Literature Based Thematic Unit

~ for 5th-6th grade level or Intermediate ESOL ~

created by

Michael H.

"Nightjohn"

by Gary Paulsen

and the

U.S. Civil War

Questions

Activities

Bibliography

(Click on one of the sections above or scroll down)



*Questions*

 

5 sections:

I Chapters 1 and 2 (pp. 13 - 24)

II Chapter 3 (pp. 25 - 41)

III Chapter 4 (pp. 42 -58)

IV Chapters 5 and 6 (pp. 59 - 82)

V Chapter 7 and "Words" Chapter (pp. 83 - 92)

 

Section I

  1. At the beginning of the story, Sarny says, "I knew he was coming but it wasn't witchin', just listening." What do you think she meant by this? What were you thinking at the beginning?
  2. Describe your feelings when you read about Sarny's "Birthing Mammy." Why did you feel this way?
  3. What part of the country do you picture this story taking place? Explain. What evidence from the book supports your explanation? How is the setting significant to Sarny's story?
  4. What is the significance of the section where Sarny describes Mammy putting her head inside the big kettle to pray? Consider the following statement by Sarny: "I was small then and didn't know about being free, or even how to think about being free, or even what being free meant." What do you think she meant here?

 

Section II

  1. Describe Clel Waller as a plantation owner? Was he a model owner? Explain. Imagine you are a plantation owner with slaves. Describe how you would run the plantation.
  2. Compare and contrast a typical day at your home and Sarny's "home." How do you feel about Sarny's living situation (i.e., eating at the trough, no lights, etc.)?
  3. Reflect on Sarny's first alphabet lesson with John. What do you think Nightjohn was feeling and thinking during this first lesson? How did you feel?
  4. Consider the following statement by John: "Cause to know things, for us to know things, is bad for them." What do you think John meant?

 

 

Section III

  1. Reflect on Sarny's stories of slaves who escaped only to be savagely hunted and tortured to death. How did you feel after reading these incidents? What would you have done if you were one of those slaves trying to escape?
  2. Do you believe John truly came back south to teach slaves how to read and write? Explain. How do you think he learned to read and write?

    3.  

  3. Describe Sarny as a student. What are her strengths and weaknesses? Do you think she would be a successful student in our modern education system? Explain.

 

Section IV

  1. Consider how excited Sarny was when she made her first word "BAG." Describe a similar event that you've had in learning or discovering something new.
  2. Why do you think Mammy let Old Waller punish her despite the fact that it was actually John that taught Sarny the alphabet? What does this say about Mammy as a person? What would you have done if you were Mammy?
  3. Consider Mammy's following statement to John just before he escapes: "You were always going. When you came here they brought you in the collar. You were born to leave." What is the significance of this statement? Do you agree with Mammy? Explain.
  4. How did you feel about John's punishment? Imagine you were John in this situation. Would you have come forward to admit your guilt? Explain.

 

Section V

  1. Describe how you felt when John came back and surprised Sarny. Do you think this was wise of John? What does this say about John as a person?
  2. What is the significance of the catalog that John uses to teach at the "pit school?"
  3. Compare and contrast Nightjohn's "pit school" with our modern school. Which would you rather attend? Explain.
  4. Imagine you are asked to be one of Nightjohn's "pit school" students. Would you go? Explain. What would you ask Nightjohn?
  5. If you could write the next book, what do you think would happen to Sarny, Nightjohn, Clel Waller, etc.?

 

*Activities*/*Lessons*

 

I. Introduction Activity

Objective:

For 5th - 6th grade students to experience what it's like to be illiterate and treated like a slave. While participating in this activity, students will struggle with both the "literate world" and racism. This activity is designed to be implemented in 1 class period.

Materials:

Handkerchiefs for half the class

Tokens (bingo markers, marbles, etc.)

Poster paper

Paper

Cookies and punch

Preparation:

I will designate 3 areas of the classroom: a voting booth, a restaurant and a pharmacy with signs and tasks that are written in German or Chinese (Voting Booth = Wählenstimmzettel, Restaurant = Gaststätte, etc.) Each area will have a few simple tasks that each person must perform before moving on to the next area. These tasks will be explained before the activity but the actual task materials will be written in German (i.e. voting ballot, restaurant menu, etc.)

