Book Detail

Great Migration, The

Publication Information
Author:  Lawrence, Jacob Illustrator:  Lawrence, Jacob
Title:  Great Migration, The Date:  1993
Publisher:  HarperCollins City:  New York
ISBN, paperback:  0-06-023037-1 ISBN, hardback:  

Recommended audience:
ABE/ABLE:   Yes ESOL:  
Family:   Yes Young Adult:  
Picture:   Yes

General Information:
Book Type(s):    nonfiction, easy reading

HSE Descriptor(s):    social studies

Summary:
This book consists of reprints of a series of sixty paintings, by Jacob Lawrence, depicting the migration of African-Americans from the South to the North. In search of a better life, people moved by the thousands, from rural lifestyles to urban poverty. The striking artwork is accompanied by text that is minimal yet powerful. The book begins with historical information by Lawrence as well as a description of the process he used to create the art. It ends with a poem by Walter Dean Myers.

Teaching Ideas:
Teachers may want to present this book alone or as part of a unit on African-American history. They may want to encourage students to write their own family stories of immigrations and migrations, pairing the book with Cech's My Grandmother's Journey, Garland's The Lotus Seed, or Temple's Grab Hands and Run. They may want to pair this book with newspaper and journal articles. Students may want to compare the style and art with Lawrence's Harriet and the Promised Land. There are several websites featuring Jacob Lawrence's work including www.jacoblawrence.org.

Keywords: select any link below for a list of resources which also have that keyword
bullet Ethnic Groups > African-American
bullet Emotions-Personal Issues > emotions > relocation, personal
bullet Geography > economics
bullet Hardships
bullet History > time period > 20th Century
bullet History > region > U.S. history > Great Migration
bullet Social Studies > sociology > social issues > racism > race relations
bullet Communities > urban > urban living
bullet Art and Photography > art > artists > Lawrence, Jacob


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