THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND - Kolbe Academy · 2017-06-23 · The Witch of Blackbird Pond, a Newberry Honor book, is a story of valiant courage. A young girl travels far across the

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Kolbe Academy Home School COURSE PLAN Literature - Novel

Elementary

Copyright Kolbe Academy 2008 All Rights Reserved The Witch of Blackbird Pond EE1

COURSE PLAN METHODOLOGY: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare is represented by the abbreviation WBP. Each weekly assignment is summarized in the first lines of the week’s daily course plan. The specific daily assignments are outlined in the following lines indicated by the MON-WED and THUR abbreviations. We suggest assigning the weekly written assignment at the beginning of the week to be completed by the following Monday. This will allow the student to think about the assignment while he is reading. Study question answers should be given in complete, written or oral sentences. All the Final Exam questions will be taken from the Study Questions & notes listed in these course plans. Most weeks include a “memory gem.” If the student repeats the phrase a couple of times a day each week, he will improve his memory skills, increase his repertoire of phraseology, and prepare for one of the parts of the final exam at the same time. Encourage the student to pay attention as he reads the quotation in the text, so he understands the context. He can also earn extra credit by knowing these quotations for the final. Most weeks also include a “Point to Ponder.” These quotations from the text make for excellent points of discussion, perhaps around the dinner table.

THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND

WEEK 1 The Witch of Blackbird Pond, a Newberry Honor book, is a story of valiant courage. A young girl travels far across the seas to a strange, foreign, and comparatively barren land. She chooses charity and real friendship over just “fitting in” in a world where not fitting in can mean corporal punishment, ostracism, and worse. This book provides a glimpse into Puritan life, lending their view of witchcraft and hatred of Quakers. You might want to read a few articles about the Puritans, the Quakers, and this country's most infamous set of witch trials, the Salem Witch Trials, in conjunction with reading this book. Characters:

Katherine (Kit) Tyler, a 16-year-old young lady who is orphaned and sent across the seas from Barbados to Connecticut to live with her Puritan relatives Nathaniel Eaton (Nat), First Mate and the Captain's son on the brigantine the Dolphin; he is strong, thin, and wiry. He always seems to be mocking Kit Captain Eaton, Nat's father Mistress Eaton, the Captain's friendly wife Goodman Cruff, a Puritan who lives in Wethersield. He is cowed by his overbearing wife Goodwife Cruff, a staunch, overbearing Puritan who dislikes Kit Prudence Cruff, the Cruff's daughter. She is neglected and put down by her mother. She owns only one toy Matthew Wood, Kit's Puritan uncle. He is tall and thin and has dark eyes and thin, stern lips Rachel Wood, Kit's aunt. She was once beautiful, but now looks wasted away and dour Judith Wood, Kit's beautiful cousin Mercy Wood, Kit's crippled cousin with the beautiful gray eyes Reverend Gershom Bulkeley, a verbose minister who is learned in medicine and theology. He is an outspoken royalist William Ashby, the most eligible bachelor in town. He sets his sights on marrying Kit Tyler. Sir Francis Tyler, Kit's deceased grandfather Widow Hannah Tupper, the witch of Blackbird Pond. She is an elderly Quaker who has been branded

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and dragged through the streets because of her religion Thomas Tupper, Hannah's deceased husband Mr. Eleazer Kimberly, the schoolmaster Reverend John Woodbridge, the local minister

Geographical Locations: Connecticut Colony, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Colony ; The Sound; Saybrook Harbor, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saybrook_Colony ; Barbados, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bb.html ; Wethersfield, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wethersfield,_Connecticut West Indies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean

Points to Ponder: “This will be your home, since you have no other, but you will fit yourself to our ways and do no more to interrupt the work of the household or to turn the heads of my daughters with your vanity.”

WBP

Read Chapter 1 - Chapter 4. Look up this week's vocabulary words, and make your own crossword puzzle with your own clues for ten of the words either by hand or by using Puzzlemaker at the following link: http://www.puzzlemaker.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.html. Read each chapter, then answer its study questions. Do the written assignment on Thursday. Written Assignment: Kit has gone from a life of friendliness and luxury to a completely foreign world of harsh simplicity. How would you feel and what would you do if you were in a similar situation. (minimum, 1 paragraph)

MON to

WED

Read Chapter 1 - Chapter 4. Chapter 1. It is mid April, 1687, and sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is sailing from warm Barbados to cold, dreary Connecticut. She has been orphaned twice over, having lost her parents as a little girl and now having lost her grandfather. Having lived so far away, she had no idea what to expect in her new home; however, she was shocked by a great number of things before she even stepped foot in her aunt and uncle's house. People stared at her. No one could swim. The people were cold and unfriendly toward her. Chapter 2. Kit's trip up the Connecticut River was maddeningly slow, and made all the more intolerable by the uninviting Cruff family, whose little daughter was sorely neglected. It became more and more clear to Kit that she was traveling into a land where the customs were completely different from those she had known all her life. Chapter 3. Both Kit and her relatives are “culture shocked” when Kit arrives on their doorstep. Kit has been used to servants, comfort, and luxury. Kit's relatives are Puritans who live a simple, hard life. Chapter 4. Kit feels very alien as her uncle disapproves of everything she owns and her cousins and aunt cannot find a simple enough task for her to do without messing it up. Vocabulary:

Chapter 1: brigantine , forecastle, pinnaces, Goodwife, humiliation Chapter 2: punctilious, wraith, intangible, indignation, ketch, brocade Chapter 3: nondescript Chapter 4: exhilarating, paduasoy, chagrined, tremulous, carding, exasperation, monotonous

Study Questions for Chapter 1 1. What happened when Kit met the three shabbily dressed women? 2. What did Kit think of the homes in Wethersfield? 3. What did Kit do when the little girl dropped her doll into the river? 4. What kind of reaction did Kit get for what she did? 5. What surprised Kit about the water?

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6. What did Goodwife Cruff accuse Kit of being? 7. Why?

