Let the Circle Be Unbroken, Mentor Guide

Language Arts/English |
Unit: Let the Circle Be Unbroken

Harley Stephenson
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Mentor Guide
Unit: Let the Circle Be Unbroken
Set in the Deep South during the Great Depression, Mildred D. Taylor’s Let the Circle Be Unbroken tells the story of the Logan family’s struggle to survive and prosper against the crushing poverty and racism that define their situation. Your student will explore how the four Logan children change and grow over the course of the novel and the problems each faces as the innocence and simplicity of childhood give way to the challenges and harsh realities of adolescence and adulthood.
Unit Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Graded Assignments
Lesson Assignment Scored by
1 Let the Circle Be Unbroken Journal Part 1 Teacher
8 Let the Circle Be Unbroken Journal Part 2 Teacher
12 Unit Test Computer
12 Unit Test Teacher
Lesson 1: Let the Circle Be Unbroken Introduction
Students will begin reading Let the Circle Be Unbroken in this lesson. They will answer questions and take notes as they complete the assigned reading.
Students will print their Journal Part 1 assignment and work on it as they read Chapters 1–7 of Let the Circle Be Unbroken.
Synopsis of Novel
The Logans are an African American family in Mississippi during the Great Depression. They have four children: Stacey, Cassie, Christopher-John, and Little Man. The narrator of this novel is Cassie, the only girl. The story takes place in 1934 and 1935 after a family friend, T.J. Avery, has been charged in the killing of a white man. Though T.J. is innocent, there is a sad understanding in the black community that the all-white jury will not be sympathetic. As the Logan children watch with shock and sadness, T.J. is found guilty and sentenced to death.
After T.J.’s trial, the Logans face other problems. Though they own the land that they farm, survival remains difficult. Cassie’s mother has lost her job, and her father must work away from home on the railroad to bring in extra income. Depression-era tax programs are manipulated by plantation owners to keep tenant farmers and day laborers at a disadvantage. To combat these problems, some members of the community try to form an integrated union that will allow sharecroppers, black and white, to fight for their survival.
In the meantime, a cousin, Suzella, comes to live with the Logans. She captures the attention of nearly everyone she meets, except Cassie, who struggles with jealousy. Cassie also learns about Suzella’s unique position as someone who is half-white and half-black. Because Suzella’s skin is light, a local white boy mistakes her for white. Suzella does not correct his mistake. When the boy learns the truth about Suzella’s background, he returns to harass and humiliate Suzella and her father.
Stacey, now 13, has left home in search of work, which worries the entire family. Papa and Uncle Hammer search for Stacey at cane plantations all over the South without luck for several months. After Christmas, a kindly local lawyer named Mr. Jamison thinks he may have a lead on Stacey’s whereabouts, which gives the Logans hope. On the day they are to find out if Mr. Jamison has located Stacey, a riot erupts in Strawberry over a union demonstration and Mrs. Lee Annie’s attempt to register to vote. The union is disbanded and Mrs. Lee Annie is denied her rights, but the Logans locate Stacey and bring him home.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Graded Activities in this Lesson


Let the Circle Be Unbroken Journal Part 1 (offline, scored by teacher)

Materials
Student Guide
Self-Check Answers
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor

Lesson Information and Notes


Check In
When did the Great Depression occur? (The Great Depression began in 1929 and lasted through the 1930s, only truly ending after the United States entered World War II in 1941.)
Discuss
How are people and communities affected when they cannot trust the institutions of government, such as the police and the courts of law?

