The Other Side

By Jacqueline WoodsonIllustrated by: E. B. Lewis

Read and Analyzed by: Amanda Felton

Materials

Book·                    Book Title: The Other Side·                    Author: Jacqueline Woodson·                    Illustrator: E.B. Lewis  Crafts Mirrors·                   Cartulina ·                   Different colors of paint·                   Yarn·                   Paper·                   Color Pencils·                   Pencils 

About The Author

“Its such a scary time to be anything ‘other’ in this world. Every character I write about is in some way outside of the mainstream—black, working-class poor white, a pregnant teen, gay. The thing I want to do in my books is show people that there are only positive things to come from being different.”—Jacqueline Woodson

Woodson might be describing herself when she uses words like “strong” and “independent.” Even though it isn’t always easy for her to write about the serious issues she does, she feels as though she has no other choice: “I can’t write about nice, easy topics because that won’t change the world. And I do want to change the world—one reader at a time.” Changing the world means changing people’s attitudes about things like teen pregnancy, racial issues, sexual abuse, and class tension. Sometimes it’s difficult to do, but she considers it necessary work, so that her readers will be more aware of different types of people and be better equipped to effect change when they get older. For this same reason, Woodson travels often to schools and libraries, speaking about her literature and the important issues about which she writes. She says, “Grown-ups are jaded. Children are much more open-minded, and they have the power to change the world.”

• (Taken from: www.randomhouse.com) • Jacqueline Woodson is a Coretta Scott King Honor Book winner, and many of her novels have been

named ALA Notable Children’s Books and ALA Best Books for Young Adults.

Synopsis of Story

• The Other Side • There is a fence that divides the town – by race. Clover is an African

American Girl; she lives in a yellow house with a tire swing on one side of the fence; her Mama tells her not to climb the fence; it isn’t safe. On the other side of the fence is Annie; Annie is white; she wants a friend; she sits on the fence every day. Waiting. Watching. Hoping. One day Clover goes to the fence and she and Annie talk. Annie says sit up here, you can see the whole world; And Clover does because her Mother never said anything about sitting on top of the fence. And so begins a true friendship – and a dream that someday someone will knock down the fence.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Grade Levels: 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders   This book is written to invite students to engage in critical discussion about complex

issues of a race and class.                     The book is a tool to awaken awareness among students and encourage students

to share their thoughts about what they observed and learned from the story.                      This book also touches base with American history during the Civil Rights

movement when all people of color longed for the fence that divided them from the wealthy and the privileged white-Americans be torn down.

                    This book can also be used as a tool to encourage meaningful discussions about

student’s experiences, stereotypes, biases, and observations towards race and social class.

 

Goals

The students will recognize that we are all different yet we are so much alike.

Students will realize that we all have something special that makes each one of us unique.

Objectives• Students will understand in depth the value of friendship,

respectfulness, and acceptance of others who are different.

• Students will become aware that the color of people’s skin is not identified by white or black, instead we are a mixture of colors.

• Students will identify the feeling of being rejected by others who do not have the same physical characteristics.

• Students will learn to solve social problems that arise in the daily routines.

Themes Explored in the Book

• The meaning of true friendship.

• Racial Bias

• Social Conflict Resolution

• Acceptance of Oneself

• Acceptance of Others

• Respectfulness

Step 1: Analyzing the Cover

• Have your students analyze the cover of the story. What do you see? What do you notice about the illustrations?

• Why do you think the author chose this title for the book?

• What do you think the story is about?

• What do you think will happen in the story?

• Do you think the characters will become friends in the story?

Step 2: Reading the Story

• Do the girls know each other at the beginning of the story? 

• Are they friends?

• Why do you think the girls' mothers told them not to cross the fence?

• Do the girls trust each other at the beginning of the book?  Why or why not?

• How do you think Clover and Annie were feeling before they started talking to each other?

• Why was sitting on the fence a good idea?

• After Clover and Annie got to know each other, what happended, what did they discover?

• Did it change the way the other children felt about Annie?

• Do the children trust each other at the end of the book?

• Which illustrations in the book show trust between the children?

Step 3: What does this picture mean to you?

Have your students observe this illustration.

In a community circle, give your students the opportunity to share the different feelings that have awaken after the story has been read.

Have your students interpret their feelings verbally and on paper.

Step 4: Are we really white or black?

• The children noticed that the characters in the book are white and black, but is there such a thing as a white and black person? The next day, the teacher should prepare the classroom with different colors of paint. Allow the children to explore the paint on their bodies: how can we mix colors to create the color of our skin?

Step 5: Discovering Our Unique Skin Color

• Each student will mix different colors like red, yellow and white to discover their skin color and tone.

Step 6: Observing and Drawing Ourselves

Provide each child with a pencil, a mirror, and a piece of paper shaped like a face.

Each child will observe their uniqueness in the mirror and draw their characteristics on the face shaped paper.

Step 7: Painting our Faces

Step 8: The Color of our Hair

Provide different color of yarn, so that the students can observe and choose the color of their hair.

Step 9: We Are A Mixture of Colors

• Students will color their faces according to the colors of their eyes and the characteristics of their faces.

• Encourage and value their differences on their journey of getting to know themselves.

Integrated Thematic Enrichment

Language Arts: Reading the story The Other Story, and the readings of the illustrations.

Science: Exploration of colors, combination of colors, and application of colors using paint and mirrors.

Writing: Documenting their thoughts and feelings about the story.

Drama: Role playing the social conflicts seen in the story and how to solve the problem.

Art: Exploring colors and different materials like yarn, glue, paint, and mirrors.

Assessment

• The teacher will explore with the students the moral messages that the story brings to life.

• The teacher will observe how the students became aware of their own uniqueness and identity.

• The teacher will encourage the students to understand and implement the values shared in the story like respect towards others, solving problems, and creating and maintaining friendships.