Study Questions for Chapter 2: 1. Why was the ship going so slowly according to Goodwife Cruff? 2. Who was the only person on the ship to speak in friendship to Kit? 3. What was meant by “walking the river?” 4. What did Nat think of slavery? 5. What had Kit thought all her life about slavery? 6. What had Kit read that shocked John Holbrook?

Study Questions for Chapter 3 1. Who did Kit think her Aunt Rachel was? 2. Who did Kit's Aunt think Kit was? 3. What was her reception like? 4. Why hadn't Kit written to her aunt and uncle to tell them she was coming?

Study Questions for Chapter 4 1. Why was John Wood mad when he came home to get his axe? 2. What was the secret reason Kit came to Connecticut so quickly? 3. Why did Judith scold Kit about how she was stirring the soap? 4. What happened to the corn pudding?

THUR Complete the written assignment (see above) in a minimum of 1 paragraph, due Monday.

WEEK 2 Memory Gem: “Kit's flowered silk gave her the look of some vivid tropical bird lighted by mistake on a strange shore.” Points to Ponder: “Don't you know William is able to build the finest house in Wethersfield if he wants to? Does he have to keep you amused as well?”

WBP

Read Chapter 5 - Chapter 10. Look up this week's vocabulary words, and make your own crossword puzzle with your own clues for 10 of the words either by hand or by using Puzzlemaker (see link in Week 1). Read each chapter, then answer its study questions. Do the written assignment on Thursday. Written Assignment: Consider this week's Points to Ponder. The Puritans she lived with led a simple life with only the bare necessities. They shunned beauty as a vanity. They scorned games and idle amusements. What do you think about this way of thinking? (1 paragraph)

MON to

WED

Read Chapter 5 – Chapter 9. Chapter 5. Kit is as alien to the Puritan way of life as can possibly be. She dresses fashionably, unlike the plain attire of the women of Wethersfield. She is used to long periods of time all to herself where she can do what she likes and only attend mass at Christmas. Her Aunt and Uncle expect her to work hard and to endure two sets of sermons on Sundays that last for hours. Chapter 6. When Dr. Bulkeley and John Holbrook join the family for dinner, Kit is witness to even more tension as Dr. Bulkeley and Matthew Wood have differing political opinions. Chapter 7. Kit finds herself being the object of admiration for William Ashby, a fairly wealthy bachelor in Wethersfield. He comes to court her every Saturday evening, but he mostly just stares at her rather than talk with her. She likes him to come to the house only because it is a relief from her

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constant, tedious chores. Chapter 8. After a day of weeding the onions, Kit finally hears some good news: Mercy wants her to help teach very young children to read. Chapter 9. Although Kit is an inspiring teacher, the adults disapprove of her methods. Her greatest adventure with the children ends with the dismissal of all the children. Kit runs off. She feels homesick and strange as everything she does turns out all wrong. Chapter 10. Aunt Rachel tells Kit that Widow Tupper is a Quaker and nothing good can come of her visits with her. When Kit asks what trouble the old lady has caused, Aunt Rachel can think of nothing, but she still does not want Kit to visit her. Kit goes anyway, and finds they have a mutual friend. Vocabulary:

Chapter 5: placating, auspiciously, pillory, turret, undulated, staidness, nonplussed, damask Chapter 6: condescension, allegiance, cadence, inexorably, timorous, hypocrite, sepulcher,

conspicuous, placid Chapter 7: implacable, bachelor, leisure, veritable Chapter 8: menial, dubiously Chapter 9: precarious, indulgence, obstreperous, vengeance, priggish, incredulous, loiterer,

ravenous, tangibly, incoherently, rapier, hornbook Chapter 10: malicious, diligently, unorthodox, indignant, rapturously

Study Questions for Chapter 5: 1. What two things did Matthew disapprove of before Kit's first trip to the meeting house? 2. What did Kit think of the sermon? 3. What shock did Kit receive on the way home about the meeting?

Study Questions for Chapter 6: 1. What did Matthew Wood and Dr. Bulkeley disagree about? 2. Who wanted to come to call on Kit? 3. What did people do in the evenings?

Study Questions for Chapter 7: 1. What did Kit think about her time alone with William Ashby? 2. What did the family think of it? 3. What did he mean when William Ashby said he was going to start building his house? 4. Who did Judith want to marry? 5. What did they eat for a treat?

Study Questions for Chapter 8: 1. What did Kit see that took her breath away? 2. What did the people think of Widow Tupper? 3. What new job did Mercy offer to Kit? 4. Why didn't the Woods have a son?

Study Questions for Chapter 9: 1. What did Kit think of her task as a school teacher from the primers? 2. How did she teach that was different from other teachers? 3. What happened when Kit had the children act out a story from the Bible? 4. What was the reaction of Mr. Kimberly and Reverend Woodbridge when they discovered the

children were “play acting?” 5. Where did Kit go when she was overwhelmingly upset? 6. Who found her there?

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7. What did she do to Kit? Study Questions for Chapter 10:

1. What was the result of Kit talking with the schoolmaster? 2. What was Aunt Rachel's reaction to Kit's going to see Widow Tupper? 3. What did Hannah have to pay that shocked Kit? 4. Who came to visit Hannah while Kit was there?


WEEK 3 Memory Gem: “What a pity every child could not learn to read under a willow tree.” Points to Ponder: “People are afraid of things they don't understand.”

WBP

Read Chapter 11 - Chapter 14. Look up this week's vocabulary words, then make your own crossword puzzle with your own clues, either by hand or by using Puzzlemaker (see link in week 1). Read each chapter, then answer its study questions. Do the written assignment on Thursday. Written Assignment: What do you think of the idea of complete self sacrifice to what other people's expectations are of you? Do you think it is all right to marry someone because everyone expects you to when you have no interest in the other person? (1 paragraph)

MON to

WED

Read Chapters 11 - 14. Chapter 11. Kit is following her impulses again in a seemingly harmless way: she is teaching Prudence Cruff to read and sharing her friendship with Widow Tupper with the child. Chapter 12. In going to visit her friend, Kit finds Nat there working very hard. She joins him and finds she can talk easily with him. Chapter 13. Kit knows about a love that is shared between John and Mercy, but everything goes all wrong when the gentleman does not speak his mind. The family believes he is in love with Judith. Kit feels pressured to marry William. Chapter 14. Judith and Kit go to watch the incoming ship being unloaded. Just as she is about to leave, Nat finds her and chastises her about not telling him about her being engaged. Vocabulary:

Chapter 11: docilely, filigree, exquisite, adroit Chapter 12: nonchalant, heretic Chapter 13: blithely, propitious, infatuated

Study Questions for Chapter 11: 1. Who has been leaving flowers for Kit? 2. What does Kit give to her? 3. What is William's favorite topic of discussion? 4. What secret did Kit discover about Mercy?

