Share this Book
After students finish reading Will’s Race for Home, get students thinking more deeply about the events Will contributed to and experienced by having them create a traditional or digital scrapbook that documents Will’s journey.
To compile scrapbook entries that blend fiction and nonfiction—text, images, and artifacts—and capture both the emotional and historical layers of the story, have students return to the book to take notes on what Will does, where he travels, how he responds to events, and his interactions. Students should also research the setting and real events in the story and learn more about the history of the era, looking for primary source materials that someone like Will may have encountered.
Student scrapbooks could include short journal entries written from Will’s point of view and captioned images they find or create that represent important moments, people, or ideas from the book. The scrapbook could also include depictions and descriptions of artifacts that could have been part of Will’s journey—such as maps, photographs, and other objects of importance and value that help highlight the history behind Will’s story.
Once scrapbooks are complete, have students share their projects with a partner or small group, putting into words the story they have created on their scrapbook pages.
Questions for Discussion or Reflective Writing
- Describe the relationship Will has with his father, George. Why has George always closed himself off to Will? How does their relationship evolve throughout their journey to Oklahoma? How does your own relationship to a parent, guardian, or sibling compare?
- What does it mean to George to feel free? Why does he want to leave Texas? How does Will think about freedom? How do you think about freedom after having read this book?
- What do Father and Grandpa mean by “you can’t always tell a friend—or enemy . . . until it's too late?” How does Will learn what they mean? Why isn’t Will always sure if Caesar is a friend or an enemy? How can Caesar be both? Who else sees Caesar as the enemy?
- Why do you think George and Caesar forged such a strong friendship? How were these men similar to each other? What were their differences?
- Why has George kept the secret horror that binds him and Grandpa from Will? How does learning this secret change Will? Have you ever learned someone else’s secret? What changed when you learned it? What else changed Will on this journey?
- Will, George, and Caesar faced many challenges and perilous circumstances on their journey. How do you think you would fare under similar circumstances? What sacrifices would you be willing to make to follow a dream for a better life?
Related Resources
Will’s Race for Home Discussion Questions from Little Brown Young Readers
Will’s Race for Home Educator’s Guide from Jewell Parker Rhodes
A Black Family's Quest for a Home in the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 from The Kids' Bookshelf
The Oklahoma Land Rush: Property Rights on the American Frontier from the Foundation for Teaching Economics
Oklahoma Black Homesteaders from the National Park Service
How Much Did You Learn About Oklahoma's Black Towns from Your History Books? from The Oklahoman
Exodusters & Western Expansion from the National Archives
From Trails to Truths: Oklahoma History from a Native American Perspective: A Resource Booklet for Teachers from Oklahoma City Public Schools
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