Teacher’s Guide for

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

Prediction Guide:

Fill out the following chart as you read Bronx Masquerade. Choose a line from each poem that best represents them, and predict how each student will change by the end of the book.

                                         Description               Conflicts                   Line from Poem   Prediction

Comprehension Guide/ Quiz Questions

for Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

Knowledge:

1. Define the following poetic terms: simile, metaphor, alliteration, rhyme, personification, and hyperbole.

2. Quote three favorite lines of poetry from the book, and explain why they are your favorites. (Be sure to write down page #, Title of poem, and author)

3. In three of the student poems identify as many of the poetic elements as you can find.

Comprehension:

4. Discuss why Open Mike gets so many students to reveal their dreams and fears more than a typical class. Discuss whether it would work at your school or not.

5. Cite examples of which students in Mr. Ward’s class are most affected by Open Mike Fridays.

6. Predict what happens next year in Mr. Ward’s English class.

Application:

7. Pretend you are writing a feature article about Mr. Ward’s Open Mike Friday. Write at least five questions you might ask to one of his students. Then, choose a student, and answer them as you think they would.

8. Try to write another poem through the eyes of your favorite character. Compare it to the other pieces from that student and be sure it has a similar voice and format.

9. Write a one-paragraph book review for Bronx Masquerade. Try to distill the premise of the book into just a few short sentences. Check out sample reviews in journals like School Library Journal, The Horn Book, and Kirkus. You can even post your review at Amazon.com!

Analyze:

10. Examine the types of poems in the book: free verse, rhymed, and concrete. In a short paragraph explain why the author chose a variety of formats, and which one you find most compelling and why.

11. Focus on a single character and show how he or she changes over the course of the book. Give specific examples to show the change in attitude or actions.

12.  Compare and contrast the problems of the teenagers in Mr. Ward’s class with those you think are in your current class. How are they alike? How are they different?

Synthesize:

13. Create a new character for Mr. Ward’s class. Write two journal entries and one poem through the eyes of your new character.

14. Explain how the urban setting operates as the 19^th character in the class. How does setting affect story? How would this book be different if relocated to rural Montana? Or, your own hometown?

15. Make a handout of ways that a poet can revise before a final copy.

Evaluate:

16. If you were Mr. Ward would all students get an “A” for their Open Mike Friday performances? Why or why not?
    
     
17. Pretend that the school administration has threatened to pull the plug on Open Mike Fridays, believing it is not contributing to the new focus on standards of learning and is a waste of time. How would you defend the practice? What have students learned? How has it changed them?

18.  Predict the future for each of the students in Mr. Ward’s class.

Multiple Intelligence Projects

for Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

Verbal/ Linguistic

Write your own poem for Open Mike Friday. Review examples from the text for inspiration. One way to get started with a poem like this is to write a journal entry that focuses on one theme or experience and just see how long you can write. Then, use that as a jumping off point and mine out rich details to start building your poem. Remember to play with the poetic elements, and refine and pare down your words until each one has maximum impact.

Logical/ Mathematical

Choose any two characters from the book and create a Venn diagram (two intersecting circles, where things that are similar are put into the part that overlaps). Be sure to think about all aspects of their lives: home, family, appearances, relationships, dreams, conflicts, how others describe them, even the poetry they write.

Visual/ Spatial

Using any media (from crayons and oils, to charcoal and magazines) create a self-portrait. These can be abstract or realistic. When that’s complete, design a paper frame to go around your portrait, and then turn them in together. Your poem and portrait will be displayed in the class unless you specifically ask for them not to be.

Body/Kinesthetic

Either memorize and perform a poem from Bronx Masquerade, a Harlem Renaissance artist, or perform your own poem for our own version of Open Mike Friday!

Musical/ Rhythmic

Write a brief compare/contrast essay (even Mr. Ward’s students had to write essays) about lyrics and poetry. What makes them similar? How are they different? Which one, do you think, has the most influence and why? Give examples.

Interpersonal:

Group Project:

In Mr. Ward’s class they are studying the Harlem Renaissance. In groups of no more than five students, research an artist from that period. You must create a poster about the artist’s life, a bibliography of resources (internet acceptable, with documentation), and a brief biographical report. You must read at least two of his or her works before writing the biography, and write a journal response after reading each. There will be two grades given. An individual grade based on your journal responses, and a group grade based on peer evaluations, and the quality of your project.

Interpersonal:

Write a journal response after Open Mike Friday. Consider the following questions as you reflect on the performances:

1. What did you learn about someone that you didn’t expect?
2. Who surprised you the most? Why?
3. Whose poetry did you most admire? Why?
4. Would you want to do this again? Why or why not?

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