Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Bud Not Buddy

Bud Not Buddy
By: Christopher Paul Curtis
Published by: Delacorte Press
2000 Newberry Medal Winner
 
Bud Not Buddy is the story of a young orphan boy growing up in the Great Depression. Bud lives in an orphanage and then is moved to a foster home where he is forced to sleep in a shed. Bud escapes from the foster home and begins his journey to find Herman E. Calloway, the man who he believes is his father. Mr. Calloway is a traveling musician who Bud has flyers about. Along his journey he meets many people and even stays in a Hooverville. When he finds Herman E. Calloway, Mr. Calloway is a bit stand offish with a child claiming to be his son. But Bud and Mr. Calloway soon find out that he is not his son at all, but something more!

Reading Level:
     Grade Level Equivalent: 5.2
     Lexile Level: 950L

Suggested Delivery:
     Small Group Read, Individual Read

Electronic Resources:
http://www.nashvillechildrenstheatre.org/documents/Guides/NCT_BudNotBuddyGuide.pdf
This site leads you to a literature and activity guide for teachers before taking their students to a theater version of the book. The guide includes activities about the Great Depression and different writing and classa activities.
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/christopherpaulcurtis/
This is a site from the publisher about the author, Christopher Paul Curtis. His bio and other works are included on the page.
http://www.superteachertools.com/jeopardy/usergames/Dec201048/game1291378911.php
This is a jeopardy game on chapters 1-7 of the book. Multiple teams can play at one time.

Key Vocabulary:
ilk, knickers, alias, copacetic, brute, ingratitude

Comprehension Strategies:

Before Reading:
Before reading the book, give students a short lesson on the Great Depression and how tough life was during the time in the story. http://www.wartgames.com/themes/american/greatdepression.html This site includes different web pages about the depression for kids and also has links to games students can play to learn about the Great Depression.

During Reading:
There are a lot of different characters and places to keep track of throughout the story. Give students a graphic organizer with sections to keep track of what they're reading. Being able to look back and see everything written down and laid out will help students remember and understand.

After Reading:
Have students make a timeline of all the places Bud went and the people he met along the way. This will help students to understand the time in history it took place and will complete the comprehension process in the end.

Writing Activity:
Rather than writing a typical essay about the book, students can write a letter to the author asking him about the book. Students will be required to include certain things in their letter and will be graded using a corresponding rubric.
 








Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, not Buddy. New York: Delacorte Press, 1999. Print.

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