ArtandLiteratureLessonPlanforGrades6-8:
RollofThunder,HearMyCry&
Worksfromthe
OgdenMuseumofSouthernArt
LessonOverview________________________________________________________________
InRollofThunder,HearMyCry,theNewberryaward-winningbookbyMildredD.Taylor,
studentsgetafirst-handlookatlifeinruralMississippiinthe1930s.Issuesofracism,prejudice,
andtheinstitutionsthatsupportthemaresurvivedbythenarrator’sdevelopingsenseoffamily
andloveofthelandinthe.Likewise,artinthecollectionoftheOgdenMuseumexploresmany
ofthesameissuesandthemes.Here,visualartmakespowerfulconnectionstoliteratureand
thelargersocialimplicationsthatallowcontemporarystudentstomeaningfullyexplore
anotherplaceandtimeinAmericanhistoryandconnecthistorytotheirownlives.
MUSEUMTOUR_________________________________________________________________
WhenvisitingtheOgdenMuseum,studentswillobserveandanalyzeworksthatwillassistin
placingthestoryofRollofThunder,HearMyCryintogreaterhistoricalandculturalcontext,
allowingincreasedengagementwiththenovelanditsthemes.
MuseumdocentswillusetheVisualThinkingStrategiesmethodtodiscussindividualworks,and
thenconnecttheseworkstothebook(SeeIndexforimages).
VOCABULARY__________________________________________________________________
Elementsofart—agroupofaspectsofvisualartthatisusedasafoundationforartdiscussion.
Includescolor,shape,line,texture,value,form,andspace.
Color—hueinaworkofart.Canbedividedintoprimary(red,yellow,andblue)colorsand
secondary(orange,green,purple),warm(red,orange,yellow)andcool(green,blue,purple),
andneutral(white,gray,black,brown).
Shape—canbedividedintogeometric(triangle,circle,square,polygon),andorganic(puddle,
blob,leaf,boomerang).
Line—“amarkthatspansthedistancebetweentwopoints”;linecanbeusedtodefineshapes
(thick,thin,heavy,light,straight,curvy,etc.).
Texture—thequalityofasurface,whatitwouldfeellikeiftouched
Value—lightanddark,shadeandhighlight
Form—three-dimensionalityofawork,includesshowingheight,width,anddepth
Space—referstothebackground,middleground,andforeground
PrinciplesofArt—agroupofaspectsofvisualartthatartistsusetoorganizetheelementsof
artintoanartwork,includingunity,harmony,variety,balance,contrast,proportion,
pattern/rhythm,andreferences.
Unity—howthepieceofartworksawhole;theconceptbehindthework
Harmony—howtheelementsoftheworklooktogether;repeatingsimilarelementsthroughout
thework
Variety—usingdifferentforms,shapes,lines,andcolorsthroughoutthework
Balance—arrangingelementsoftheworksothatnoonepartoverpowerstherest
Contrast—usingelementsthatconflictwithoneanother
Proportion—therelativesizeofelementswithinacomposition
Pattern/rhythm—showingconsistencywithcolorsandlineswithinawork
Poverty—theconditionofhavinglittleornomoney,goods,resources,ormeansofsupport
TheGreatDepression—aperiodbetween1930and1940inwhichmanypeoplelosttheirjobs,
farms,homes,andlife’ssavingsduetoeconomicdeclineandastockmarketcrash.Peoplewho
werepooralreadybecamemuchmoreso,becausethereweresomanypeoplelookingfor
work,andthepricesofcropsalsofelldramatically.
Racism–abeliefthatdifferencesintheraceofthepersondeterminestheirworth
Prejudice—anopinionofsomethingorsomeoneformedwithoutknowledge,thought,or
reason
Segregation—thepracticeorpolicyofcreatingseparatefacilitieswithinthesamesocietyfor
theuseofaminoritygroup;apracticecommoninAmericabetweentheCivilWar(1865)and
theCivilRightsMovement(1964).
