Go Tell it On the Mountain Lesson Plan

The novel is set in Harlem in 1935, and its protagonist belongs to a family of four children, with another baby on the way. John is the eldest son, a bright boy who has always been expected to “be the good example” and become a man of God. Roy, John’s younger brother, is a charming and defiant boy who the family and community hope will reform his ways, although neither expect him to do so. Sarah, the third eldest, is strict and pious by nature to the point that even as a baby she wore a mature face. Finally, Ruth is still a baby who John loves and cares for. Both of the family’s sons are devoted to their mother, Elizabeth, who is a complex woman: she is strong and true in her faith, and...