As you might imagine, most of the evidence you’ll need to back up your ideas about Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry will come from the novel itself. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to read the entire story again. Instead, you can skim passages and then slow down and read when you find something that seems likely to support a point you want to make. You’re looking for textual evidence—quotes and examples that back up your interpretations.

At this point, you can also put some online tools to good use. While summaries or chapter-by-chapter plot descriptions should not be used in place of reading a novel, they can be valuable when you’re trying to relocate specific passages. Sites like bookrag.com and gradesaver.com include chapter summaries that can help you recall where important events and passages are located in the story.

For any passage that you suggest your group examine more closely, you should be prepared to provide some background information so others know at what point in the story the passage occurs. For example, if you want to talk about Cassie’s anger, you might say something like: “When Cassie goes to Strawberry, she quickly gets herself in trouble with the white men who seem to control the town”—and then quote a passage that illustrates Cassie’s outrage. You can also include a chapter number; however, if you include page numbers, they should be for your reference only. Other students may be using a different printing of the book, and their page numbers may not match yours.

Journal

In your journal, note the page number for at least one passage that supports your answer to each question you wrote. Also include the chapter number and notes on important background information for each passage.

When you have written a complete and detailed answer to the journal prompt, save the file so that you can open it again for the next lesson with a journal assignment. (You will submit your journal to your teacher for grading once or twice during the module.)