Lessons & Units :: The Great Migration: Journey to the North 4th Grade Unit

Read-Aloud Lesson: The Great Migration: Journey to the North

Lesson Plan

The Great Migration: Journey to the North | 730L

The Great Migration: Journey to the North
Learning Goal
Analyze the socio-historical vignettes throughout the book to make inferences about the significance of the Great Migration in the lives of contemporary African Americans.
Necessary Materials
Provided:
  1. Detailed lesson plan
  2. Graphic organizer for guided practice
  3. Independent student worksheet

Not Provided:
The Great Migration: Journey to the North
 
  1. This lesson is a close reading of the entire text. So it’s important to engage students often, to enhance their learning. Here are two tips:

    •   When you ask the more complex questions from the lesson, ask students to “turn-and-talk” or “buddy-talk” before answering.

    •   Once you are deep into the lesson, instead of asking students every question provided, ask them to share with you what questions they should be asking themselves at that point in the text. This is also a great opportunity to use "turn-and-talk."
       
  2. Suggested teacher language is included in the lesson.

  3. We recommend you read the book once to your students, either the day or morning before teaching the lesson.

  4. This research-based, read-aloud lesson may seem long. Why do students need the lesson to be this way?
 

Part 1: Teacher Modeling and Questioning

 

Write the following student-friendly learning goal on the board, then read the learning goal out loud with the class:

We will read the descriptions in this book closely to figure out why the Great Migration was important to African Americans who were alive when it happened.

 
Prepare Students for the Lesson
 
Read the author’s note at the beginning of the book. The note begins with “Between 1915 and 1930” and ends with “part of the Great Migration.” (Be aware that “Parmele” is pronounced “par-ma-lee.”)
 
Read page 1 out loud, including the heading. (Whenever a heading appears on a page in this book, be sure to read it as well as the main text.) Page 1 ends with, “‘How about you?’” Show students the accompanying illustration. If possible, always show students the illustrations on the pages you read.
1.
Teacher says (models thinking): The book states that “they read about it” and “heard about it.” The book never identifies who “they” are, so I wonder whom the word “they” is referring to. I am going to look for clues on this page about who “they” are.
2.
Teacher asks: We learn that “they” are reading and hearing about things from letters, newspapers, visiting cousins, brothers, and aunts. What are some of the things that “they” are reading and hearing about?
 
Students answer: Responses should include at least two of the following:
  • They are reading and hearing that there are jobs in the North.
  • They are reading and hearing that there are nice houses in the North.
  • The are reading and hearing that there is no Ku Klux Klan everywhere you turn in the North.
3.
Teacher says (models thinking): I notice similarities between the news “they” are hearing about and what we learned about African Americans on the previous page. “They” are thinking about moving North for jobs and safety from the Ku Klux Klan. I wonder whether “they” could be the African Americans who were part of the Great Migration. Let’s look for more clues about who “they” are.
4.
Teacher asks: As they read and hear the news, they talk about it and spread the word. What are some of the things they say to each other?
 
Students answer: Responses should include at least two of the following. If necessary, reread the last five sentences of the page to jog students’ memories.
  • “Did you hear the news?”
  • “Can it really be true?”
  • “Well, I’m going to see. How about you?”
5.
Teacher asks: Based on what “they” are saying to each other, how do they feel about the things they are reading and hearing about? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they have a basis in the text. Students may identify such emotions as curiosity, interest, excitement, and incredulity, all of which are reflected in what the people are saying to each other.
6.
Teacher says (models thinking): Now we have some more clues about who the people reading, listening, thinking, and talking are. We learn that they are hearing things about the North that they can hardly believe. They want to go see it for themselves, which tells me they must be living somewhere else. Another clue is the illustrations alongside the text. These pictures show people who look they are talking and holding papers that could be letters or newspapers. These people are black and possibly African American. Based on what we learned about the Great Migration on the previous page, it seems likely that these characters are African Americans thinking about moving from the southern part of the United States to the North.
Read more
 
Read pages 2-4. Page 4 ends with, “...that far.”
7.
Teacher asks: The title of this section in the book is “Goodbyes.” What is the man saying goodbye to?
 