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Lesson 2: Let the Circle Be Unbroken Chapter 1
After answering several questions about Chapter 1 of Let the Circle Be Unbroken, students will continue to read the novel. Students will focus on the backstory that is revealed in this part of the novel, as well as how Taylor depicts the traits of her characters.
Synopsis of Assigned Reading
On the way home one day in November, David Logan and his four children—Stacey, Cassie, Christopher-John, and Little Man—stop at the home of the Ellises. David, referred to by Cassie and the other children as Papa, offers his help in taking care of a sick mule. Afterward, the adults catch up on local news, including the latest on the upcoming trial of T.J. Avery, a young boy who has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a white man. The general consensus is that T.J., who used to be a good friend of Stacey Logan, has very little chance against the racist Mississippi justice system. Also of interest to everyone is the brief return of Russell Thomas, a cousin of the Ellises who had moved away not long ago. He has returned home for a visit before beginning his service in the U.S. Army. As the adults and Russell talk, the children retire to another room to see the new marbles of Son-Boy. Cassie and the others are impressed by Son-Boy’s prized emerald-blue marble, and they begin to shoot marbles. Papa soon comes to retrieve the Logan children, and he insists that they not shoot marbles anymore. He sees marbles as a short step away from gambling, and he wishes his children to avoid the problems associated with gambling.
One Sunday not long after this, Cassie decides that she is going to break the rule about marbles. She is good at shooting marbles, and she develops a plan to challenge Son-Boy to a game in which the stakes are his marbles. Though Christopher-John and Little Man insist that Cassie shouldn’t break their father’s rules, Cassie will not be deterred. Son-Boy foolishly agrees to the game, and Cassie beats him handily. She is only briefly in possession of the emerald-blue marble, however, as David quickly discovers what his daughter has done. He makes her return the marble to Son-Boy and promises to punish her later. Before services begin, however, there is a minor panic at the church as a young girl, Doris Anne, is seen playing on the rope that rings the church bell in the belfry. Everyone rushes to the belfry and finds the girl being held by Wordell Lees, a local boy most people view as simple. David calmly convinces Wordell to give him the child, and though others believe Wordell to be responsible for the scare with Doris Anne, David thinks that Wordell was actually trying to help. Before church begins, Cassie sees Joe, the one who was actually responsible for the situation involving Doris Anne, dash into the woods.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Materials
Student Guide
Self-Check Answers

Lesson Information and Notes


Check In
Which of the Logan children is most concerned with neatness and cleanliness? (Little Man)
Discuss
Have you ever known that you were going to be punished for something and had to wait to learn exactly what that punishment was going to be? Discuss how you felt as you waited.

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Lesson 3: Let the Circle Be Unbroken Chapters 23
After answering several questions about Chapters 2–3 of Let the Circle Be Unbroken, students will continue to read the novel. Students will focus on the reaction of the adults to the news of T.J.’s trial, the visit of Mr. Jamison, and the Logan children’s trip to Strawberry for the trial.
Synopsis of Assigned Reading
At school, Cassie and her siblings learn that T.J. Avery is going to receive a trial, and they excitedly tell their parents. Though everyone agrees that receiving a trial gives T.J. some chance of an acquittal, the adults know that this chance is slim. In this time and place, a jury of white people is unlikely to exonerate a young black person in the murder of a white man.
That afternoon, Mr. Wade Jamison, the white lawyer who will represent T.J. in the trial, comes to visit the Logans. Mr. Jamison is widely respected in the black community for his fairness and his honesty. Mr. Jamison and Papa Logan admire one another equally. Mr. Jamison tells the Logans more about the trial, and he suggests that they should probably not attend. He explains that he does not want to risk the truth about the fire, which Papa Logan intentionally set to distract the mob that had come to lynch T.J. earlier in the year, to be known. Papa tells Mr. Jamison that neither he nor any of his family will go to the trial.
Stacey Logan decides that he must go, so he and some friends organize a plan to sneak off to Strawberry for the trial. Cassie refuses to be left behind, and she hides in the wagon with her younger brothers until they are too close to Strawberry for Stacey to send them home. There, Cassie and her younger brothers nearly get in trouble for using a water fountain and a restroom designated for white people only. All of the siblings then watch the trial from a tree outside the courtroom. Though Mr. Jamison easily pokes holes in the account of the murdered man’s widow; shows that T.J., though present, did not commit the crime; and demonstrates that the actual murderers are Melvin and R.W. Simms, T.J. is still found guilty and sentenced to death. Before going home, the children see T.J. briefly one last time.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Materials
Student Guide
Self-Check Answers
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor

Lesson Information and Notes


Check In
What is Little Man’s real name? (Clayton Chester Logan)
Discuss
Do you think a law that is unjust should be obeyed? Why or why not?