Study Questions for Chapter 12: 1. What did Kit do when she was given a free afternoon? 2. What did she do there and with whom?

Study Questions for Chapter 13: 1. What were the girls excited about going to? 2. What secret did Kit learn from John Holbrook? 3. What happened when he tried to stay away from the corn husking to visit Mercy?

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4. Did John tell the family his true intentions? 5. What did William reveal to Kit on the way to the corn husking? 6. How did that make Kit feel?

Study Questions for Chapter 14: 1. Why did Autumn in New England surprise Kit? 2. Why was Nat upset with Kit?


WEEK 4 Memory Gem: “What difference did it make whether Prudence could read or not when she was half starved and beaten and overworked?” Points to Ponder: “That is all a woman thinks about . . . her own house. What use are your so-called rights of England? Everything we have built in England will be wiped out.”

WBP

Read Chapters 15 - 18. Look up this week's vocabulary words, then make your own crossword puzzle with your own clues, either by hand or by using Puzzlemaker (see link in week 1). Read each chapter, then answer its study questions. Do the written assignment on Thursday. Written Assignment: Why is it important for good people to make a stand against tyranny and evil even when it does not affect them personally? Consider the Point to Ponder above and the examples of Matthew, Kit, and Nat, and use examples from the story when writing your answer. (1 paragraph)

MON to

WED

Read Chapter 15 - 18. Chapter 15. They now have accomplished the impossible: they have acquired The Witch of Blackbird Pond. However, it is very big and heavy, and it is very evil. They have made it through the forest only to come to a river. Crossing the river takes its toll on the party as one of them is injured. Chapter 16. A crime has been committed in the town of Wethersfield, but the culprits are caught. Even while Nat is in the stockades, he tries to protect Kit from her ignorance of the social mores of the Puritan town by sending her away from him. Kit is so upset that she flees to her refuge, Hannah. She finds little Prudence there and finds out that the child has been there often. Kit gives the girl a present, which must remain hidden at Hannah's, for the Cruff's have forbidden the child from speaking with Kit, and the present is far more beautiful and valuable than anything the girl has seen before. Chapter 17. Though Kit has glimpsed the evils of gossip and the rampant arrogance of the townsfolk in Wethersfield, she comes to know the full terror of utter evil of which the townsfolk are capable. When illness hits the town, the town goes on a witch hunt against poor, lonely widow Tupper, whose only crime has been to be of a different religion than the rest of them. The witch hunt is terrifying, but Kit risks everything to help her dear friend. Chapter 18. Satisfied that Hannah was all right, Kit returned to continue helping nurse Mercy and Judith, but the very next morning, she herself is accused of witchcraft. The only person who offers her any real comfort is her Aunt Rachel. Vocabulary:

Chapter 15: grenadiers, insubordination Chapter 16: premonition, poignant Chapter 17: bleeding (http://www.library.ucla.edu/biomed/his/blood/index.html ), malady, consternation, infidel

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Chapter 18: Goodman, inveigled Study Questions for Chapter 15:

1. What are the men talking about in Matthew Woods' company room? 2. What happened to the charter? 3. Why was Kit proud of her uncle?

Study Questions for Chapter 16: 1. What happened to William Ashby's house on All Hallow's Eve? 2. What did the Puritan colony do to Nat and the two others caught in the crime? 3. What did Kit give to Prudence? 4. What did she have her copy?

Study Questions for Chapter 17: 1. What happened shortly after John Holbrook left for Hartsford, after enlisting in the militia? 2. What did the surgeon do for Judith? 3. Soon the sickness had spread to every home. What did the townsfolk want Matthew to help

them do? 4. What was Matthew's response? 5. What did the woman say in response to Matthew? 6. Kit clearly disobeyed her guardian by going to warn Widow Tupper about the mob. Why

was she in the right for doing so? 7. While the mob destroyed Widow Tupper's home and tried to kill her cats, why didn't they kill

her goats? 8. What justice is there in mob action, especially when it is acting only on suspicion and

prejudice rather than unchallengeable evidence? 9. How did Hannah get to safety? 10. Why didn't Kit escape, too?

Study Questions for Chapter 18: 1. How did Goodwife Cruff think Hannah was able to escape the mob? 2. What had the mob found at Hannah's? 3. Why did Kit get locked up in the shed? 4. What did Kit learn could happen to her? 5. What was Kit more worried about than her own situation? 6. Do you think being able to read would make a difference to you if you were “half starved

and beaten and overworked?” THUR Complete the written assignment (see above) in a minimum of 1 paragraph, due Monday.

WEEK 5

WBP

Read Chapters 19 - 21. Look up this week's vocabulary words, then make your own crossword puzzle with your own clues either by hand or by using Puzzlemaker (see link in week 1). Read each chapter, then answer its study questions. Do the written assignment on Thursday. Written Assignment: What were the real reasons Kit and Hannah were accused of being witches? (1 paragraph)

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MON to

WED

Read Chapter 19 - 21. Chapter 19. Kit faces a fate more terrifying than any she has encountered, and no one seems ready to stand in her defense except her uncle. Then, from the back of the courtroom, Nat walks in with Prudence Cruff. She bravely walks into the courtroom and testifies about Kit and all she has done. Goodman Cruff finally stands up to his wife and drops all charges against Kit, promising that his daughter would be attending the dame school that summer. Chapter 20. William's absence from Kit's side during her trial has spoken volumes to Kit. She puts a firm end to William's courtship of her. Chapter 21. Kit sees no place for herself any more at her uncle and aunt's house, and she makes plans to make her own way in the world. Then she realizes that she has loved someone all along, and she wonders whether or not it is too late to let him know. Vocabulary:

Chapter 19: sundry, instigation, preternatural, alleged, infer, pandemonium Chapter 20: perforce, surreptitiously, lutestring, arduous,

Study Questions for Chapter 19: 1. Who did Kit hope would come to speak in her defense? 2. Did he come? 3. Many people testified about many strange, unprovable things that Kit had allegedly done.

