The+Listeners+(Stroberg)

Photo retreived from: [] The Listeners by Gloria Whelan and Illustrated by Mike Benny Whelan, Gloria. (2009). //The Listeners,// IL. Benny, Mike//,// Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea, MI. **Summary**: This is a story about A young slave girl Ella May who lives on a plantation and works in the cotton fields early in the morning to late at night. When her work is done, she and her friends listen near a window at the master's house to learn about their own and family's fate. Because they are not in control of theri own lives they decide to listen to what they can even though it is very dangerous. But because they took a chance, they learn some exciting news. Do they dare dream of Freedom? **Websites with additional reviews**: [] [] **Useful classroom websites**: [] [] [] [] [] [] **Discussion Questions:** **1.** What do you think Ella and her friends hoped to learn while listening under the master's window? 2. What does freedom mean to you? What do you think it meant to Ella? 3. Why do you think the children listened under the window instead of the adults? 4. If you could tell Ella something about your life today, what would it be? What do you think Ella would want to know? I chose this book because I found that discussing slavery with the younger grades is sometimes difficult, this book is a great way to introduce the darker part of our countries history without glossing over the events that happened. A very well written and illustrated book.


 * Classroom Activities**: Read //The Listeners// by Gloria Whelan, discuss what slavery was. Show examples of Harriet Power's (slave) quilts, explain how some free'd slaves made quilts with secret messages in them and hung them along the fences near the underground railroad, so that escaping slaves would know where to go. Have the students create a quilt square with a secret message (see pathways website for ideas), or story to share with the rest of the class. You may also want to show examples of Faith Ringgold's contemporary quilts to connect the past to the present. Discus how traditions are passed down from generation to generation. Have students discuss their own family traditions and draw a picture. Click below for a free art lesson 3-4th grade [[file:(3) Community Quilts.doc]]