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Lesson 4: Let the Circle Be Unbroken Chapters 45
After answering several questions about Chapters 4–5 of Let the Circle Be Unbroken, students will continue to read the novel. Students will focus on Cassie’s experiences at school and with Mrs. Lee Annie, the lives of farmers in Depression-era Mississippi, and the return of Uncle Hammer.
Synopsis of Assigned Reading
After the trial, life for the Logans returns to a regular routine. The children have a long talk with Moe Turner, a friend whose family are sharecroppers, about the unfair and exploitative nature of the sharecropping system. At school, Cassie is scolded by her teacher for speaking ill of one of Mississippi’s senators, and she continues to feel alienated from Stacey, who is maturing. Cassie is summoned to the home of Mrs. Lee Annie to help her reply to a letter she received. Once there, Mrs. Lee Annie also asks if Cassie will read the Mississippi Constitution to her because she wants to register to vote. Cassie continues to be confused and fascinated by the character of Wordell Lee, who speaks to her for the first time.
Meanwhile, the Logans are facing financial uncertainty due to the high tax on cotton and their inability to receive their rightful government subsidies because of the underhandedness of Harlan Granger. Papa considers leaving the family, as usual, for a few months to work on the railroads, but hopes that he won’t have to do so. Meanwhile, two union organizers play Papa a visit. They tell him that there is some interest among sharecroppers and day laborers to start a mixed-race union to prevent landlords from taking advantage of the tax breaks and government incentives offered as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal. Papa is wary of joining any such union, as he is not a sharecropper but the owner of the land he farms.
Finally, Uncle Hammer returns unexpectedly. Hammer is Papa’s older brother, and while he is affectionate and thoughtful, he also has a quick temper. One day while driving, Papa, Hammer, and the children come upon a black teenage girl talking to two white teenage boys. Knowing that no good can come from a black girl talking to two white boys, Papa urges Jacey, the girl, to go home. Before the encounter ends, one of the white boys says something rude. This infuriates Hammer, who goes after the white boy. Though Papa is able to restrain him, the incident demonstrates Hammer’s quick temper and the danger that he places himself in if he doesn’t check his emotions.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Materials
Student Guide
Self-Check Answers

Lesson Information and Notes


Check In
What does Mama Logan do for the children who go to Cassie’s school? (She offers extra help to them with their studies, both after school and on the weekends.)
Discuss
Why do you think Mama and Papa Logan tell Cassie that she can read to Mrs. Lee Annie as long as she brings Christopher-John and Little Man with her? Is it really for her protection, as Cassie thinks, or might it benefit the boys somehow?

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Lesson 5: Let the Circle Be Unbroken Chapters 67
After answering several questions about Chapters 6–7 of Let the Circle Be Unbroken, students will continue to read the novel. Students will focus on the attack on Mr. Farnsworth, the figure of Jake Willis, the arrival and departure of Cousin Bud, and Stacey’s attempts to find work.
Synopsis of Assigned Reading
Before church, Hammer and the others meet Jake Willis, a newcomer who seems intent on picking a fight with Hammer. After services, Mama is surprised to see another unexpected face: her nephew Bud, whom the children call Cousin Bud. Cousin Bud tells everyone why he has come: he is married to a white woman. She has left him, and he’d like to get her back. He’d also like to have their daughter, Suzella, come to stay with the Logans. Bud thinks that Suzella, who can and does pass as white, would benefit from being part of the close-knit Logan family.
Hammer is particularly offended by Bud’s marrying a white woman, and he calls Bud a fool, which offends Mama. Later, Hammer sees the picture that Jeremy gave Cassie, and he grows irate. He lectures all of the children about the dangers posed to black women by white men. Cassie is hurt and frightened by Hammer’s temper, and she is surprised when Papa agrees with Hammer. Their lesson is one of realism versus idealism. Papa admits that Jeremy is a good boy and may grow to be a good man, but the history of white men’s taking advantage of black women is a long and painful one. Papa tells Cassie that he hopes one day things will be different. Later, Hammer and Cassie share a moment of reconciliation while pitching horseshoes.
Meanwhile, Mr. Farnsworth is attacked and beaten. The Logan children, with the help of Jeremy Simms, anonymously help Mr. Farnsworth, but the incident raises tension over the talk of unionization and the impact of taxes. Papa decides to allow the union meeting to take place in his barn, though only close friends are invited. Papa also decides that he must leave to try to find work on the railroad. This upsets everyone, but no one more than Mama, who desperately wants her husband to stay. He cannot stay, however, and he leaves with Hammer one Saturday in spring.
After Papa’s departure, Cassie and Mama continue to help Mrs. Lee Annie, who expresses her desire to vote despite the danger it might bring to her. Stacey decides to look for work. He is offered money to whitewash the fence of a white man, and he wants to accept the job. Mama, however, forbids it. Stacey stands up to his mother, insisting that he’s not a child and that he needs to do his part to bring in money for the family. Mama tells him that his job is to work the land they own, not to work for a white man who will show him no respect. Stacey’s open defiance of his mother shocks everyone.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Materials
Student Guide
Self-Check Answers

