The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963
Summer Packet
Important note:
This packet will be due the first day of school. You must complete all activities. Take your time and do your best work!
Let’s begin!
Supplies:
■ Computer and printer OR loose leaf paper and black or blue pen
■ Your copy of The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963
■ Project Planning Calendar (below)
Week 1● Read pages 1-46
- Read vocabulary words before beginning
- Answer comprehension questions for chapters1-3
Week 2
● Read pages 47-85
- Read vocabulary words before beginning
- Answer comprehension questions for chapters4-6
Week 3
● Read pages 86-137
- Read vocabulary words before beginning
- Answer comprehension questions for chapters7-9
Week 4
● Read pages 138-168
- Read vocabulary words before beginning
- Answer comprehension questions for chapters10-12
Week 5
● Read pages 169-210
- Read vocabulary words before beginning
- Answer comprehension questions for chapters 13-Epilogue
Character Focus: Kenny Watson
Essay
Overview
Kenny and his family, the Watsons, live in Flint Michigan where the winters are almost too cold for them to stand. Kenny has two siblings, a little sister, Joetta, and an older brother, Byron. While Byron is the “god” of Clark Elementary school, Kenny is often made fun of.The other students, and even Byron, refer to Kenny as “Poindexter.” When a new boy, Rufus, moves in, Kenny thinks his problems have been solved by someone who is even easier to make fun of than he is. However, to his surprise, they become close friends. In school and at home Byron gets into trouble repeatedly. Unable to find a way to control him, Dad and Momma decide to take the family on a trip to Birmingham, Alabama to put him in the care of Grandma Sands. Once in Birmingham, Byron’s behavior starts to improve. One Sunday there is a bombing at a church in Birmingham. The incident has a major impact on Kenny and leaves him confused. Mr. and Mrs. Watson wonder if their son will return to the person he used to be.
As you read the novel think about the following questions:
· What does it mean to be a true friend?
· How do we overcome our fears?
· How can you tell when a person is maturing (becoming more mature)?
The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963
Vocabulary List
Chapter 1
thermostat – n: device for controlling temperatures
juvenile delinquent – n: person under the age of 18 who gets in lots of trouble
landlord – n: person who rents property to others
flypaper – n: sticky paper made to catch flies, usually in hanging strips
Chapter 2
hostile – adj.: unfriendly
incapable – adj.: not able
assure – v: encourage by promising
intimidate – v: to bully or threaten
emulate – v: imitate or copy
bravo – inter: very good
punctual – adj: on time
Chapter 3
desperate – adj: wanting intensely
reinforcements – n: additional or supporting forces
radioactive – adj: giving off dangerous levels or nuclear radiation
pliers – n: a tool used for gripping or bending objects
Chapter 4
zombie – n.: person in a sleeplike state with a strange apperance
hypnotized – adj.: in a trancelike state
frostbite – n: freezing or partial freezing of the body
Chapter 5
flamethrower – n: weapon that shoots fire
traitor – adj: betraying
Chapter 6
peon – n: impoverished laborer (poor worker) especially one who does menial (dirty or slave like) work
conscience – n: sense of right and wrong
Chapter 7
linoleum – n: smooth, continuous floor tiles or rug
tolerate – v: to put up with
Chapter 8
ultimate – n: something that is the greatest or highest possible
pinnacle – n: peak; highest point
seniority – n: privilege that comes from being older
dispersal – n: condition of being spread out or scattered
phonic – adj.; having to do with sound
exclusive – adj.: unique
grasped – v: understood or realized
haphazardly – adv: randomly or by chance
hacked – v: carelessly cut or chopped
technician – n: person who is an expert in the mechanics of some device or machine
enhance – v: improve or make better
patter – n: informal, fast, rapid chatter
swoon – v: faint
maestro – n: master of an art such as a musical conductor
Chapter 9
accustomed – v: get used to something
eavesdropped – v: listened secretly
grapevine- n: an informal means of spreading information from person to person
transferred-v: moved, sent
offended – v: had one’s feelings hurt or was insulted
Chapter 10
sanitation – adj: relating to hygiene, especially a clean water supply
facilities – n: rooms or buildings used for a special purpose such as restrooms or restaurants
Chapter 11
pathetic – adj: inspiring pity or feeling sorry for
bad-dispositioned – adj: unhappy and irritable
frequencies – n: the tone or level of sound vibrations
Chapter 12
wilier – adj: more crafty or shy
scolding – v: correcting angrily: nagging
Chapter 13
whirlpool – n: dangerously spinning body of water
electrocuted – v: killed with an electrical shock
Chapter 14
sonic boom – n: an explosive sound caused by planes moving faster than the speed of sound
fluttered – v: shook rapidly or trembled
Chapter 15
curveballs – n: baseball pitches that unexpectedly change direction
Epilogue
amended – v: changed, revised
discrimination – n: show of prejudice or bias against a group of people or an individual in that group
pervasive – adj: widespread
prohibited – v: outlawed; forbidden
interracial – adj: between people of different races
segregation – v: practice of keeping different races or groups of people apart
strove – v: tried hard
sit-ins – n: protests in which people sit down in a place and refuse to leave
boycotts – n: protests in which people refuse to buy someone’s merchandise or use someone’s services
banned – v: made illegal; forbidden
picketing – n: marching or standing outside a business, or other place and carrying signs to show opposition to a policy or practice
demonstrations – n: public meetings or parades in which people show how they feel about an issue
confrontations – n: acts of opposing or standing fact to face against someone or something
Comprehension Questions
Directions: In complete sentences, answer the questions for each of the chapters on a separate sheet of paper.
