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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who was the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South?

2. When was Malcolm X born?

3. Where was Jacqueline Woodson born?

4. What is the name of Jacqueline Woodson's father?

5. What was William J. Woodson's relationship to Jacqueline?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the unfolding Civil Rights Movement described in the poem "South Carolina at War"?

2. What conflict is described in the poem "A Girl Named Jack"?

3. How is Odell described in the poem "Uncle Odell"? Who was named for Odell?

4. What was Gunnar Irby's profession? What struggles did he face in his job?

5. How is "Daywork" described in the poem with the same name? Who took on daywork to support Jackie and her siblings when they were growing up?

6. How does the author describe the names in her family in "Family Names"?

7. How is the history of slavery described in Jackie's maternal grandparents' ancestry in "The Garden"?

8. What story is related from Grandma Georgiana's perspective in "Other People’s Memory"?

9. What is the symbolic image that concludes the poem "Second Daughter’s Second Day on Earth"? What is symbolized in this imagery?

10. Who are the people described in "The Almost Friends"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss some of the writers, poets, and activists that have influenced author Jacqueline Woodson. How are these figures described in the poetry of Brown Girl Dreaming?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the characterizations of Grandma Georgiana and Grandpa Gunnar in the memoir. How would you describe Jackie’s relationship with her maternal grandparents? Where did Gunnar work?

Essay Topic 3

Define the following poetry terms and discuss an example of each from Brown Girl Dreaming: assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and repetition. What purpose does each example serve for the reader? How does the poetry of Jacqueline Woodson differ when read aloud?

(see the answer keys)

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