Introduction:

I will begin by telling the students that for the next period we will experience the struggles of illiteracy and racism. Half of them will be "Superiors" (or 'Supes') and the other half will be "Inferiors" (or 'Infys'). Many will experience strong emotions during this simulation activity. I will clarify that no negative personal comments or physical violence will be tolerated. The purpose is to experience a difficult situation in a positive way.

Procedures:

  1. Remind class about group participation and appropriate behavior.
  1. Introduce activity.
  1. Split the class into 2 groups.
  1. Students will do the activity.

Wrap-up:

We will have a discussion of how they felt in their roles as "Supes" and "Infys". We will use a Ven diagram to organize our ideas on the board. Emphasize that using Chinese ideograms instead of German would have been even more realistic in terms of the similarity between German-English letter forms. I will ask the students to write a response to this activity in their journals.

 

II. Students will read aloud Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
      1. Leader: develops a list of questions that the group might want to discuss and helps the group organize.
      2. Vocabulary Enricher: looks for important familiar words in the reading. Also look for unfamiliar words and find their definitions.
      3. Connector: finds connections between the story and the present day.
      4. Literary Luminary: points out and reads important sections from the reading.

 

 

III. Related Research Activity

Objective:

For students to work cooperatively in pairs on researching a topic and producing a creative presentation for the class (television interview, demonstration, commercial, etc.). This activity is designed to be implemented in 1 - 2 class periods + extra presentation time.

Materials:

Scavenger hunt worksheets

Pen/Pencil

Introduction:

I will begin by talking about the various ways to do research as if I were a detective trying to solve a crime committed at an old civil war fort. Where would I find information about this fort? Who would I interview? How could the internet help me? I will emphasize the importance of using a variety of resources and organizing my information.

Procedures:

  1. Brief overview of research resources.
  1. Remind students of participation and sharing responsibilities.
  2. Have class choose partners.
  3. Hand out scavenger hunt worksheet to groups.

Some clue examples:

Search for "Sojourner Truth"

When was she born? _________________

What is the first word from, "Song of a Fugitive Slave"? _________________

  1. Students complete scavenger hunt.
  2. Introduce research and presentation activity.

Use of props, costumes, pictures, music, etc.
  1. Students will hand in an outline of their presentation.
  2. Students will do their presentations.

Wrap-up:

I will encourage the audience to give the presenters constructive feedback and ask questions.

 

IV. Class Activity

Objective:

For students to work cooperatively to better understand the slave experience through music and self-expression. This activity is designed to be implemented in 1 - 2 class periods.

Materials:

Computer with internet access

Song lyric worksheets

Pen/Pencil

Paper

Introduction:

I will begin by singing a short selection from "Ring, Ring The Banjo" (18th Century.) by Stephen C. Foster. I will then ask the students to help me make a Ven diagram of words or ideas from Nightjohn and this song. We will briefly discuss how slaves used music to communicate, educate, entertain themselves, etc.

Procedures:

  1. Open the webpage- http://users.erols.com/kfraser/popular.html
  2. Play "Ring, Ring The Banjo"
  3. Ask students to write down whatever they're feeling about the music.
  4. Hand out lyrics to "Ring, Ring The Banjo" and have students sing along.
  5. After singing, ask students to write down whatever they're feeling about the song.
  6. Discuss their written responses.
  7. REPEAT procedures (1 - 6) with the 1 or 2 more of the following songs:
  1. Ask students to create their own lyrics for a song.
  1. Students will perform or at least read their songs in class.
  2. Ask the students to make some kind of small poster for their songs to be displayed around the room or in the hallway.

Wrap-up:

I will encourage students to ask performers questions about their inspiration, process, etc.

 

V. Culminating Activity

Objective:

For students to work cooperatively and create a script that will depict or be inspired by a conflict or event from the book, Nightjohn. When performing their script the students will learn about the experience of slavery. This activity is designed to be implemented in 2 class periods.

