Lesson 5: “How about us against y’all?

” Jim
said. “The Town Boys against the Mountain
Boys”
Novel section focused on for this lesson:

Pages: 73-83, Homework 86-183

What’s on for today and why?

Today the focus should be on examining the relationships “the town boys”
have with “the mountain boys” by digging deeper into the text and making
inferences. To continue over the higher order thinking activity from yesterday
– to keep the students at a high level of expectation, the students will do a
close reading analysis and examine what is told about the two groups of
boys and what this has to say about the culture and attitudes of their
community. For homework they will revise a scene from the chapter, edit,
and alter a section to generate a Pixton animation. (This assignment won’t
be due until the Tuesday of the following week- giving them four nights to
access a computer to complete the assignment.)

What to do:
When students arrive in the classroom have them start working on reading
and copying down the notes on the board.

 “Open your books to Book III and keep your fingers between p. 73-83.
We will be examining the relationships between the “town boys” and
the “mountain boys.” Our goal is to begin to develop an
understanding of the cultural and regional attitudes of Aliceville North
Carolina during the Great Depression.”

o “Trials of Boyhood:”consider Jim’s life up until this part of the

book. What changes are occurring in Jim’s life? Why is Jim in
shock? Predict if this is the rising action of the book.

 Have students work individually to copy down notes and answer the
questions. Then group the students in pairs of groups of 3. Have the
students compare their ideas before asking the groups a new set of
questions.
  Have the groups take out a lined sheet of paper and ask them to
compare and contrast the two groups of boys that attend Miss
Nanney’s school. Ask them:

o “What characteristics make up both groups?

o “How are they similar? Different?”

o What derogatory language do the boys have towards each other?

Where does this stem from? What is so interesting about the
narrator telling the reader (p. 79) “Nobody mentioned that the
new boys were dressed in overalls exactly like theirs.”

o Examine Miss Nanney’s character and actions in this chapter.

Who is Miss Nanney? What kind of person is she? Consider p.82.
What does she do? And what does this infer about her as a
person/as a teacher?

 While the groups are working, begin to create a type of graphic

organizer on the board so the groups can volunteer a writer to share
their findings. Once you are set up walk around the room to guide
students along in their process. After they are finished begin the
review. Go through each answer written and ask:

o What ideas can you add to...?

o What would you predict will happen from this chapter?

o Do you dis/agree?

 Pass out the homework assignment sheet about Pixton and go over it
with the students and answer any questions they may have.

Homework:
Today is Friday! Students have Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday
night to finish reading up to p. 134. As well as the Pixton assignment due for
Tuesday.

How did it go?

To assess today’s activities ask yourself:

• Were the students able to infer from the text the characters’ behavior and
community dispositions?
• Were students able to provide specific (page and paragraph) textual evidence
to make their inferences?

• Were they able to assess and judge the community and time?

• Students came to an understanding of what is expected of them in the Pixton

assignment.