Lesson Information and Notes


Check In
Why does the sheriff say he has to arrest Jake Willis? (Willis cut another man with a razor over a dispute during a card game.)
Discuss
Think about an issue about which you’ve changed your mind as you grew older. What brought on these changes? What is the relationship between increased maturity and changes in the way one views the world?

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Lesson 6: Discuss: Growing Up Fast
In this lesson, students will consider the experiences of the Logan children and the things they witness at such a young age. Students will focus on what the Logan children learn from their experiences and why the adults around them do not do more to shield them from the realities of their world.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Demonstrate knowledge of authors, characters, and events of historically or culturally significant works of literature.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
• Identify theme.
Materials
Threaded Discussion Rubric

Lesson Information and Notes


This lesson contains a discussion prompt. However, if your student is not going to discuss the topic provided with other students, encourage her to answer the question provided in essay form.

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Lesson 7: Your Choice
Students may use today's lesson time to:
• Attend a synchronous session if the teacher has one planned.
• Complete work in progress or get ahead in their reading.
• Review prior lessons in the unit.
• Read some of the additional resources that are suggested in the lessons.
• Prepare for the state standardized test.
• Go on to the next lesson.
Lesson Objectives
• Practice skills and reinforce concepts taught in this course.
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Lesson 8: Let the Circle Be Unbroken Chapter 8
After answering several questions about Chapter 8 of Let the Circle Be Unbroken, students will continue to read the novel. Students will focus on Cassie’s feelings about the changes in Stacey and the arrival of her cousin Suzella. Students will also examine how Suzella is treated by the rest of the Logan family and the greater community, in addition to considering the Logans’ visit to the Turners’ home.
Synopsis of Assigned Reading
Cassie is upset about the changes she witnesses in Stacey. She feels as if he is growing more distant from her and that he does not like or trust her enough to take her into his confidence as he once did. She overhears that Stacey is interested in Jacey Peters, though Cassie does not believe that Jacey would be interested in her brother because he is younger than Jacey.
Cousin Bud returns to visit the Logans, this time with his daughter Suzella. Suzella is light-skinned and also very beautiful. She charms everyone she meets, except for Cassie. Cassie is jealous of Suzella and perplexed by her, perhaps offended by the fact that Suzella does not admit to being black. The way in which all of the others in the community, including Stacey and all of the boys at Great Faith, are fascinated by Suzella further irks Cassie. She argues with Stacey about Suzella, but only finds herself more and more alienated. Though Cassie tries not to be outwardly mean to Suzella, Suzella notices her cousin’s cold treatment and tries to be friendly.
Meanwhile, Moe Turner tells Stacey that his family’s cow has died. To help the Turners, the Logans decide to lend them one of their extra cows so the Turners can use the milk for the many children in their family. Big Ma and her grandchildren take the long walk to the Turner home. There, Mr. Turner is grateful for the gesture. Before the Logans can return home, however, Mr. Peck and Deputy Haynes arrive at the Turner home. They tell Mr. Turner that there has been a miscalculation, and he was accidentally told to plant more cotton than he should have planted. He is required to plow up the extra cotton in front of the deputy and Mr. Peck. This is a crushing blow to the Turners, who were relying on the good cotton crop to help them make enough money to pay their debts. Cassie is saddened and knows that the Turners can do nothing but follow the orders of the deputy and Mr. Peck.
Students will print their Journal Part 2 Graded Assignment at the end of this lesson. They will work on this assignment as they complete the next several lessons of this unit.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Graded Activities in this Lesson


Let the Circle Be Unbroken Journal Part 2 (offline, scored by teacher)

Materials
Student Guide
Self-Check Answers
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor

Lesson Information and Notes


Check In
On whom does Stacey have a crush? (Jacey Peters)
Discuss
Have you ever felt jealous of someone else? Describe your feelings and the reasons behind them. Explain why jealousy is such an unattractive quality in a person.

