Bud, Not Buddy Unit Plan
Written by
Jean Jones
Dan Krystkiewicz
Gretchen Simon
June 11, 2003
Drexel University
Dr. Federman
EDUC 526
Language Arts Processes
Bud, not Buddy Unit Plan
Introduction
Bud, not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis, is the story of a young orphaned
African-American boy during the depression. When Bud’s mother died she left him with
a hint of his parentage. After Bud is cruelly abused at a foster home he decides to go out
on the lam and try to find his kin on his own. During his journey, Bud meets lots of
different people who struggle to meet the challenges of the discrimination and the Great
Depression.
Because of the setting and content of Bud, not Buddy, the book is ideally taught as
an integrated unit. Art, music, drama, social studies, math and language arts studies
combine to make learning relevant, fun and meaningful. Students will feel the affects of
the Great Depression vicariously through Bud’s eyes and come to know the significance
of Americans’ plight during this remarkable time in our history.
The unit begins with an overview of the cause and affects of the Great
Depression. In a sense, the fictional story of Bud, not Buddy will be the motivator that
allows students to gain an in-depth and personal understanding of the 1930’s. Students
will begin reading the novel understanding the economic conditions Americans faced at
the time and come to realize the individual and group forces that shaped our country’s
recovery through Bud’s experience.
Over 13 school days students will engage in a variety of learning experiences and
performance tasks using an array of resources, both print and online. There will be two
vocabulary tests. The words on the lists were chosen to alert students to Bud’s unique
expressions and use of slang, as well as significant elements within the story. Through a
literary study of Bud, not Buddy students will understand the use of metaphors and
similes for description.
The following unit essential questions broadly define the focus of the unit.
Chapter essential questions will further define and focus each lesson.
Unit essential questions:
Who is Bud?
How does Bud’s personality affect his daily life and future?
How are the characters in the novel affected or shaped by their environment?
Bud, not Buddy Unit Vocabulary Lists
Note the lists include some slang terms that may not be commonly used today and will
not be found in the dictionary. Their meaning must be determined by reading the word in
context (page numbers are provided).
Due to the fact that students seem to have greater success on vocabulary tests if they are
given on a Tuesday, the first list will be tested the second Tuesday of the unit. The
second list will be tested on the third Tuesday.
First List, Chapters 1-8
1. Page 15 conscience
2. Page 15 vermin
3. Page 15 librarian
4. Page 26 vampire
5. Page 27 werewolves
6. Page 27 shucks
7. Page 28 hornet
8. Page 30 revenge
9. Page 34 woop, zoop, sloop
10. Page 36 lam
11. Page 43 rememorized
12. Page 50 considerate
13. Page 50 patient
14. Page 54 smack-dab
15. Page 56 matrimonial
16. Page 57 radiating
17. Page 62 hoodlum
18. Page 76 busted slob
19. Page 83 commies
Second List, Chapters 9-16
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Page 93 ignorant roach-head
Page 100 doggone
Page 101 bum-rush
Page 101 ventriloquist
Page 118 judgmental
Page 119 noggin
Page 127 redcap
Page 131 telegram
9. Page 132 resourceful
10. Page 133 alias
11. Page 139 sit-down strike
12. Page 155 coldhearted
13. Page 173 dangee
14. Page 173 reputation
15. Page 180 scamp
16. Page 192 copasetic
17. Page 199 dag-gum-it
Bud, not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapter 1
Written by Gretchen
Friday
Note, to prepare for the first day of the Bud, not Buddy unit, students had been asked to view and
read www.beren.org/AAST/Projects/depression/ The Great Depression and The New Deal
website, Causes and Problems of the Great Depression, for a brief outline of depression cause
and effects, as well as Americans in the Depression: The Human Costs, Family Life; Another
Side of the Depression, African Americans; Escaping the Depression, p261-262, 265, in their
history textbook (Exploring America’s Past 1850 to the Present). See appendix for copies of the
resources.
Chapter Essential Questions:
How does the author set the scene of his novel?
