Day of Tears

Day of Tears

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade historical
• Originally Published: 2005
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile NP0L; grades 5-9
• Structure/Length: 13 chapters; approx. 192 pages; approx. 2 hours and 52 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Emma, an enslaved person on the Butler plantation and the primary caretaker of the Butler children, is sold during the largest slave auction in American history.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Graphic violence; references to sexual assault; suicide ideation; offensive, outdated language. Linked outside resources in this Teaching Unit may include use of the term “slaves.”

Julius Lester, Author

• Bio: 1939-2018; born in St. Louis, Missouri; received a B.A. in English from Fisk University; worked as a musician, radio talk-show host, photographer, and political activist; was active in the civil rights movement; taught for 32 years at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst
• Other Works: Time’s Memory (2006); When Dad Killed Mom (2001); To Be a Slave (1969); John Henry (1994)
• Awards: Coretta Scott King Award (2006); Boston Globe-Horn Book Award (1995); Caldecott Honor (1995); Newbery Honor (1969)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Vulnerability of Black People and Enslaved People
• The Significance of Location in the United States Prior to the 13th Amendment
• Slavery as an Inhumane Practice Against Nature

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the realities of slave auctions as they impact the characters and drive the plot in Day of Tears.
• Analyze short paired texts and other resources to make connections via the novel’s themes of Slavery as an Inhumane Practice Against Nature and The Vulnerability of Black People and Enslaved People.
• Create an original work that synthesizes the historical and cultural pitfalls that led to enslavement.
• Analyze and evaluate the novel’s use of language to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the novel’s effectiveness.