journal, and other professional review sources.

Essential Questions

      • Who benefited from the Civil Rights movement?
      • How would you describe some of the key people in the American Civil Rights Movement?
      • What role can you play in helping people in America protect their Civil Rights?

Standards

  • AASL standard - I.A.2. Learners display curiosity and initiative by: Recalling prior and background knowledge as context for new meaning.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.9 (Common Core ELA) Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3 (Common Core ELA) Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
  • CA Social Studies Standard (K-5) - Research, Evidence, and Point of View: Students distinguish fact from fiction by comparing documentary sources on historical figures and events with fictionalized characters and events.
  • Teaching Tolerance Curriculum - Justice Anchor Standard: Students will analyze the harmful impact of bias and injustice on the world, historically and today.