Blues Ain’t No Mockin Blues Ain’t No Mockin BirdBirdby Toni Cade Bambaraby Toni Cade Bambara

Lesson developed by Susan LenskiLesson developed by Susan Lenski

sjlenski@pdx.edusjlenski@pdx.edu

Please think about these Please think about these questions and answer with questions and answer with “yes” or “no.”“yes” or “no.”

1.1. Friends can take my picture with their Friends can take my picture with their cell phones any time they want to.cell phones any time they want to.

2.2. It’s OK for a stranger to take my picture It’s OK for a stranger to take my picture with a cell phone when I’m not looking.with a cell phone when I’m not looking.

3.3. Government officials have the right to Government officials have the right to take pictures of anyone at any time.take pictures of anyone at any time.

Here is the first Here is the first paragraph of the story. paragraph of the story.

The puddle had frozen over, and me and Cathy went stompin in it. The puddle had frozen over, and me and Cathy went stompin in it. The twins from the next door, Tyrone and Terry, were swingin so The twins from the next door, Tyrone and Terry, were swingin so high out of sight we forgot we were waitin our turn on the tire. high out of sight we forgot we were waitin our turn on the tire. Cathy jumped up and came down hard on her heels and started Cathy jumped up and came down hard on her heels and started tap-dancin. And the frozen patch splinterin every which way tap-dancin. And the frozen patch splinterin every which way underneath kinda spooky. “Looks like a plastic spider web, she underneath kinda spooky. “Looks like a plastic spider web, she said. “A sort of weird spider, I guess, with many mental problems.” said. “A sort of weird spider, I guess, with many mental problems.” But really it looked like the crystal paperweight Granny kept in the But really it looked like the crystal paperweight Granny kept in the parlor. She was on the back porch, Granny was, making the parlor. She was on the back porch, Granny was, making the cakes drunk. The old ladle dirpping rum into the Christmas tins, cakes drunk. The old ladle dirpping rum into the Christmas tins, like it used to drip maple syrup into the pails when we lived in the like it used to drip maple syrup into the pails when we lived in the Judson’s woods, like it poured cider into the vats when we were Judson’s woods, like it poured cider into the vats when we were on the Cooper place, like it used to scoop buttermilk and soft on the Cooper place, like it used to scoop buttermilk and soft cheese when we lived at the dairy.cheese when we lived at the dairy.

Role PlayingRole Playing

GrannyGranny CathyCathy TyroneTyrone TerryTerry NarratorNarrator Man with cameraMan with camera

““Go tell that man we ain’t a bunch of trees.”Go tell that man we ain’t a bunch of trees.” ““Ma’m?”Ma’m?” ““I said to tell that man to get away from here I said to tell that man to get away from here

with that camera.”with that camera.” Me and Cathy look over toward the meadow Me and Cathy look over toward the meadow

where the men with the station wagon’d been where the men with the station wagon’d been roamin around all morning. The tall man with a roamin around all morning. The tall man with a huge camera lassoed to his shoulder was huge camera lassoed to his shoulder was buzzin our way.buzzin our way.

““They’re makin movie picturesThey’re makin movie pictures,” ,” yelled Tyrone, stiffenin yelled Tyrone, stiffenin his legs and twistin so the tire’d come down slow so his legs and twistin so the tire’d come down slow so they could see.they could see.

““They’re making movie picturesThey’re making movie pictures,” sang out Terry.,” sang out Terry.““That boy don’t never have anything original to sayThat boy don’t never have anything original to say,” said ,” said

Cathy grown-up.Cathy grown-up. By the time the man with the camera had cut across By the time the man with the camera had cut across

our neighbor’s yard, the twins were out of the trees our neighbor’s yard, the twins were out of the trees swingin low and Granny was onto the steps, the screen swingin low and Granny was onto the steps, the screen door bammin soft and scratchy against her palms. door bammin soft and scratchy against her palms. “We “We thought we’d get a shot or two of the house and thought we’d get a shot or two of the house and everything and then—”everything and then—”

Think for a moment…Think for a moment…

Is the man with the camera Is the man with the camera invading this family’s privacy?invading this family’s privacy?

Reading DialectReading Dialect

This story was written by Toni Cade This story was written by Toni Cade Bambara in 1971. It’s written in a form Bambara in 1971. It’s written in a form called “dialect,” which means that it’s called “dialect,” which means that it’s written the way people talked at that time written the way people talked at that time in that region. We’ll talk about African in that region. We’ll talk about African American English later, but it’s important American English later, but it’s important to remember that languages change so to remember that languages change so the dialect in this story will be different the dialect in this story will be different from today’s AAE.from today’s AAE.

First read of the storyFirst read of the story

It’s easier to understand stories written in It’s easier to understand stories written in dialect if you hear them.dialect if you hear them.

Divide into your groups of three or four Divide into your groups of three or four and read the story out loud. Take turns and read the story out loud. Take turns reading. reading.

You have 15 minutes.You have 15 minutes.

What happened? Look back What happened? Look back at the text as we put the at the text as we put the events in sequence.events in sequence.

1.1. 2.2. 3.3. 4.4. 5.5. 6.6. 77

Issues of Power and Issues of Power and PrivacyPrivacy

Did the camera men have the right to take Did the camera men have the right to take pictures?pictures?

Should Granddaddy get in trouble for Should Granddaddy get in trouble for ruining the camera and film?ruining the camera and film?

What do you think should happen next?What do you think should happen next?How does this story present issues of How does this story present issues of

power?power?

