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I was lucky enough to see Sharon Draper read from this novel at an International Reading Association
conference the spring it was published. I would have loved the book no matter what, but hearing her passion
for the novel and cherishing the opportunity to share my experience with my students, I asked my reading
coach to buy a class set of the books the day I returned from the conference! Luckily, budgets were bigger
back in 2004, and she obliged. I spent the summer planning how I would teach the book. The lessons I’m
sharing with you now have been taught and revised and taught again and revised again. As I’ve been
preparing them for publication, I’m revising them once again.
Your students are going to love this book. I’m a reading teacher who believes in the power of a good book to
turn a nonreader into a reader; this book will do that. Therefore, I tread lightly when it comes to
“worksheets” and the kind of busy work that can turn a kid off from reading. I’m giving you a whole lot of
“worksheet” material here; I hope you’ll find ways to use it to augment the reading experience, rather than
distract from Draper’s incredible piece of literature.
NOTE: I did not provide answers to these questions! Many have more than one correct answer, are open to
interpretation, and ask for student opinion. All the questions are pretty straight-forward, and anyone who
has read the novel should have no difficulty answering them.
I use a lot of the questions for whole-class discussion, and sometimes I use the questions as a homework
reading check or individual response/formative assessments. I’ve provided them to you in a Word document
so you can cut and paste and adapt as you need. Your purchase of this unit allows you to do as you wish with
these materials in your classroom; however, it is a violation of the Digital Media Copyright Act to share the
material with other teachers at your school or to post the material on the Internet. Please direct your
colleagues back to TeachersPayTeachers where they can purchase their own sets! (I’m also a teacher who
knows that budgets aren’t what they used to be, so I keep my prices low and hope that others will recognize
the value in my work and refer their friends to my materials.)
These questions are second installment of a unit I plan to publish on Copper Sun. You can check out the
vocabulary activities on TpT by clicking here. Please follow me on TpT if you wish to be alerted when I post
the other components of the novel unit. I hope you find these materials useful and will post feedback on TpT
to let me know how they work out in your classroom.
Julie Conlon
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Julie-Conlon
Do you pin? Follow me on Pinterest. I’m building a significant collection of links and resources for all
the texts I teach. On my Teaching Copper Sun board, I have links to other lesson plans and
discussion questions, and other real-world connections. http://www.pinterest.com/hshots.
I’ve started a blog, too! Check out www.julieconlon.com for teaching tools and strategies for secondary
classrooms, with a special emphasis on reading and writing!
Author’s Note & “Heritage” by Countee Cullen
3. Why do you think the last four lines of the poem are italicized?
4. Why would Draper use a phrase from this poem as the title of her novel?
2. Despite being so far away, how is Amari’s life similar to that of an American teenage girl today?
3. Contrast the way Besa anticipates the guests with the way Amari’s mother does. Whose
reaction do you trust? Why?
3. Why do you think some were killed and others were captured?
1. What does the Ashanti imply by “this time I will be greatly rewarded”?
3. Amari feels Besa’s face has become a mask. What does that mean?
1. How does their destination differ from the Africa Amari has known?
2. What effect does the conversation with the woman have on Amari?
1. Why do you think the men put salves on their wounds and give them generous portions of water
and food?
2. Amari knew that she would never see Africa again. How do you think she is feeling as she nears
the ship?
Chapter 7: Ship of Death
1. Why would the sailors be even angrier than before after the losing the mother and daughter to
the sharks?
1. Why do the sailors bring the captives on deck to dance? How is this dancing and drumming
different from the dancing and drumming in Africa?
1. Why do you think the slaves were treated better as they get closer to Carolina (and what seems
like the end of their journey)?
1. Summarize the advice that Tybee gives the newly arrived Africans.
1. How does Polly differ from Clay’s expectation regarding an indentured girl?
2. What are Polly’s goals for her life? How does she think her time with the Derbys will help her
achieve them?
3. What shocking realization does she make (in regards to these goals) upon arrival at the
plantation?
Chapter 16: Teenie and Tidbit
1. Why would Teenie encourage Amari to keep her English secret from the Derbys?
1. What are some of the ways Teenie helps Amari adjust to life at Derbyshire Farms?
2. How did the death of the first Mrs. Derby affect Mr. Derby? Clay?
1. How does Mrs. Derby differ from Clay and Mr. Derby?
1. Why does Mr. Derby have to buy African men each year?
1. Describe Amari’s healing process. Who helped and how? How did Clay respond?
1. How does Mr. Derby react to the news? To Mrs. Derby? Toward the baby?
1. Summarize Mr. Derby’s punishment plans for Teenie, Polly, and Amari.
2. How is Cato going to ensure Clay cannot go to Charles Town in the morning?
1. Why does the doctor choose to help Amari, Polly, and Tidbit?
1. If you were Polly, Amari, or Tidbit, would you go north or south? Why?
2. What lesson does she share about living in harmony with nature?
2. Explain how they got away and what you think will happen to Clay.
Chapter 36: Should We Trust Him
1. What information does Nathan share with them about Fort Mose?
2. Based on the events of the entire chapter, can they trust him? Why or why not?
1. Summarize the changes in Besa. Why is he not interested in going south with Amari?
2. Does he believe Polly’s story about returning from a visit to her grandfather? How do you
know?
2. What jobs does Captain Menendez suggest that each of them should take at Fort Mose?
2. How does Amari’s choices of names reflect her acceptance of the condition?