Materials:

Book: Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
Pen/Pencil
Paper

Miscellaneous costume and prop pieces

Introduction:

I will begin by asking students about the book to help them brainstorm for their script. I will ask students to point out some conflicts that were covered in the book. These ideas will be used when creating their script for their role-play.

Procedures:

  1. Remind students about group participation
  1. Introduce the script writing activity

3. Have students form groups of 4 - 5 students.

4. Students will perform their play in class.

Wrap-up:


This time will be used for discussion and reflection time. I will first ask the performers to ask their 2 audience questions and then ask students to give constructive feedback or ask questions.

Examples:

What have you learned form creating/watching the play?

Why did you choose these characters?

What was significant about your setting, time of day, etc.

What does it mean to be a slave?

Why couldn't slaves have an education?  

*Bibliography*

 

Adler, David A. Picture Book of Harriet Tubman. Illustrated by Samuel Byrd. New York: Holiday House, Inc., 1996. Picture Book.

(A biography of the famous, former slave who escaped from her plantation in Maryland to freedom in Pennsylvania. This picture book shows Harriet Tubman's many trips as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. It also talks about her sometimes dangerous jobs as a nurse and spy for the Union in the Civil War.)

 

Berlin, Ira, Steven F. Miller and Marc Favreau. Remembering Slavery: African Americans Talk about Their Personal Experiences of Slavery and Freedom. New York: New Press, 2000. Non-Fiction.
 (This book includes amazing interviews with former slaves. There are many stories of whippings, good owners, murders, weddings, escapes and many references to historical events. Along with the interviews, the book includes Ira Berlin's introductory essay on the evolution of slavery over the centuries.)

 

Bryant, Louella. The Black Bonnet. Boston: New England Press, Inc. 1996. Novel.
 (12 year-old Charity and her 16 year-old sister Bea encounter many troubles along their journey to freedom along the Underground Railroad. They travel from Virginia to Montreal on a difficult path of violence, racism and tragedy. We learn that Charity's father is a plantation owner and that Bea gives birth to a child of a white farmer.)

 

Daniels, Harvey. Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student Centered Classroom. York: Stenhouse Publishers, 1996. Non-fiction.

(Independent reading and cooperative learning work together in this great tool for the classroom. With an emphasis on management, student preparation and group work, this teaching model is perfect for creating a student-centered classroom.)

 

Davidson, Margaret, Fredrick Douglas Fights for Freedom. New York: Schoolastic, Inc., 1988. Biography.

(This is a biography of Frederick Douglass who, as a slave, managed to escape to the North. After his escape to freedom, he became an abolitionist, speaker, journalist, and one of the most famous freedom fighters of American history. Among his many successes include publishing the first anti-slavery newspaper, writing his auto-biography and speaking with President Lincoln about slavery.)

 

Erman, John. Roots: Volume 3. Warner Home Video, 1997. Video.

(Based on Alex Haley's family history, this movie is an amazing saga of an African-American family. Kunta Kinte is taken from his home in Africa, made a slave, and taken to America. The series continues with stories of Kunta Kinte's offspring all the way to modern times. The family observes many events in American history, like the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and emancipation.)

 

Franklin, John Hope and Alfred A. Moss, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans. New York: Knopf, 2000. Non-Fiction.

(This book contains the story of African American people from the time they were abducted from Africa to their fight for equality at the end of the century. It covers the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the period between World War I and II, including the Harlem Renaissance. The book also deals with African American cultural changes; problems in housing, health, juvenile problems, poverty and the continued struggle of discrimination.)

 

Greene, David. The Quest for Freedom: Harriet Tubman. Richardson: Grace Products Corporation, 1992. Video.

(We learn about Harriet Tubman through the eyes of a boy from the present day who has lost the courage to dream. One day he goes to the library and suddenly he's trapped as a slave on the plantation with Harriet Tubman. He soon discovers that "without courage, there are no dreams...and without dreams, there is no future.")

 

Hopkinson, Deborah. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. Illustrated by James Ransome New York: Knopf, 1995. Picture Book

(This book tells the story of Clara, a smart, young girl who uses her smarts to escape her life as a slave. Clara becomes a seamstress in her master's house. With her new skill, she makes a quilt that is actually a map of an escape route for slaves She leaves the quilt behind for others and finds her long, lost mother along the way.)