How will reading a fictional story that takes place during the Great Depression affect one’s
understanding of history?
B – Before
Review and discuss social studies homework and access the website and open the
textbook to visually aid recall. Map key concepts on the smart board learned from the
homework. Ask students if they know of anyone who lived through the depression. Encourage
students to share prior knowledge of the affect of the depression on individuals and families.
D – During
Give a brief book talk to introduce the novel Bud, not Buddy. Explain that the setting for
the novel is the Great Depression.
Ask students to consider chapter one’s essential questions while the class listens to the
first chapter read aloud. Ask students to take keyword notes to help them remember facts about
the chapter for a class discussion after the chapter read-aloud.
A – After/Assessment
Discuss the first chapter as a group. The assessment of the discussion is observational.
The teacher carefully monitors discussion and records student involvement. Find evidence in the
chapter that the author used to tell about the times, for example: “Case workers…temporary-care
homes… the Home… there’s a depression goin’ on…people can’t find jobs… third foster
home…being six…tell some adult…things in paper or cloth sack… flyers…”
Discuss the literary devise of first person narrative and predict how this approach will
affect the reader’s perspective of history.
Homework Assignment
Read chapters 2-4 of Bud, not Buddy. Keep in mind the essential questions for the next
lesson: Who is Bud? How do Bud’s personal characteristics help him meet the challenges he
faces?
Bud, not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapters 2 - 4
Written by Gretchen
Monday
Note, students were asked to pre-read chapters 2 - 4 in preparation for the second lesson.
Chapter Essential Questions:
Who is Bud?
How do Bud’s personal characteristics help him to overcome the challenges he faces? How does
Bud’s use of description and slang reveal his personality and further illustrate the times?
B – Before
Begin a class discussion by asking students if there are ever times when we don’t feel
good about the way things are going for us. Ask students to share how they may feel during
those times and the strategies they use to overcome conflicts and disappointments. To start the
discussion the teacher might throw out questions like, what do you do if you don’t like the dinner
your mother made, how do you feel if you lose at monopoly, or, what do you do if your younger
sibling destroys your favorite magazine?
D – During
Ask students to open their novels. Move the discussion to Bud and chart the evidence on
the board that tells the reader who Bud is and what he does when things don’t go well.
Examples: Bud knows right from wrong, what is fair, has personal rules, has a penchant for
describing gross things, is sympathetic to others, sees two sides of the situation, visits the library,
knows when to back down, yet will stand up for himself, and is imaginative.
Find evidence in the text where Bud uses slang words that we are not accustomed to
hearing today. Discuss how Bud’s use of language helps to make him unique and appealing to
readers.
Highlight and find the similes in the story and discuss how similes help to further convey
emotions, events and mood.
A – After/Assessment
Ask students to pair up and cooperatively think up six sentences that each include a
simile which describe an event, adventure, person, place or moment. Invite students to share
similes with the class. Collect similes for unit credit.
Homework Assignment
Hand out the first list of vocabulary words. Ask students to begin to write definitions and
be ready for the test one week from Tuesday. Read chapter 5.
Bud, Not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapter 5
Written by Jean
Tuesday
Note, students were asked to pre-read chapter 5 in preparation for class.
Chapter Essential Questions:
What is important to Bud?
What is the most important thing in the world to you?
How does an author’s experience reflect what he or she writes?
How does metaphor enrich a story?
B – Before:
Direct attention to a wall or bulletin board display you have done earlier, featuring
post cards and photographs the children have brought in. Ask students: what’s the
purpose of a post card? A photograph? What does each remind you of? They are ways
that people keep in touch, and they remind us of the people who are special to us.
D -- During:
1. Discuss how Bud remembers his mother? 2. Shared reading: p. 41-42 (“She
had four favorite things to tell me …”). 3. What else does Bud remember about his
mother? Find other passages about her in the text; make a list of all the things we know
about her, through Bud’s memories. 4. Find the dictionary definition of “metaphor.”
