Month and Theme: January: Assertiveness
Grade Level: 2nd
Title: Granddaddy’s Gift
Author: Margaree King Mitchell
Publisher: BridgeWater Books
ISBN: 0-8167-4010-0
Social Skill Link: LO. 6. We can tell others what we don’t like.
Multicultural Link:
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Americans who faced and overcame adversity due to discrimination based on
race, sex, or age.
Dr. Martin Luther King’s role in the fight for civil rights.
Book Summary
Little Joe is an African American girl growing up in Mississippi. She decides she does not want to
go to school. Her grandfather explains to her about segregation and the laws the keep black
people from having the same laws as white people, like the right to vote. As an example of
determination in the face of prejudice, Granddaddy becomes the town’s first black registered
voter.
Goals and Objectives
TSW explore the value of speaking out for what is right.
TSW discuss respecting all people’s opinions and the purpose of voting.
TSW be introduced to historical changes in segregation and equal rights.
Month and Theme: January: Assertiveness
Grade Level: 2nd
Introduction (Hook) – Focus Questions (1-2)
1. Read the title. What do you think Granddaddy’s gift could be?
2. Ask all of the students who were born between January 1 and March 15 to
leave their seats and stand at the side of the room. Tell them they represent
minorities in the United States. Then ask the seated students to count off by twos:
1’s who represent white women, should join those at the side of the room; 2’s,
who represent white men, should remain seated. Next, ask those who live in a
rented apartment or house to stand. Tell half of these to join the students at the
side of the classroom and allow the others to be seated. Explain to students that
those who are seated represent the people who could vote when our nation was
just beginning. In half the states, all white males could vote, while in the other
half, only white males who owned property could vote. Discuss this simulation.
Is this a fair way to decide who has the right to vote? Why or why not.
Activity from Observing Constitution Day with Literacy Activities
Reading Guide by Laurel Singleton, CELD
Discussion Questions (3-5)
1. What was the gift that Granddaddy gave? To whom did Granddaddy give the gift?
2. Why is it important to vote?
3. Describe what happened when Granddaddy first tried to register to vote. What
bad things happened to the family after that? Was voting worth the trouble the
family experienced? Why or why not?
4. How had voting changed from when Granddaddy voted to when Little Joe voted?
5. Sometimes it takes courage to speak up for what is right. Can you share a time
when you took a chance to stand up for yourself? Share background of famous
civil rights activists like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Reflection