Did the learned men of the court take them seriously? 4. What piece of hard evidence was presented to the court? 5. What saved Kit?

Study Questions for Chapter 20: 1. Why had William stayed away for so long? 2. What terrible news put a damper on the festivities at Thankful Peabody's wedding? 3. Of what did Kit dream? 4. When John arrived at the Woods' house, who did he run to for comfort?

Study Questions for Chapter 21: 1. Who was to get married in the double wedding? 2. What had Kit decided to do? 3. What did Kit realize as she sat pondering in the Great Meadows? 4. Who came to ask her hand in marriage?


WEEK 6

WBP Written assignment: Congratulations! You have finished reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Now you need to write a nice book report on the story.

MON to

WED

Written Assignment. Work on your book report. Review your paper to make sure everything you have written supports your thesis statement, and the entire paper has a gentle flow from one supported idea to the next. Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Rewrite the paper neatly if you are writing it in long hand.

THUR Study for the Final Exam. Review all your Study Questions, the starred vocabulary, the geographical locations, and the characters.

FRI Final Exam.

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Kolbe Academy Home School ASSIGNMENT ANSWER KEY Literature - Novel

Elementary


WEEK 1: Study Question Answers for Chapter 1

1. What happened when Kit met the three shabbily dressed women? She was going to be friendly and say “hello”, but the women were coldly staring at her with sharp curiosity

2. What did Kit think of the homes in Wethersfield? They looked like ugly boxes 3. What did Kit do when the little girl dropped her doll into the river? She asked the captain to return to

get it, and when he wouldn't, she jumped in herself 4. What kind of reaction did Kit get for what she did? Rage and shock 5. What surprised Kit about the water? It was cold 6. What did Goodwife Cruff accuse Kit of being? A witch 7. Why? Only witches could float according to the water test

Study Question Answers for Chapter 2: 1. Why was the ship going so slowly according to Goodwife Cruff? She thought Kit had put it under a

spell 2. Who was the only person on the ship to speak in friendship to Kit? John Holbrook 3. What was meant by “walking the river?” Two sailors would row ahead of the ship in a small boat, and

drop an anchor. Then ten men would pull the ship forward using the rope attached to the anchor 4. What did Nat think of slavery? He was disgusted by the practice 5. What had Kit thought all her life about slavery? She had not thought of it at all. 6. What had Kit read that shocked John Holbrook? Plays

Study Question Answers for Chapter 3 1. Who did Kit think her Aunt Rachel was? A servant 2. Who did Kit's Aunt think Kit was? Her (Rachel's) sister, Margaret 3. What was her reception like? Her aunt invited Kit to breakfast. Her cousins welcomed her. Her uncle

welcomed her in words alone. 4. Why hadn't Kit written to her aunt and uncle to tell them she was coming? She had had to sell

everything to pay her deceased grandfathers debts, and she had nowhere to go. She found out about a ship that was heading for Connecticut, and she became a passenger rather than being homeless for months waiting for a reply

Study Question Answers for Chapter 4 1. Why was John Wood mad when he came home to get his axe? His wife and daughters were trying on

some of Kit's clothes. Puritan's wore only the meanest, simplest of clothing 2. What was the secret reason Kit came to Connecticut so quickly? She did not want to marry an older

man who wanted to marry her 3. Why did Judith scold Kit about how she was stirring the soap? It would become lumpy 4. What happened to the corn pudding? Kit grew impatient about how slowly you had to add the

cornmeal and threw in the last half all at once. It became an “indigestible mass” that they all had to eat that night for dinner

Written Assignment: Kit has gone from a life of friendliness and luxury to a completely foreign world of harsh simplicity. How would you feel and what would you do if you were in a similar situation. (minimum, 1 paragraph) Answers will vary

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WEEK 2: Study Question Answers for Chapter 5:

1. What two things did Matthew disapprove of before Kit's first trip to the meeting house? Kit did not want to go and her clothing was too fancy

2. What did Kit think of the sermon? She thought it was frightfully dull 3. What shock did Kit receive on the way home about the meeting? There would be a second meeting in

the afternoon. Study Question Answers for Chapter 6:

1. What did Matthew Wood and Dr. Bulkeley disagree about? Matthew Wood believed in a free government and did not want the colony to lose rights and freedoms they now enjoyed. Dr. Bulkeley wanted everyone to follow Go. Andros who was appointed by King James

2. Who wanted to come to call on Kit? William Ashby 3. What did people do in the evenings? Read the Bible and knit

Study Question Answers for Chapter 7: 1. What did Kit think about her time alone with William Ashby? She thought it did not go well, because

they did not talk much 2. What did the family think of it? They thought it went very well. 3. What did he mean when William Ashby said he was going to start building his house? He had decided

to court and marry Kit. 4. Who did Judith want to marry? John Holbrook 5. What did they eat for a treat? Popcorn

Study Question Answers for Chapter 8: 1. What did Kit see that took her breath away? The Great Meadows 2. What did the people think of Widow Tupper? They thought she was a witch 3. What new job did Mercy offer to Kit? To teach children to read at the dame school 4. Why didn't the Woods have a son? The first one died as a child of fever. The second one lived only a

week. Matthew Wood was never the same again. Study Question Answers for Chapter 9:

1. What did Kit think of her task as a school teacher from the primers? She thought it very dull. 2. How did she teach that was different from other teachers? She made word games out of reading and

writing and read or told the children stories as a reward for doing well 3. What happened when Kit had the children act out a story from the Bible? The kids took their part too

seriously and a tussle ensued 4. What was the reaction of Mr. Kimberly and Reverend Woodbridge when they discovered the children

were “play acting?” They were shocked and closed the school 5. Where did Kit go when she was overwhelmingly upset? To the Great Meadows 6. Who found her there? Widow Tupper 7. What did she do to Kit? She spoke kindly to her and gave her food and drink.

