The Watson Go to Birmingham Chapter Questions

The Watson Go to Birmingham Chapter Questions Chapter One: “And You Wonder Why We Get Called the Weird Watsons” Vocabulary: Narcissus (from Nar-sissy) pg. 28 a character in Greek mythology who met tragedy when he fell in love with his own image Comprehension: 1. Curtis plants a seed in the reader’s mind by suggesting that the Watsons may be weird. Is Byron someone you might think of as weird? How? ______2. When Kenny’s mother suggests that Birmingham, Alabama, may be warmer and friendlier than Flint, Michigan, about what does his father remind her? ______3. Why does Mr. Watson call the landlord a “snake in the grass?” ______4. What would you have done to rescue Byron? ______Chapter Two: “Give My Regards to Clark, Poindexter” Vocabulary: hostile pg. 37 unfriendly; showing ill will intimidate pg. 39 make afraid; frighten emulate pg. 39 copy or try to equal or rival Comprehension: 1. How did being Byron’s little brother help Kenny? ______2. What were the two qualities that set Kenny up for teasing? ______3. How did Byron react to Kenny’s poetry reading? ______4. What does Kenny mean when he says, “I knew God had finally sent me my personal saver!”? ______5. Who or what are Clark and Poindexter? ______4 Chapter Three: “The World’s Greatest Dinosaur War Ever” Vocabulary: Nazis pg. 54 Allied (the Allies included the U.S.A.) enemy in World War II; followers of Hitler or members of his political party Comprehension: 1. What shocks Kenny about Rufus and Cody’s life in Arkansas? ______2. How did LJ win the World’s Greatest Dinosaur War Ever? ______3. What were the two things about which the other kids teased Rufus? ______4. What did Kenny do that made him feel “like someone had pulled all [his] teeth ______Chapter Four: “Froze-Up Southern Folks” Vocabulary: pomade pg. 67 hair ointment with perfume Sugar Ray Robinson pg. 82 a great welterweight and middleweight boxing champion Comprehension: 1. According to Byron, why do garbage trucks have wide back doors? ______2. What discovery does Kenny make about Larry Dunn and how does the discovery change his feelings about him? ______3. Explain why you would or would not like to have Byron as your big brother. ______Chapter Five: “Nazi Parachutes Attack America and Get Shot Down over the Flint River by Captain Byron Watson and His Flamethrower of Death” Comprehension: 1. Why did Kenny believe his mother should burn Byron? ______2. Why was Mrs. Watson so upset about the parachute game? ______Chapter Six: “Swedish Cremes and Welfare Cheese” Vocabulary: welfare pg. 100 help or money given by a government agency to people who are unable to meet their own needs peon pg. 101 a laborer working off a debt Comprehension: 1. How does Byron trick Kenny into keeping the secret about the “free food”? ______2. What proved to Kenny that Byron felt bad about killing the mourning dove? ______Chapter Seven: ”Every Chihuahua in America Lines Up to Take a Bite out of Byron” Vocabulary: Chihuahua pg. 112 a dog of the Mexican breed illustrated above, small and with pointy ears conk pg. 113 a hair style in which naturally curly hair is straightened and smoothed down close to the head executioner pg. 117 the person who carries out a convicted prisoner’s death sentence Comprehension: 1. On pages 118–119, how does Byron describe his relationship with Kenny as they are waiting for Mr. Watson to arrive to decide By’s punishment? ______2. With what new physical characteristics does Byron end up and what new nicknames do you predict for him? ______8 Chapter Eight: “The Ultra-Glide!” Vocabulary: pinnacle pg. 131 highest point; peak Walter Cronkite pg. 141 a highly trusted and respected news reporter and anchorman of the CBS Evening News maestro pg. 146 conductor or leader of a musical performance Comprehension: 1. What are the last TWO finishing touches Mr. Watson puts on the Brown Bomber? ______2. What personal care item does Mr. Watson always hide and why? ______3. Where are the Watsons going and why? ______Chapter Nine: “The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963” Vocabulary: Lawrence Welk Show pg. 159 a long-lived and popular musical program which had massive appeal in the post-World War II era eavesdropped pg. 161 listened in to a conversation meant to be private seniority pg. 170 a labor union method of recognizing the right of those with the most years of employment in a work place to first choice in important things such as overtime Comprehension: 1. According to Mr. Watson, why is it necessary to send Byron to Birmingham? ______2. What gift does Joetta receive and why does she hide it in her socks drawer? ______3. How do the chapter and the book get their shared title? ______Chapter Ten: “Tangled Up in God’s Beard” Comprehension: 1. What surprise do Kenny and Byron find at the rest stop in Ohio? ______2. Describe the Buster Brown trademark Kenny sees inside Joetta’s shoe. ______3. What secret does Kenny know about but decide not to share with Mrs. Watson? ______Chapter Eleven: “Bobo Brazil Meets the Sheik” Vocabulary: vittles pg.188 in country dialect, the word for food Comprehension: 1. Give one reason why Mrs. Watson was angry about her husband driving straight through to Birmingham and one reason why she was pleased. ______2. Why does the chapter have the title “Bobo Brazil Meets the Sheik” and is it a fitting title? ______Chapter Twelve: “That Dog Won’t Hunt No More” Vocabulary: wilier pg. 203 (from wily) craftier; slyer Comprehension: 1. Why is Wilona upset with her mother? ______2. Why does Birmingham seem to Kenny to be a serious punishment? ______Chapter Thirteen: “I Meet Winnie’s Evil Twin Brother, the Wool Pooh” Vocabulary: whirlpool pg. 210 water moving in a violent spiral at the point where currents meet Comprehension: 1. Why does Kenny think Mr. Collier would put up No Trespassing signs and make up stories about the Wool Pooh at