Thorndike Press TEACHER S GUIDE Written by Rosemary Pillsbury
2 Chapter One: And You Wonder Why We Get Called the Weird Watsons Vocabulary: Narcissus (from Nar-sissy) pg. 28 a character in Greek mythology who met tragedy when he fell in love with his own image 1. Curtis plants a seed in the reader s mind by suggesting that the Watsons may be weird. Is Byron someone you might think of as weird? How? 2. When Kenny s mother suggests that Birmingham, Alabama, may be warmer and friendlier than Flint, Michigan, about what does his father remind her? 3. Why does Mr. Watson call the landlord a snake in the grass? 4. What would you have done to rescue Byron?
Chapter Two: Give My Regards to Clark, Poindexter Vocabulary: hostile pg. 37 unfriendly; showing ill will intimidate pg. 39 make afraid; frighten emulate pg. 39 copy or try to equal or rival 1. How did being Byron s little brother help Kenny? 2. What were the two qualities that set Kenny up for teasing? 3. How did Byron react to Kenny s poetry reading? 4. What does Kenny mean when he says, I knew God had finally sent me my personal saver!? 5. Who or what are Clark and Poindexter? 3
4 Chapter Three: The World s Greatest Dinosaur War Ever Vocabulary: Nazis pg. 54 Allied (the Allies included the U.S.A.) enemy in World War II; followers of Hitler or members of his political party 1. What shocks Kenny about Rufus and Cody s life in Arkansas? 2. How did LJ win the World s Greatest Dinosaur War Ever? 3. What were the two things about which the other kids teased Rufus? 4. What did Kenny do that made him feel like someone had pulled all [his] teeth out with a pair of rusty pliers?
Chapter Four: Froze-Up Southern Folks Vocabulary: pomade pg. 67 hair ointment with perfume Sugar Ray Robinson pg. 82 a great welterweight and middleweight boxing champion 1. According to Byron, why do garbage trucks have wide back doors? 2. What discovery does Kenny make about Larry Dunn and how does the discovery change his feelings about him? 3. Explain why you would or would not like to have Byron as your big brother. 5
6 Chapter Five: Nazi Parachutes Attack America and Get Shot Down over the Flint River by Captain Byron Watson and His Flamethrower of Death 1. Why did Kenny believe his mother should burn Byron? 2. Why was Mrs. Watson so upset about the parachute game? Chapter Six: Swedish Cremes and Welfare Cheese Vocabulary: welfare pg. 100 help or money given by a government agency to people who are unable to meet their own needs peon pg. 101 a laborer working off a debt 1. How does Byron trick Kenny into keeping the secret about the free food? 2. What proved to Kenny that Byron felt bad about killing the mourning dove?
Chapter Seven: Every Chihuahua in America Lines Up to Take a Bite out of Byron Vocabulary: Chihuahua pg. 112 a dog of the Mexican breed illustrated above, small and with pointy ears conk pg. 113 a hair style in which naturally curly hair is straightened and smoothed down close to the head executioner pg. 117 the person who carries out a convicted prisoner s death sentence 1. On pages 118 119, how does Byron describe his relationship with Kenny as they are waiting for Mr. Watson to arrive to decide By s punishment? 2. With what new physical characteristics does Byron end up and what new nicknames do you predict for him? 7
8 Chapter Eight: The Ultra-Glide! Vocabulary: pinnacle pg. 131 highest point; peak Walter Cronkite pg. 141 a highly trusted and respected news reporter and anchorman of the CBS Evening News maestro pg. 146 conductor or leader of a musical performance 1. What are the last TWO finishing touches Mr. Watson puts on the Brown Bomber? 2. What personal care item does Mr. Watson always hide and why? 3. Where are the Watsons going and why?