Study Question Answers for Chapter 10: 1. What was the result of Kit talking with the schoolmaster? She and Mercy got a second chance. The

school was reopened. 2. What was Aunt Rachel's reaction to Kit's going to see Widow Tupper? She was shocked and forbade

Kit from going back 3. What did Hannah have to pay that shocked Kit? Taxes on her swampland and fines for not attending

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the meeting 4. Who came to visit Hannah while Kit was there? Nat Eaton

Written Assignment: Consider this week's Points to Ponder (“Don't you know William is able to build the finest house in Wethersfield if he wants to? Does he have to keep you amused as well?”). The Puritans she lived with led a simple life with only the bare necessities. They shunned beauty as a vanity. They scorned games and idle amusements. What do you think about this way of thinking? (1 paragraph) Answers will vary

WEEK 3: Study Question Answers for Chapter 11:

1. Who has been leaving flowers for Kit? Prudence Cruff 2. What does Kit give to her? Her own hornbook and secret reading lessons 3. What is William's favorite topic of discussion? The price of every piece of the house he is building 4. What secret did Kit discover about Mercy? She was in love with John Holbrook

Study Question Answers for Chapter 12: 1. What did Kit do when she was given a free afternoon? She went to Hannah's 2. What did she do there and with whom? She helped Nat Eaton thatch Hannah's roof

Study Question Answers for Chapter 13: 1. What were the girls excited about going to? A corn husking 2. What secret did Kit learn from John Holbrook? That he loved Mercy 3. What happened when he tried to stay away from the corn husking to visit Mercy? Judith thought he

was going to ask for her hand in marriage, and she made the entire family think the same thing 4. Did John tell the family his true intentions? No 5. What did William reveal to Kit on the way to the corn husking? That he intended to marry her. 6. How did that make Kit feel? Panicky

Study Question Answers for Chapter 14: 1. Why did Autumn in New England surprise Kit? She had lived in the tropics all her life and had never

seen the trees change color 2. Why was Nat upset with Kit? He had head rumors that she was getting married to William Ashby

Written Assignment: What do you think of the idea of complete self sacrifice to what other people's expectations are of you? Do you think it is all right to marry someone because everyone expects you to when you have no interest in the other person? (1 paragraph) Answers will vary WEEK 4: Study Question Answers for Chapter 15:

1. What are the men talking about in Matthew Woods' company room? King James has sent Governor Andros, and he plans to take away the freedoms granted by Connecticut's charter

2. What happened to the charter? It disappeared 3. Why was Kit proud of her uncle? He was as brave and magnificent as Gov. Andros

Study Question Answers for Chapter 16: 1. What happened to William Ashby's house on All Hallow's Eve? Some rivermen put jack-o-lanterns in

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the windows 2. What did the Puritan colony do to Nat and the two others caught in the crime? They had to sit in the

stockades and were no longer allowed in the town 3. What did Kit give to Prudence? A copy book, quill, and ink 4. What did she have her copy? Her name

Study Question Answers for Chapter 17: 1. What happened shortly after John Holbrook left for Hartsford after enlisting in the militia? The children

became sick 2. What did the surgeon do for Judith? He bled her and had her drink a brew of round, roasted toads 3. Soon the sickness had spread to every home. What did the townsfolk want Matthew to help them do?

Go get the witch of Blackbird Pond 4. What was Matthew's response? “I'll hold with no witch hunt.” 5. What did the woman say in response to Matthew? That he should take care of the witch in his own

house 6. Kit clearly disobeyed her guardian by going to warn Widow Tupper about the mob. Why was she in

the right for doing so? She was trying to save an innocent life 7. While the mob destroyed Widow Tupper's home and tried to kill her cats, why didn't they kill her goats?

The goats were worth money and they wanted to steal them. 8. What justice is there in mob action, especially when it is acting only on suspicion and prejudice rather

than unchallengeable evidence? There is none 9. How did Hannah get to safety? Kit hid her and then Nat's ship, the Dolphin came by. Kit swam to the

ship. Nat took Hannah and her cat aboard. 10. Why didn't Kit escape, too? She wanted to stay, because of her fear for Mercy, who was so ill

Study Question Answers for Chapter 18: 1. How did Goodwife Cruff think Hannah was able to escape the mob? She thought Hannah had

changed herself into a mouse and that the cat had carried her away 2. What had the mob found at Hannah's? Kit's hornbook 3. Why was Kit locked up in the shed? She was accused of witchcraft 4. What did Kit learn could happen to her? She could be branded, banished, hanged, or have her ear

taken off. 5. What was Kit more worried about than her own situation? Prudence 6. Do you think being able to read would make a difference to you if you were “half starved and beaten

and overworked?” Answers will vary Written Assignment: Why is it important for good people to make a stand against tyranny and evil even when it does not affect them personally? Consider the Point to Ponder (“That is all a woman thinks about . . . her own house. What use are your so-called rights of England? Everything we have built in England will be wiped out.”) and the examples of Matthew, Kit, and Nat. Use examples from the story when writing your answer. (1 paragraph) It is important, because we are called to do so. We are called to help the widow and the orphan and to be just. If we only mind our own business, we cannot follow this God-given directive. Matthew follows it by protecting the freedoms the charter has granted them. Kit follows it by befriending Widow Tupper and Prudence Cruff. Nat follows it by helping Widow Tupper as well.

AMDG


Elementary


WEEK 5: Study Questions for Chapter 19:

1. Who did Kit hope would come to speak in her defense? William Ashby 2. Did he come? No 3. Many people testified about many strange, unprovable things that Kit had allegedly done? Did the

learned men of the court take them seriously? No 4. What piece of hard evidence was presented to the court? The copy book Kit had given to Prudence 5. What saved Kit? Nat brought Prudence to the trial, who testified that Kit had simply been teaching her

to read and to write. 6. Many people testified about many strange, unprovable things that Kit had allegedly done. Did the

learned men of the court take them seriously? No Study Questions for Chapter 20:

1. Why had William stayed away for so long? He did not want to be associated with someone accused of being a witch, though he told Kit he stayed away out of respect for the illness in the house

2. What terrible news put a damper on the festivities at Thankful Peabody's wedding? The militia regiment had been attacked, and John Holbrook had been taken captive by Indians.

