Heart and Soul

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

Writen and Illustrated by: Kadir Nelson


Published by Harper Collins Publishers in 2011.


The Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner in 2012.

Educational, Engaging, Evolving, Historical, Informative

Summary:
This story is about American history told from the perspective of African Americans. It beings with the Declaration of Independence and slavery and goes through the Civil Right Movement. This book is told from a different perspective than most history books are told from. The African American perspective is important for children to hear.

Reading Level:
Lexile Measure: 1050L
Grade Level Equivalent: 6.0
Interest Level: Grades 3-6

Electronic Resources:
Nelson talking about Heart and Soul
This link leads to a youtube video of Nelson talking about why he wrote Heart and Soul, how he created the pictures, and his inspirations for writing the book.
This will help students in understanding the importance of reading this book.

Interview with Nelson
This link leads to an interview with Nelson about the Coretta Scott King Award his book received. Nelson talks about all the work he does when creating a book. He also talks about other books he has written. This is good for students who like Kadir Nelson's writing.

Teaching Suggestions:
Teachers can use this story for social studies to show history from an African American point of view.

Suggested Delivery:
I would use this book as a read aloud. Therefore, class discussion can be had while the book is being read. Also, students may have many questions about the concepts motioned in this book.

Key Vocabulary:
Mason-Dixon Line, Emancipation Proclamation, House of Representatives, Reconstruction, Strike, Jim Crow

Reading Strategies:

Before Reading:
Have students complete the K and W of a KWL chart on American history and African American history. This will get students thinking about the topic This will also help students relate what they are about to learn to their prior knowledge.

During Reading:
Students will have discussions after each chapter. They will talk about their reactions to this new information, what is similar to what they already know, and if anything contradicts what they have already learned.

After Reading:
Have students complete the L section of the KWL chart. This will help students to reflect back on the story and what they learned from it.

Writing Activity:
Have pairs of students pick one picture to write about. They will research the concept that the picture is depicting. They will then write, without plagiarising, a paper with additional information that the book did not give.