Exploring Roll of Thunder History

Understanding Historical Context in Literature Grade 4 English Language Arts Lesson 1 of 6

I Can Statements for Today

I can explain what happened and why in a historical text by using details from the text I can understand and explain information shown in pictures, charts, or timelines related to the story I can share my ideas and listen to others during group discussions about the text

What is Historical Context?

The time period when a story takes place The real events and conditions that influenced the story Understanding why characters act the way they do Connecting the past to what we read today

Roll of Thunder Timeline: 1930s America

Life in 1930s vs Today

{"left":"Most families lived on farms\nNo electricity in many rural areas\nChildren walked long distances to school\nFamilies grew their own food","right":"Most families have multiple cars\nElectricity and internet in every home\nSchool buses transport students\nFamilies buy food from grocery stores"}

Text Detective Activity

Read the passage about the Logan family Find clues about when and where they lived Circle words that tell us about their time period Share your discoveries with a partner

Discussion Question

Read the passage about the Logan family Find clues about when and where they lived Circle words that tell us about their time period Share your discoveries with a partner

Success Check: What We Learned

We can identify historical events and explain why they happened We can use timelines and visuals to understand the past We can discuss historical texts and share our ideas with classmates Next lesson: We'll explore how these historical events affected families like the Logans