 

Kolchin, Peter. American Slavery, 1619-1877. New York: Hill & Wang, Inc., 1994. Non-Fiction.

(This book describes the development of a unique African American culture evolved from the American slavery system. It begins with the colonial years and continues through emancipation and the aftermath of the Civil War. One of the books key studies focuses on the Reconstruction years and how slave masters quickly lost control of their "human property".)

 

Krass, Peter. Sojourner Truth: Antislavery Activist. Chelsea: Chelsea House Publishers, 1991. Biography.

(This biography traces the life of a former slave, Isabella Baumfree, who couldn't read or write and still became the most outspoken women on slavery and women's rights. The book follows her life beginning with her escape to freedom, changing her name to Truth, traveling the country as a preacher and her work in Washington, D.C. on behalf of all African Americans.)

 

McKissack,Patricia C. A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave. Scholastic, Inc., 1997. Novel.
 (Clotee is an orphan living on the plantation of "Mas' Henley" and "Miz Lilly." She learns to read by looking over her master's boy's shoulder and eventually teaches herself how to write. Clotee helps her friends escape to the North as a conductor on the Underground Railroad.)

 

Paulsen, Gary. Nightjohn. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1994. Novel.

(An uplifting, though often tragic story of a 12 year-old slave girl named Sarny and her most unlikely teacher named Nightjohn. The terrible life Sarny lives becomes even more dangerous when Nightjohn, once a free slave, comes back to teach reading to fellow slaves. Nightjohn's efforts create a powerful metaphor of reading as an act of freedom. "We all have to read and write so we can write about this- what they doing to us."

 

Roberts, Nancy. Civil War Ghosts and Legends. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1996. Collection/Novel.

(A large collection of mystery, history, and supernatural stories. There are tales from the Civil War, Harpers Ferry to Antietam, Vicksburg, and Andersonville. Some of the Civil War legends, include "A Mystic Power at Gettysburg," "It Always Comes at Dark," "The Hauntings at Fort Monroe," "The Angel of Marye's Heights," "Richmond's Union Heroine," "Fort Davis and the Telltale Roses," etc.)

 

Schwartz, Marie Jenkins. Born in Bondage: Growing up Enslaved in the AnteBellum South. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2000. Non-Fiction.
 (This book is about the difficulties raising children in antebellum slavery. Marie Schwartz focuses inside the shacks, families, hearts, and minds of bonded parents and children. She studies the fact that slaveholders involved themselves in the lives of slave children, from cradle to marriage, mostly to earn their trust and justify their terrible ways.)

 

Sinnott, Susan. Welcome to Addy's World: 1864. Illustrated by Laszlo Kubinyi and Jamie Young. Middleton: Pleasant Company Publications, 1999. Picture Book.

(This book describes what being African American was like in the North and the South during and just after the Civil War. It covers historical events ranging from civil war battles, westward expansion to California, to everyday life in the city.)

 

Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin: Or Life Among the Lowly. New York: Viking Penguin, 1981. Novel.
 (A revolutionary book, written in 1852, that indicted the injustices of slavery. Uncle Tom, Topsy, Sambo, Simon Legree, and little Eva are all characters in this haunting yet uplifting story of the pre-Civil War South. Uncle Tom, the first true African American, keeps true to his faith when dealing with the challenges of cruel masters, family members being sold, discrimination at every turn, etc.)

 

Tubb, Benjamin. The Music of the American Civil War (1861 - 1865). Malvern: ReWEP Associates. Audio/MIDI.

Foster, Stephen C. Ring, Ring The Banjo. 19th Century.

Work, Henry Clay. Kingdom Coming. 19th Century.

Foster, Stephen C. Massa's In The Cold Grave. 19th Century.

(These popular 19th century songs associated with the Southern Confederacy and slavery have been made into modern piano arrangements. Henry Clay Work's father was rumored to work for the Underground Railroad. The Stephen is best known for writing, "Oh! Susanna". Written in MIDI format, these songs can be played over the internet for easy application in the classroom.)

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