8th grade gifted ELA
summer reading: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
author - Ernest J. Gaines
The assignment related to your summer reading follows.
This work will be due on Monday, August 10, 2009. You will be assessed on
your understanding of the book on Friday, August 14, 2009.
Practice with stems: Go to www.quizlet.com. There are some fun exercises
and games to help you practice your stems. If you took 7th grade gifted
English, you will continue with the program in 8th grade. All stems tests in
8th grade will be cumulative. Students who did not take 7th grade gifted
English will begin the program in 8th grade with stems list 15.
Questions? Feel free to email me at teri.kliebert@stpsb.org. I do check my
email over the summer.
Have a nice summer!
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Reading and Responding – The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Answer each of the following prompts. Write or type your answers on paper.
(Don't try to write on this.) Your answers should be in complete
sentences and should be thoughtful and thorough.
Books 1 and 2
1
What is Jane originally called? Why does Colonel Brown rename her? What might
the name represent to Jane?
2
What decision does Jane make upon hearing that she is free? During her
travels, why do people try to make her change her mind? What do her responses
to them suggest about her personality?
3
Sum up Jane’s first meeting with Mr. Bone. What does her behavior suggest
about her?
4
Compare and contrast Jane and Ned’s lot in life before and after the Civil
War. In what ways do their lives change? In what ways do their lives remain
the same?
5
What does Ned talk about in his sermon at the river? Why does that speech
serve as the reason for his assassination?
6
In your opinion, why does the author spend so much time describing Albert
Cluveau and his relationship with Jane? How does this information affect your
response to Cluveau’s assassination of Ned?
Book 3
7
Most social and work groups develop their own culture—a set of unspoken rules
about the right and wrong way to speak, dress, and behave. To what social
groups do you belong? What are the unspoken rules of the group, and who sets
them?
8
Who are Timmy and Tee Bob? Why does Timmy have to leave the plantation?
9
What do Miss Lilly, Joe Hardy, and Mary Agnes have in common? Why are they
important figures in the quarters?
10
On whom does Miss Jane blame Huey Long’s death? What does her opinion say
about her experiences as a member of the poor?
11
Whom does Tee Bob come home from college to see? Why do other people on the
plantation disapprove?
12
Do you think Miss Jane feels she is “above” the happenings in the quarters
because she works inside the Samson’s home? Or do you think she views herself
as part of the quarters community? Citing evidence from Book 3, explain your
answer.
13
By what unspoken rules do Miss Jane and her friends live? How did these rules
come about? What happens to people who break them?
Book 4
14
Why do you think Miss Jane goes to Bayonne, even though Jimmy has been
killed? What does she hope to prove or accomplish?
15
What happened to Jimmy’s mother? How did the event affect the way he was
raised?
16
How does Jimmy make himself useful to the adults in the quarters? Why does
Miss Jane particularly like him to write her letters for her?
17
How do the people in church respond to Jimmy’s plea for them to “join the
fight”? According to Miss Jane, why do the people respond this way?
18
What does Miss Jane mean when she says they had chosen Jimmy as “the One”?
19
Do you think it likely that Miss Jane and all the others would have agreed to
join Jimmy in Bayonne in real life? Explain.
20
Miss Jane and the others choose Jimmy as the One. Make a list of Jimmy’s
qualities that are revealed through Miss Jane’s stories.
21
Now that you have read about Miss Jane’s life, what questions would you like
to ask her?
