The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames
Teacher's Resource
Njinga “The Warrior Queen,” 1583 AD
Cleopatra “Serpent of the Nile,” 69 BC
Agrippina “Atrocious and Ferocious,” 15 AD
Mary Tudor “Bloody Mary,” 1516 AD
Catherine de’ Medici “The Black Queen,” 1519 AD
Marie Antoinette “Madame Deficit,” 1755 AD
Cixi “The Dragon Empress,” 1835 AD
Resource written by Lisa Willman
Dear Educator,
We’ve compiled this teacher’s resource to help you and your students get the most
out of Njinga “The Warrior Queen” and other titles in The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of
Dastardly Dames, especially with the Common Core State Standards in mind.
We’ve included ideas for activities, as well as worksheets and activity pages for
you to use in your classroom. Some resources are specific to Njinga “The Warrior
Queen,” while others can be used with any of the Dames.
Pick and choose the activities that best meet your classroom objectives. Feel free to
adjust and adapt activities as needed; we know that some classrooms may have
one book per student, while others will have one book per classroom.
Sincerely,
Goosebottom Books
1
Table of Contents
Njinga “The Warrior Queen,” 1583 AD
Njinga and the Common Core ………………………………………………………
2
Activity 1: Identifying Loaded Language ……………………………………………
3
Activity 2: Just How Dastardly Was She? ……………………………………………
4
Activity 3: As Told By …………………………………………………………………
5
Njinga and the California History-Social Science Standards………………….……
6
Activity 4: Mapping the Triangular Trade ……………………………………………
8
Activity 5: Extra! Extra! Read All About It! ……………………………………………
9
Other Standards Met by The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames…
10
Extension Activities for All Dastardly Dames Books…………………………………
12
Comprehension Questions for All Dastardly Dames Books ………………………
16
Timeline Activity Sheet for All Dastardly Dames Books ……………………………
17
Cause and Effect Activity Sheet for All Dastardly Dames Books……………………
18
About Goosebottom Books……………………………………………………………
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Njinga “The Warrior Queen” and the Common Core
Njinga “The Warrior Queen” can be used to support
CCSS.ELA-Literary.RH.6-8.6
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view
or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of
particular facts).
Use the activity pages Identifying Loaded Language, What Role
Did She Play? and As Told By to teach to this Common Core standard.
When working with the activity page Identifying Loaded Language, review the book
as a class to find places where the author may have used language that revealed
her point of view or purpose. Have students note the text and page number on
their graphic organizer. Ask students to express the author’s point of view based
on specific word choices. Then have students rewrite the text using different word
choices that reflect a different viewpoint.
Ask students to form their own point of view on the characterization of Njinga.
Was she a dastardly dame or a freedom fighter? Or is there another, better word to
describe her? Ask students to support their opinions with facts from the text. Use
the activity page Just How Dastardly Was She?
Every author writes from a point of view, even when trying to remain unbiased.
Discuss with students the power of point of view in historical accounts. The story
may change radically depending on who tells the story. Ask students to rewrite the
story of Njinga from a different point of view than that presented in the book. How
would this story have changed if it was written from the point of view of the
Portuguese governor or Njinga’s brother? Use the activity page As Told By. Have
students share their stories. How did the story change with each viewpoint? What
qualities did each viewpoint highlight? Did the portraits of Njinga change
depending on the viewpoint of the story?
Njinga “The Warrior Queen:” Identifying Loaded Language
Activity 1
3
NAME
Authors are very specific in the words they choose. Readers need to carefully study
informational text to identify an author’s point of view.
Directions:
1. Identify text in Njinga “The Warrior Queen” that may be considered loaded or move the reader
to a particular point of view.
2. Explain how the text might be interpreted.
3. Write the same text from a different point of view.
Text
Mbandi was
suspicious and
insecure. He saw
enemies within the
ranks of his own
family.
Page
8
Interpretation
Suspicious and insecure
could be considered loaded
words. In the first sentence
they imply that the person
believes something incorrectly
because he is not sure of
himself.
Rewrite
Mbandi was cautious. He
maintained his vigilence, even
in dealings with his own family
members.
What do you think the author’s point of view was toward her subject matter?
Explain your answer.
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Njinga “The Warrior Queen:” Just How Dastardly Was She?
Activity 2
NAME
Directions:
Dastardly is defined as evil, wicked, or cruel.
Write a persuasive essay or argument expressing your opinion of Njinga. Was she truly dastardly?
If so, explain using specific examples from the book to support your answer.
