Novel Study: Bud, Not Buddy Unit

There is a lot to unpack in Christopher Paul Curtis’s award-winning novel, Bud, Not Buddy. Rather than piecing together a choppy unit from multiple sources, give students a powerful, fun, and illuminating reading experience with this single resource! It has everything you need, from day one’s anticipation to the final day’s project. And so much in between! Students will learn about the Great Depression, plot structure, characterization, literary analysis and, of course, the all-important topic of prejudice with these engaging lessons and activities.

INCLUDED IN THIS RESOURCE:

• Scope and Sequence
  • A day-by-day guide to the unit’s lessons and activities. It’s all planned for you! (But of course, you can make changes to accommodate your specific classroom’s needs.)
• Photo Exploration Activity
  • Help students understand the time period and topics of the novel with this engaging black-and-white photo exploration.
• This or That Activity
  • This thought-provoking activity will help students get into the mind of Bud as they are faced with some of the conflicts he will experience on his journey to find his father.
• Plot Structure Tracker
  • A handy graphic organizer to help students identify plot elements in the novel.
• Evidence Tracker
  • Students will use this tracker throughout their reading to gather evidence for their Response to Literature essays that they will write later. Writing will be so much easier for students when they have this tracker on hand!
• Choose a Side
  • Help students explore the ideas they are reading about in Bud, Not Buddy. It comes with great ideas for kinesthetic discussion!
• Dusky Devastators Character Tracker
  • An interesting way for students to explore the minor characters of the story. 
• Socratic Seminar Activity
  • All the materials you need to conduct a thought-provoking discussion on the novel, including discussion questions, student observation checklist, and rubric.
• Response to Literature Graphic Organizer and Sample
  • Students will write their own Response to Literature essays, but first they will read a sample piece and fill out an incredibly helpful organizer. With these scaffolded learning components, your students’ writing will be well organized and strongly supported.
• Our Rules and Things Activity
  • A fun activity to help students explore Bud’s thinking as they create their own “Rules and Things” just like he does!
• Band Flyer Project
  • Have more time in your unit, or have students who finished an activity early? This Band Flyer Project is a great way to engage your artistic learners as they consider the story’s elements. 
• Digital Version
  • Do you have remote learners? No problem! They can use this digital version from home.

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Looking for more writing resources for your middle school classroom? Check out these other great resources we have in our store.

★ ONE-PAGER CHOICE BOARD - DIGITAL AND PRINT

★ 10 CRITICAL THINKING ACTIVITIES TO BE USED WITH ANY NOVEL

★ EVIDENCE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER FOR LITERARY OR INFORMATIONAL TEXT

★ 7 DAY LITERARY ANALYSIS BOOTCAMP

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