1. And You Wonder Why We Get Called the Weird Watsons
From The Watsons Go to Birmingham

2. Choose one of the following and write a response on page 161.
Have you ever seen someone play a mean prank on another person? Explain the prank and what happened.
Retell one of your family’s stories, one that seems destined to never be forgotten.
What is one of the most embarrassing things you have ever done? Describe the incident.
Quick Write

3. Novel Trailer

4. Flint, Michigan

5. Characters Kenny-narrator Dad Momma Byron-brother Joetta-sister
Rufus-friend
Characters

6. Chunk I-Setting Describe the setting in 3 words.
Underline any descriptions about the characters.
Chunk I-Setting

7. Summarize Dad’s story about Moses Henderson
Summarize Dad’s story about Moses Henderson. How does Dad make his story funny?
Underline any descriptions about the characters.
Chunk II-Summarize

8. Dad comes up with a solution to the problem facing the family.
Label the problem
Describe the family car. Underline all the car’s nicknames.
Identify the chore that Dad gives to Byron and the narrator.
Make a prediction about how the work will progress.
Underline any descriptions about the characters.
Chunk III-Conflict

9. Summarize the first part of the prank the narrator calls “How, to Survive a Blizzard, Part One.”
Underline the way the narrator handles the first part of the prank.
Underline any descriptions about the characters.
Chunk IV: Summarize

10. Summarize the second part of “How to survive a Blizzard Part One.”
Underline the way the narrator handles the second part.
Underline any descriptions about the characters.
Chunk V: Summarize

11. Chunk VI: Highlight what the narrator promises himself.
What does this promise tell you about the narrator? What does it tell you about Byron?
Summarize the last part of “How to Survive a Blizzard Part One.”
Underline the way the narrator handles this part.
Underline any descriptions about the characters.
Chunk VI:

12. Chunk VII: Describe how Byron sounds. What is Byron’s problem?
The narrator’s name is finally revealed. Circle the name.
Create a picture of Byron’s predicament in your mind’s eye, as if it were in a movie. Sketch or describe what you see.
Underline what Kenny compares Byron to. Does that help you imagine the scene?
Underline any descriptions about the characters.
Chunk VII:

13. Chunk VIII: Write whose reaction you agree with and why.
Underline the solutions offered by Dad, Kenny, and Momma.
What solutions can you think of?
Write how you think Byron feels right now and what you think of the way Dad is teasing him.
Kenny says, “It’s no wonder the neighbors called us the Weird Watsons behind our backs. There we were, all five standing around a car with the temperature about a million degrees below zero and each and every one of us crying!” Underline why each one of the family members is crying.
Underline any descriptions about the characters.
Chunk VIII:

14. Chunk IX: Underline the solutions that Momma finally comes up with.
Underline the most vivid descriptions in this chunk.
Underline any descriptions about the characters.
Chunk IX:

15. Complete the chart on page 174
Complete the chart on page Use all the descriptions you highlighted throughout the nine chunks.
After Reading

16. What changes have occurred by the end of the story?
After Reading

17. The story is told by Kenny, in first person point of view
The story is told by Kenny, in first person point of view. The story may not be as funny if Byron was the narrator, because he certainly would not find his problem amusing! Describe the incident. Pretend that you are Byron, and a reporter is doing an interview with you. Write Byron’s version of the story, being sure to get the events in the right order.
After Reading

18. We are out driving around the streets of Flint, finding out how our citizens are dealing with these record cold temperatures. I’m here with Byron Watson. Byron, I hear you have had quite a painful experience as a result of the weather. What happened?
Reporter

19. The title of the story uses a poetic device called ALLITERATION.
Write the title of the story and underline the consonant letters that are repeated at the beginning of words.
After Reading

20. Complete number 6 individually.
After Reading