Students answer: The man is saying goodbye to the land.
8.
Teacher asks: How does saying goodbye make the man feel?
 
Students answer: Saying goodbye makes the man feel sad.
9.
Teacher asks: What does the man hear is waiting for him hundred of miles away?
 
Students answer: The man hears that a better life is waiting for him.
10.
Teacher says (models thinking): We have some information about what is happening to this man. The book tells us that he is saying goodbye to the land, that he is sad, and that a better life is waiting for him hundreds of miles away. Thinking about this information together with what we read earlier gives me an idea. We learned that many people were reading and talking about jobs and nice houses in the North. Reading about this man leaving the land around him for a better life makes me think that he might be going North to get a job and a nice house. Let’s see whether the book gives us more details about him or other people like him as we keep reading.
 
Read page 5. Page 5 ends with, “...going to be happy.”
11.
Teacher asks: What does the girl or boy almost do when telling friends goodbye?
 
Students answer: She or he almost cries.
12.
Teacher asks: The girl or boy is going to ride a train. Where is the train going?
 
Students answer: The train is going up North.
13.
Teacher asks: Whom is the girl or boy going to hug after getting off the train?
 
Students answer: She or he is going to hug Daddy.
14.
Teacher asks: How does the girl or boy expect to feel with Mama and Daddy?
 
Students answer: The girl or boy expects to feel happy.
15.
Teacher asks: How does the girl or boy feel about moving up North? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they are supported by the text. For example, students may respond that the girl or boy feels sad and happy. She or he feels sad because of having to tell friends goodbye but happy because of a future life with both Mama and Daddy.
16.
Teacher asks: What has Daddy found in the North for Mama and the girl or boy?
 
Students answer: Both of the following responses should be given:
  • Daddy has found a job.
  • Daddy has found a place for Mama and the girl or boy to live.
17.
Teacher asks: Why is the girl or boy probably going to the North?
 
Students answer: The girl or boy is probably going to the North because his or her father found a job and a place for the family to live.
 
Read pages 6-8. Page 8 ends with, “I will be there.”
18.
Teacher asks: Now we have met someone else saying goodbye. What are some of the things this woman is saying goodbye to?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary as long as they reflect the text. Make sure at least three of the following are given:
  • This woman is saying goodbye to her town.
  • This woman is saying goodbye to work all day for almost no pay.
  • This woman is saying goodbye to enemy cotton fields.
  • This woman is saying goodbye to crazy signs.
19.
Teacher says: The woman says goodbye to “crazy signs, telling me where I can go, what I can do.” That reminds me of something we read at the very beginning of the book. The author wrote that in the southern part of the United States, “there were ‘White Only’ signs on water fountains, in lunchrooms, and other places, meaning that only white people could use them.”
20.
Teacher asks (displaying illustration on page 7): Look at this picture of the woman. What do you notice about her skin color?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary in wording, but students should recognize that the woman is not white.
21.
Teacher asks (displaying illustration on page 7): Notice the signs in the background of this illustration. One says, “FOR WHITE ONLY.” Another says, “COLORED ENTRANCE.” “Colored” is a word that was once used to refer to African Americans, often in a negative way. Could the signs that are shown in the illustration and mentioned by the woman be the same as the signs we read about at the beginning of the book? Explain why or why not, using evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, but students should recognize the similarity between the signs described at the beginning of the book and the signs in this section. They are all racist signs that restricted the freedom of African Americans.
22.
Teacher asks: Phrases like “enemy cotton fields” and “crazy signs” are clues about how this woman feels. Describe how this woman feels about saying goodbye, using evidence from the book to support your answer.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should recognize that this woman is glad to be saying goodbye. She is eager to get away from the “enemy cotton fields” and “crazy signs” around her.
23.
Teacher asks: Is the way this woman feels about saying goodbye the same or different from the way the man and the girl felt about saying goodbye? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they are supported by the book. For example, students may respond that this woman feels differently about saying goodbye than the man and the girl did. She is unambivalently glad to say goodbye and get out of town, while the man and the girl felt sad about saying goodbye. On the other hand, students may respond that the woman feels similarly to the girl about saying goodbye. The woman is happy to leave, just as the girl was happy to be going away to live with both her parents.
24.
Teacher asks: Based on the woman’s thoughts and feelings, why might she want to go North?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they have a basis in the text. For example:
  • The woman might want to go North so that she can live freely, without signs telling her where to go and what to do.
  • The woman might want to go North so that she can find a better job that does not hurt her body or spirit.
 
