The Watsons, an African American family, take a trip to Birmingham, Alabama to visit their grandmother. There are cleverly told stories of sibling rivalry and the general tensions within a typical family. Once in Birmingham, the family encounters racial tensions. Their trip coincides with the 1963 Civil Rights movement. They are forced to leave Birmingham when their grandmother's church is burned down.
The setting of this story will keep all readers engaged. Almost everyone is aware of the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham, so to read about the Watson family right in the middle of it, will keep you reading to see how this particular family, in this particular place become a part of history.
Students should be encouraged to discuss conflict. Conflict plays an important role in this book. Students could also work in small groups to research the Civil Rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The story of famous and not negro league baseball players is told from an unnamed narrator's point of view. Nelson also gives the timeline of the creation and destruction of the Negro Baseball League. These baseball players worked tirelessly to tear down the walls of segregation and discrimination within the sport of baseball.
The characters of this book are fascinating. You read about many different men and their involvement in the development of the Negro Baseball League and you find yourself wanting to know more and more about each one of them.
Teachers, I encourage you to utilize the website, Teachers Pay Teachers, you can find many wonderful free ideas and activities, as well as, for a small fee, complete lesson plans. The following link will take you to a two week long lesson plan, complete with vocabulary and cross curricular activities. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Two-Weeks-Lesson-Plans-Vocab-for-We-Are-The-Ship-by-Kadir-Nelson-139877
Monologues from all walks of life, from upper and lower societal class, provide an insiders look into the life and times of a medieval village. Many of the monologues intertwine, as their lives cross on a daily basis.
The style of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is exceptional. The fictional medieval town, and its fictional medieval inhabitants tell an incredible story written in the sweet style of individual monologues.
This book lends itself to reader's theater like no other. Students can take on the role of a character from the book, or use those stories to create their own medieval character. .
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