Activity Overview
Allusions are present throughout the novel,
One Crazy Summer, referencing actual
people, places, literature, TV, movies, music, movements, and events. These references help plunge the reader into the world surrounding Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern and the different influences all around them in 1960s America. In this activity, students will
identify, research, and illustrate various allusions in the story.
Examples of Allusions in One Crazy Summer
- Cassius Clay A.K.A. Muhammad Ali
- Black Panthers
- Huey P. Newton
- Eldridge Cleaver
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Robert F. Kennedy
- John F. Kennedy
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- Ho Chi Minh
- Vietnam War
- Peter Pan
- Island of the Blue Dolphins
- Emily Dickinson
- Robert Frost
- Countee Cullen
- William Blake
- Homer
- Langston Hughes
- Malcolm X
- The Mike Douglas Show
- James Brown
- Aretha Franklin
- Abraham Lincoln
- Harriet Tubman
- Bobby Hutton
- Sleeping Beauty
- Nat King Cole
- Shirley Temple
- Flipper
- Monkees
- Jet Magazine
- Merriam Webster Dictionary
- Gwendolyn Brooks' "We Real Cool"
- Oakland, CA: Magnolia St.
- San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown
- Brooklyn, NY: Herkimer St., Coney Island, Prospect Park, Shiloh Baptist Church
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies allusions present in One Crazy Summer (references to actual people, places, events, or works of art or literature). Illustrate instances of each allusion and write a short description below each cell.
Student Instructions:
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Identify the allusions from One Crazy Summer you wish to include and write them in the title.
- Create an image for an example that represents this allusion using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Write a description of each of the examples.
- Save and exit when you're done.
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