The document describes a lesson plan for teaching students about the book "Maritcha: A Nineteenth Century American Girl". Students will work in groups doing a gallery walk of pictures from the book, leaving comments. They will then answer questions to draw connections between Maritcha's life and their own lives. Finally, the class will do a shared reading and fill out a T-chart comparing Maritcha's and their lives. The lesson aims to give students insight into what life was like for an African American girl in 19th century New York.

1. Erin Menard
Social Studies/ELA – Maritcha: A Nineteenth Century American Girl
Title: Making Connections
Introduction:
Explain to the students that this book Maritcha: A Nineteenth Century American
Girl is about an African American girl growing up in NYC before and during the Civil
War. This book shows what her life was like through her eyes and throughout numerous
historical events.
Lesson:
The students will work in groups of 4-5 while doing a 15 minute gallery walk-through of
the pictures in the book using the graphic organizer “What I See/ What I Think/What I
Wonder.” They will also be asked to leave a comment about each picture on the sheet of
paper under the picture. When finished the students will return to their seats to answer 4
questions about things in their life, to make connections to Maritcha’s life while reading
the story.
The questions are: 1. How would you describe your neighborhood?
2. What games do you play when you are with your friends?
3. What historical events have you experienced in your life so far?
4. What struggles do you go through in your life?
After the students answer these questions we will do a shared reading of the book, then as
a whole group the students will fill in a T-Chart to compare Maritcha’s life to theirs.
Wrap Up Question:
What connection can you make from her experiences and your experiences?
(OPTIONAL: You can also use this while in the Unit for the Civil War to show how
some people felt about the draft during this time.)