Or, in your opinion, is there a better word to describe her? If so, what is it? Explain your choice of
words using examples from the book.
Njinga “The Warrior Queen:” As Told By
Activity 3
5
NAME
How a person or event is viewed can be radically different depending on who tells the story.
Directions:
Write a story and draw a picture of Njinga from another point of view. For example, tell the story
from the perspective of her brother, her sister, or the Portuguese governor.
TITLE
AS TOLD BY
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Njinga “The Warrior Queen” and the California
History-Social Science Standards
The Age of Exploration
7.11 Students analyze political and economic change in the
sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries (the Age
of Exploration, the Enlightenment, and the Age of Reason).
2. Discuss the exchanges of plants, animals, technology,
culture, and ideas among Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas in
the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and the major economic and social
effects on each continent.
Source: History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools,
Kindergarten to Grade Twelve, Adopted by the California State Board of Education,
October 1998.
Trans-Atlantic Triangular Slave Trade
The capturing and selling of African people was a profitable business for many
people from the mid-fifteenth century until the end of the eighteenth century. The
African slaves were considered by some to be just another commodity on the
trans-atlantic trade route between West Africa, the Caribbean and America, and
Europe, as were cotton, rum, and tobacco.
Using the activity sheet, Mapping the Triangular Trade, assign students to research
the triangular trade. Ask them to locate the three main points on the triangular
trade, map the direction of travel, and identify the items that were bought and sold
at each location.
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Mock Trial
Have your class stage a mock trial with the Portuguese on one side and the people
of Ndongo on the other. Assign students to be lawyers defending or prosecuting
Njinga’s case. Was Njinga guilty of the crimes for which she has been accused?
What is the evidence to support these claims? Have a jury decide the verdict.
Encourage students to use visuals such as maps or drawings to support their case.
Game Changer
Discuss the ways that Njinga changed the “rules” and roles for females in Ndongo
in the 1500-1600s. Record key points made during the discussion on chart paper.
Extra, Extra, Read All About It!
Assign students to work in pairs of small groups. Have students research what
was happening around the world in the early 1600s. Use the Extra! Extra! Read All
About It! activity page to create the front page of a newspaper with headlines and
one paragraph summaries of some of the main events occurring in the world at the
time.
Key Vocabulary
alliance
determination
peace t reaty
slave
cannibal
export
puppet ruler
slave market
captive
heir
raids
soothsayers
colony
negotiate
regent
sovereign
debate
ngola
rumors
warrior
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Njinga “The Warrior Queen:” Mapping the Triangular Trade
Activity 4
NAME
The capturing and selling of African people was big business from the mid-fifteenth century until
the end of the eighteenth century. African slaves were considered by some to be just another
commodity to be traded, like cotton, rum, and tobacco. The use of slaves made the mass
cultivation of these other commodities possible.
Directions:
1. Locate the three main points on the triangular trade.
2. Map the direction of travel.
3. Identify the items that were bought and sold at each location.
Njinga “The Warrior Queen:” Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
Activity 5
9
NAME
Directions:
Research what was happening around the world in the early 1600s. Create the front page of a
newspaper by pasting in headlines, pictures, and one-paragraph summaries of some of the main
events happening throughout the world at the time.
Headline
1
Text 1
Picture 1
Subhead
2
Text 2
Subhead
3
Text 2
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Other Standards Met by
The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames
Specific Standards Met by Each Book
Source: History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten
to Grade Twelve, Adopted by the California State Board of Education, October 1998.
Cleopatra “Serpent of the Nile,” 69 BC
Egyptian pharaoh
6.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures
of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush.
Agrippina “Atrocious and Ferocious,” 15 AD
Roman empress
6.7 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures
during the development of Rome.
Mary Tudor “Bloody Mary,” 1516 AD
English queen
7.9 Students analyze the historical developments of the Reformation.
Catherine De’ Medici “The Black Queen,” 1519 AD
French queen
7.8 Students analyze the origins, accomplishments, and geographic diffusion of the
Renaissance.
7.9 Students analyze the historical developments of the Reformation.
Marie Antoinette “Madame Deficit,” 1755 AD
French queen
7.11 Students analyze political and economic change in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and
eighteenth centuries (the Age of Exploration, the Enlightenment, and the Age of Reason).
Cixi “The Dragon Empress,” 1835 AD
Chinese Empress
6.6 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures
of the early civilizations of China.
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Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills, Grades 6-8, Supported by All Books
Source: History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten to Grade Twelve,
Adopted by the California State Board of Education, October 1998.
