This literature unit study does NOT include the original book, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. You can obtain the original book through your local library or through retailers to use in conjunction with this curriculum.

This study guide provides everything you need for three to four weeks of literature curriculum. You’ll get chapter summaries, analyses, reading comprehension quizzes, vocabulary lists, essay questions, unit projects, and more. The guide also includes lists of characters, proposed schedules, an author bio, and information about literary devices.

Grade Levels: 4-8

Themes: Family, Independence Gained from Land, Coming of AgeUnit

Projects: Essay, Cooking Project, Creative Writing, Art Project, Research Project, Census Activity

Tolman Hall Literature Unit Studies are appropriate for classroom teaching, homeschooling, book groups, and individual study. Teachers will be able to customize the unit study according to students' interests, abilities, and needs, and the study guide makes it possible for students of varied abilities to discuss the same material while working on individual projects.

Written by Mildred D. Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is one of a series of novels set in the U.S South during the Depression. Based on stories from the author’s own family history, the series explores issues of prejudice, family bonds, and the value of education. The Logan family is one of the few black families in the area that owns their own land; they bought it during Reconstruction and have used it for farming for many years. Now it’s the Depression, and they’re struggling to pay the property taxes on their land. A wealthy local landowner would love to acquire the Logans’ land (his family owned it before the Civil War). Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry chronicles the Logans struggle to hold onto their land, their dignity, and their freedom.