3. Of what did Kit dream? Of going back to Barbados 4. When John arrived at the Woods' house, who did he run to for comfort? Mercy

Study Questions for Chapter 21: 1. Who was to get married in the double wedding? John and Mercy; Judith and William 2. What had Kit decided to do? She had decided to sell her lovely dresses and move to Barbados as a

governess 3. What did Kit realize as she sat pondering in the Great Meadows? That she loved Nat. 4. Who came to ask her hand in marriage? Nat.

Written Assignment: What were the real reasons Kit and Hannah were accused of being witches? (1 paragraph) Hannah was accused because the town wanted answers about the sickness plaguing them—they were ignorant about germs at this point in history—and Hannah was an easy scapegoat. Kit was accused out of jealousy and maliciousness.

AMDG

Kolbe Academy Home School FINAL EXAM Literature - Novel

Elementary

Copyright Kolbe Academy 2008 All Rights Reserved The Witch of Blackbird Pond EE

GRADE _______/101 Part I. Study Questions. Answer each question in complete sentences. (3 points each) ______/60 1. What did Kit do when the little girl dropped her doll into the river? 2. What kind of reaction did Kit get for what she did? 3. Why was John Wood mad when he came home to get his axe? 4. What two things did Matthew disapprove of before Kit's first trip to the meeting house? 5. What did people do in the evenings? 6. What did he mean when William Ashby said he was going to start building his house? 7. What did the people think of Widow Tupper? 8. How did Kit teach that was different from other teachers? 9. What was the reaction of Mr. Kimberly and Reverend Woodbridge when the y discovered the

children were “play acting?” 10. What did Hannah have to pay that shocked Kit? 11. Who has been leaving flowers for Kit? 12. What does Kit give to her? 13. What did Kit have Prudence copy? 14. What did the surgeon do for Judith? 15. Soon the sickness had spread to every home. What did the townsfolk want Matthew to help them

do? 16. What was Matthew's response? 17. While the mob destroyed Widow Tupper's home and tried to kill her cats, why didn't they kill her

goats? 18. How did Hannah get to safety? 19. What piece of hard evidence was presented to the court? 20. What saved Kit?

Part II. Vocabulary. Use each of the following words in a sentence. (2 points each) ______/12 punctilious auspiciously conspicuous obstreperous malicious poignant

Part III. Names. Match the name with its character. (2 points each) _____/8 Nathaniel Eaton Prudence Cruff Gershom Bulkeley Hannah Tupper

________________________________a neglected girl whom Kit teaches how to read

________________________________a verbose minister who is learned in medicine and theology

________________________________ First Mate and the Captain's son on the brigantine the Dolphin

________________________________the witch of Blackbird Pond.

Part IV. Essay. Explain how mere words almost cost two women their lives in this story. (30 points)

Part V. Extra Credit. Write down up to three of the Memory Gems that you have memorized. (3 points each)

AMDG

Kolbe Academy Home School FINAL EXAM ANSWER KEY Literature - Novel

Elementary


Part I. Study Questions. Answer each question in complete sentences. (3 points each) ______/60 1. What did Kit do when the little girl dropped her doll into the river? She asked the captain to return to

get it, and when he wouldn't, she jumped in herself 2. What kind of reaction did Kit get for what she did? Rage and shock 3. Why was John Wood mad when he came home to get his axe? His wife and daughters were trying on

some of Kit's clothes. Puritan's wore only the meanest, simplest of clothing 4. What two things did Matthew disapprove of before Kit's first trip to the meeting house? Kit did not want

to go and her clothing was too fancy 5. What did people do in the evenings? Read the Bible and knit 6. What did he mean when William Ashby said he was going to start building his house? He had decided

to court and marry Kit. 7. What did the people think of Widow Tupper? They thought she was a witch 8. How did Kit teach that was different from other teachers? She made word games out of reading and

writing and read or told the children stories as a reward for doing well 9. What was the reaction of Mr. Kimberly and Reverend Woodbridge when the y discovered the children

were “play acting?” They were shocked and closed the school 10. What did Hannah have to pay that shocked Kit? Taxes on her swampland and fines for not attending

the meeting 11. Who has been leaving flowers for Kit? Prudence Cruff 12. What does Kit give to her? Her own hornbook and secret reading lessons 13. What did Kit have Prudence copy? Her name 14. What did the surgeon do for Judith? He bled her and had her drink a brew of round, roasted toads 15. Soon the sickness had spread to every home. What did the townsfolk want Matthew to help them do?

Go get the witch of Blackbird Pond 16. What was Matthew's response? “I'll hold with no witch hunt.” 17. While the mob destroyed Widow Tupper's home and tried to kill her cats, why didn't they kill her goats?

The goats were worth money and they wanted to steal them. 18. How did Hannah get to safety? Kit hid her and then Nat's ship, the Dolphin came by. Kit swam to the

ship. Nat took Hannah and her cat aboard. 19. What piece of hard evidence was presented to the court? The copy book Kit had given to Prudence 20. What saved Kit? Nat brought Prudence to the trial who testified that Kit had simply been teaching her

to read and to write.

