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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 offers milk to the young man?

2. What does Cassie inwardly confess about Mrs. Lee Annie?

3. What happens when Cassie takes a drink from the courthouse fountain while her brothers use the restrooms?

4. What happens when Stacey and Little Willie try to get a job at the hospital construction site?

5. How does Mr. Jamison discredit Mrs.Barnett's testimony?

Short Essay Questions

1. After Papa drops out of the government program, why does he refuse Mr. Granger's offer to pay the added taxes he will now owe?

2. Paraphrase the story Cassie tells about how her family came to own their land.

3. How would you interpret Cousin Bud's reason for wanting his daughter to spend time with the Logan family?

4. Explain why you think the Logan children run and hide after they get Mr. Farnsworth's help.

5. Can you interpret Moe's reason for refusing a ride from his landowner's son despite the fact he must walk an hour and a half to and from school each day?

6. What is the symbolism of Uncle Hammer's vehicle?

7. Describe what happens when Cassie takes her younger brothers into the courthouse.

8. What do you feel is happening to members of the Logan family because of the upcoming trial of TJ Avery?

9. Explain why Papa feels playing marbles leads to gambling.

10. Identify the reasons Stacey Logan offers to allow Dube Cross to milk their cow to get milk for his siblings rather than just giving him some of their extra milk.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What did you learn from the novel about pre-civil-rights history? Write an essay detailing how closely this novel portrayed what actually happened during that period in our history? Give examples from the novel.

Resources:

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/A-Lesson-Before-Dying-Critical-Essays-The-Pre-Civil-Rights-South.id-63,pageNum-58.html

http://neabigread.net/books/lessonbeforedying/teachers/LessonBeforeDyingHandout2.pdf

http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/xcivilrights.html

http://www.pbs.org/harrymoore/

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1294360

http://www.centralhigh57.org/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/

http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/civilrightstv/

http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/civilrights/index.htm

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/par0pro-1

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about Cassie's enlightenment after learning about Jacey Peters' pregnancy and how this helped to positively change her relationship with Suzella.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the questions raised in the minds of the characters regarding the injustices that are taking place. What answers are found in the story? What questions are unanswered?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,033 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample