A Day No Pigs Would Die

What is a Shaker?

This guiding question will lead my freshman classes to read the novel, A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck. As we prepare for this novel, we are exploring the world of the Shakers, a religious group that originally migrated to America for religious freedom in the 1700s. Because the narrator in this novel is Robert Peck, a Shaker boy partially based on the author's life, it is vitally important to understand the historical and religious background of his heritage.

In small groups, students are researching a specific Shaker topic, creating an informative PowerPoint presentation, and then "teaching" the class about what they have learned. Some of these topics include: Shaker History, Religious Beliefs, Daily Life, Homes, Farms, Inventions, and Famous Shakers.

I can't wait to see how my students will answer the question, "What is a Shaker?"