Chronological and Spatial Thinking
1. Students explain how major events are related to one another in time.
2. Students construct various timelines of key events, people, and periods of the historical era they
are studying.
3. Students use a variety of maps and documents to identify physical and cultural features of
neighborhoods, cities, states, and countries and to explain the historical migration of people, expansion
and disintegration of empires, and the growth of economic systems.
Research, Evidence, and Point of View
1. Students frame questions that can be answered by historical study and research.
2. Students distinguish fact from opinion in historical narratives and stories.
3. Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information, essential from incidental information, and
verifiable from unverifiable information in historical narratives and stories.
4. Students assess the credibility of primary and secondary sources and draw sound conclusions
from them.
5. Students detect the different historical points of view on historical events and determine the context in
which the historical statements were made (the questions asked, sources used, authors’ perspectives).
Historical Interpretation
1. Students explain the central issues and problems from the past, placing people and events in a matrix
of time and place.
2. Students understand and distinguish cause, effect, sequence, and correlation in historical events,
including the long- and short-term causal relations.
3. Students explain the sources of historical continuity and how the combination of ideas and events
explains the emergence of new patterns.
4. Students recognize the role of chance, oversight, and error in history.
5. Students recognize that interpretations of history are subject to change
as new information is uncovered.
6. Students interpret basic indicators of economic performance and
conduct cost-benefit analyses of economic and political issues.
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Extension Activities for All Seven Books
Activities can be used with any of the books, or all seven at the same time!
Reading Activities
Comprehension Questions
Use the comprehension questions provided with any of the books in the series. All of
your students can be working on the same book, or they can each be reading a
different book in the series.
Comparison Study of Two Women
Have students read two of the books in the series and complete a Venn diagram of the
main characteristics of the two women. Some questions to pose to the class might be:
What traits did these two women have in common? What were the differences between
them? How did each rise to power? How wide was their scope of power? What was
expected of women in those times?
Writing Activities
A Different Mirror
Have students choose one of the Dastardly Dames and rewrite her story from a different
point of view. They might choose to represent Cleopatra as a champion of Egyptian
freedom…Agrippina as a protective mother whose only concern was her son. Discuss
how the same historical data can be retold as a different narrative by changing
emphasis and points of view.
Social Studies Activities
Map It!
Give each student a blank world map. In one color, ask them to shade in and label the
empire/kingdom/area where the story they are reading takes place. In another color,
draw and label modern day countries and boundaries. Next, have students locate and
record major geographic features, such as mountains, rivers, oceans, and seas. Finally,
they should identify the modern day capital cities, as well as other major cities.
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Timeline
Use the activity sheet to have students construct a timeline for the main character’s
lifetime. Depending on the princess, students may not be able to include exact dates on
the timeline. Instead, emphasize the listing of major life events in chronological order.
In addition, ask them to include on their timeline events happening in other parts of the
world. Students may want to illustrate their timeline.
Cause and Effect
Use the activity sheet to determine the causes of major events in the dastardly dame’s
life. Emphasize to students that there usually is more than one reason behind events in
history. Use the book for research, as well as other sources about the history of the time.
Expert Research Groups
Split students into groups of three or four. Assign each group one of the books in the
series. Each group will become experts on the dame of their book, as well as the
time period in which she lived. Some questions to research: What were some of the
central issues and problems from that era in history? Who were important leaders and
people of that time? What was happening in other parts of the world? How did the
dame rise to power? How were women treated or regarded during that time?
Then ask groups to create a final project or presentation to teach the class about their
dame and her time period in history. Projects might include making a poster, creating a
PowerPoint presentation, writing a play, or developing brochures to advertise that time in
history. Encourage students to dress up in the traditional clothes of the era during
their presentation.
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Social Studies Activities, Continued
Analyzing the Text
The books in this series might be categorized as historical narrative. In order to tell
a story about a real person in history the author took some liberties to round out the
person and to make her story come alive. The author may have added details that
can’t be verified, but instead are used to create a picture of a real human in history
that readers can relate to.
Students should learn to distinguish between verifiable and unverifiable information
and understand the author’s purpose in using both types of information. After reading
one of the books, ask students to create two columns in their notebook. Label one
column “verifiable facts,” and the other column “unverifiable information.” Ask students
to analyze the text, find examples from the book, and cite them in their notebooks.
Point out that, even in one sentence, there may be examples of both types
of information.
For example, from Njinga “The Warrior Queen,” page 3:
Njinga was born around 1583, into the royal household of the Ndongo Kingdom of
central West Africa. The new princess was named Njinga, which in the Ndongo
language means “twist,” because she was born with her umbilical cord curled around
her neck. After her birth, the soothsayers examined her and shook their heads.
