The Other Side By Jacqueline Woodson Illustrated by: E' B' Lewis

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The Other Side By Jacqueline
WoodsonIllustrated by E. B. Lewis

• Read and Analyzed by Amanda Felton

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Materials
Book                     Book Title The Other
Side                     Author Jacqueline
Woodson                     Illustrator E.B.
Lewis   Crafts
Mirrors                    Cartulina
                   Different colors of
paint                    Yarn                   
Paper                    Color
Pencils                    Pencils  
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About The Author

• Its such a scary time to be anything other in
  this world. Every character I write about is in
  some way outside of the mainstreamblack,
  working-class poor white, a pregnant teen, gay.
  The thing I want to do in my books is show people
  that there are only positive things to come from
  being different.Jacqueline WoodsonWoodson
  might be describing herself when she uses words
  like strong and independent. Even though it
  isnt always easy for her to write about the
  serious issues she does, she feels as though she
  has no other choice I cant write about nice,
  easy topics because that wont change the world.
  And I do want to change the worldone reader at a
  time. Changing the world means changing peoples
  attitudes about things like teen pregnancy,
  racial issues, sexual abuse, and class tension.
  Sometimes its difficult to do, but she considers
  it necessary work, so that her readers will be
  more aware of different types of people and be
  better equipped to effect change when they get
  older. For this same reason, Woodson travels
  often to schools and libraries, speaking about
  her literature and the important issues about
  which she writes. She says, Grown-ups are jaded.
  Children are much more open-minded, and they have
  the power to change the world.
• (Taken from www.randomhouse.com) 
• Jacqueline Woodson is a Coretta Scott King Honor
  Book winner, and many of her novels have been
  named ALA Notable Childrens Books and ALA Best
  Books for Young Adults.

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Synopsis of Story

• The Other Side
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• There is a fence that divides the town by race.
  Clover is an African American Girl she lives in
  a yellow house with a tire swing on one side of
  the fence her Mama tells her not to climb the
  fence it isnt safe. On the other side of the
  fence is Annie Annie is white she wants a
  friend she sits on the fence every day. Waiting.
  Watching. Hoping. One day Clover goes to the
  fence and she and Annie talk. Annie says sit up
  here, you can see the whole world And Clover
  does because her Mother never said anything about
  sitting on top of the fence. And so begins a true
  friendship and a dream that someday someone
  will knock down the fence.

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Developmentally Appropriate Practice

• Grade Levels 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders
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• This book is written to invite students to
  engage in critical discussion about complex
  issues of a race and class.
•  
•                    The book is a tool to awaken
  awareness among students and encourage students
  to share their thoughts about what they observed
  and learned from the story.
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•                    This book also touches base
  with American history during the Civil Rights
  movement when all people of color longed for the
  fence that divided them from the wealthy and the
  privileged white-Americans be torn down.
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•                    This book can also be used as
  a tool to encourage meaningful discussions about
  students experiences, stereotypes, biases, and
  observations towards race and social class.
•  

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Goals

• The students will recognize that we are all
  different yet we are so much alike.
• Students will realize that we all have something
  special that makes each one of us unique.

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Objectives

• Students will understand in depth the value of
  friendship, respectfulness, and acceptance of
  others who are different.
• Students will become aware that the color of
  peoples skin is not identified by white or
  black, instead we are a mixture of colors.
• Students will identify the feeling of being
  rejected by others who do not have the same
  physical characteristics.
• Students will learn to solve social problems that
  arise in the daily routines.

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Themes Explored in the Book

• The meaning of true friendship.
• Racial Bias
• Social Conflict Resolution
• Acceptance of Oneself
• Acceptance of Others
• Respectfulness

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Step 1 Analyzing the Cover

• Have your students analyze the cover of the
  story. What do you see? What do you notice about
  the illustrations?
• Why do you think the author chose this title for
  the book?
• What do you think the story is about?
• What do you think will happen in the story?
• Do you think the characters will become friends
  in the story?

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Step 2 Reading the Story

• Do the girls know each other at the beginning of
  the story? 
• Are they friends?
• Why do you think the girls' mothers told them not
  to cross the fence?
• Do the girls trust each other at the beginning of
  the book?  Why or why not?
• How do you think Clover and Annie were feeling
  before they started talking to each other?
• Why was sitting on the fence a good idea?
• After Clover and Annie got to know each other,
  what happended, what did they discover?
• Did it change the way the other children felt
  about Annie?
• Do the children trust each other at the end of
  the book?
• Which illustrations in the book show trust
  between the children?

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Step 3 What does this picture mean to you?

• Have your students observe this illustration.
• In a community circle, give your students the
  opportunity to share the different feelings that
  have awaken after the story has been read.
• Have your students interpret their feelings
  verbally and on paper.

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Step 4 Are we really white or black?

• The children noticed that the characters in the
  book are white and black, but is there such a
  thing as a white and black person? The next day,
  the teacher should prepare the classroom with
  different colors of paint. Allow the children to
  explore the paint on their bodies how can we mix
  colors to create the color of our skin?

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Step 5 Discovering Our Unique Skin Color

• Each student will mix different colors like red,
  yellow and white to discover their skin color and
  tone.

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Step 6 Observing and Drawing Ourselves

• Provide each child with a pencil, a mirror, and a
  piece of paper shaped like a face.
• Each child will observe their uniqueness in the
  mirror and draw their characteristics on the face
  shaped paper.

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Step 7 Painting our Faces
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Step 8 The Color of our Hair

• Provide different color of yarn, so that the
  students can observe and choose the color of
  their hair.

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Step 9 We Are A Mixture of Colors

• Students will color their faces according to the
  colors of their eyes and the characteristics of
  their faces.
• Encourage and value their differences on their
  journey of getting to know themselves.

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Integrated Thematic Enrichment

• Language Arts Reading the story The Other Story,
  and the readings of the illustrations.
• Science Exploration of colors, combination of
  colors, and application of colors using paint and
  mirrors.
• Writing Documenting their thoughts and feelings
  about the story.
• Drama Role playing the social conflicts seen in
  the story and how to solve the problem.
• Art Exploring colors and different materials
  like yarn, glue, paint, and mirrors.

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Assessment

• The teacher will explore with the students the
  moral messages that the story brings to life.
• The teacher will observe how the students became
  aware of their own uniqueness and identity.
• The teacher will encourage the students to
  understand and implement the values shared in the
  story like respect towards others, solving
  problems, and creating and maintaining
  friendships.