Chapter One
• What kind of relationship does Kenny have with his brother, Byron? How do you know?
Chapter Two
• Why do you think Kenny is afraid when he realizes that the reading he has to do will be for Byron’s class?
• What happens after the reading that surprises Kenny?
• Why does Kenny see Rufus, the new boy on the bus, as his “personal saver”?
Chapter Three
• Why is Kenny hesitant(nervous) to spend time with Rufus?
• How was Rufus’s life in Arkansas different than it is in Flint?
• Why was Rufus upset with Kenny? What happened as a result? How did Kenny feel? How was this problem resolved?
Chapter Four
• What kind of relationship does Kenny have with Joetta? Give examples to support your answer.
Chapter Five
• Why do you think Mrs. Watson speaks “Southern-style” when she gets angry?
• If you were Mrs. Watson, how would you punish Byron when he plays with fire?
Chapter Six
• Why do you think Byron gets sick after he kills the mourning dove?
• How does the author show that Byron is not as tough as he pretends to be?
Chapter Seven
• Why do you think Byron keeps doing things that his parents have forbidden?
• When Byron misbehaves, who do you think handles the situation better, Mr. or Mrs. Watson? Why?
Chapter Eight
• Why do you think Kenny is so eager to have a real mustache like Mr.Watson?
• Why do the Watsons think sending Byron to Alabama will help him to behave better? Do you think it will work? Why or Why not?
Chapter Nine
• Besides not wanting to get hooked on country music, why do you think Daddy decides to install the TT-700 in the Brown Bomber?
• Why do you think Joetta wants to keep the angel from Mrs. Davidson in a drawer?
• Why do you think Mrs. Watson is so careful with her planning of the trip, such as where the family is going to stay?
Chapter Ten
• Why does Kenny ask for a second serving of Kool-Aid, even though it tastes bad to him?
• Why do you think Kenny feels scared when they are driving through the mountains?
Chapter Eleven
• How is Birmingham like Flint? How is it different?
• How does Byron behave when he meets Grandma Sands? Were you surprised by his behavior? Why or Why not?
Chapter Twelve
• How does Mrs. Watson act differently when she is with her mother compared with how she acts at home in Flint?
Chapter Thirteen
• How does Byron change when the Watsons arrive in Alabama?
• Why do you think he changes so suddenly?
• Why does Kenny decide that it is okay to go into the water at Collier’s Landing?
• What did you learn about Byron’s feelings for Kenny in this chapter?
Chapter Fourteen
• How does the author describe the scene at the church, after it has been bombed?
• Why do you think Kenny sees the Wool Pooh in the church after it has been bombed?
Chapter Fifteen
• Why does Byron spend so much time with Kenny when they come back to Flint?
• Why does Kenny start going to the World-Famous Watson Pet Hospital so often?
• How does Byron help Kenny to feel better at the end of the book?
Character focus: Kenny Watson
Complete the following character chart using details from the novel. Completing the chart will help you to find evidence that you can use in your essay.
Quote / Describe what is happening. / What does this show/reveal about Kenny? How?p.33 “When lunchtime came he followed me outside right to the part of the playground where I sit to eat. He forgot about bringing a lunch so I gave him one of Momma’s throat-choking peanut butter sandwiches and let him eat the last half of my apple.”
p.43 “Maybe it was because everybody else was laughing, maybe it was because Cody had such a strange look on his face….but whatever the reason was I cracked up too. Rufus shot a look at me. His face never changed but I knew right away I’d done something wrong.”
Quote / Describe what is happening. / What does this show/reveal about Kenny? How?
p.46 “Rufus and Cody were standing on the porch smiling a mile a minute. I said, ‘Rufus, I’m sorry.’ He said, ‘That’s O.K.’ I wasn’t through though. I really wanted him to know. ‘I am different.’”
p.62 “I wished I hadn’t told Byron about what happened, I wished I could just have gone the rest of the year with one glove. I couldn’t stand to see how the movie was going to end, so me and Rufus left.”
p.192 “I was kind of surprised because the way Momma and Dad were talking I could tell they were most worried about me. They came out of the kitchen and sat on the couch. I knew they were talking about me again. Momma said, ‘He’s been disappearing, Daniel. Hours go by and I don’t know where he is.’”
Essay
The author, Christopher Paul Curtis, based the bombing in chapter 14 on the real event that occurred at the 16th Street Church in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963. The individuals responsible for the bombing wanted to hurt African-Americans because of their feelings of hatred towards this group. In the book, Mr. and Mrs. Watson do not explain to Kenny why the bombing occurred. Byron tries to answer his brother’s questions on the bombing.
Write an argumentative essay where you answer the following question:
Do you think Kenny is mature enough to handle the truth about the bombing?
In your essay, you must present your opinion (claim) and support your ideas with evidence from The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963. This essay will require that you analyze the opposing view (counterargument) and use evidence from the text to prove why it is wrong (rebuttal).
You can either type or write your essay. Use the outline in this packet to help you write the essay.
Outline for Argumentative Essay
Title: ______
I. Introduction
A. Hook/Lead Sentence (Grab my attention)
B. Overview:
a. Background information about the story that connects to your argument
b. Counterargument (Briefly mention the counterargument)
Some people believe……
C: Thesis Statement (State your opinion + your two supporting reasons)
Kenny is mature /not mature enough to handle the truth about the bombing
because______
______
II. Supporting Reason #1
Topic Sentence:
Evidence from the story that proves your supporting reason
Analysis: How does the evidence show that Kenny is/is not mature enough to know the truth about the bombing?
Concluding sentence: