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Summary
Summary
Before We Were Yours is a historical fiction novel that can be used as a 5th – 6th grade read-aloud. This novel is told from the perspective of Rill Foss, the 12-year-old river gypsy that lives on a small shantyboat along the Mississippi River in 1939, and the perspective of Avery Stafford, the wealthy daughter of a senator in Aiken, South Carolina in the present day. However, their lives change when Rill and her siblings are taken from their home and brought to a ruthless orphanage, and when Avery meets an unexpected person that turns her life upside down. Through the bravery and determination of these characters, they find a new life purpose and uncover family secrets that can never be forgotten.
Keywords/phrases: Arcadia, Orphanage, Family secrets, Survival, Memories
Suggested Delivery: 5th – 6th grade read aloud
Key Vocabulary
Eldercare Facility: a place where elderly people live and receive services such as transportation, meals, cleaning, medical care, etc.
Orphanage: a place where children without parents are cared for and housed.
Dementia: a disorder that causes memory loss, personality changes, and impaired judgment.
Shantyboat: a small house put together of materials such as tin or cardboard on a boat that people live in on the water.
Heirloom: an object that is very important or valuable to a family that they have owned for a long time through many generations.
Adoption: Raising a child that is not from your family as one of your own children, providing them with a home, safety, and the care they need.
Reading Strategies
Before
Before
I will show visuals of shantyboats to provide students with background knowledge of where the character Rill Foss and her family lived as students will most likely be unfamiliar with the idea, which can support their comprehension.
During
During
As the students read, they will question the author of the novel to enhance their understanding of the text. For example, why would the author write this novel from multiple perspectives? What is the author’s message? How does this connect to what the author said earlier in the text?
After
After
Students will complete a Plot Diagram to demonstrate their understanding of the sequence of events in the novel and their ability to recall information from the text.
Writing Activity
Reading Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6 – Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
Writing Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1 – Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Activity: Students will write arguments answering the question, “Should the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage remain open or close down?” Students should make their reasoning clear and provide evidence from the text to support their argument.
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