Chapter Nine: The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 Vocabulary: Lawrence Welk Show pg. 159 a long-lived and popular musical program which had massive appeal in the post-world War II era eavesdropped pg. 161 listened in to a conversation meant to be private seniority pg. 170 a labor union method of recognizing the right of those with the most years of employment in a work place to first choice in important things such as overtime 1. According to Mr. Watson, why is it necessary to send Byron to Birmingham? 2. What gift does Joetta receive and why does she hide it in her socks drawer? 3. How do the chapter and the book get their shared title? 9
10 Chapter Ten: Tangled Up in God s Beard 1. What surprise do Kenny and Byron find at the rest stop in Ohio? 2. Describe the Buster Brown trademark Kenny sees inside Joetta s shoe. 3. What secret does Kenny know about but decide not to share with Mrs. Watson? Chapter Eleven: Bobo Brazil Meets the Sheik Vocabulary: vittles pg.188 in country dialect, the word for food 1. Give one reason why Mrs. Watson was angry about her husband driving straight through to Birmingham and one reason why she was pleased. 2. Why does the chapter have the title Bobo Brazil Meets the Sheik and is it a fitting title?
Chapter Twelve: That Dog Won t Hunt No More Vocabulary: wilier pg. 203 (from wily) craftier; slyer 1. Why is Wilona upset with her mother? 2. Why does Birmingham seem to Kenny to be a serious punishment? Chapter Thirteen: I Meet Winnie s Evil Twin Brother, the Wool Pooh Vocabulary: whirlpool pg. 210 water moving in a violent spiral at the point where currents meet 1. Why does Kenny think Mr. Collier would put up No Trespassing signs and make up stories about the Wool Pooh at Collier s Landing? 2. What was Kenny after in the water? 11
3. How does Byron reveal his true feelings for Kenny in Chapter Thirteen? Chapter Fourteen: Every Bird and Bug in Birmingham Stops and Wonders Vocabulary: raising cain pg. 235 causing trouble; making a great deal of noise 1. Irony is a set of circumstances resulting in an outcome that is the opposite of what is expected. For example, a police officer dying from driving while intoxicated would be ironic because it is not typical of the behavior of police officers. What irony concerning the American flag does the author establish (pg. 230) and how is it ironic? 2. When Kenny holds the shiny, black shoe with the Buster Brown trademark and believes Joetta died in the bombing, he worries about how he had been treating her. How had he treated her earlier that day? 3. What allows Kenny to trust his senses and believe Joey was truly still alive? 12
4. What saved Joetta from the bombing? Chapter Fifteen: The World-Famous Watson Pet Hospital 1. To what place does Kenny disappear more and more often and what is he looking for there? 2. What ugly thing does Kenny find in the World-Famous Watson Pet Hospital? 3. Does Kenny find the magic powers he was looking for to heal himself? 13
14 Teacher s Pages Before reading, give students time to read the memorial page and consider why it might be included. Discuss the meaning of the word toll. Chapter One: And You Wonder Why We Get Called the Weird Watsons 1. Curtis plants a seed in the reader s mind by suggesting that the Watsons may be weird. Is Byron someone you might think of as weird? How? Byron is a prankster who tortured Kenny but showed little strength himself when he managed to freeze his lips to the mirror after kissing his own image. Their household seems to be anything but quiet. 2. When Kenny s mother suggests that Birmingham, Alabama, may be warmer and friendlier than Flint, Michigan, about what does his father remind her? (p.17) He reminds her about segregation, including the Coloreds Only bathrooms. 3. Why does Mr. Watson call the landlord a snake in the grass? (p. 17) The landlord seems to have taken his phone off the hook because he doesn t want to hear his tenants complaints or to put in adequate heat. 4. What would you have done to rescue Byron? Answers will vary. Chapter Two: Give My Regards to Clark, Poindexter 1. How did being Byron s little brother help Kenny? Larry Dunn was a school bully, but Byron and Buphead were even bigger and stronger bullies, so Kenny was protected because Larry didn t want to offend them.
