NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
ANTICIPATION PARAGRAPH: What would life be like if you were forced to be illiterate? Why do
you think slave owners did not want their slaves to learn to be literate?
NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
After you have finished reading chapter 1, answer the questions below. Be sure to use complete sentences and explain your answers where appropriate:
1. Who is the narrator of this story? How old is this person?
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2. What point of view is the story told from?
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3. Who is Waller?
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4. How does Sarny feel about Waller? How can you tell?
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5. Is Sarny dumb? Explain how you know.
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6. Why is Sarny’s mother not around? Who raised Sarny?
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7. What kind of work does Sarny do on the plantation?
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8. What does Sarny do at night?
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NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
After you have finished reading chapters 2-3, answer the questions below. Be sure to use
complete sentences and explain your answers where appropriate:
1. What was Sarny’s job in the flower garden? What does this job allow her to do?
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2. How much money did Waller pay for Nightjohn? What does this tell you about Nightjohn?
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3. How did Mammy pray? ____________________________________________________
Where did she pray? ______________________________________________________
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Why did she pray this way? _________________________________________________
What did she pray for? ____________________________________________________
4. What does being “free” mean?
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5. How was Nightjohn brought into the plantation? What condition was he in when he arrived?
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6. What were meals like on the plantation?
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7. What did Nightjohn do the first night on the plantation? What does this tell you about him?
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NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
COMPREHENSION ASSIGNMENT
After you have finished reading chapters 2-3, complete the following comprehension assignments:
1. Analysis: Nightjohn says, “they don’t want us reading.” Why do you think slaves were not
allowed to learn how to read and write? In a paragraph: a) Explain why you think the slave
owners did not want their slaves to learn to read and write. b) If you were Sarny, would you
want Nightjohn to teach you to read, knowing the consequences? Why or why not?
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NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
After you have finished reading chapter 4, answer the questions below. Be sure to use complete sentences and explain your answers where appropriate:
1. For what was Alice used on the Waller Plantation?
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2. Why were the slaves called to see Alice at the spring house?
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3. Name two things Sarny and Mammy did for Alice.
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4. According to Sarny, why was it bad for a slave to runaway?
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5. Besides the master, who else set out to find the old slave, Jim?
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6. What did Jim do to deter the dogs from tracking him down?
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7. Where did Jim end up? ____________________________________________________
8. Why didn’t Jim’s hiding place save him?
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9. How was Pawley’s capture different from Jim’s? Explain.
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10. Where was Alice found when she ran away? __________________________________
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11. What happened to Alice as a result of her running away?
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12. Does Sarny still continue to learn letters from Nightjohn? What does this tell you about
her?
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13. How does Mammy react when she catches Nightjohn teaching Sarny? Why?
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14. How does Mammy’s attitude change after Nightjohn explains his reason for teaching
Sarny?
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15. State two reasons why Nightjohn gave up his freedom and came back down South.
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NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
After you have finished reading chapter 5, answer the questions below. Be sure to use complete sentences and explain your answers where appropriate:
1. What letters has Sarny learned so far? ________________________________________
2. What was Sarny’s first word? ________________________________________
3. Why do you think Nightjohn chose Sarny to teach to read and write?
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4. Create at least an eight box Sequence Map to describe what happens when Waller catches Sarny.
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NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
COMPREHENSION ASSIGNMENT
After you have finished reading chapter 5, complete the following comprehension assignment:
1. Characterization: The slave owner, Waller, is a hated character. Create a Defining Map
and brainstorm everything you have learned about Waller. Create a Describing Map for
Waller. Apply the five types of indirect characterization (Looks, Actions, Speech, Thoughts,
Others feelings/opinions) to Waller. Be specific and cite textual evidence as often as possible.
Write an opinion paragraph about Waller.
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NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
COMPREHENSION ASSIGNMENT
After you have finished reading chapter 5, complete the following comprehension assignment:
Complete the following PEEL chart about how Paulsen describes the way slaves were treated. Topic: How Paulsen describes the way slaves are treated.
Transitions to use for the Explanation or Link sections:
 makes it sound like  sounds as if  gives the impression  makes the reader think  conveys a sense
of  suggests  it’s as if creates a feeling of  makes the reader feel  reminds the reader of  with this
in mind 
Point (What is the main point of the paragraph?)
1. The slaves are treated like animals.
Evidence (Find facts, quotes, statistics, and expert opinions to
support your main point.)
2.
1. ‘the wooden trough – that’s how we eat
(pg. 10), ‘the little ones…have to lick the
bottom of the trough’ (pg. 10).
3.
2.
4.
3.
Explanation (What do the facts mean? How do they support
and make your point?)
1. Paulsen describes the despicable living
conditions of the slaves. Like animals,
they have to scrounge around in a trough
for food with no utensils or plates.
