By Sharon Draper
PowerPoint constructed by Patricia Hutchison
COPPER SUN
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Sharon Draper is an educator as well as a writer.
She has won many teaching awards including National
Teacher of the Year.
She has also won many literary awards, including the
Coretta Scott King Literary Award.
Her writing career began when she was challenged by
a student to enter a contest. She won $5000 and the
publication of her essay entitled “One Small Torch.”
GENRE
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Historical Fiction
 blends
historical facts with an imaginative story
 reflects a specific time period
 reconstructs characters and events from the past
 brings history to life
HISTORICAL ELEMENTS IN COPPER SUN
Atlantic Slave Trade
 Middle Passage
 Slave Ships
 Slavery in the U.S.
 Indentured Servitude
 Fort Mose, Florida
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CHARACTERS
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Amari, a fifteen-year-old African girl
Afi, an African woman who befriends Amari
Polly, an indentured servant
Mr. Derby, master of Derbyshire Farms
Clay Derby, the sixteen-year-old son of Mr. Derby
Mrs. Derby, the young wife of Mr. Derby
Teenie, a slave woman who befriends Amari
SETTING
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There are several settings in the novel Copper
Sun
 Ziavi
Village in Africa
 The Middle Passage
 Charles Town, South Carolina
 Fort Mose, Florida
The time period is the mid 1700’s
PLOT
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Amari, a young African girl is betrothed to Besa,
the love of her life. However, before their
nuptials are performed, they are both taken
into slavery. Having lost everything, including
their freedom, what will their lives be like? Will
they endure the harsh conditions of the Middle
Passage? Will they survive a life of servitude?
Will they ever see each other again?
MOOD AND THEMES
Themes: survival, friendship
 Mood: somber; horrifying; hopeful
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PRE-READING ACTIVITIES
Compare and contrast slavery and indentured
servitude.
 Discuss what you have learned about the
Middle Passage.
 After reading the back cover of the novel,
predict what dangers might confront the
characters on their journey.
 What might the “copper sun” symbolize?
Discuss this with your class.
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POINT OF VIEW
If you had lived during colonial times, would you
have owned slaves? Give reasons for your
answer.
 If you had found yourself enslaved, how would
you have coped?
 If you had lived during times of slavery, do you
think you would have risked helping a slave to
escape?
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VOCABULARY ACTIVITY
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Write down your prediction of the definition of
each word; then use a dictionary to actually
define the word:
coffle fetid scullery
addlepated cavorted
picaninny
cajoled
vigilant mire
arduous
DIALECT
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Copper Sun is filled with black dialect. See if
you can use these words correctly in a
sentence:
yourn
yassa
chile
askert
tolt
QUOTES FROM THE NOVEL
Read each quote and discuss the impact it
had in the novel:
“We must welcome our guests, then, Amari. We would
never judge people simply by how they looked—that
would be uncivilized.”
“Many will die. Some will live but will die inside. Others
will pray for death and be forced to live.”
“The pain gonna go after ‘while, but them scars gonna
be there forever.”
“In spite of all you must endure, my little Tidbit, the
flame of your life spirit will not leave you.”
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Throughout the novel, Teenie uses some colorful
metaphors. Draw a picture of this“Teenieism.”
“We done fell out of the trouble tree and hit every
branch on the way down.”
Find other examples, illustrate them, and share
them with the class.
JOURNAL TOPICS
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Describe how the mood of the novel changes throughout. What
events caused these changes of mood?
Summarize the advice Afi gave to Amari. Do you think this was
good advice? What advice would you give to Amari?
Describe Clay Derby’s view of women and slaves. How are they
similar? What would you say to him if he were in front of you
today?
Teenie told Amari, “Long as you remember, chile, it ain’t never
gone.” Do you agree with this statement?
Describe Amari’s mixed feelings about white people. What
events in her life have shaped these feelings?
POSSIBLE NOVEL PROJECTS
Design a montage of all the settings of the
novel.
 Defend or prosecute one of the characters in
the novel. Perform this mock trial for the class.
 Write a Bio Poem for one of the characters and
illustrate it.
 Write your favorite event as a play and perform
it for the class.
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