What do you think Bud’s mother meant when she said, “when one door closes, another
one opens?” 5. Can you find another metaphor in this chapter? What does it tell you
about Bud’s mother? (p. 42; she put a lot of thought into his name.)
A – After/Assessment:
Read about Christopher Paul Curtis on the Random House web site
(http://www.randomhouse.com) especially the “author Q and A” link. What connections
do you see between the author’s life and Bud’s adventures? Write a short (3
paragraphs) essay describing elements of the story that are similar to the author’s reallife experiences.
Homework Assignment
Read chapter 6 and think about how description enhances setting and characterization
while reading the chapter.
Bud, not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapter 6
Written by Gretchen
Wednesday
Note, students were asked to pre-read chapter 6 in preparation for the fourth lesson.
Chapter Essential Questions:
How does description enhance setting and characterization?
B – Before
Students and the teacher will briefly summarize the story. Teacher will ask students if
they have noticed the author’s technique of describing in great (sometimes gross) detail certain
things that are remarkable to Bud using similes and colorful descriptive language. The teacher
will read passages from previous chapters that illustrate this concept (examples: pages 5 - tooth
loose, 6 – flyer, 12 – pencil incident, 22 – shed). The teacher will ask the students to share
favorite descriptive passages as well.
D – During
There will be a shared reading of page 49 and the paragraphs in which the Bud describes
the billboard above the bread line. Students will then view on the smart board many photographs
taken during the Great Depression, from a CD Rom resource. (See resource appendix.) Students
will be asked to comment on the juxtaposition of the billboard and the visual reality of the
depression.
A – After/Assessment
Students will use art materials and reproduce the billboard following the description on
page 49.
Homework assignment
Read chapter 7 and notice Bud’s impression of libraries and librarians.
Bud, not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapter 7
Written by Gretchen
Thursday
Note, students were asked to pre-read chapter 7 in preparation for the fifth lesson.
Chapter Essential Questions:
Why was it important for Bud to know the distance between Chicago and Flint?
How can libraries and information literacy skills “open doors” for patrons?
B – Before
The teacher asks the students to describe their impressions of their school library. Then
the teacher asks the students to find evidence that tells us how Bud views librarians and his
public library (the air, smell, drooling patrons, the bad thing about talking to librarians, etc.).
Then announce a trip to the library to view the resources the librarian used to discover the
distance between Flint and Chicago.
D – During
The librarian and teacher collaborated to design an information literacy lesson using
similar resources that Bud used as well as the World Almanac for Kids and the websites
mapsonus.com and maps.yahoo.com. Students are asked to “discover” the content of the print
resources by browsing the content, table of contents and index. The teachers then reread the
passage from Bud, not Buddy in which Bud finds out how to calculate the walking time between
cities.
A – After/Assessment
Students are given a worksheet asking them to choose two destinations in the United
States they would like to visit someday and calculate the walking and driving time from their
homes using the library resources and the websites. Results are shared with partners and class
discussion reveals the pros and cons of using both kinds of resources.
Homework assignment
Read chapters 8 and 9.
Bud, Not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapters 8
Written by Dan
Friday
There are a lot of homeless people in Bud, Not Buddy. Bud himself is looking for a home. In the
Hooverville, even whole families are homeless.
Chapter Essential Questions:
Why are families living in the Hooverville?
How did the people in the Hooverville help each other survive?
Why did the police burn the Hooverville?
B -- Before
The teacher will review the causes of the depression and how the depression affected
people. Discover why all the towns all called Hoovervilles. View on the smart board the Great
Depression website, Philosophies of President Hoover and President Roosevelt. (See appendix.)
D -- During
Using the novel as a guide, the teacher will ask the students to find ways in which the
residents of the Hooverville acted like a family and helped each other by sharing what they had.
How did they economize? Why did the white family stay by themselves and refuse handouts?
Discuss why some of the security guards threw down their clubs. What did the one guard
mean by saying "you're acting like a bunch of commies?"
This is also a good place for a short discussion of historical fiction. What makes Bud, Not
Buddy historical fiction? Were Hoovervilles real? Are the characters and events in this chapter
real? To what extent?
