Students can use the fictional events of the story and role play the reactions of community members and other characters in the novel. Assign students a race, black or white, depending on the situation in the novel that is the focus of the discussion. Have students use the prejudices and attitudes of their character counterparts and discuss the situation from their perspective. Students might find it difficult to role play the white townspeople and adopt their intolerance. Use time after the role play to lead a class discussion about why those particular stereotypes were uncomfortable. Have students rehearse and perform their roles for the entire class.
Gather a list of relevant research topics that connect to the novel. For example, students can research the land restructuring after the Civil War, the treatment of African Americans in the 1930s, changes in education after the war, violence in the South or the rise of Ku Klux Klan. Spend time on the Internet or library, where students can read and take notes on their assigned topics. Then, have them produce a research project. The project can appear in many forms: a formal paper, a time line, chart, graph or visual aide. Allow students time to present and teach their topics to the class.
Students can create diary entries for specific characters in the novel. After the major events, assign students a character who was a participant or eyewitness to the event. Then, in a composition notebook or other small journal, have students adopt the voice and write a first-person diary entry describing the events. Make sure students include specific details from the novel and attempt to write in a similar style to the character they are assigned. Students can share or exchange the diary entries in class for further reading and reflection.
Students can adopt the style of "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" by completing a narrative paper. Have them pick an event or moment in their own lives when they felt they were treated unfairly. In the same first-person style of the novel, have students retell the experience and reflect on why that moment was so significant. Students should include dialogue and description to recreate the moment. Use powerful experiences from the novel as examples of solid narrative writing. Have student share their narratives in small groups or in front of the class.