The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963

By Christopher Paul Curtis

(Lexile = 1000)

• Visit the author's website

• Nonfiction Connection: Compare ideas from the book to Pictures of students in Mississippi, 1964, on Freedom Day

• Visit TeachingBooks.net to watch author Christopher Paul Curtis talk about writing

• Read this book talk

• Nonfiction Connection: Read about the actual 1963 Birmingham church bombings at this website. Use the links to get more information, such as the history of the investigation into the crime. (Note: the black background on this webpage makes for difficult viewing. Select the text as you read in order to reduce the strain on you eyes. It’s definitely worth it.)

• Nonfiction Connection: Read the article at this website to find out how economics has changed Flint, Michigan from the 1960s until now. How would these changes have effected the Watsons?

• Nonfiction Connection: Use the information from this guide to interstate 75 to compare this highway then and now

• Nonfiction Connection: Read about what a "lazy eye" really is

• Nonfiction Connection: Compare this account of teens' struggle with a whirlpool to what happened in the story

• Nonfiction Connection: Read this account of government food giveaways in the 1990s. How do the reactions of the recipients compare to the Watson boys' attitude toward government cheese?

• Nonfiction Connection: Read about what is called hillbilly music at this exhibit website. Don't forget to listen to some of the tunes while you are there, too. Do you think you could sleep in the car to music like this?

• Poetry Connection: How does the message in this poem relate to the story?

• Poetry Connection: Compare it to this poem. Which poet would you say is hopeful? Why?

• Products

  • Have students create thank-you cards from one character to another. Look at these examples.

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• Use this Google Earth tour to discuss the journey the Watson's made