2. What were the two qualities that set Kenny up for teasing? Kenny loved to read and he had a lazy eye, which earned him the nickname Cockeye Kenny. 3. How did Byron react to Kenny s poetry reading? He defended him when Buphead started to tease him and suggested that he should be paid for his performances, showing that he was proud of him. 4. What does Kenny mean when he says, I knew God had finally sent me my personal saver!? (pg. 45) Kenny sees the new boy as his savior because he is so uncool with his country ways and simple, worn clothing that Kenny knows he will be teased less and the new boys will be teased right from the start. 5. Who or what are Clark and Poindexter? Clark is the school, and Poindexter is Byron s nickname for Kenny. Chapter Three: The World s Greatest Dinosaur War Ever 1. What shocks Kenny about Rufus and Cody s life in Arkansas? They used rifles and hunted and ate squirrels. 2. How did LJ win the World s Greatest Dinosaur War Ever? LJ tricked Kenny by having him bury all of his radioactive dinosaurs, then tricking him into leaving them until it was too late to take them inside before bed so that LJ could return and steal them. 3. What were the two things about which the other kids teased Rufus? The kids teased Rufus about his dialect and about his clothing, since he had just two shirts and two pairs of pants and a third pair shared with his brother. 15
16 4. What did Kenny do that made him feel like someone had pulled all [his] teeth out with a pair of rusty pliers? Kenny had joined in with the other students on the bus who were teasing Rufus and Cody about their clothing, so Rufus refused to play with Kenny. Kenny was very embarrassed about his behavior and missed his friend. Chapter Four: Froze-Up Southern Folks 1. According to Byron, why do garbage trucks have wide back doors? According to Byron, people from the South and their children have thin blood and freeze to death easily. The truck doors are wide to permit their frozen bodies to be picked up on the curb. 2. What discovery does Kenny make about Larry Dunn and how does the discovery change his feelings about him? Kenny discovers that Larry Dunn is wearing only a T-shirt under his ripped windbreaker and that the bottom of his sneakers are lined with cardboard. Kenny realizes how tough life must be for Larry and how physically tough he really is. 3. Explain why you would or would not like to have Byron as your big brother. Answers will vary, but should mention that Byron is a bully and enjoys scaring people and being mean. Chapter Five: Nazi Parachutes Attack America and Get Shot Down over the Flint River by Captain Byron Watson and His Flamethrower of Death 1. Why did Kenny believe his mother should burn Byron? Kenny thought Byron was silly for not getting away when he could. He also thought that the parachute game looked fun and was thinking about trying it himself, unless there was a serious punishment lined up for him.
2. Why was Mrs. Watson so upset about the parachute game? Mrs. Watson had lived through a fire in her own home as a little girl and didn t want to see her family in danger of something she found so scary. Chapter Six: Swedish Cremes and Welfare Cheese 1. How does Byron trick Kenny into keeping the secret about the free food? Byron shares the Swedish Cremes he s signed for with Kenny, making Kenny feel that he was guilty of stealing from his parents, too. 2. What proved to Kenny that Byron felt bad about killing the mourning dove? Kenny found that Byron had buried the bird and put a cross over its grave. Chapter Seven: Every Chihuahua in America Lines Up to Take a Bite out of Byron 1. On pages 118 119, how does Byron describe his relationship with Kenny as they are waiting for Mr. Watson to arrive to decide By s punishment? Byron describes himself as the top wolf in a pack being challenged by Kenny, who is like a little Chihuahua. 2. With what new physical characteristics does Byron end up and what new nicknames do you predict for him? Byron ends up with a shaved head and his ears stick out. He may be called such names as chrome-dome and Dumbo. Chapter Eight: The Ultra-Glide! 1. What are the last TWO finishing touches Mr. Watson puts on the Brown Bomber? He adds a smelly green pine tree deodorizer and the TT AB-700 Ultra-Glide record player. 17
18 2. What personal care item does Mr. Watson always hide and why? Mr. Watson always hides his toothbrush because he doesn t want it used for cleaning. Byron has used his toothbrushes before for brushing the dog s teeth and cleaning his coins. 3. Where are the Watsons going and why? They are going to Grandma Sands in Birmingham, Alabama, so that Grandma, who is very strict, can teach Byron to behave by keeping him there for the summer and possibly for the school year. Chapter Nine: The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 1. According to Mr. Watson, why is it necessary to send Byron to Birmingham? Byron is getting close to being an adult and doesn t seem to understand that life is not going to be one big joke. He wants to prepare him for life, including the hard parts of it. 2. What gift does Joetta receive and why does she hide it in her socks drawer? Joetta receives an angel figurine from her neighbor Mrs. Davidson. She hides it because Mrs. Davidson has named it Joetta after her and says it looks just like her, but it s white and Joetta doesn t see any likeness. 3. How do the chapter and the book get their shared title? Mrs. Watson has a notebook in which she has written out plans for every part of the trip. The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 is written across the front of this notebook.