Ask students to find the place in the text where Bugs plays a trick on Buddy (heads I win,
tails you lose). What was the trick?
A -- After/Assessment
Students will imagine they are living in a Hooverville and write a 3 paragraph journal
entry describing how their lives have changed since moving to the Hooverville. They may use
elements of what they've learned about the depression, and introduce fictional characters if
desired. Or:
More visually oriented students may draw a picture or map of the Hoovervile using cues
from the text.
Homework Assignment
Read chapter 9.
Bud, not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapter 9
Written by Jean
Monday
Chapter Essential Questions:
For Bud, who has nothing, is the world a harsh or kind place?
B -- Before
Write these two statements on the board in colored chalk, (large print, bright, contrasting
colors):
THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD IN THE WORLD.
IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE.
Ask the students to support both statements. Encourage them to provide concrete
examples from their own lives or from the world in general to support their argument.
D -- During
Discuss chapter 9, which the students had read on their own as the homework
assignment. 1. Does Bud encounter more kindness or harshness here? Are any characters
especially kind to him? (yes, the librarian). 2. Find specific examples of caring and kindness in
the text; share with the class, giving page numbers (she remembers his mother, remembers his
reading tastes, finds a special book for him, and gives him a sandwich.) 3. Are there other
characters in the book that are especially kind or mean? Find examples.
A – After/Assessment
Is Bud’s world harsh, kind, or both? Write a short essay (3 paragraphs) giving your view,
and cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.
Homework Assignment
Read chapters 10 and 11.
Bud, not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapters 10 - 11
Written by Gretchen
Tuesday
Note, students were asked to pre-read chapters 10 and 11 in preparation for the eighth lesson.
Students have also been to the library and listened to the story “Goin’ Someplace Special,” by
Patricia McKissack, read by the librarian. The librarian also had the students visit and read two
online resources that provided further background knowledge: pbs.org “Jim Crow Stories: The
Great Depression” and worldbook.com “African American Journey: Segregation.”
Chapter Essential Questions:
How did racism in the 1930’s affect the characters in the novel?
How do social and economic forces affect racism and segregation?
How can individuals and groups of people combat racism and segregation?
B – Before
The teacher divides the students into two groups based on the type of clothes they are
wearing or eye color. She then insists the students stay on their side of the room and do not cross
the imaginary line down the center of the room. The teacher explains to the students that they
are now “separate, but equal.” The teacher then reads aloud the paragraph on page 105 in which
Lefty Lewis explains why he and Bud should not be seen late at night on the road. During
discussion of that paragraph and the rest of the lesson the teacher only calls on one group of
students.
D – During
Students will view the third episode of The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow: Don’t Shout Too
Soon (1918-1940). (See appendix for resource information.)
Discussion follows focused around questions. How does their new knowledge of the
state of racism during 1930’s influence their understanding of Lefty Lewis’ concerns for himself
and Bud on the road at night? How might the migration of southern blacks to the northern states
caused the white populations in the north to respond, especially in light of the economic
difficulties of the time? How do people deal with change that may threaten their livelihood?
A – After/Assessment
The teacher asks the students to consider two questions. How does it feel to be divided
and treated differently by the teacher based on a physical characteristic? Is “separate, but equal”
a valid statement?
The teacher then asks the students to discuss as a group how they might persuade the
teacher to change the unfair practice. (Hopefully, students will form a cohesive group united by
a common purpose, select a spokesperson, explain why the treatment was inappropriate, choose
non-violent protest methods, etc.)
Students are then asked to respond to the lesson in their personal journals.
Students take first vocabulary test.
Homework assignment
Read chapter 12.
Bud, Not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapter 12
Written by Dan
Wednesday
Three of the main themes in Bud, Not Buddy are survival, fairness and family. The labor
situation in 1935- 1936, including the Flint sit-down strikes and attempts to organize the Pullman
Porters were events that include aspects of all these themes. Note: The chapter should have been
independently read as homework before class.
