Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Internet Hunt
Based on the novel by Mildred D. Taylor

Directions: Click on the links (underlined words) to go to a website. Find the answer to the question(s).
Use the Back button, of your browser, to return to this page.
Or Bookmark the hunt page and use the bookmark to easily return to the hunt. printer version

1. What kind of climate does the cotton plant require?

Based on this information, could a cotton plant thrive in your yard? Explain.

2. What is the seed pod of the cotton plant called?

3. Mama talks about taking the cotton to Vicksburg to be ginned.
What is the purpose of ginning cotton?

4. How are the seeds of the cotton plant used today?

5. Mama talks to Pa about spraying the cotton plants against insects.
What insect can be very damaging to cotton plants?

6. Mama suggests to the other families that they not shop at Wallace's Store. This is called a boycott.
Why did the people in Tallahassee, Fla organize a bus boycott?

7. Cassie, Little Man, Stacey, and T.J. attend a separate school from the white students.
This is called segregation. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court said that segregation of public schools
was not allowed. What happened three years later, in 1957, when 9 black students went to school
at Central High School, Little Rock, Ark.?

8. Ms. Taylor describes the white children's Jefferson Davis County School.
She says the Mississippi State flag is flown above the US flag.
Is this correct flag etiquette? What is the rule? (Use the site's resources to find the answer. Check out the links on the left side.)

9. Describe the kind of black person Mildred D Taylor wanted to show in her book.

Do you think she met this goal?

10. Read the first review of the book.
Do you concur with reviewer or do you dispute their opinion? Give two supporting reasons.

Think and Respond:

11.What does the election of Barack Obama as President mean for the civil rights movement in the United States?

"Tisn't he who has stood and looked on, that can tell you what slavery is--'tis he who has endured." John Little, 1855

Extend your understanding:

Common Experience writing activity | Government - The Common Good | Civil Rights - What are yours? activity

Mystery Disk History Challenge | Learn about some Outstanding African Americans. | Emancipation Proclamations activity

Design a PowerPoint™ presentation of the story's elements

Make a Story Timeline - ReadWriteThink - Timeline generator

Think about characters - Make a set of Character Trading Cards. - Planning sheet

Watch - A Class Divided - compelling video | StoryCorps: Reflecting on Democracy and Segregation listen to this story

Extraordinary Women Activity | Explore Born in Slavery @ the Library of Congress.

Remember Segregation for middle school students and older stunning

Map worksheet - Estimate distance traveled on the underground railroad

You might choose to visit Vicksburg, Ms. How many miles would you have to drive to get there?
Use the Driving Directions form at the MapQuest.com site to find out.
1. Enter your town and state in the Starting point area.
2. Enter Vicksburg, Ms in the destination area.

Tackle this enrichment activity based on the book

The background image on this webpage is a demonstration plot of cotton plants growing at Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington.

Save a tree - use a digital answer format - Highlight the text. Copy it. Paste it in a word processing document. Save the document in your folder. Answer on the word processing document in a contrasting color (not yellow) or font (avoid fancy ones like , ). Save regularly.