Chapter Ten: Tangled Up in God s Beard 1. What surprise do Kenny and Byron find at the rest stop in Ohio? They have their first experience with outhouses. 2. Describe the Buster Brown trademark Kenny sees inside Joetta s shoe (p. 177). The trademark shows a little white boy with a girl s hairdo and a smiling dog. 3. What secret does Kenny know about but decide not to share with Mrs. Watson? Kenny knows that his father is planning on driving straight through to Alabama rather than following the plan in his mother s notebook. Chapter Eleven: Bobo Brazil Meets the Sheik 1. Give one reason why Mrs. Watson was angry about her husband driving straight through to Birmingham and one reason why she was pleased. She was unhappy about all the time she wasted in planning the trip and happy about the money they saved by not staying at motels and eating at restaurants. 2. Why does the chapter have the title Bobo Brazil Meets the Sheik and is it a fitting title? Bobo Brazil and the Sheik are professional wrestlers and well matched. The title describes what Kenny expected it would be like when Byron met Grandma Sands a real match. But Grandma Sands is so old and tiny that Byron seems to have lost any will to fight against her, saying I ain t gonna have her death on my hands. 19
20 Chapter Twelve: That Dog Won t Hunt No More 1. Why is Wilona upset with her mother? Wilona is upset that her mother is living with Mr.Robert. 2. Why does Birmingham seem to Kenny to be a serious punishment? Birmingham in summer is very hot, making it almost impossible to sleep at night. Chapter Thirteen: I Meet Winnie s Evil Twin Brother, the Wool Pooh 1. Why does Kenny think Mr. Collier would put up No Trespassing signs and make up stories about the Wool Pooh at Collier s Landing? Kenny thinks Mr. Collier is just selfish and doesn t want to share the beautiful blue water with anyone else. 2. What was Kenny after in the water? First, Kenny was trying to catch some fish to take back to Flint for pets. Then he spotted a turtle and went after it. 3. How does Byron reveal his true feelings for Kenny in Chapter Thirteen? Byron puts his own life at risk by going into the dangerous water to save his brother and kissing his head repeatedly after he is able to save him.
Chapter Fourteen: Every Bird and Bug in Birmingham Stops and Wonders 1. Irony is a set of circumstances resulting in an outcome that is the opposite of what is expected. For example, a police officer dying from driving while intoxicated would be ironic because it is not typical of the behavior of police officers. What irony concerning the American flag does the author establish (p.230) and how is it ironic? The American flag is supposed to symbolize freedom, justice and equality. The red, blue, and the white which Joetta was wearing suggest the American flag, but the red and blue were the colors worn by victims of inequality, segregation and injustice. Therefore, the image is ironic. 2. When Kenny holds the shiny, black shoe with the Buster Brown trademark and believes Joetta died in the bombing, he worries about how he had been treating her. How had he treated her earlier that day? He had told her how pretty she looked before she left for church. 3. What allows Kenny to trust his senses and believe Joey was truly still alive? She was holding both of her shiny, black shoes in her hands. 4. What saved Joetta from the bombing? She was hot and went outside the church, where she said she saw Kenneth motioning to her to follow him. 21
22 Chapter Fifteen: The World-Famous Watson Pet Hospital 1. To what place does Kenny disappear more and more often and what is he looking for there? Kenny goes behind the couch because it is quiet and dark and still back there and because that is where the sick and injured pets went and sometimes recovered. He was looking for magic powers to help him heal from the pain of the violence and suffering he saw in the church. 2. What ugly thing does Kenny find in the World-Famous Watson Pet Hospital? Kenny finds shame. He believes that he left Joey in the church where he struggled with the Wool Pooh over the shoe because he was afraid of dying himself. 3. Does Kenny find the magic powers he was looking for to heal himself? Yes, he does, but he discovers that they are in the little acts of love and kindness people show each other every day and within himself, by his own acts of love and kindness. 