Part II. Vocabulary. Use each of the following words in a sentence. (2 points each) ______/12 Each sentence should show the student understands the meaning of the word.

auspiciously: 1 : affording a favorable auspice : PROPITIOUS <made an auspicious beginning> 2 : attended by good auspices : PROSPEROUS <an auspicious year> conspicuous: 1 : obvious to the eye or mind <conspicuous changes> 2 : attracting attention : STRIKING <a conspicuous success> 3 : marked by a noticeable violation of good taste malicious: given to, marked by, or arising from a desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another

AMDG

Kolbe Academy Home School FINAL EXAM ANSWER KEY Literature - Novel

Elementary


obstreperous: 1 : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : CLAMOROUS <obstreperous merriment> 2 : stubbornly resistant to control : UNRULY poignant: 1 : pungently pervasive <a poignant perfume> 2 a (1) : painfully affecting the feelings : PIERCING (2) : deeply affecting : TOUCHING b : designed to make an impression : CUTTING <poignant satire> 3 a : pleasurably stimulating b : being to the point : APT punctilious: marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions

Part III. Names. Match the name with the description of the person. (2 points each) _____/12

___Prudence Cruff_________ a neglected girl whom Kit teaches how to read

___Gershom Bulkeley_______ a verbose minister who is learned in medicine and theology

___Nathaniel Eaton________ First Mate and the Captain's son on the brigantine the Dolphin

____Hannah Tupper________ the witch of Blackbird Pond.

Part IV. Essay. Explain how mere words almost cost two women their lives in this story. (30 points) The crime of witchcraft is a very serious one in Puritan Connecticut. It is punishable by death, along with other cruel punishments. Hannah, a Quaker, makes a very easy target for the Puritans, because she is all alone. When the children all become sick, the townspeople find it very easy to blame her by means of her witchcraft. They go as a mob to seek retribution. Obviously, because they burned down her house, they were willing to kill her outright without a trial or even any evidence at all. Because it was simply common knowledge that Hannah Tupper was a witch, anyone who befriended her could be counted as a witch as well. Therefore just the word “witch” carried enough weight to send a mob seeking the death of Hannah Tupper and to send an innocent girl, Kit Tyler, to jail with the possibility of execution as a sentence. People who had no respect for other people's customs used the word “witch” to maliciously destroy other people's lives. Part V. Extra Credit. Write down up to three of the Memory Gems that you have memorized. (3 points) Please consult the Memory Gems in the lesson plans for correct answers.

AMDG

Kolbe Academy Home School GLOSSARY Literature - Novel

Elementary


All Definitions for the Vocabulary lists have come from Merriam Webster’s Dictionary at www.m-w.com A

adroit: having or showing skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations <an adroit leader> alleged: to assert without proof or before proving allegiance: 1 a : the obligation of a feudal vassal to his liege lord b (1) : the fidelity owed by a subject or citizen to a sovereign or government (2) : the obligation of an alien to the government under which the alien resides 2 : devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause arduous: 1 a : hard to accomplish or achieve : DIFFICULT <years of arduous training> b : marked by great labor or effort : STRENUOUS <a life of arduous toil -- A. C. Cole> 2 : hard to climb : STEEP <an arduous path> auspiciously: 1 : affording a favorable auspice : PROPITIOUS <made an auspicious beginning> 2 : attended by good auspices : PROSPEROUS <an auspicious year>

B bachelor: an unmarried man blithely: 1 : of a happy lighthearted character or disposition 2 : lacking due thought or consideration : CASUAL, HEEDLESS brigantine: a 2-masted sailing ship that is square-rigged except for a fore-and-aft mainsail brocade: 1 : a rich silk fabric with raised patterns in gold and silver 2 : a fabric characterized by raised designs

C cadence: a : a rhythmic sequence or flow of sounds in language b : the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion or activity carding: to cleanse, disentangle, and collect together (as fibers) by the use of cards preparatory to spinning chagrined: to vex or unsettle by disappointing or humiliating condescension: patronizing attitude or behavior conspicuous: 1 : obvious to the eye or mind <conspicuous changes> 2 : attracting attention : STRIKING <a conspicuous success> 3 : marked by a noticeable violation of good taste consternation: amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion

D damask: a firm lustrous fabric (as of linen, cotton, silk, or rayon) made with flat patterns in a satin weave on a plain-woven ground on jacquard looms diligently: characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort docilely: 1 : easily taught <a docile pupil> 2 : easily led or managed dubiously: 1 : giving rise to uncertainty: as a : of doubtful promise or outcome <a dubious plan> b : questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality <the practice is of dubious legality> 2 : unsettled in opinion : DOUBTFUL <I was dubious about the plan>

E exasperation: a : to excite the anger of : ENRAGE b : to cause irritation or annoyance to exhilarating: to make cheerful and excited exquisite: 1 : carefully selected : CHOICE 2 archaic : ACCURATE 3 a : marked by flawless craftsmanship or by beautiful, ingenious, delicate, or elaborate execution <an exquisite vase> b : marked by nice

AMDG


Elementary


discrimination, deep sensitivity, or subtle understanding <exquisite taste> c : ACCOMPLISHED, PERFECTED <an exquisite gentleman> 4 a : pleasing through beauty, fitness, or perfection <an exquisite white blossom> b : ACUTE, INTENSE <exquisite pain> c : having uncommon or esoteric appeal

F filigree: 1 : ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces 2 a : ornamental openwork of delicate or intricate design b : a pattern or design resembling such openwork <a filigree of frost> c : ORNAMENTATION, EMBELLISHMENT forecastle: 1 : the forward part of the upper deck of a ship 2 : the crew's quarters usually in a ship's bow

G Goodman: archaic : the master of a household Goodwife: archaic : the mistress of a household grenadiers: 1 a : a soldier who carries and throws grenades b : a member of a special regiment or corps formerly armed with grenades 2 : any of various deep-sea fishes (family Macrouridae) that are related to the cods and have an elongate tapering body and compressed pointed tail

H heretic: 1 : a dissenter from established religious dogma; especially : a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church who disavows a revealed truth 2 : one who dissents from an accepted belief or doctrine hornbook: a child's primer consisting of a sheet of parchment or paper protected by a sheet of transparent horn humiliation: to reduce to a lower position in one's own eyes or others' eyes : MORTIFY hypocrite: 1 : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion 2 : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