Exit SlipsExit Slips

Write one or two sentences on your index Write one or two sentences on your index card about this question:card about this question:

Were Granny and Granddaddy’s Were Granny and Granddaddy’s response to the photographers justified?response to the photographers justified?

Day 2Day 2

Blues Ain’t No Mockin BirdBlues Ain’t No Mockin Bird

Civil Rights MovementCivil Rights Movement

Know itKnow it Heard/SeenHeard/Seen No ClueNo Clue

Martin Luther Martin Luther KingKing

Voting Rights Voting Rights Act 1965Act 1965

Freedom Freedom RidersRiders

IntegrationIntegration

Black prideBlack pride

1960s moments1960s moments

http://www.history.com/states.do?action=http://www.history.com/states.do?action=state&contentType=State&state=Civil%2state&contentType=State&state=Civil%20Rights&parentId=19680Rights&parentId=1968

Play Civil Rights videoPlay Civil Rights video

Looking at Characters, Looking at Characters, Second readingSecond reading

ActionsActions FeelingsFeelings

ThoughtsThoughts ConversationsConversations

Granny Granny

ActionsActions FeelingsFeelings

Thoughts Thoughts ConversationsConversations

Granddaddy Granddaddy

ActionsActions FeelingsFeelings

ThoughtsThoughts ConversationsConversations

DialectDialect

Nonstandard Nonstandard grammargrammar

““The puddle The puddle had frozen had frozen over, and over, and me me and Cathyand Cathy……

““Cathy and I” is Cathy and I” is standard because standard because “I” is one of the “I” is one of the subjects of the subjects of the sentence.sentence.

Unusual Unusual vocabularyvocabulary

The screen The screen door door bammin bammin soft….soft….

We can figure out this We can figure out this word by its context. word by its context. What word would you What word would you use?use?

Idiomatic Idiomatic expressionsexpressions

Making cakes Making cakes drunkdrunk……

Idioms are phrases Idioms are phrases that make no sense that make no sense just looking at the just looking at the words.words.

Third readingThird reading

Nonstandard grammarNonstandard grammar Unusual vocabularyUnusual vocabulary Idiomatic expressionsIdiomatic expressions

Dialect discussionDialect discussion

Give me one example of each of these:Give me one example of each of these:

Nonstandard grammarNonstandard grammar Unusual vocabularyUnusual vocabulary Idiomatic expressionsIdiomatic expressions

Dialect and Author’s Dialect and Author’s CraftCraft

Why do you think the author wrote the Why do you think the author wrote the story in dialect?story in dialect?

How does using dialect evidence power?How does using dialect evidence power? Do you think the use of dialect was Do you think the use of dialect was

effective?effective?

Exit SlipExit Slip

Write one or two sentences on your index Write one or two sentences on your index card to answer this question:card to answer this question:

In what ways did the author use dialect to In what ways did the author use dialect to develop the characters of Granny and develop the characters of Granny and Granddaddy?Granddaddy?

Day 3Day 3

Blues Ain’t No Mockin BirdBlues Ain’t No Mockin Bird

Refreshing our MemoryRefreshing our Memory

What happened in the story?What happened in the story? Why is the time period that the story was Why is the time period that the story was

written important to our understanding?written important to our understanding? How was power portrayed in the story?How was power portrayed in the story? What do you think about the privacy What do you think about the privacy

issue illustrated in the story?issue illustrated in the story?

Making ConnectionsMaking Connections

Develop a scenario taking place today that Develop a scenario taking place today that concerns issues of privacy. In groups of 3 concerns issues of privacy. In groups of 3 or 4, come up with a scenario that could or 4, come up with a scenario that could happen to YOU or to someone else who happen to YOU or to someone else who is living today. is living today.

Back to the storyBack to the story

Were Granny and Granddaddy’s Were Granny and Granddaddy’s response to the photographers justified?response to the photographers justified?

Think of three reasons why it was and Think of three reasons why it was and three reasons why it wasn’t. Write them three reasons why it wasn’t. Write them down.down.

JustifiedJustified Not justifiedNot justified

Writing: Taking a stanceWriting: Taking a stance

Write a paper taking a stance about the Write a paper taking a stance about the issue of privacy using ideas from the issue of privacy using ideas from the story and those from your life. I will story and those from your life. I will number you off by 1s and 2s. People who number you off by 1s and 2s. People who are 1s will be pro-privacy, people who are 1s will be pro-privacy, people who are 2s will be anti-privacy. You will have are 2s will be anti-privacy. You will have 15 minutes to write. 15 minutes to write.

For or Against?For or Against?

Do you think the government has the Do you think the government has the right to invade the privacy of citizens who right to invade the privacy of citizens who receive benefits? Develop a paper using receive benefits? Develop a paper using examples from the story and from your examples from the story and from your own life.own life.

Final words…Final words…

Literature has the capacity to help us Literature has the capacity to help us understand human behavior in the past, understand human behavior in the past, and it also helps us think about current and it also helps us think about current issues. issues.

When we identify themes in literature, we When we identify themes in literature, we are able to understand ourselves and our are able to understand ourselves and our world in new ways.world in new ways.

Take it home…Take it home…

Ask your parents/guardians what they Ask your parents/guardians what they think about the issue of privacy.think about the issue of privacy.

Continue this discussion on our Continue this discussion on our classroom blog.classroom blog.

Look at the website links I’ve posted on Look at the website links I’ve posted on our class website to learn more about the our class website to learn more about the author, the Civil Rights Movement, and author, the Civil Rights Movement, and hawks.hawks.