The Rock and The River

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text.

Short Answer

1. What associations come to mind when you hear the word racism? Although the novel is set in 1968, how is racism still part of the national conversation today? Although the country has made strides since 1968, why do you think there is still friction between Black people and white people?

Teaching Suggestion: With sensitivity in mind, defining and discussing racism and how friction between Black and white people is still an element of our national cultural conversation will help introduce the novel as having relevance beyond its historical setting. It may be beneficial to begin connecting the novel to the current cultural climate and recent events. These and similar resources might be helpful in providing you with talking points and language for discussion.

• For a look at how open discussion can help children develop a less biased worldview, the Scientific American article “In Schools, Honest Talk About Racism Can Reduce Discrimination” (2022) can be useful.
• From the Stanford Law Review, the article “Race, School Policing, and Public Health” (2021) addresses the mental health issues involved in racism and the police by looking at the possible effects on a generation of young Black men raised within this toxic environment.