I implacable: not capable of being appeased, significantly changed, or mitigated incoherently: lacking coherence: as a : lacking cohesion : LOOSE b : lacking orderly continuity, arrangement, or relevance : INCONSISTENT <an incoherent essay> c : lacking normal clarity or intelligibility in speech or thought <incoherent with grief> incredulous: unwilling to admit or accept what is offered as true indignation: anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean indulgence: 1 a : to give free rein to b : to take unrestrained pleasure in : GRATIFY 2 a : to yield to the desire of inexorably: not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped : RELENTLESS <inexorable progress> infatuated: 1 : to cause to be foolish : deprive of sound judgment 2 : to inspire with a foolish or extravagant love or admiration infer: to derive as a conclusion from facts or premises infidel: 1 : one who is not a Christian or who opposes Christianity 2 a : an unbeliever with respect to a particular religion b : one who acknowledges no religious belief 3 : a disbeliever in something specified or understood instigation: to goad or urge forward : PROVOKE insubordination: disobedient to authority

AMDG


Elementary


intangible: 1 a : capable of being perceived especially by the sense of touch b : not substantially real 2 : not capable of being precisely identified or realized by the mind <her grief was tangible> 3 : not capable of being appraised at an actual or approximate value <tangible assets> inveigled: 1 : to win over by wiles : ENTICE 2 : to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : WANGLE <inveigled her way into a promotion>

J: none K

ketch: a fore-and-aft rigged vessel similar to a yawl but with a larger mizzen sail and with the mizzenmast stepped farther forward

L

leisure: freedom provided by the cessation of activities; especially : time free from work or duties loiterer: to remain in an area for no obvious reason lutestring: a plain glossy silk formerly much used for women's dresses and ribbons

M malady: 1 : a disease or disorder of the animal body 2 : an unwholesome or disordered condition malicious: given to, marked by, or arising from a desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another menial: a : appropriate to a servant : HUMBLE, SERVILE <answered in menial tones> b : lacking interest or dignity <a menial task> monotonous: 1 : uttered or sounded in one unvarying tone : marked by a sameness of pitch and intensity 2: tediously uniform or unvarying

N: nonchalant: having an air of easy unconcern or indifference nondescript: 1 : belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind : not easily described 2 : lacking distinctive or interesting qualities : DULL, DRAB nonplussed: to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do : PERPLEX

AMDG


Elementary


O obstreperous: 1 : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : CLAMOROUS <obstreperous merriment> 2 : stubbornly resistant to control : UNRULY

P paduasoy: a corded silk fabric; also : a garment made of it pandemonium: 1 : the capital of Hell in Milton's Paradise Lost 2 : the infernal regions : HELL 3 not capitalized : a wild uproar : TUMULT perforce: 1 obsolete : by physical coercion 2 : by force of circumstances pillory: 1 : a device formerly used for publicly punishing offenders consisting of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked 2 : a means for exposing one to public scorn or ridicule

pinnaces: 1 : a light sailing ship; especially : one used as a tender 2 : any of various ship's boats placating: to soothe or mollify especially by concessions : APPEASE placid: serenely free of interruption or disturbance <placid skies> poignant: 1 : pungently pervasive <a poignant perfume> 2 a (1) : painfully affecting the feelings : PIERCING (2) : deeply affecting : TOUCHING b : designed to make an impression : CUTTING <poignant satire> 3 a : pleasurably stimulating b : being to the point : APT precarious: 1 : depending on the will or pleasure of another 2 : dependent on uncertain premises : DUBIOUS <precarious generalizations> 3 a : dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments b : characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger premonition: 1 : previous notice or warning : FOREWARNING 2 : anticipation of an event without conscious reason : PRESENTIMENT preternatural: 1 : existing outside of nature 2 : exceeding what is natural or regular : EXTRAORDINARY <wits trained to preternatural acuteness by the debates -- G. L. Dickinson> 3 : inexplicable by ordinary means priggish: one who offends or irritates by observance of proprieties (as of speech or manners) in a pointed manner or to an obnoxious degree propitious: 1 : favorably disposed : BENEVOLENT 2 : being a good omen : AUSPICIOUS <propitious sign> 3 : tending to favor : ADVANTAGEOUS

AMDG


Elementary


punctilious: marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions Q: none

R

rapier: a straight 2-edged sword with a narrow pointed blade rapturously: a : a state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion b : a mystical experience in which the spirit is exalted to a knowledge of divine things ravenous: very eager or greedy for food, satisfaction, or gratification <a ravenous appetite>

S

sepulcher: 1 : a place of burial : TOMB 2 : a receptacle for religious relics especially in an altar staidness: marked by settled sedateness and often prim self-restraint : SOBER, GRAVE sundry: MISCELLANEOUS, VARIOUS <sundry articles> surreptitiously: 1 : done, made, or acquired by stealth : CLANDESTINE 2 : acting or doing something clandestinely : STEALTHY <a surreptitious glance>

T tangibly: 1 a : capable of being perceived especially by the sense of touch : PALPABLE b : substantially real : MATERIAL 2 : capable of being precisely identified or realized by the mind <her grief was tangible> 3 : capable of being appraised at an actual or approximate value <tangible assets> timorous: 1 : of a timid disposition : FEARFUL <reproached myself with being so timorous and cautious -- Daniel Defoe> 2 : expressing or suggesting timidity <proceed with doubtful and timorous steps -- Edward Gibbon> tremulous: 1 : characterized by or affected with trembling or tremors 2 : affected with timidity : TIMOROUS 3 : such as is or might be caused by nervousness or shakiness <a tremulous smile> 4 : exceedingly sensitive : easily shaken or disordered turret: a little tower; specifically : an ornamental structure at an angle of a larger structure

U undulated: having a wavy surface, edge, or markings <the undulate margin of a leaf> unorthodox: not conforming to established doctrine especially in religion

V vengeance: 1 : with great force or vehemence <undertook reform with a vengeance> 2 : to an extreme or excessive degree <the tourists are back--with a vengeance> veritable: being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary -- often used to stress the aptness of a metaphor <a veritable mountain of references>

W

wraith: an insubstantial form or semblance

X, Y, Z: none

Documents

THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND - Kolbe Academy · 2017-06-23 · The Witch of Blackbird Pond, a Newberry Honor book, is a story of valiant courage. A young girl travels far across the