Vocab
Define the word meticulous.
taking or showing extreme care when it comes to details. very thorough
What two events happen to Little Man on his first day of school that open his eyes to the racism that surrounds him? Be specific.
The bus sped up passed Little Man to get his clothes dirty on purpose.
Little Man received a used book that had racial slurs in it. When he said something about it he was hit with a switch by his teacher.
Why does Mr. Morrison live with the Logans?
He is there to work and to protect the family. He also needed somewhere to stay when he was fired from his job.
Lynching is when a person is publicly hung in front of others for small, petty crimes that they may have not even committed.
Lynching was typically done to people of color and an example can be found in chapter 1 of our novel.
Dirty, stained, or ruined
Use the word multitude in a sentence
The meaning of multitude is a large number. Use your best judgement to determine whether the sentence makes sense. If you need help, raise your hand and ask your teacher :)
In chapters 1 and 4, what two events does TJ gossip about? Be specific.
In chapter 1 he gossips about the Berry family and the burning
In chapter 4 he gossips about Sam Tatum being tarred and feathered
What happened to the Berry men?
They were "flirting" with a white woman and white men saw them doing that. The white men followed them home and set them on fire.
Real family stories that she heard about growing up
Use your best judgement to determine whether or not the sentence is correct.
-I was on the verge of.....
Ask Mrs. Jachimek if you are unsure.
Define the word formidable
inspiring fear or appreciation with presence and amount of intensity
Summarize the Logan kid's plan to stop the bus from terrorizing them. What were the results?
The bus runs over the hole and gets stuck in the mud. All of the white students on the bus now have to walk to school until the bus is fixed.
The kids worry about whether or no they will get caught for what they did.
What inferences can you make about Mama? Include evidence.
Some examples of answers would be:
-Mama is radical or wants to protect her children because she glues paper over the inside covers of their school books to stop the kids from seeing the racial slurs. She does this even though she knows she can get in trouble.
-Mama cares about her kids because she covers the inside of the books and takes them to the Berries so they can learn why it is important to not go to the Wallace Store.
-Mama has a sense of humor or is radical because she laughed about what happened to the bus
What are Jim Crow Laws?
Laws that kept blacks and whites segregated (separate)
Grumpy or grouchy. Not in a good mood.
Define the word indicate
indicate means to point out or show something to somebody
Explain why the kids are not allowed to go to the Wallace Store.
The Wallace's own the Wallace Store and are racist white people in the community. They are the "night men" and are responsible for the burnings and tarred and feathered Mr. Tatum. The Wallace Store is dangerous.
The book doesn't talk too much about Grandpa Logan, but we do know that he bought 400 acres of land. Who did he buy this land from and how did he pull it off being African American?
He bought the land from Harlan Granger (a white plantation owner) during the Great Depression. The price of the land was affordable because the economy was recovering.
What caused the Great Depression?
The stock market crashed
In the book, T.J. has two family members. Who are they?
Mr. Avery- his dad
Claude Avery- his little brother
Define the word radical
Advocating for complete political or social reform. Representing or supporting an extreme section of a political party.
Explain the evolution of Mr. Morrison and Stacey's relationship. How does it change over time?
At first Stacey is reluctant to accept Mr. Morrison because he is there to protect the family and Stacey feels like Mr Morrison is stealing that responsibility from him. Before Papa left, he told Stacey to look after his mother and siblings, but with Mr. Morrison there he can't do that.
Stacey starts to accept Mr. Morrison after his fight with T.J. He realizes that Mr. Morrison treated him like an adult and let him tell his mother on his own about the fight at the Wallace Store. Doing this allowed Stacey to build some trust and respect with Mr. Morrison.
Who is Harlan Granger and what does he want from the Logan family?
Harlan Granger is a white plantation owner who had no choice but to sell his land to Grandpa Logan years ago. He wants his land back.
Sharecropping was when an African American would rent farming land from a white farmer for unfair prices and unfair conditions.
We can see an example on page 99 in our book
Think of the bus and how it torments the kids each day. What would you say the bus symbolizes and why?
Some answer examples:
hate, racism, injustice