The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963

Christopher Paul Curtis

Novel Study Assignment

Assignment Requirements:

  1. Vocabulary Journal – As we read, identify three unfamiliar words per chapter beginning with chapter 4.Use the handout I gave you, and follow the format.
  2. Dialogue Journal – Your dialogue journal will contain five entries. Your entries will focus on connections that you make with the text.
  3. Text to Self
  4. Text to Text
  5. Text to World

Your entries must include at least one of each type of connection, and you must fully explain your connection to the quote. Entries must cover the all parts of the novel, not just the first few chapters. Each entry should be a well written example like the one I showed you in class. You must apply all of the skills we have learned this year. Make sure you vary your sentence structure and beginnings, and do not use dead words. You must complete the assignments in pencil on loose leaf paper.

Dialogue Journal

A dialogue journal helps the reader make connections with a piece of literature and its author. It is a conversation between you and the text. This is your interpretation and thoughts about the conflicts, characters and events of a novel.

A good reader engages actively with the text in a number of ways. Perhaps you strongly agree with a character’s actions or perhaps you disagree. Sometimes a certain phrase or statement will catch your attention and linger in your thoughts. To get you started, think about what grabs your attention as you read.

  • Text to Self – Does a particular incident, character or situation remind you of a personal experience or someone you know?
  • Text to Text – Is there a scene, person or situation that reminds you of a novel, short story, poem or an article you have read, a movie you have seen, or some other textual or movie connection?
  • Text to World – Is there an incident that reminds you of a historical event or a current news story?

Requirements for Dialogue journal:

  1. Five entries – at least ONE for each type of connection
  2. Each entry must be at least three complete, well developed sentences.
  3. You may type your final dialogue journal. If you choose to handwrite, you must write in black or blue ink ONLY! Your writing must be legible and neat!

This assignment will be the summative assessment(test) on this novel.