Chapter Essential Questions:
Why did the factory workers in Flint Michigan join labor unions and go on strike?
Why was the cop stopping drivers?
Why did Lefty tell Bud that what was in the box was dangerous?
B -- Before
The teacher will lead a brief discussion of the nature of assembly line work and economic
conditions in the 1930s (building on and tied into the previous lessons on the depression)
including:
The nature of assembly-line work (repetition, speed-up)
Wages and layoff issues.
Effect of the depression on employment opportunities.
Students will view the production line sequence from Charles Chaplin's "Modern Times.”
(See appendix.)
D -- During
Shared reading of P.132 ("Suddenly a siren..." to P. 139 "...doing a good job.") Project
pictures of factory workers, strikers, sit-down strikers, labor battles etc. Discuss:
What is a union?
What is a strike?
Sit-down strikes
Pullman Porters
Improvements in working conditions thanks to organized labor.
A – After/Assessment
Using the leaflet described on page 138, and other strike posters as models, students will
design and draw a leaflet announcing the formation of a labor union or the calling of a strike.
They will use elements of the preceding discussion and description of labor activities in chapter
12 of Bud Not Buddy as components in the leaflet.
Homework Assignment
Read chapter 13.
Bud, Not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapter 13
Written by Dan
Thursday
Note: The chapter should have been independently read as homework before class.
Chapter Essential Questions:
How do you feel when you meet a group of people for the first time?
How does Bud feel and act?
How would you feel and act toward the band members if you were Bud?
B -- Before
Ask the students to name the main band member characters from this chapter. List them
on the blackboard: Herman Callaway, Mr. Jimmy, Steady Eddie, Doug the Thug, and Doo-Doo
Bug. Ask the class to think about the band members' responses to Bud, how Bud responds to
them, and how they (the class members) would feel about meeting this group of people for the
first time during the following reader's theatre.
D – During
Choose volunteers to play the following roles- have someone narrate also. (Even though
the characters are all males, girls can play too!). Perform the following as a play:
Reader's Theatre (Bud, Not Buddy chapter 13 pp. 152-157)
Jimmy:
Little man, my name is Jimmy Wesley, you can call me Mr. Jimmy.
Bud:
Yes, sir.
Jimmy:
The drummer here is Doug 'the Thug' Tennant, the sax man is Harrison Eddie 'Steady'
Patrick.
Steady Eddie:
Awww, man, it's not Eddie Steady, it's Steady Eddie, Steady Eddie Patrick.
Jimmy:
Uh-huh, and on trombone we have Chug 'Doo-Doo Bug' Cross and the palest member of
the band, on piano, is Roy 'Dirty Deed' Breed. Lord knows why these young musicians
can't leave the perfectly good names their mommas gave them alone, but for some reason
they can't. Anyway fellas, this here is Bud....what was your last name, Bud?
Bud:
Caldwell, sir.
Jimmy:
This here's Bud Caldwell. He's gonna be our guest over at the Sweet Pea for dinner. Y'all
say hello to the little man and make him feel comfortable.
Doug the Thug: What's the word, Bud?
Dirty Deed:
How you doing?
Doo-Doo Bug:
Welcome, little stuff.
Steady Eddie:
Good to meet you, my man.
Bud:
Pleased to meet you.
Jimmy:
All right. He'll ride over with yo four, me and Herm will meet you there.
Steady Eddie:
All right, Mr. Jimmy, we'll finish loading up. Come on, litttle man, if Mr. Jimmy's gonna
spring for your supper the least you can do is help load the car. Grab that case over there
and put it in the trunk of the Buick out back. And be carful that'smy bread and butter in
there.
Bud:
(looks confused)
Steady Eddie:
That's my horn, my ax, my saxophone, the thing I make all my money with, so don't get
butterfingers and drop it.
Bud:
Oh. Yes, sir.
Doo-Doo Bug:
One thing you are going to have to drop, though, is all that 'sir' stuff. The only two folks
around here old enough for you to be calling sir are Mr. Jimmy and (wink) "your longlost dear old daddy".