4.
2.
Link (How does this point link to your next point? What are some
way you can connect the two?)
3.
1. This gives the reader the impression
that slaves are considered less than human and no more valuable than a farm
animal.
2.
3.
4.
4.
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NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
After you have finished reading chapter 6, answer the questions below. Be sure to use complete sentences and explain your answers where appropriate:
1. Create at least a five box Sequence Map that details the actions Nightjohn takes after his
toes are chopped off.
2. Mammy says to Nightjohn, “You are born to leave.” What do you think she means?
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3. What does Nightjohn promise Sarny? Does she believe him? Do you?
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NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
After you have finished reading chapter 7, answer the questions below. Be sure to use complete sentences and explain your answers where appropriate:
1. Does the slave community regard Nightjohn’s escape as a victory? Explain.
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2. What has happened to Sarny since Nightjohn left?
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3. Did Nightjohn keep his promise to Sarny? Explain.
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4. Describe the place Nightjohn takes Sarny. Why is it so secretive?
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5. Where has Nightjohn been since he has been gone?
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6. Analysis: Nightjohn uses a catalog to teach the slave children to read. In a paragraph, explain at three reasons why it was smart of Nightjohn to use a catalog to teach the slave children to read.
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NIGHTJOHN NOVEL GUIDE
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
After you have finished reading chapter Words, answer the questions below. Be sure to use
complete sentences and explain your answers where appropriate:
1. What is meant by the last line on pg. 92, “Late he come walking and it be Nightjohn and he
bringing us the way to know?”
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2. It has been stated that Nightjohn is a Christ-like figure for the slaves. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
3. Evaluate: In the 1800’s it was breaking the law for a slave to escape. Nightjohn breaks the
law by escaping. Do you think it was right or wrong for Nightjohn to escape? Justify your answer.
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B
I
N
G
FREE SPACE.
Complete Novel
Guide Packet.
Create a trading card
for a character.
Front: picture /
border
Back: location of birth
/ death, >6 important
events, 2 interesting
or surprising facts,
border
Write bio poems for
two different
characters in the
novel.
Create a word cloud
from wordle.net or
tagxedo.com. Include
at least 25 events or
names related to the
novel. More important
events/names should
be larger.
Chose five songs that
you would
recommend for a
character in the story
to listen to. Include
the title, lyrics, and an
explanation of why
you recommend each
song to the character.
Create an acrostic
poem for
NIGHTJOHN. Each
line should be a
sentence or phrase
related to the novel.
Choose a major event
from the chapter and
tell it from a different
character’s point of
view. The entry
should be at least one
page long and
handwritten.
Create four
bookmarks about
characters or events
in the novel. Include a
border, pictures, and
explanations of the
person/event’s
importance.
Research five
abolitionists. Create a
mobile that has the
abolitionist’s name,
picture, and a
summary of their
significance to the
cause. Be creative
with the display.
Compile a “TOP 10”
list of your favorite
books. Include the
title, author, and a
brief explanation of
why this book is your
favorite.
FREE SPACE.
Complete Novel
Guide Packet.
Found poem. Choose
a chapter from the
novel that you found
especially moving or
interesting. Choose
words, phrases and
lines to arrange in a
poem. The poem
must be at least 75
words long.
FREE SPACE.
Complete Novel
Guide Packet.
Research current
literacy rates around
the world. Create a
poster that depicts
the world’s literacy
rates by country,
gender, social class,
etc. Include a brief
summary of your
findings on the poster.
Compile a scrapbook
for a character in the
novel. You should
have at least 10 items
/ pictures, a
description of the
item, and an
explanation of its
significance. Entries
should be written
from 1st pov.
Using the template
provided, create a
Facebook page for a
character in the
novel.
Create a list of five
television shows or
movies that you
would recommend for
Sarny or Nightjohn to
see. Summarize the
show and explain why
you recommend this
show.
Choose two
characters and create
a Compare / Contrast
Map. You should
have at least 8
different similarities /
differences.
Create a crossword
puzzle from
puzzlemaker.com.
Include at least 20
words / clues related
to the novel.
FREE SPACE.
Complete Novel
Guide Packet.
O
Create a word search
from
puzzlemaker.com.
Include at least 25
terms or names
related to the novel.
FREE SPACE.
Complete Novel
Guide Packet.
Write four haiku
poems about different
characters or events
in the novel. Each
poem should have a
title and follow the
haiku format.
Memory Game.
Choose 15 important
events / characters
from the novel.
Create two cards for
each person/event.
One side of each card
is blank. The other
side of each card has
a picture on one side
and a brief
description on the
other.
Fill a paper bag with
at least six items that
represent a character
in the novel. Include a
notecard that explains
the significance of
each item.
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