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

“Hurricane Timeline”

Ninth Ward is a work of historical fiction: The fictitious story and characters are affected by a real-world historical event, Hurricane Katrina. In this activity, match the plotline events to historical events before, during, and after the storm and flooding in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans.

• You will need poster paper, art paper, or a large section of whiteboard or chalkboard; a copy of Ninth Ward; access to “Hurricane Katrina: The Essential Timeline” from National Geographic (or another day-by-day timeline account of the storm’s events).
• Create a 2-column graphic organizer to show historical timeline events alongside plotline events from the novel.
• Begin with Tuesday, August 23, 2005. In one column of your organizer, summarize the historical events you read about in the timeline article. Alongside your summary, in the other column, use a series of bulleted plot points to note Lanesha’s actions, thoughts, and conflicts for that day (Chapter 3 in the novel).
• Continue with each day of the timespan of the storm and initial flooding, up through and including Wednesday, August 31.