Everyone:
(laugh)
Doug the Thug:
I'ma let you in on a little secret, my man, I think the only reason Mr. C. is denying he's
your daddy is 'cause you went and hurt his feelings.
Bud:
How? I didn't do nothing to him.
Doug the Thug:
There it is, that's just what I mean. Here you two are getting together for the first time and
you didn't show the man no love. (looks at Doo-Doo Bug) Bug, did you see any love
being passed from this boy to his daddy?
Doo Doo Bug:
You leave me out of your nonsense.
Doug the Thug:
Shoot man, seems to me like you should give the man his props, seems to me like you
should've given the man a whole lot more affection. You see, I know Mr. C better than
most folks do,I know that beneath that coldhearted, evil wicked, nasty, mean-
Doo-Doo Bug:
Don't forget cheap, cheap's got to be in there somewhere.
Doug the Thug:
You know cheap's right up high on the list. But as I was saying, beneath all that festering
nastiness is a tender, kind, loving human being. Why, I'd bet you dollars to doughnuts
that he's outside right now sitting in that Packard sobbing openly about how you shunned
him. When you get to the Sweet Pea, rush right up on him, give him a big hug, yell out
'Daddy', then plant a big, juicy kiss right on the top of his shiny bald head. Shoot, you do
that and you'll be in his will so quick your head will spin.
Steady Eddie:
Let's not get the little man killed before he's had a chance to eat, Thug. Son, I hope you've
got sense enough to let what he's telling you to go in one ear and find the nearest exit.
You just steer clear of Mr. C. for a while, he's not someone you want to toy with, and for
God's sake whatever you do don't call him Daddy or Poppa or anything that's going to
give him the idea you two are kin, you hear?
Bud:
Yes, sir. But isn't it just like my luck to come clear across the state to find my daddy and
he turns out to ne a mean old coot? (slap hand over mouth).
at this point have another student read "Rules and Things Number 63:
Never, Ever, Say Something Bad About Someone You Don't Know- Especially When
You're Around a Bunch of Strangers. You Never Can Tell Who Might Be Kin to That
Person or WHo Might Be a Lip-Flapping, Big-Mouth Spy.
Doug the Thug:
(pretend writing) Let's see was that 'mean old coot' or 'old mean coot'? Shoot, baby, if I
drop some info like this on Mr. C. I might be able to stay in this band longer thanthe last
three drummers did. You see, kid, you ain't the only one trying to get on Mr. C.'s good
side, this is the best drumming gig in the state and I need to hang on to it as long as I can.
Steady Eddie:
Thug, you're gonna have to lay off the kid's chops, the little man's got problems enough
without you meddling with him. Let's get that car loaded, me and...what's your name
again, kid?
Bud:
Bud, not Buddy, si...just Bud, not Buddy."
Steady Eddie:
Right, me and Bud-not-Buddy are too dang hungry to hear any more of your lip.
After the reading, go through the charcters listed on the board. Ask the class to describe each
character. Write responses next to the names. How does Bud feel about each character and about
the group as a whole? Why is Steady Eddie Bud's favorite? Who is your favorite? Why?
After:
Referencing the reader's theatre, ask the essential questions of the class, and discuss. This would
be largely an observational assessment.
Or:
Have students write 2 paragraphs telling about their first time meeting a new group of people.
Have them describe some members of the group and express how they felt.
Homework Assignment
Read chapters 14, 15 and 16.
Bud, Not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapters 14 - 16
Written by Jean
Friday
Chapter Essential Questions:
What is Bud in the process of acquiring?
B – Before
Draw a house on the blackboard, or direct students to a display you’ve already set up
showing pictures of various types of houses. Ask the class if any of these houses are like their
homes? Ask: what is a home? What types of things do you do when you’re at home? What does
in mean to be “at home”?