Read page 9. Page 9 ends with, “...going to need it.”
25.
Teacher asks: How does this very young woman feel?
 
Students answer: She feels scared.
26.
Teacher asks: When the young woman goes off to the big city, is she going to be with people she knows or by herself?
 
Students answer: She is going to be by herself.
27.
Teacher says: The young woman is going off to the big city because her mama is making her go. Her mother wants her to be happy and safe. This information shows us that the mother does not believe the place they currently live is safe for the young woman. If it were, the mother would not be making her daughter leave for the big city.
28.
Teacher asks: What does her mother put in her suitcase?
 
Students answer: Her mother puts the young woman’s teddy bear in her suitcase.
29.
Teacher asks: The book explains that the mother puts the teddy bear in the suitcase because she knows that her daughter is going to need it. Why is the young woman going to need the teddy bear? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): The young woman is going to need the teddy bear because she is scared. The teddy bear will comfort her and help her feel less scared.
30.
Teacher asks: We have read about the feelings of several different people as they prepare to leave the area around them. These people include a man, a girl or boy, a woman, and a very young woman. Name some of their different feelings.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary as long as they reflect the text. Students may identify such feelings as sadness, happiness, eagerness, and fear.
31.
Teacher says: The powerful feelings of the people being described show us that moving away is a big deal for them. Let’s read on to learn more about the move they are making.
 
Read pages 10-12. Page 12 ends with, “...packed for the trip.”
32.
Teacher says (models thinking): Once again the book is describing what “they” are doing without explaining who “they” are. Could “they” be the same people as “they” at the beginning of the book? Let’s see whether we can use clues in the text to figure that out.
33.
Teacher asks: One thing we learn is that “they” are traveling. What kind of transportation are they using to travel?
 
Students answer: They are using a train.
34.
Teacher asks: Think about everything we have read so far. Where might these people be traveling? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, but ideally students will recognize that these people are traveling North. Earlier parts of the book mentioned the possibility of a better life in the North, people’s curiosity about it, and their plans to pursue it. Now that we read about people traveling, all the evidence points to a destination in the North.
35.
Teacher asks (displaying picture on page 11): Look at this picture. Are these people similar to or different from the people in the pictures we looked at in the beginning of the book?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they reflect the pictures. For example:
  • These people are similar to the people in the earlier pictures. The people in all the pictures are black, possibly African American. (make sure this response is given before moving on)
  • These people are different from the people in the earlier pictures. Those people were standing around, talking, and holding papers. These people are standing in a big group, maybe a line, and holding suitcases.
36.
Teacher asks: Are “they” the same people on these pages as “they” were at the beginning of the book? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary and include the following:
  • Yes, they are the same people. At the beginning of the book they were hearing, reading, and talking about going to see if life in the North really was better. Now they are actually traveling there.
  • Yes, they are the same people. The illustrations show that they are black people, probably African Americans, who are taking part in the journey to the North.
 
Read page 13. Page 13 ends with, “...don’t yet know.”
37.
Teacher asks: Why might some people think the train is not moving fast enough?
 
Students answer: They might be impatient to get to where they are going.
38.
Teacher asks: Why might some people think the train is moving too fast?
 