“Ayayai!” they cried. This royal baby would not be an easy person.
VERIFIABLE: Njinga was born around 1583. She was born into the royal household of
the Ndongo Kingdom. The kingdom was in West Africa. Her name, Njinga, meant
“twist” in the Ndongo language.
UNVERIFIABLE: The soothsayers examined her and shook their heads after her birth.
The soothsayers said, “This royal baby would not be an easy person.”
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Social Studies Activities, Continued
Fashion Show
Each book includes a section about the clothing of the era. Ask
students to organize a historical fashion show. Assign each group
a different dame in history. Starting with the information presented
in the book, they should research the fashions from that time in
history and that part of the world.
At the start of this project pose some questions to the class: What did
women wear? What did men wear? How differently would the
ruling class have dressed than the rest of society? How did the
geography and climate affect clothing choices? What materials
were used for clothing?
During the fashion show, while students model their clothes, have
a moderator explain what the model is wearing and the history
behind the outfit.
A Banquet Fit for a Queen
Invite students to create a meal or dish from the book they are reading. Each woman’s
diet was dependent on the geography of the land, so ask students to present to the class
a poster of the physical features, natural resources and climate of the dame’s kingdom.
Some questions to ask: What foods did she eat? How would it have been different if she
didn’t live in wealth? What were staples of the time? What were considered delicacies?
How was her diet similar and different to what is eaten in that part of the world today?
How did trade with other countries affect her diet?
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The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames
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Comprehension Questions
NAME
BOOK
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper in complete sentences:
1.
Sketch a map of where the dame lived. Include major geographic features. Label the
countries or kingdoms that bordered her land.
2.
Describe the historical time period in which the dame lived.
3.
List ten important facts about the dame.
4.
What character traits would you use to describe this dame? Why? Use examples from
the book to support your answer.
5.
Discuss her relationship with men. What was expected of her? Did she meet these
expectations? How was she different? Use examples from the book to support your
answer.
6.
Explain how the dame rose to power. What obstacles did she face? How did she
overcome them?
7.
Choose an action of the dame. Do you agree with what she did? What were the
consequences of the action?
8.
If you were able to interview the dame, but could only ask her five questions, what
would they be? Why?
9.
What is your opinion of the dame? Explain, using details from the book.
10. Summarize the dame’s story. Explain what happened in her life in the same way you
would tell a friend about someone you had just met.
The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames
Timeline Activity Sheet
NAME
BOOK
Directions:
1.
List ten major experiences in the dame’s life.
2.
Research the historical era in which she lived. Find four key events that happened
during her lifetime. These could include things that happened in her country or
throughout the world.
3.
Who were other important historical people throughout the world during that period?
4.
On a separate piece of paper, create a timeline showing the 14 events
you’ve identified.
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The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames
Cause and Effect Activity Sheet
NAME
BOOK
Cause and effect is a tricky thing in history. Sometimes there is one main cause for an event,
but more often there are many causes behind why something happened.
Directions:
List ten events from the dame’s life (the effects). Determine the cause of each effect.
CAUSE(S)
Event #1
Event #2
Event #3
Event #4
Event #5
Event #6
Event #7
Event #8
Event #9
Event #10
EFFECT
Notes
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About Goosebottom Books
Goosebottom Books is a small press founded by Shirin Yim Bridges, award-winning author of
Ruby’s Wish and The Umbrella Queen. Dedicated to fun non-fiction and the concept of “stealth
education,” Goosebottom Books launched its first series, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real
Princesses, in October 2010. The series won an IPPY medal and had volumes nominated to the
ALA’s Amelia Bloomer Project List of Recommended Feminist Books for Youth, and
recommended by the Junior Library Guild to its members.
A new series, The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Dastardly Dames, was launched in October 2011.
This series was named one of the Top 10 Nonfiction Series for Youth 2012 by the ALA in Booklist.
It also won an IPPY medal and had books shortlisted by the Amelia Bloomer Project and
recommended by the Junior Library Guild. In addition, Mary Tudor “Bloody Mary” won a CRA
medal, and Marie Antoinette “Madame Deficit” has been named an anchor text for World
History, Grades 3-5, by the Alexandria Plan and Common Core.
In late 2012, Goosebottom Books added to both these series with Sacajawea of the Shoshone
and Njinga “The Warrior Queen.” A new series is due in Fall 2014.
For more information contact [email protected] or visit:
www.goosebottombooks.com.
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