Expanding on PRISCILLA with Students
The Author's Note at the back gives some of the historical background on the book's story. The Charlesbridge web site  also has an excellent, downloadable seven-page Discussion and Activity Guide with activities for language arts, social studies, geography, art, math, music; notes on the author's Cherokee heritage, and more about the real Priscilla's life, including photos of her childhood home and grave.
Priscilla Activity and Discussion Guide

Illustration by Anna Alter
from Priscilla and the Hollyhocks
(Charlesbridge, 2008)
used by permission

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           Priscilla Jeopardy, an additional classroom activity

I've put together a version of Jeopardy that you can adapt for your students. Rather than have them guess as questions like the original version, I post questions in four categories. Since I use this as a teaching /content retention tool after my presentations, I encourage kids to work as teams so there is no pressure to know everything. The goal is that they know more after playing Jeopardy. Obviously, you would tailor the questions to fit your geographic area on two of the Flowers questions.  Below are links to the questions and answers in both Word and Adobe pdf format.

Jeopardy Questions, Word
Jeopardy Answers, Word
Jeopardy Questions, Adobe pdf
Jeopardy Answers, Adobe pdf

Priscilla's Journey on the Trail of Tears

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Content and Emotional Tone
The real story and context behind Priscilla and the
Hollyhocks is tender, inspiring, and potentially disturbing for young readers. When parents ask me for what age child the book is suitable, I tell them the facts: Charlesbridge designated ages 7-10, the Booklist reviewer said Grades 2-4 and Kirkus said 6-8 years old. Several middle school teachers have told me they will use the book in their teaching. That said, I think Priscilla and the Hollyhocks can be hard for tender-hearted children for whom slavery and the mistreatment of people in general is a new concept. Not to mention that the mother gets sold away from the child!

As you use Priscilla and the Hollyhocks in your teaching, whatever age, be mindful that the content and emotional tone of this book can be unsettling for some children. When I work with children on this book, I say things like, "It's hard to imagine a time when people thought they could own other people" and "The way masters treated slaves makes us sad".  I don't go into the reality that in some parts of the world child slavery remains a reality.  I emphasize Priscilla's courage and resiliency, how her positive attitude helped change her circumstances. I also mention that we know very few slave children's stories and even with Priscilla, there's more we don't know (and I had to imagine) than what we have as facts.
 
Do you or your students need more author info? Check out the Author Bio or three-page Spotlight on Anne Broyles.


Google Lit Trip
Want to see where Priscilla traveled on her journey? Las Vegas, Nevada teacher, Jessica Graham, created a Google map with photos and info about the places Priscilla lived and visited.

Click here.