Beyond The Book
Sophia Teague
Introduction
Christopher Paul Curtis
Cultural Practice / Historical Event / Hidden Figure
In the book The Watsons Go to Birmingam, the author relates it to a tragic hisotical evnet, this being the bombing of the 16th street baptist church. In doing this, he highlights the hidden figgures of the story that experienced racism and violence, as they are left out of traditional narratives
Deep Dive
Literary Sources
- Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963. New York, NY: Delacorte Press
- Connects to a child's view point of racial violence during this time period
- Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, Not Buddy. New York, NY: Delacorte Press
- Encourages compassion during a time of racial inequality and hardships
- Hallmark Channel. (2013). The Watsons Go to Birmingham. [Film].
- The movie in reference to the book
- PBS. (2013). Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement. [Video series]. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/eyesontheprize/
- Video to show students what injustice looked like compared to how it was depicted in the time era
- Smithsonian Education. (n.d.). Civil Rights Movement: A Struggle for Equality. https://americanexperience.si.edu/historical-eras/post-war-united-states/pair-untitled-library/
- Includes images and art works from the civil rights movement
- King, M. L. Jr. (1963). Letter from Birmingham Jail https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
- Discusses the political atmosphere of the Civil Rights Movement and relates it back Watson's call for justice
- NPR. (2013, August 23). Remembering the four girls killed in Birmingham, 50 years later. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2013/09/16/223098500/birmingham-bombing-50-years-later-a-different-america
- Elaborates on the emotional day in Birmingham, with stories from families
- https://youtu.be/bEiN0ucWBvQ
- Curtis discussess his motivation for writing in the time period he did
- National Park Service. (n.d.). The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing https://www.nps.gov/articles/16thstreetbaptist.htm
- Using pictures and videos, this website shows the truth about the bombing in Birmignham which can be related back to The Watsons Go To Birmingham
- Scholastic Kids Press. (2020). What Was the Civil Rights Movement? https://junior.scholastic.com/pages/topics/civil-rights.html?page=1
- Additional resources for kids to use when discussing the civil rights movement
Whose Voices are Amplified?
Whose Voices are Silenced?
The girls who were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that remain unnamed black children
Critical Analysis & Engagement
African American children and familie s
Using the Eye on the Prize article, students can see who fought for change
In Chris Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham, readers are able to see the actions of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of the children. In amplifying the experiences of these families, students can then see the different viewpoint textbooks or news sites included at this time.
The families and communities that survived,
Connection: students can connect Curtis's characters to those real life people and align specific characteristics
Big Idea: some stories were left out of the media or books but as seen in this text, viewers can see what wasn't seen before
Big idea: literature provides powers to voices who might not be heard or overlooked
Broader Themes
- Democracy
- the exploration of equal rights and freedom of speech
- the denial of these rights to African Americans and the lack of inclusion
- Justice
- In using Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" students can connect the characters from the books to the experiences of these people, specifically looking at the struggle between fairness
- Identity
- In his books, students will experience the eway in which identity, family, and history play a role in shaping one another and lead one to find their own voice.
Activity 1 - Who tells the Story
After reading the book The Watson's Go to Birmingham and reviewing the Eyes on the Prize Clip, students will be asked the following questions:
- What does Kenny's version of the bombing show different compared to the real life accounts?
- How does reading the tragedy through a childs effect an individual?
Following this questions, students will the create a journal entry through the eyes of the girls that were killed. They will build off of what they already know and express this through a journal entry that would then be given to a newspaper article.
Guided Questions: What are some similarieties between the real events and the ones included in Curtis's story? What caused some people's names and stories to be lost over time? Whose voice stood out to you and why?
Activity 2 - Hidden Voices Timeline
Using Canva, students will create a timeline which will show events from the book and events from historical website.
Discussion Questio ns
Activity 3 - Let's Make a Change
Why do you think the kids decided to protest? How did Kenny and Joetta show bravery in the book? Looking at the issues you see on a daily, how might you use your voice to stand up for change?
After reading and watching the PBS video, students will brainstorm on a poster using sticky notes, issues they'd like to speak up about in their community. After brainstorming some ideas, each student will focus on one idea and write an essay revolving around why they would want to change this issue and how it relates to them.
Activity 4 - Behind the Author's Voice
Guided Questions: Why Does Curtis choose to write about these people? What characeristics do these people have compared to others? How does this story help aid in the remeberence of these peop;e?
Write about someone close to them, that they think deserve to be remebered
Reflection
Using the following question, students will write about this question making sure to explore emphathy in regards to civic awareness
How can reading stories such as The WAtsons Go to Birminham help us today encourage inclusions and fairness?
Middle school students explore the idea of the past and compare it to the similarieties and difference to the present
Classroom use
This will be a mini unit conducted over six days. The first day will be the launch where students dive into whose stories are often told. This will activate prior knowledge and engage students emotions
The activites listed prior, will be conducted on a daily basis for the next four days. The final day will be the conclusion of the unit and students will be assessed on their ability to relate what was learned from the book to outside connections
This concept will be a cross currical unit in ELA and Social Studenties. In using these activites as an introcution to Civil rights and the representation of them in literature, students will gain a deeper understanding of the effects between.