CivilRightsActof1964—endedthelegaldiscriminationagainstblacks,women,andother
minoritiesinpublicplaces,includingschools.
Sharecropping—AsystemoftenantfarmingthatcameintowideuseintheSouthernUnited
StatesduringtheReconstructionera(1865–1877).TheSouthhadbeendevastatedbywar;
plantershadlandbutnomoneytopaylabortheyhadbeengettingforfree.Atthesametime,
mostoftheformerslaveshadlaborbutnomoneyandnolandandnootherskillsthanfarming.
Thesolutionwasthesharecroppingsystemfocusedoncotton,whichwastheonlycropthat
couldgeneratecashforthecroppers,landowners,merchantsandthetaxcollector.Former
slaveownersusedthesystemtocontrolandexploitformerslaves,providinglittleprogression
awayfromslaveryforblackfamiliesinthesouth.
STORYACTIONCONNECTIONSTOMUSEUMTOUR____________________________________
Connectingthestoryactiontothemesofthebookandtotheartworkobservedduringthe
museumtourisimportantforprovidingcontextualinformationtostudents.Thefollowingcan
bementionedalongwithvocabularytermsforapplicableworks:
1)StrengthofFamilyandIndependence
• TheclosenessofCassieandhersiblings
• UncleHammer’svisits
• Howtheyallworktogethertokeepthehouseholdandfarmgoing
• BigMa’sstoryabouthowCassie’sgrandfatherboughtthelandandworkedit,andhow
itisstillintheirfamily
3)Prejudice,Racism,andtheInstitutionsthatSupportThem
• Cassie’sexperienceswithLillianJeanSimms,attheBarnettstore,andatthemarketin
Strawberry
• The“nightmen”andwhathappenstotheBerryfamily;andTJ
• Mr.Jamisonistheanti-racist;helpsblackfamilieseventhoughotherwhitefamilies
disapprove
• Schoolsandbusesseparate,textbooksinferior
• TheConfederateflagthatfliesattheschool
• FamiliesshopattheWallacestoredespiteitsbadinfluence,becausetheyhavenocash
topayforthingsupfrontandmustusecredit;havesomeonesignforthem
• Papa’sjobwiththerailroadtakeshimfarawayfromthefamily;thereislittle
opportunitywheretheLoganfamilylives
REFLECTIONANDRESPONSE_____________________________________________________
Writeatleastthreesentencesconnectingaworkseenontourtooneofthemainthemesofthebook
RollofThunder,HearMyCry,usingdetailsfromobservationofthepieceaswellasthebook.Main
themesinclude:1)strengthoffamilyandindependence,and2)experienceofracism,prejudiceand
theinstitutionsthatsupportthem.
Ex:“ThepaintingTeacherbyBennyAndrews,whichshowsawomanseatedataschooldeskwitha
book,remindsmeofhowthestudentsinthebookgotusedtextbooksthatwereinpoorconditionafter
havingbeenusedbywhitestudentsformanyyears.ThisfigureremindsmeofMs.Logan,andhowshe
triedtomakethebooksbetterforthechildrenbygluingpaperovertheinsidecover,andhowshegot
firedfornotteachingexactlywhatwasinthetextbook.Inmyopinion,thispaintingrepresentshow
racismaffectedpeoplethrougheducationinthe1930s.”
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INDEX_____________________________________________________
BennyAndrews,ThePlower,ThePovertyofItAll,Teacher
KathleenBlackshear,PortraitofRobertGould;JohnKellyFitzpatrick,MulestoMarket
JohnMcCrady,PortraitofaNegro;EveningMeal,DuckHill,Mississippi
EudoraWelty,WomanoftheThirties;MarionPostWolcott,RestingfromHoeingCotton
MarionPostWolcott,NegroUsingOutsideStairwayfor‘Colored’toEnterMovieTheatre,Belzoni,MS,1939