Do The Research -- Using the links on this page, find out what sharecropping is and the basics of its history, particularly as it relates to the period of American history portrayed in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Keep notes of what you find out. Then, create fictional characters to interview or find "experts" to question. Discuss the notes with the whole production team. Finally, decide which are the most important pieces of information that you must include in your video report to tell the story of sharecropping. Remember that the news report should communicate the who, what, where, how, and when of sharecropping.

History of Sharecropping Links

• http://www.bchm.org/wrr/recon/p6a.html: Brief explanation of the history of sharecropping.



• http://www.webarchaeology.com/Html/sharten.htm: History of sharecropping and tenancy on the Levi Jordan Plantation. This excellent site contains a lot of information including census data about who the sharecroppers were, many of whom are listed by name. You could use these names to create characters for your news report.

Still Picture Gallery

• http://www.webarchaeology.com/Html/phgallry.htm: Extensive photo gallery page



• Picture Gallery Handout

Once you have finished your research, return to WebQuest main page.

View this page as a printable Adobe PDF file.