Students answer: They might be sad to leave their home.
39.
Teacher asks: Think of the different people we have read about: the man, the girl, the boy, the woman, and the very young woman. If they were on the train, would any of them think it was not moving fast enough? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they are supported by the book. For example, students may respond that if the woman were on the train, she might think it was not moving fast enough because she wants to get out of her town so badly.
40.
Teacher asks: Would any of the people we read about think the train was moving too fast?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they are supported by the book. For example, students may respond that the very young woman might think the train was moving too fast because she is afraid to leave her home behind.
 
Read pages 14-17. Page 17 ends with, “...and more.”
41.
Teacher asks: Where are some of the places that the people on the train are going to?
 
Students answer: Students should name at least two cities mentioned by the book. These include Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit.
42.
Teacher asks: All of these places are big cities up North. It sounds like the people on the train are going to see whether things really are better up there. These details remind me of what we read at the very beginning of the book. We learned that more than a million African Americans left their homes in the South between 1915 and 1930. They moved to cities in the North. Based on the similarities between these real-life African Americans and the characters we have been reading about, what can you conclude about the characters in this book?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, but students should recognize that the characters in the book are fictionalized versions of African Americans who moved to cities in the North between 1915 and 1930.
 
Read pages 18-22. Page 22 ends with, “No matter what.”
43.
Teacher asks: What question are the men and women on the train asking?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): “Will I make a good life for my family, for myself?”
 
If students cannot remember, reread the heading and first sentence of page 22. (The first sentence is the question that the men and women on the train are asking.)
44.
Teacher asks: The book states that the wheels are singing. The author is referring to the wheels of the train. What does it mean that the wheels are singing?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): It means that the wheels are making a sound like someone singing.
45.
Teacher asks: The wheels are singing an answer to the question that the men and women on the train are asking. The men and women are asking, “Will I make a good life for my family, for myself?” What do the wheels seem to be singing in reply?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): “Yes, you will, you will, you will!”
46.
Teacher asks: How do the men and women on the train feel as they listen to the wheels sing? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they are supported by the book. For example:
  • The people feel hopeful. They hope the wheels are right.
  • The people feel determined. They are going to try having a great life no matter what.
47.
Teacher asks: Think back to the question that the men and women on the train are asking. “Will I make a good life for my family, for myself?” Why are these men and women probably taking a train to the North?
 
Students answer: These men and women are probably taking a train to the North to make a good life for themselves and their families.
 
Read pages 23 and 24. Page 24 ends with, “...their dreams.”
48.
Teacher asks: What are the people who arrive in the North filling up the cities with?
 
Students answer (responses may include any of the following):
  • They are filling up the cities with their hopes.
  • They are filling up the cities with their courage.
  • They are filling up the cities with their dreams.
 
Read page 25. Page 25 ends with, “...lets the tears fall.”
49.
Teacher asks: Now the author is telling us about her own family. In 1929 her family was living in Parmele, North Carolina. There was not enough of something for her daddy, however. What was there not enough of?
 
Students answer: There was not enough work.
50.
Teacher asks: Where were the cousins and friends of Mama and Daddy telling them to go?
 
Students answer (responses may include both of the following):
  • Their cousins and friends were telling them to go North.
  • Their cousins and friends were telling them to go to Washington, D.C.
51.
Teacher asks: Think about Daddy’s problem finding work. Why might it have been a good idea for his family to go North to Washington, D.C.?
 
Students answer: There might have been work for Daddy there.
52.
Teacher asks: Daddy got on a train to go away. What did Mama do after she said goodbye to Daddy, walked home, and sat on the porch?
 
Students answer: Mama cried.
53.
Teacher asks: How did Mama feel? Explain your answer using evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Mama felt very distressed and upset about being away from Daddy, or her husband. That is why she cried.
 
Finish reading the book.
 

