Educational Resources

Teaching guides, discussion materials, and resources to bring Jewell’s stories into the classroom

Comprehensive educator resources designed to help teachers bring Jewell Parker Rhodes’ powerful stories into the classroom with discussion guides, activities, and lesson plans.

Black Brother, Black Brother cover, featuring the book title and author of Jewell Parker Rhodes, with two young teenage boys standing back to back. One has dark skin and one has light skin.

Black Brother, Black Brother Guides

Novel study guide by Shavonne Jacobson exploring themes of identity, family, and perseverance.

Black Brother, Black Brother Novel Study

The cover of Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes, shows the New York City skline in blue and white and black with the Freedom Tower central. The reflection of the skyline in the water below shows the Twin Towers in place of the Freedom Tower.

Towers Falling Guides

This guide was prepared by Erica Rand Silverman and Sharon Kennedy, former English teachers and co-founders of Room 228 (www.rm228.com), along with Kelly Hoover, a Colorado elementary school teacher. Erica and Sharon were teaching in NYC on September 11 and feel honored to have worked on this guide.

Towers Falling Teaching Guide

The book cover for Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes, featuring a young African American girl looking into the distance at a barge on fire.

Bayou Magic Guides

Download the Bayou Magic Educator’s Guide for your classroom! You will find curriculum resources for lessons on African American heritage, history, the post-abolitionist era, and immigration for ages 8-12 and up.

Bayou Magic Teaching Guide

The book cover for Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes, which has a red cover with the title "Ghost Boys", traffic lights, and the top of a young African American boy's head with his eyes looking up towards the sky.

Ghost Boys Guides

You will find curriculum resources for lessons on Civil Rights/BLM history, prejudice, and leading complex classroom dialogues for ages 8-12 and up.

Ghost Boys Teaching Guide

This reading guide is a practical, easy-to-use resource for engaging the young people in your classroom, and your life, in empathy-building conversations about racism and injustice in America today.

Ghost Boys Reading Guide

The book cover for Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes, shows a young African American girl in a simple white dress running in a field on a gloomy day, looking back at an orange kite she is flying high

Sugar Guides

Download the Sugar Educator’s Guide for your classroom! You will find curriculum resources for lessons on African American heritage, history, the post-abolitionist era, and immigration for ages 8-12 and up.

Sugar Teaching Guide

Questions and answers to test your knowledge after reading Sugar

Sugar Trivia Questions

Paradise on Fire Guides

Download the Paradise on Fire Book Club Guide for your classroom! This guide was created by Little Brown and Company.

Paradise on Fire Book Club Guide

Ninth Ward Guides

Download the Ninth Ward Educator’s Guide for your classroom! You will find curriculum resources for reading & discussion, writing & vocabulary, math, science and history for ages 8–12.

Ninth Ward Teaching Guide

This is a film by Spike Lee Information on a documentary about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. This film won the Orizzonti Documentary Prize and one of two FIPRESCI awards. It won three Emmy awards.

When The Levees Broke Documentary

The Will's Race for Home book cover, which features the title of the book and a young African American boy riding on a horse fast through a field with a glowing orange and yellow sunset behind him. This version of the book cover shows an emblem for the Coretta Scott King Award.

Will's Race for Home Guides

Download the Will’s Race for Home Educator’s Guide for your classroom! You will find Before, During, and After Reading activities to perform in the classroom.

Will’s Race for Home Teaching Guide

Download Discussion Questions below

Will’s Race for Home Discussion Questions