Education
Freedom
Hope
Dreams
Opportunity
Decisions
Traditions
Change
Bigotry
Family
Based on the cover illustration and title of the
book Mississippi Trial, 1955 jot down some
predictions on what you think this novel will
be about.
As part of a KWL, please use the Drawing Program in Word
to draw and create a collage of all that you KNOW about
the Civil Rights movement. You will use this drawing as a
Sketch to Stretch to share with a partner in class. That is,
show your partner your illustrations and have him or her
respond to it BEFORE you say anything. Think about if what
you created communicated your intentions. THEN discuss
your illustrated K explaining your intentions.
Now before reading jot down questions you have about the Civil Rights Movement
Under the W column of the KWL chart for what you WANT to know.

In Mississippi Trial Jim Crow Laws were in place. Please visit
Remembering Jim Crow to learn more about these “laws” and
their impact on African Americans in the South. Explore links,
read, view and listen to interview excerpts. What do you suspect
the setting will be like in this book? Please keep an RRJ for this
site.
Please read Chapters 1 to 14. While you
read please highlight Golden Lines, lines or
phrases that strike you as particularly
meaningful, evocative or powerful.
During the literature circle discuss your
response to the book in an open ended way
sharing some of your Golden Lines as
relevant to your conversation.
Chapters 1-14
Discuss the events in an open ended way during literature circles.
In your group, with a partner or individually go back into the book
to create a poem for two to three voices in which characters
alternately speak to each other and/or say the same or different
lines simultaneously. It is helpful to format your poem into
columns- one column for each speaker. When characters speak
simultaneously the lines appear at the same level. See example of
possible format below.
GRANDPA
DAD
1
2
3
4
5
Simultaneously spoken
5
Chapters 1-14
Rosa Parks is considered to be the Mother of the
Modern Civil Rights Movement. Link onto Rosa Parks:
How I fought for Civil Rights and explore each of the
seven links to learn about the times in which
Mississippi Trial takes place. Please jot down your
thinking about this site in your RRJ
Chapter 14 to end
Please read Chapters 14 to the end.
While you read focus on the voice
of a particular characters- i.e.
select Hiram, Grandpa, RC, Naomi,
father and highlight interesting
conversations. Bring this focus to
your literature circle and share
aspects of characters as relevant
to the conversation.
Chapter 14 to end
In your Group, Partner or individually select a
character or author on which to focus. Brainstorm
five burning questions you have for that character
and select your top two questions. Speculate about
how that character might respond to your questions
and why. Use evidence from the text and your
background knowledge.
Now read about Chris Crowe to find out more about
Mississippi Trial at
http://www.penguinputnam.com/static/packa
ges/us/yreaders-new/f15-start.html
Keep a RRJ for this site.
Visit the American Experience Website entitled the
Murder of Emmett Till and explore links to learn
more about the events in Mississippi Trial. Please
complete an RRJ for this website.
Complete the what you LEARNED part of your KWL
on Civil Rights and then indicate what you still would
like to learn.
ADD Links to Music
Sample of audio of Billie Holliday’s Strange Fruit
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_holiday_billie.htm
Lyrics to Strange Fruit at
http://www.bluesforpeace.com/lyrics/strange-fruit.htm
Lyrics to Bob Dylan’s The Death of Emmett Till at
http://bobdylan.com/songs/emmetttill.html
Lyrics to We Shall Overcome at
http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/we_shall_overcome.htm
Read the lyrics as an inspiration to create your own song or multimedia
poem in response to Mississippi Trial to share with class.
Advanced
Adequate
Needs Improvement
Building
and Activating
Background
Knowledge
Tapped into what was known and
presented it in way that was
comprehensible to others
Predictions drew on clues from
illustrations and background knowledge
Tapped into what was known
but work needed revision and
explanation to be
comprehensible.
Predictions drew solely on
clues from the text, little use
of inferring
Sketchy and vague
representation, little detail, or
concrete with very little care or
depth in thinking. May be
difficult for others to
understand. Predictions drew
on clues from text with very
little use of inferring
Reading and
Responding
Engaged in a focused on task discussion
in which participants came prepared,
made connections, built on the ideas of
others and discussed fat questions
Participants were prepared,
and on task, but discussion did
not flow smoothly, some fat
questions were addressed.
Some participants were not
prepared. At times the
conversation went off task.
Ideas discussed for the most
part were superficial.
Thinking more
Deeply and
Revisiting the text
Revisited text through poetry and
drama by making inferences using
information in the text and background
knowledge. Revisited draft of poem.
On balance participants
were invested and
drew on the text and
background knowledge.
The focus at times was on
completion of the task with
very little revision.
Very little thought and care
went into the poetry and
dramatic activity. Task
completion was the primary
focus.
Going Beyond the
Text
Demonstrated learning by integrating
what was learned from experiences and
websites in the L portion of the KWL
Went somewhat beyond the
text to demonstrate new
learning. Drew on some
information beyond the text.
Did not think deeply or
integrate new learning. Was
not able to draw on websites
and experiences to construct
new ideas.
Completing
Assigned Tasks
Completed all of the tasks with
care.
On balance completed most
tasks with care
Omitted several tasks or were
very cursory attempts