In doing this project, it reshaped how I will be teaching literature and the endless amount of ways I can tie it into history. I now see the bridges that can be formed between the two and now have more knowledge on how to connect societal issues within the two. His stories reminded me that history isn't just restricted to what's on the internet but can be represented in books as well. As a future teacher I want to create a diverse classroom in which students can relate to their own lives such as finding their own voice.
Curtis’s novels encourage empathy and help readers understand the societal challenges of his time. They provide a look at the lives of people from underrepresented backgrounds and highlights diverse voices. By addressing historical contexts, his books explore the connections between past and present issues such as race relations, economic justice, and social policies.
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Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
- Generate experiences with your content.
- It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
- Make sure your audience remembers the message.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
- Generate experiences with your content.
- It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
- Make sure your audience remembers the message.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
- Generate experiences with your content.
- It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
- Make sure your audience remembers the message.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
- Generate experiences with your content.
- It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
- Make sure your audience remembers the message.
Beyond The Book
S Teague
Created on October 8, 2025
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Transcript
Beyond The Book
Sophia Teague
Introduction
Christopher Paul Curtis
Cultural Practice / Historical Event / Hidden Figure
In the book The Watsons Go to Birmingam, the author relates it to a tragic hisotical evnet, this being the bombing of the 16th street baptist church. In doing this, he highlights the hidden figgures of the story that experienced racism and violence, as they are left out of traditional narratives
Deep Dive
Literary Sources
Whose Voices are Amplified?
Whose Voices are Silenced?
The girls who were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that remain unnamed black children
Critical Analysis & Engagement
African American children and familie s
Using the Eye on the Prize article, students can see who fought for change
In Chris Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham, readers are able to see the actions of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of the children. In amplifying the experiences of these families, students can then see the different viewpoint textbooks or news sites included at this time.
The families and communities that survived,
Connection: students can connect Curtis's characters to those real life people and align specific characteristics
Big Idea: some stories were left out of the media or books but as seen in this text, viewers can see what wasn't seen before
Big idea: literature provides powers to voices who might not be heard or overlooked
Broader Themes
Activity 1 - Who tells the Story
After reading the book The Watson's Go to Birmingham and reviewing the Eyes on the Prize Clip, students will be asked the following questions:
- What does Kenny's version of the bombing show different compared to the real life accounts?
- How does reading the tragedy through a childs effect an individual?
Following this questions, students will the create a journal entry through the eyes of the girls that were killed. They will build off of what they already know and express this through a journal entry that would then be given to a newspaper article.Guided Questions: What are some similarieties between the real events and the ones included in Curtis's story? What caused some people's names and stories to be lost over time? Whose voice stood out to you and why?
Activity 2 - Hidden Voices Timeline
Using Canva, students will create a timeline which will show events from the book and events from historical website.
Discussion Questio ns
Activity 3 - Let's Make a Change
Why do you think the kids decided to protest? How did Kenny and Joetta show bravery in the book? Looking at the issues you see on a daily, how might you use your voice to stand up for change?
After reading and watching the PBS video, students will brainstorm on a poster using sticky notes, issues they'd like to speak up about in their community. After brainstorming some ideas, each student will focus on one idea and write an essay revolving around why they would want to change this issue and how it relates to them.
Activity 4 - Behind the Author's Voice
Guided Questions: Why Does Curtis choose to write about these people? What characeristics do these people have compared to others? How does this story help aid in the remeberence of these peop;e?
Write about someone close to them, that they think deserve to be remebered
Reflection
Using the following question, students will write about this question making sure to explore emphathy in regards to civic awareness
How can reading stories such as The WAtsons Go to Birminham help us today encourage inclusions and fairness?
Middle school students explore the idea of the past and compare it to the similarieties and difference to the present
Classroom use
This will be a mini unit conducted over six days. The first day will be the launch where students dive into whose stories are often told. This will activate prior knowledge and engage students emotions
The activites listed prior, will be conducted on a daily basis for the next four days. The final day will be the conclusion of the unit and students will be assessed on their ability to relate what was learned from the book to outside connections
This concept will be a cross currical unit in ELA and Social Studenties. In using these activites as an introcution to Civil rights and the representation of them in literature, students will gain a deeper understanding of the effects between.
In doing this project, it reshaped how I will be teaching literature and the endless amount of ways I can tie it into history. I now see the bridges that can be formed between the two and now have more knowledge on how to connect societal issues within the two. His stories reminded me that history isn't just restricted to what's on the internet but can be represented in books as well. As a future teacher I want to create a diverse classroom in which students can relate to their own lives such as finding their own voice.
Curtis’s novels encourage empathy and help readers understand the societal challenges of his time. They provide a look at the lives of people from underrepresented backgrounds and highlights diverse voices. By addressing historical contexts, his books explore the connections between past and present issues such as race relations, economic justice, and social policies.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.
Got an idea?
Let the communication flow!
With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like! Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.