Part 2: Guided Practice and Discussion

 
For this oral lesson, it is suggested to have the completed graphic organizer on the board with the second and third columns concealed. After students provide a correct answer, reveal the corresponding answer on the graphic organizer. For some of the fields, more than one correct answer is possible. In such cases the answers provided on the completed graphic organizer are meant to serve as examples, not definitive responses.
1.
Teacher asks: One of the people we read about in The Great Migration was the man. What was he feeling?
 
Students answer: He was feeling sadness.
2.
Teacher asks: Why was he feeling this way?
 
Students answer: He was feeling this way because he was saying goodbye to the land.
3.
Teacher asks: Why was the man making a journey to the North?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): The man was making a journey to the North because he heard that a better life was waiting for him there.
4.
Teacher asks: Another person we read about was the girl or boy. What was she or he feeling?
 
Students answer: Responses may include both of the following:
  • She or he was feeling sadness.
  • She or he was feeling happiness.
5.
Teacher asks: Why was she or he feeling this way?
 
Students answer: Responses may include both of the following:
  • The girl or boy was feeling sadness because of having to say goodbye to friends.
  • The girl or boy was feeling happiness because of a future life with both Mama and Daddy.
6.
Teacher asks: Why did the girl or boy go to the North?
 
Students answer: The girl or boy went to the North because his or her father found a job and a place for the family to live.
Read more
7.
Teacher asks: Another person we read about was the woman. What was the woman feeling?
 
Students answer: The woman was feeling eagerness.
8.
Teacher asks: Why was she feeling this way?
 
Students answer: She was feeling this way because she was getting away from the “enemy cotton fields” and “crazy signs” around her.
9.
Teacher asks: Why might the woman have wanted to go North?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they have a basis in the text. For example:
  • The woman wanted to go North so that she could live freely, without signs telling her where to go and what to do.
  • The woman wanted to go North so that she could find a better job that did not hurt her body or spirit.
10.
Teacher asks: Another person we read about was the very young woman. What was the very young woman feeling?
 
Students answer: The very young woman was feeling fear.
11.
Teacher asks: Why was she feeling this way?
 
Students answer: She was feeling this way because she was going to be by herself.
12.
Teacher asks: Think about what the young woman’s mother wanted for her. Why was the young woman going North?
 
Students answer: The young woman was going North because her mother wanted her to be happy and safe.
13.
Teacher asks: Some other people we read about were the men and women on the train. What were they feeling?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following): The men and women on the train were feeling hope and determination.
14.
Teacher asks: Why were they feeling this way?
 
Students answer: They were feeling this way because they were going to try having a great life no matter what.
15.
Teacher asks: Why were these men and women taking a train to the North?
 
Students answer: These men and women were taking a train to the North to make a good life for themselves and their families.
16.
Teacher asks: Another person we read about was the author’s mama. What was the author’s mama feeling?
 
Students answer: The author’s mama was feeling distress.
17.
Teacher asks: Why was she feeling this way?
 
Students answer: She was feeling this way because she was away from her husband.
18.
Teacher asks: Even though the process of moving North upset the author’s mama, why did she and the author’s daddy decide to move there?
 
Students answer: They thought there might be work for the author’s daddy in the North.
 
After the answers for the graphic organizer have been completed and discussed with the class, ask the following two extension questions.
 
Teacher asks: The title of this book is The Great Migration: Journey to the North. A migration is the movement of people or animals over a long distance from one place to another. Why might this book be called The Great Migration: Journey to the North? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, as long as they are supported by the book. For example, students may respond that the book is called The Great Migration: Journey to the North because it describes the journey that a large group of people made to the North.
 
Teacher asks: Was moving to the North an important event in the lives of the people described in this book? Explain why or why not, using evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary, but students should recognize that moving to the North was an important event in the lives of the people described in the book. The move was emotional, bringing out powerful feelings of sadness, happiness, fear, eagerness, and more. It also gave people a chance to make better lives for themselves in a new place.
 

Part 3: Student Independent Practice

 
Both the student question set and teacher answer sheet are provided in the 'Text & Materials' section.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

(To see all of the ReadWorks lessons aligned to your standards, click here.)

User Comments

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