Elijah+of+Buxton

In 1860, Elijah Freeman is only eleven years old when he is thrust into the "growned-up" world in the Buxton Settlement in Canada where he lives with his parents and other freed slaves. Elijah knows about slavery and the meaning of freedom from the stories told by those in his community. But Elijah was born free, so he has no first-hand knowledge of what it means to live a life of bondage. What he does know is that Mr. Leroy, a "growned-up friend," is willing to risk everything to buy his wife and children out of slavery. Elijah's efforts to help his community and others brings his own life full circle. Christopher Paul Curtis was born and reared in Flint, Michigan. After high school graduation, he worked on the assembly line of the Fisher Body Plant No. 1 and attended the Flint branch of the University of Michigan. His first book, //The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963//, received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor book citation in 1996, and //Bud, Not Buddy// received the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award in 2000. Today, he is a full-time writer, and makes his home with his wife and two children in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
 * ABOUT THE BOOK**
 * ABOUT THE AUTHOR**



We will begin a discussion about slavery and the Underground Railroad. Why was it called a "railroad"? What was the role of the conductor? Read a map of the Underground Railroad? Visit some of the "stations" in various states along the routes. How did the slaves know that these "stations" were safe?
 * PRE-READING**

Jan. 5, due Wed. Slavery Homework Assignment 1 Jan. 7 Slavery Homework 2

Jan. 8 We will start "blogging" today. You will need to link over to our 8thgradeiclassroom collaborative wiki to find out how to go to our class blog and post a comment. 8thgradeiclassroomwiki

Jan. 13 Please respond to the second blog discussion post. Remember to read the directions on how/where to sign in to our blog in order to post your comment.

Jan. 16 Blog Post over weekend. Jan. 20 Blog Post

Jan. 26-30 Character Analysis Poster/Project with partner.

Feb. 2-6 Continue to read in class. Reading assigned for homework. Blogging for homework, discussions and quiz in class. (Pages 72-200)

[|The Liberty Bell]

Feb. 9-13Continue to read and discuss in class. Reading and blogging for homework. Pop quiz was given on Tuesday. Feb. 16-27 - Two weeksFinish the novel in class. Blogging for homework. Extension project for the novel - dramatization of a scene from the novel. (NO Final test.) Essay on the growth of Elijah throughout the novel. Dramatizations Tuesday-Thursday, February 24-26. Essay due Monday, March 2. DRAMATIZATION - Go to our collaborative wiki, sign in and find your cast's page.