Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters

Let it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters

By: Andrea Davis Pinkney

Illustrated by: Stephen Alcorn

Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2013

Grade level: 3 and up

Fountas and Pinnell: Not Available

Lexile: 940L

Accelerated Reader: 5.5

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud/Individual  

Author: Andrea Davis Pinkney



Summary:  

This is an entertaining and educational journey back through time. The stories accurately depict the changing face of America for all people. The author, Andrea Davis Pinkney, uses a combination of oral stories and historical facts to re-create the lives of ten African American women freedom fighters.  Among the list of women are Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks. However, there is also a presence of many unknown women, such as Shirley Chisholm and Biddy Mason. The stories are quite diverse, covering a history of almost the entire 20th century. Some of these historical references include the signing of the emancipation proclamation, the peaceful demonstrations of the civil rights movement, and the Democratic Convention of 1968. There is one common, underlying goal of each story- inspiration. These women learned that justice comes from not only speaking, but doing.

Key Words/Phrases to Describe the Book:

1. Inspirational

2. Civil Rights Activists

3. Women's Rights

4. Powerful

5. Entertaining 

Key Vocabulary:

Emancipation Proclamation: Issued January 1, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, it declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."

Civil Rights Movement: The national effort made by black people and their supporters in the 1950sand 1960s to eliminate segregation and gain equal rights.

Activist: An especially active, vigorous advocate of a cause, especially apolitical cause.

Convention: A meeting or formal assembly, as of representatives or delegates, for discussion of and action on particular matters of common concern.

Abolition: The legal prohibition and ending of slavery, especially of slavery ofblacks in the U.S.

Segregation: the institutional separation of an ethnic, racial, religious, or otherminority group from the dominant majority.

Resources:

To get to know more about Andrea Davis Pinkney and other books she has written, visit this website!

The YouTube video Women of the Civil Rights Movement is an insightful clip to watch on the women talked about in this book.

Teaching Suggestions:

• Have an open discussion about the Civil Rights Movement before reading the book.  Ask them what they know about it and why it is a significant part of American history.
• Have students write down each women freedom fighter they learn about in the book and write next to their name what their purpose they served in the movement.
• Have students write down Tier II and Tier III vocabulary after each section and write down their meaning.

Comprehension Strategies:

Before: Have an open discussion about the Civil Rights Movement before reading the book.  Ask them what they know about it and why it is a significant part of American history.

During: Have students write down Tier II and Tier III vocabulary after each section and write down their meaning.

After: Have students write about in essay form which women freedom fighter they found the most interesting.  Students must include supporting evidence from the text and write about what they learned about her.  

Writing Activity:

Have students write about in essay form which women freedom fighter they found the most interesting.  Students must include supporting evidence from the text and write about what they learned about her.  Afterward, have them share their essays with their peers.

Bibliography:

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Let It Shine Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters. (2013). Turtleback Books.