Bud, Not Buddy By: Christopher Paul Curtis

1. Bud, Not BuddyBy: Christopher Paul Curtis Bridgett C. Clarke Due Date: July 8, 2009 FRMS 7331 Summer 2009 Dr. Draper

2. Bud, Not Buddy Buddy Caldwell is a motherless 10-year old boy who is determined to find his father. He escapes from a bad foster home and begins a journey from Flint, Michigan to Grand Rapids, Michigan. He carries all of his belongings with him, including memories of his momma, and flyers of Herman E. Calloway and the Dusky Devastators, a renowned jazz band. The story takes place in 1936 during the Great Depression, and is rich in humor, optimism, and determination. The melodious sounds of jazz tie the story together, and the wonderful cast of interesting characters that Bud encounters along the way makes his adventures entertaining and endearing. Bud never does find out who his father is, but he does find a place where he is welcomed as a family member and feels a sense of belonging.

3. Supplementary Texts/Resources • Jazz/ Big Band Music poster • Webquest –The Great Depression • Video- Foster Care and Adoption • “Multiple Transitions- A young Child’s point of view” • Quiz- Literal recall of Bud, Not Buddy • Website – City of Flint, Michigan • Euphemism Activity

4. Flint, Michigan • Students will visit this website http://www.cityofflint.com/ to learn about the city in which Bud, Not Buddy was set. • After which, they will get into groups of 4 and create a 3 panel travel brochure for Flint, Michigan.

5. Foster care • Bud, not Buddy has a recurring theme of foster care and adoption. • Students will view this video about foster care and being adopted. • Multiple Transitions- A young Child’s point of view • After the video, students will write a poem about their views of foster care and adoption.

6. Jazz Music and the Big band Era • Students will discuss poster of a Jazz group. • They will also invent a band that might have been traveling at the same time as the band in the book, create a name for the band, identify the members and the instruments they play, and create a poster for the band.

7. The Great Depression • Finding a job during the Great Depression was not an easy task. Students will complete this web quest on professions during the Great Depression. • Click here to begin Webquest

8. Euphemism…- What’s that? • A euphemism is a word used to soften the meaning of something that is unpleasant. • Curtis makes use of euphemisms throughout the text. • Example: Bud says, "I don't know why grown folks can't say someone is dead, they think it's a lot easier to say they’re gone." • Create a chart of 5 euphemisms and their meanings

9. Christopher Paul Curtis • Christopher Paul Curtis is the author of many YA books. • Students will be required to create a PowerPoint presentation introducing (4) books written by Christopher Paul Curtis.

10. Quiz- Bud, Not Buddy • After reading the novel Bud, Not Buddy, the entire class will complete the online quiz. Further class discussions about each question as will take place. • Click here to go to quiz

11. What makes Bud so self-conscious and protective of his name? What is special about his name? What was your impression of the Amos family, through Bud's description? What impression did they have on Bud? Describe the relationship between Bugs and Bud. Why do you think Bugs was so important to Bud? What made the two alike, and why? Talk about the significance of Bud's experiences at Hooverville. What did Bud remember most about that stop, and why? What do you think the Hooverville community resembled to Bud? How do you think Bud felt when he missed the train? What were his feelings toward the situation regarding Bugs? Describe Bud and Deza Malone's relationship, and its significance. What did he remember most about her, and their romantic night? How does Bud feel towards "Herman E. Calloway" in his first encounter with him? How does he feel towards him after the alarming news? Do his feeelings change? Who is Bud's favorite band member, and why do you think that is? Bud seems to really like Miss Thomas, as he refers to her as "the most beautiful woman in the world". Who do you think Miss Thomas resembles? Discussion Questions

12. Conclusion of Multiple Text Assignment • The novel Bud, not Buddy is filled with many different themes. This multiple text assignment introduces just a few of them to the students. • Students will gather information from various resources to include the World Wide Web for digital resources and the media center for print resources. • This assignment is concluded with 9 discussion questions that go beyond literal recall.

13. Resources • http://itc.gsu.edu/NewberyBooks/BudNotBuddy.pdf - Synopsis of book • http://www.cityofflint.com/ - Flint, Michigam • http://www.allbookstores.com/author/Christopher_Paul_Curtis.html - Pictures of books written by Christopher Paul Curtis • http://education.iupui.edu/webquests/depression/webquest.htm - WEBQUEST on the Great Depression • http://www.quia.com/pop/8980.html?AP_rand=624414178 – online quiz questions • http://www.truveo.com/Multiple-Transitions-A-Young-Childs-Point-of-View/id/4246517842 - Video on Foster Care and Adoptions • http://www.luv2swingdance.com/Music.html#BigBand – Depression Era Band Poster • http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-bud.html - Discussion Questions