Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the effects of racism on communities. What are some effective strategies for combating racism?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to reflect on the theme Racism’s Divisive Effect on a Community. Racism is of course harmful and divisive in communities, and Schmidt’s novel demonstrates how its fabricated hierarchies are based on stereotypes and unkindness. Turner’s friendship with Lizzie, a young Black girl, challenges these harmful stereotypes. Only after a series of obstacles and deaths, however, is Turner able to start healing division in the town with love and kindness. Due to the sensitive nature of the prompt, a private individualized response may be most suitable for implementation. Students might optionally discuss their writing with a partner, then compare ideas for combating racism. Students might compose responses in a notebook or reading journal they can easily access throughout the unit so that they can return to these ideas during reading and make additional notes or reflect on ways their ideas apply to the text.

• The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture explores the “
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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