D – During
Discuss what is happening in these chapters that may indicate that Bud’s journey is
coming to an end. Find sentences or paragraphs that show Bud being taken care of; read them
out loud (description of meal at restaurant, clothes folded on a chair for him when he wakes up,
for instance). Look for sentences or paragraphs that show he may have found a home (Miss
Thomas stating, “we’ll talk tomorrow,” Bud’s insight “this is where I was supposed to be”
(p.172); “nothing could hurt me now,” (p. 183), Miss Thomas saying, “go ahead and cry, Bud.
You’re at home.” (p. 174) Why do you think Bud starts to cry in the restaurant? What is the
significance of Miss Thomas’s reaction?
A – After/Assessment
Is Bud really staying at Grand Central Station? Many of the book’s characters have
colorful nicknames. List some of the nicknames for both people and places that are mentioned in
this book and write a sentence or two describing why each is appropriate.
Or:
Do you think they speak a strange language in Grand Rapids? Search the text for the
following phrases and from their context try to guess their definitions:
Once in Grand Rapids, Bud observes, “they talk a strange kind of language here.” Find some
words or phrases that are unfamiliar to you, and write down their meaning from context.
Cop a squat
ax
you nailed him
Homework Assignment
Read chapters 17 and 18.
what’s the scoop? Were your ears burning?
Bud, Not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapters 17 & 18
Written by Dan
Monday
Note, the chapters should have been independently read as homework before class.
Chapter Essential Questions:
What did the Music played by Herman Callaway's band sound like?
How well does Bud’s description of the music describe jazz?
How does race and racism enter into the make-up of the band?
B -- Before
Ask the students to list the instruments played by the band: drums, piano, saxophone,
trumpet, trombone, and bass. If students play any of these instruments, maybe they could be
brought into class for show. In this case, have the instruments in front of the class during the
before part of the lesson. Introduce the video clips, touching on jazz as "outlaw" music of the
times (kind of like Eminem!) and of segregation and integration in jazz- (the "jazz world" was
one of the earliest integrated segments of American society).
D -- During
Begin with a shared reading of the description of the band's music (pp. 200-203). Show
portions of DVDs: "Hollywood Rhythm Vol. 1" and "At the Jazz Band Ball". (See appendix.)
Segments featuring Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Dorsey Brothers, Paul
Whiteman, and Billie Holiday are possibilities. Point out the different instruments to the
students.
After each clip is played ask the students for reactions and opinions. How did the music
make them feel? How was what they saw and heard different from the music that they commonly
hear today? What were their favorite instruments? Are the bands shown in the videos integrated?
A – After/Assessment
Students can write a 3 paragraph journal entry about the music they heard, concentrating
on what the music makes them feel, if anything. How does the jazz you heard in class differ
from the music you commonly hear today? Or:
More visually oriented students can draw a poster for the Herman Callaway band
appearance in Mecosta. Feature the musicians and their instruments and perhaps a descriptive
phrase or two about the music.
Homework Assignment
Read chapter 19.
Bud, Not Buddy
Lesson Plan for Chapter 19
Written by Jean
Tuesday
Chapter Essential Question:
What important thing has Bud found?
B – Before
Show a sweatshirt, knick-knack or some other article that has meaning for you, and
explain why you like it. Ask the class to name some things, which are important to them; write
items on board. Ask: What things were important to Bud?
D -- During
Challenge the students to summarize the ending of the story in one or two sentences.
1.What does Bud find that is extremely important to him?
2. How do we know that Bud has come home? Find the sentences or paragraphs in the
chapter that indicate his journey is over. (Look for: references to “band mates” unpacking his
suitcase, hanging his mother’s picture on the wall, putting his own blanket on the bed, etc.)
3. Why do you think Bud can let go of some of his treasures now? Find the sentence that
tells us this. (“I didn’t need these other things with me all the time.”) What does he do with
them?
4. How do we know that the other characters also consider that Bud is home? (Buy him
an instrument, quote from Miss Thomas, p. 244).
A – After/Assessment
Some of the items that Bud treasured become very important to the development of the
story. Pick one of the items and write 3 paragraphs describing its significance to the happy
ending.
Students will take the last vocabulary test.
Bud, not Buddy Unit Plan
Appendix of Resources