Chains

Chains

Chains  (The Seeds of America Trilogy)

By: Laurie Halse Anderson

Copyright: 2010

Published by: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction

 Genre: Historical Fiction

My rating:

Grade Level Equivalent 4.7

Lexile Measure: 780L

During the fight for freedom, thirteen-year-old Isabel is faced with the promise of freedom upon the death of her owner.  The fight for freedom is now in the hands of Isabel and her sister, Ruth as the American Revolutionary War is taking place.  Isabel meets Curzon, another slave who convinces  Isabel to spy on her owner.  Her at first reluctancy turns into loyalty when the unthinkable happens to her sister Ruth and she is left with no other choice.  Take part in the journey to find freedom through this 2009 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction novel. 

Suggested Delivery:

Small discussion groups, independent reading

Words to Describe book:

Thrilling

Emotional

Shocking

Suspenseful

Powerful

Useful Electronic Resources:

Teacher Reading Guide

This lesson plan gives the students an overview into the historical fiction genre by providing a mini-lesson that focuses on the genre itself.  There are also lessons and guided questions along the way to prompt students with while reading the text.  There are questions for understanding, notebook entry prompts, and a comprehension question to answer for each section of the novel.  This reading guide is very helpful and a great resource when reading, Chains (The Seeds of America Trilogy). 

Anderson's Blog- Teachers Guide

This reading guide is connected to the Common Core State Standards and is straight from Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog under “Chains- Teacher Section.”  There are 6 various activities that students can participate in while reading this novel that highlights the most important components of the novel, as posed by the author.  There are areas in which the students are asked to explain quotes, study the time period or creating their own definitions of important words, such as “liberty.”  This lesson guide is easy to use and provides fun activities for students that also provide the CCSS that each activity addresses.

Anderson's Blog- Student Resources

This resource is Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog that is very student-friendly that provides more information and resources for students to explore the novel on their own.  One of the most interesting features is the “Chains Playlist” that Anderson has created, which is music that relates to the novel and helps give some more information about the setting of the novel.  Also for the students use are some links that help give a more cultural understanding of the text, which helps to build up the students schema and make the text more relatable.  This is a great resource that your students can explore or use to give more context and background for the text. 

Teaching Opportunities:

Key Vocabulary:

Slavery- The condition in which one person is owned as property by another

Privy (13)- Sharing in the knowledge of something secret of private

Addlepated (20)- Being mixed up or confused

Impudence (37)- Failing to show proper respect; very rude

Insolence (145)- Rude and disrespectful behavior

Brainpan (239)- A person’s skull

Reading Strategy Suggestions to increase literal and/ or inferential comprehension:

Pre-Reading Strategy

Anticipation Guide- Used to activate students’ prior knowledge.  With this novel I would use this anticipation guide to get the students motivated about a novel about slavery and freedom.  

           

During-Reading Strategy

Fishbowl Discussion- Helps students practice being in a discussion by being active listeners and speakers while sitting in a “fishbowl” circle with a selected topic.

Since this novel would be best with small groups/ discussion groups, this strategy would be very helpful to use while reading to get the discussion going each week about this novel. 

Post-Reading Strategy

Readers’ Theatre- Dramatic representation of written work in script form.

In small groups, the students will write a script that outlines the main events in the novel.  Each student in the group takes on the role of a character and acts out the script in front of the class to show their understanding of the sequence of events and the feelings of the characters in the novel.

Writing Activity

Discussion Questions

Students will write a written response to the following question in response to the novel and key themes:

Role models may be found in real life and in stories. How are Isabel's momma and Queen Esther, from the Bible, her role models for bravery? Discuss the connection between bravery, courage, and fear. What is Isabel's first act of bravery? Discuss her most fearful moments. How is her bravery and courage fueled by her fears? How does she become bolder and braver as the novel develops? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.