Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

ACTIVITY: Writing a poem that works as memoir

Jacqueline Woodson uses her plainspoken poetic style throughout Brown Girl Dreaming to demonstrate the value of specific memories or moments from her life. Choose an impactful moment from your own life, and write a descriptive poem about that moment to show your growth as a person.

Teaching Suggestion: While there’s certainly no wrong way for students to accomplish this activity, it might be a good idea to give them some examples of poems that best embody what the prompt is asking for. “the beginning,” “american dream,” “first grade,” and “on the bus to dannemora” are all good models for students.