1. Ask students to watch for the author s craft of using the vocabulary of the character s level of language development (in the case of Kenny, that of a fourthgrader) and to identify examples and tell how this craft enhances the author s presentation of the characters. (Examples include his use on page 47 of saver instead of savior. ) 2. Using figurative language: In Chapter 3 page 63, Kenny describes his discomfort after Rufus confronts him for his shameful behavior by saying, I felt like someone had pulled all my teeth out with a pair of rusty pliers. Ask students to create other descriptions (using similes) which show discomfort. 3. Writing an extended analogy: Mr. Watson compares learning to parent with learning to drive a car, saying, At first it s scary but then before you realize... you have it under control. First use a two-column template to discuss
various steps involved in learning to drive and thinking of their counterparts in parenting. Then use this template as a guide for a writing piece extending the analogy, using at least five similarities. For example: Learning to Drive a Car New car needs to be broken in Car needs gasoline regularly Need to avoid crashes Learning Parenting Newborn must be handled gently Children need food: physical, spiritual, and emotional Must teach sharing 4. Ask students to look for examples of the author s craft of juxtaposition, putting serious and humorous parts in sharp and sometimes startling contrast to each other. Use the example on page 156: I loved it when Dad talked to me like I was grown-up. I didn t really understand half the junk he was saying, but it sure did feel good to be talked to like that! It s times like this when someone is talking to you like you are a grown-up that you have to be careful not to pick your nose or dig your drawers out of your butt. 5. Author s Craft: Using Dialect. Dialect is the variety of language peculiar to a particular region. Wilona is from Alabama and keeps much of her Alabama dialect. Discuss with students how to read the phonetic spellings to read the Alabama dialect as it sounded to Kenny, for whom it was very foreign. Discuss why Mr. Watson uses this dialect on page 166. Why does Mrs. Watson use this dialect on page 188? How does Christopher Paul Curtis use dialect to create the title for Chapter 13? 6. Create an illustration to demonstrate some aspect of Chapter Thirteen, such as Kenny being tempted to step into the water, Kenny s visions as he is being drowned, or Kenny s understanding of the Wool Pooh. 23
24 7. The Chapter Fourteen questions include one defining and discussing irony. You may wish to elaborate on examples of irony. 8. The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 is a wonderful piece of historical fiction to use as part of an integrated curriculum unit about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960 s. The novel is a terrific hook to pique student interest in this era, and the Epilogue suggests many names and specific topics from which to make ties with historical developments. 9. Creative timeline: Mr. Watson was very pleased with his Ultra-Glide (at least until it got stuck on a record) and most people today enjoy CD players and new sound technology. Construct a timeline which combines development in music-related technology with developments related to the slow and laboured development of racial equality within the U.S.A. 10. Share Negro Spirituals (as they were called during their time) and music of the Civil Rights Movement with students. Writing Prompts: 1. When Kenny sat in the Brown Bomber with his father while his father explained to him why Byron needed to go to stay with his grandmother, Kenny felt very grown-up. Describe with details and clear images a time when you felt as if you were treated as an adult rather than as a child. 2. When the Watsons stop in the darkness of a Tennessee rest area (page 180 181) and look at the Appalachian Mountains, Kenny feels very scared. Describe an experience when you found your surroundings to be very scary. Try to include details and images, as Kenny did when he said: On every side of us were great big, black hills, and behind these were even bigger, blacker hills, and behind these were the biggest, blackest hills. It looked like someone had crumpled up a pitch-black blanket and dropped the Weird Watsons down into the middle of it.
3. There are times when we all feel like crawling behind a couch and waiting for magic powers. Describe something about life that has made you want to climb behind a couch and how you have dealt with it. 25