Dreamland Burning

Dreamland Burning addresses several social issues that were present in 1921. Describe these issues and draw comparisons to 2-3 social issues that are present today. Consider these questions as you structure your response or prepare for your discussion:

• What forms of racial violence are present in the novel?
• What forms of religious persecution are described?
• What social groups are present?
• What types of prejudice play a role in the story?
• How is justice administered?
• What laws from 1921 affect the story?

Use examples from the novel to support your thinking.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may have difficulty analyzing these questions because they cover several subjects over the course of an entire novel. It may be helpful for students to consider each question individually by noting some thoughts on paper to use as a guide as they discuss the novel. You might also suggest a jigsaw approach in which students divide the questions among them and each gathers evidence relating to one or two questions before discussing as a group.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who require additional assistance or those with executive processing challenges, consider permitting them to focus on racism as the social justice issue to analyze over the course of the novel (rather than analyzing multiple topics).