Collier’s Landing? ______2. What was Kenny after in the water? ______3. How does Byron reveal his true feelings for Kenny in Chapter Thirteen? ______Chapter Fourteen: “Every Bird and Bug in Birmingham Stops and Wonders” Vocabulary: raising cain pg. 235 causing trouble; making a great deal of noise Comprehension: 1. Irony is a set of circumstances resulting in an outcome that is the opposite of what is expected. For example, a police officer stealing from a store would be ironic because it is not typical of the behavior of police officers. What irony concerning the American flag does the author establish (pg. 230) and how is it ironic? ______2. When Kenny holds the shiny, black shoe with the Buster Brown trademark and believes Joetta died in the bombing, he worries about how he had been treating her. How had he treated her earlier that day? ______3. What allows Kenny to trust his senses and believe Joey was truly still alive? ______4. What saved Joetta from the bombing? ______Chapter Fifteen: “The World-Famous Watson Pet Hospital” Comprehension: 1. To what place does Kenny disappear more and more often and what is he looking for there? ______2. What ugly thing does Kenny find in the World-Famous Watson Pet Hospital? ______3. Does Kenny find the magic powers he was looking for to heal himself? ______\ 1. Ask students to watch for the author’s craft of using the vocabulary of the character’s level of language development (in the case of Kenny, that of a fourth grader) and to identify examples and tell how this craft enhances the author’s presentation of the characters. (Examples include his use on page 47 of “saver” instead of “savior.”) 2. Using figurative language: In Chapter 3 page 63, Kenny describes his discomfort after Rufus confronts him for his shameful behavior by saying, “I felt like someone had pulled all my teeth out with a pair of rusty pliers.” Ask students to create other descriptions (using similes) which show discomfort. 3. Writing an extended analogy: Mr. Watson compares learning to parent with learning to drive a car, saying, “At first it’s scary but then before you realize . . . you have it under control.” First use a two-column template to discuss various steps involved in learning to drive and thinking of their counterparts in parenting. Then use this template as a guide for a writing piece extending the analogy, using at least five similarities. For example: 4. Ask students to look for examples of the author’s craft of juxtaposition, putting serious and humorous parts in sharp and sometimes startling contrast to each other. Use the example on page 156: I loved it when Dad talked to me like I was grown-up. I didn’t really understand half the junk he was saying, but it sure did feel good to be talked to like that! It’s times like this when someone is talking to you like you are a grown-up that you have to be careful not to pick your nose or dig your drawers out of your butt. 5. Author’s Craft: Using Dialect. Dialect is the variety of language peculiar to a particular region. Wilona is from Alabama and keeps much of her Alabama dialect. Discuss with students how to read the phonetic spellings to read the Alabama dialect as it sounded to Kenny, for whom it was very foreign. Discuss why Mr. Watson uses this dialect on page 166. Why does Mrs. Watson use this dialect on page 188? How does Christopher Paul Curtis use dialect to create the title for Chapter 13? 6. Create an illustration to demonstrate some aspect of Chapter Thirteen, such as Kenny being tempted to step into the water, Kenny’s visions as he is being drowned, or Kenny’s understanding of the Wool Pooh. Learning to Drive a Car Learning Parenting New car needs to be broken in Newborn must be handled gently Car needs gasoline regularly Children need food: physical, spiritual, and emotional Need to avoid crashes Must teach sharing 7. The Chapter Fourteen questions include one defining and discussing irony. You may wish to elaborate on examples of irony. 8. The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963 is a wonderful piece of historical fiction to use as part of an integrated curriculum unit about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. The novel is a terrific “hook” to pique student interest in this era, and the Epilogue suggests many names and specific topics from which to make ties with historical developments. 9. Creative timeline: Mr. Watson was very pleased with his Ultra-Glide (at least until it got stuck on a record) and most people today enjoy CD players and new sound technology. Construct a timeline which combines development in music-related technology with developments related to the slow and labored development of racial equality within the U.S.A. 10. Share Negro Spirituals (as they were called during their time) and music of the Civil Rights Movement with students. Writing Prompts: 1. When Kenny sat in the Brown Bomber with his father while his father explained to him why Byron needed to go to stay with his grandmother, Kenny felt very grown-up. Describe with details and clear images a time when you felt as if you were treated as an adult rather than as a child. 2. When the Watsons stop in the darkness of a Tennessee rest area (page 180–181) and look at the Appalachian Mountains, Kenny feels very scared. Describe an experience when you found your surroundings to be very scary. Try to include details and images, as Kenny did when he said: On every side of us were great big, black hills, and behind these were even bigger, blacker hills, and behind these were the biggest, blackest hills. It looked like someone had crumpled up a pitch-black blanket and dropped the Weird Watsons down into the middle of it. 3. There are times when we all feel like crawling behind a couch and waiting for magic powers. Describe something about life that has made you want to “climb behind a couch” and how you have dealt with it.