Students read about and discuss United States history, from slavery to the civil rights movement, grappling with the discrimination and broken promises that African Americans faced.
In this unit, students learn about United States history by reading the core text, Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African-Americans, and excerpts from Let It Shine: Stories of Black Freedom Fighters and Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America. Throughout the unit, students grapple with the discrimination and broken promises African Americans faced, paired with the endless determination and perseverance that fueled countless triumphs to overcome unfair and unjust treatment. Through a study of slavery up through the civil rights movement, students will be challenged to think critically about different events, influential people, and how they have had a lasting impact on the America we know today. This is incredibly important for helping students not only understand America’s past, but also to understand the realities of America’s present. It is our goal that this unit, combined with others in the curriculum, will inspire a passion within students to stand up for what is right and to fight for civil rights in order to attain equality and justice for all human beings, regardless of race. The goal of this unit is not depth; rather, the focus is more on exposure and building student understanding of the history behind the civil rights movement while simultaneously building a sense of empowerment and empathy. In fifth grade, students will study the civil rights movement in depth, learning about a wider variety of influential leaders, groups, and events, especially those in which youth advocacy and fight inspired and drove change. It is our hope that the combination of both units will equip students with the tools necessary to begin to challenge injustice in their own lives.
The unit requires students to deeply analyze a text to see how an author develops different ideas and points using vivid evidence in both the text and illustrations. Students will analyze author’s word choice, the different details an author includes, and the way in which an author presents information in order to build a deeper understanding of the time period and the text. Students will also be challenged to carry information across multiple texts in order to build a deeper understanding of content and themes.
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Book: Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson (Balzer + Bray, 2013) — 1050L
Book: Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2013)
Book: Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America by Andrea Pinkney (Disney-Hyperion, 2012)
Book: The Friendship by Mildred D. Taylor (Puffin Books, 1998)
Book: The Gold Cadillac by Mildred D. Taylor (Puffin Books, 1998)
Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading (Grade 4 Unit 5)
See Text Selection Rationale
These assessments accompany this unit to help gauge student understanding of key unit content and skills. Additional progress monitoring suggestions are included throughout the unit.
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abolitionist abolish affairs ancestry apprehensive assassinated banned boycott condemn conviction confederacy contradict cringe cultivate despite debts degrading defiance deserted distinction dreaded drafted ease eavesdropping embrace enacted endure enraged enslaved expose flee fugitive gossip guidance harassed illiterate import innovation integrating intolerance invading jim crow justify kin longed lynching overseer persisted privilege practical prejudice reputation reconstruction resist scolded slavery superior sympathy taunt tension tense union vowed
"back on feet" "boiling point" "fruits of labor" "in the limelight" "swallow your pride"
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Prior to teaching the unit, we recommend teachers build their own knowledge and understanding of the key understandings of the unit. To do so, we recommend the following resources:
Heart and Soul — Prologue (7)
RI.4.6
RI.4.8
Explain who is speaking in the prologue and why the author would choose to write this way.
Heart and Soul pp. 8 – 13
RI.4.3
RI.4.5
RI.4.7
RI.4.8
Explain the significance of the statement “It should have been a proud moment for everybody, but, honey, we didn’t have much to celebrate."
Heart and Soul pp. 15 – 21 — Chapter 2
RI.4.7
RI.4.8
Explain how the author uses details and illustrations to build a deeper understand of slavery.
Heart and Soul pp. 23 – 24 — Chapter 3 (STOP on bottom of third paragraph)
RI.4.3
RI.4.7
RI.4.8
Analyze what evidence the author includes to support the statement that abolitionists “lit a fire inside many a slave to take their freedom."
Hand in Hand pp. 27 – 32 — Fredrick Douglass
RI.4.3
RI.4.5
RI.4.8
Explain where Frederick Douglass found his inspiration and drive.
Let It Shine pp. 17 – 22 — Harriet Tubman (stop at the top of page 22)
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Analyze the details an author includes to support a quote by Harriet Tubman.
Let It Shine pp. 22 – 27
RI.4.3
RI.4.5
RI.4.8
Explain the significance of the quote “Harriet Tubman’s name will never lose its distinction."
2 days
Informative Writing
Heart and Soul
Let It Shine
Hand in Hand
W.4.2
W.4.2.a
W.4.2.b
W.4.2.c
W.4.2.d
W.4.2.e
Write a multiple-paragraph essay about how courageous individuals create and drive change.
Heart and Soul pp. 24 – 27 — Chapter 3
RI.4.3
RI.4.5
RI.4.7
Explain the events that led up to the South being ready for a fight.
Heart and Soul — Chapter 4
RI.4.3
RI.4.7
RI.4.8
SL.4.1
Explain why the chapter was titled “Lincoln’s War” and if Lincoln’s actions helped or hurt the conditions for enslaved people.
Discussion
Hand in Hand
Heart and Soul
RI.4.9
W.4.9
SL.4.1
SL.4.4
Analyze and discuss unit-essential questions by stating a claim and supporting the claim with details from multiple sources.
Informative Writing
Hand in Hand
Heart and Soul
Let It Shine
W.4.2
W.4.2.a
W.4.2.b
W.4.2.c
W.4.2.d
W.4.2.e
Write a multiple-paragraph essay to answer a unit essential question.
Heart and Soul pp. 39 – 45
RI.4.3
RI.4.7
RI.4.8
SL.4.1
Defend how Reconstruction was supported by segregationist beliefs.
The Friendship pp. 30 – 51
RL.4.3
RI.4.9
Explain what the events in The Friendship reveal about the time period.
Heart and Soul — Chapter 6
RI.4.3
RI.4.7
RI.4.8
Explain what life was like on the frontier for Buffalo Soldiers and freed black people.
The Friendship pp. 9 – 29
RL.4.3
RI.4.9
Explain what the events in The Friendship reveal about the time period.
Heart and Soul pp. 53 – 61 — Chapter 7
RI.4.3
RI.4.5
RI.4.8
Explain what effect the Great Migration had on the lives of African Americans and the challenges they faced in their new communities.
Heart and Soul pp. 62 – 69 — Chapter 8
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Describe the progress African Americans made in the early twentieth century.
The Gold Cadillac pp. 9 – 26
RL.4.3
RI.4.9
SL.4.1
Debate if it was a good decision for Wilbert to drive the Cadillac south.
The Gold Cadillac pp. 27 – 43
RL.4.3
RI.4.9
SL.4.1
Explain what the events in The Gold Cadillac reveal about the time period.
Heart and Soul pp. 71 – 77 — Chapter 9
RI.4.3
RI.4.7
RI.4.8
Describe how the experience of fighting in World War II changed the people who returned home and how it changed the country.
Heart and Soul pp. 79 – 80 — Chapter 10
RI.4.8
Explain why the author titles the chapter “Black Innovation.”
Heart and Soul — Chapter 11
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
Explain how Jim Crow was dying.
Heart and Soul pp. 91 – 95
RI.4.3
RI.4.8
SL.4.1
Explain why the author titles the last chapter “Revolution” and why what happened was a revolution.
Heart and Soul — Epilogue
RI.4.8
Explain the significance of the final quote in Heart and Soul.
Discussion
Hand in Hand
Heart and Soul
Let It Shine
RI.4.9
W.4.9
SL.4.1
SL.4.4
Debate and discuss unit essential questions.
Informative Writing
All unit texts
W.4.2
W.4.2.a
W.4.2.b
W.4.2.c
W.4.2.d
W.4.2.e
Write a multiple-paragraph essay to answer a unit essential question.
6 days
Informative Writing
Let It Shine
Hand in Hand
RI.4.3
RI.4.5
RI.4.8
W.4.2
W.4.2.a
W.4.2.b
W.4.2.c
W.4.2.d
W.4.2.e
W.4.7
W.4.8
W.4.9
SL.4.1
SL.4.4
SL.4.5
Research and present about an African American hero.
Assessment
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