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Lesson 9: Let the Circle Be Unbroken Chapters 910
After answering several questions about Chapters 9–10 of Let the Circle Be Unbroken, students will continue to read the novel. Students will focus on Suzella’s encounter with Stuart Walker, the factors that combine to make Stacey leave home, and the impact of his departure on the entire family.
Synopsis of Assigned Reading
The community learns that the plowing up of cotton crops was not, in fact, mandated by the government. It was a scheme hatched by the landlords to take advantage of the laws relating to how much each farmer could legally grow before being taxed highly. By limiting the cotton produced by sharecroppers, the landlords can then produce more themselves and sell the crop at the higher price. Once again, Dubé Cross and others talk of how a union might prevent such unfair practices. However, the men organizing the union are burned out of their homes by angry landlords. This frightens many of those who had considered joining the union.
On the way home one day, the Logan children and Suzella are met by Stuart Walker, the white son of a local land owner. Stuart mistakenly thinks that Suzella is white, and asks if he might court her. Suzella refuses Stuart’s advances, but she does not tell him that she is the cousin of the Logans. This infuriates Cassie, who knows that Stuart will not be pleased when he learns the truth about Suzella’s identity. When Mama finds out what Suzella has done, she is equally upset and insists that, as long as she stays with the Logans, Suzella must not try to pass as white. Doing so can only lead to problems for Suzella and the Logans.
Meanwhile, Stacey is upset to learn that Jacey Peters is carrying a white man’s child, and that Papa Logan, who is due to return home soon, has decided to stay away longer in the hope of earning more money. Stacey feels he needs to get a job to contribute to the family. On the day the Logans are having their cotton ginned so it can be sold, he meets Moe Turner. That night, he and Moe depart to work in the cane fields. Their departure naturally upsets both of their families. Papa comes home, as does Uncle Hammer, and they go in search of Stacey and Moe. Unable to find them and receiving no letters, the family is filled with great anxiety. Mama and Papa’s relationship is strained, and Cassie can do little but hope for Stacey’s speedy return.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Materials
Student Guide
Self-Check Answers
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor

Lesson Information and Notes


Check In
What happens to the home where the men who are trying to organize the union are staying? (It is burned down.)
Discuss
Have you ever had someone trust you enough to talk to you about something personal the way Stacey speaks to Cassie about wanting to find a job in this part of the novel? How did having someone take you into his or her confidence make you feel?

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Lesson 10: Let the Circle Be Unbroken Chapters 1112
After answering several questions about Chapters 11–12 of Let the Circle Be Unbroken, students will continue to read the novel. Students will focus on how Cassie bonds with Suzella, her bout with scarlet fever, the events of Christmas, and Cousin Bud’s encounter with Stuart Walker.
Synopsis of Assigned Reading
Cassie gets in a fight at school with Mary Lou Wellever, who suggests that Stacey might be dead. Suzella is brought in to speak to Cassie, and the two cousins bond after Cassie learns that Suzella respects her for standing up for Stacey. After school, Stuart Walker comes to threaten anyone who might be involved with reorganizing the union and glares coldly at Suzella, a reminder that he has not forgotten that she misled him.
Soon after, Cassie comes down with scarlet fever, and she is quite sick. Though she survives, the fever has killed several people in the community, leaving it scarred and saddened as Christmas approaches. Though Uncle Hammer returns for the holiday, there is little genuine happiness felt in the Logan home. Papa is off searching for Stacey, and everyone hopes that both will return by Christmas. Unfortunately, Papa comes home alone.
After Christmas services, several families gather at the Logan home. Uninvited, Jake Willis arrives with a gift for Suzella, but Papa tells him that Suzella cannot accept it. Jake Willis grows angry briefly, even threatening, but then leaves without incident. That afternoon, Mrs. Lee Annie tells everybody of her plans to register to vote. This causes a great commotion, as people fear that she is placing herself in danger and that she will anger Mr. Granger, on whose land she lives. Yet the woman’s mind is made up. That night, Cassie asks that she be allowed to go into Strawberry when Mrs. Lee Annie registers.
Additionally, Cousin Bud returns to take Suzella back to New York. He and his wife are going to divorce, and Suzella plans to live with her mother. Cassie is actually sad to see Suzella go, and Suzella feels conflicted. While visiting the Ellises, she kisses Russell Thomas. That night, however, Cousin Bud, Suzella, the Logan children, and Dubé Cross are accosted by Stuart Walker on their drive home. Stuart humiliates Cousin Bud, suggests that he thinks Suzella’s mother may be white, and threatens violence against Bud until Mr. Morrison comes. Mr. Morrison prevents anything further from happening, but Suzella and Cousin Bud leave for New York that night.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Materials
Student Guide
Self-Check Answers
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor

Lesson Information and Notes


Check In
Which character comes to play music for Cassie while she recovers from scarlet fever? (Wordell Lees)
Discuss
Have you ever grown to be friends with someone you once disliked? What brought about the change in your relationship? How did your perception of that person change over time?

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Lesson 11: Let the Circle Be Unbroken Chapters 1314
After answering several questions about the conclusion of Let the Circle Be Unbroken, students will focus on what happens when Cassie accompanies her parents and Mrs. Lee Annie into Strawberry, as well as the family’s trip to Louisiana to bring Stacey home.
Students will need to complete and turn in the Journal Part 2 assignment after completing this lesson.
Synopsis of Assigned Reading
After New Year’s, Mama and Papa agree to let Cassie come with them and Mrs. Lee Annie to Strawberry. Cassie is very excited, not only because she is allowed to go, but also because Mr. Jamison believes that he may have a lead on Stacey’s whereabouts. Once in Strawberry, Cassie goes with Mrs. Lee Annie to register, while Papa goes to Mr. Jamison’s office in the hope of contacting a sheriff in Louisiana about Stacey.
At the courthouse, Mrs. Lee Annie’s efforts to register are met with surprise, disbelief, and annoyance. Mr. Granger, who is also in town, tries to convince her that she has no business registering to vote, but Mrs. Lee Annie persists. Mr. Granger is distracted by some concerns of Stuart Walker, and Mrs. Lee Annie is finally allowed to take her test. Meanwhile, Mr. Jamison is having trouble reaching the sheriff in Louisiana to learn if Stacey is there. Outside the courthouse, a large assembly of both black and white farmers descends on town to protest the behavior of the landlords.
The assembly outside raises the tension in Strawberry. The sheriff attempts to disperse the crowd, but they will not be moved. Finally, Mr. Granger addresses the farmers, suggesting that their willingness to be integrated must signal their desire for other steps toward integration. The crowd begins to question itself. Mr. Granger brings out Mrs. Lee Annie, linking her efforts to register to the union and insisting that integration is sure to lead to black people seeking more rights. This action further upsets the racist members of the crowd, and a riot eventually starts. In the confusion, Russell Thomas is hit with a bottle, and there is a great frenzy of activity. Finally, after calm is restored, the Logans decide to go to Louisiana in the hope that Stacey is indeed there but without confirmation of that fact.
The family drives all day and night. The next morning, they go to the jail where they think Stacey may be being held and discover that he and Moe are indeed there. After a joyful reunion, the Logans and Moe Turner stop briefly to thank the woman who took care of the boys while they were being held in the jail, and Stacey tells the story of how they were exploited by the cane plantation owners. That evening, the Logans and Moe Turner return home.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Materials
Student Guide
Self-Check Answers

Lesson Information and Notes


Check In
Which character loses an eye as a result of the violence that flares in Strawberry? (Jake Willis)
Discuss
Were you surprised that Mrs. Lee Annie was denied the right to register to vote? Why or why not?

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Lesson 12: Let the Circle Be Unbroken Unit Test
Students will demonstrate mastery of the objectives for this unit by completing the Unit Test for Let the Circle Be Unbroken.
Lesson Objectives
• Demonstrate comprehension of text.
• Identify theme.
• Identify character traits and motivations.
• Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Graded Activities in this Lesson


Unit Test (online, scored by computer)
Unit Test (offline, scored by teacher)


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