Book Library

Book Library

For each book you read, you must answer FOUR questions to receive the 15 points of extra credit.

THE JACKIE ROBINSON READER

• 1. Read Jules Tygiel's essay "The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson".  Why was Jackie arrested?  How did he react?  Why was he court martialed?  What was the result?

  2. Jackie Robinson was sometimes seen as not fully supporting African Americans.  Discuss at least THREE examples from the book that show this.  How did Robinson DEFEND his actions in the three examples you chose?

WARRIORS DON'T CRY

• 1. What role did the NAACP play in Melba's (and the other members of the Little Rock 9) life and experiences?

  2. Did any white person at Central High help Melba? If so, describe how they helped her. REQUIRED

  3. How did the school year end for the Little Rock Nine? What happened to Melba after she finished her junior year at Central High School?

  4. How does the book affect you and the way you live your life? REQUIRED

BLINK

• 1. What is thin-slicing? Why do people do it? What is an example when thin-slicing is beneficial? When can it be a bad thing (Warren Harding Error)?

  2. What is priming? What example was used in the book to highlight priming? What is another example (outside of the book) of this phenomena?

  3. Discuss the work of Ekman and Friesen. Do you agree with their conclusions? Why or why not?

  4. What is mind-blindness? Why do some people have it while others don't?

OUTLIERS

• 1. According to Gladwell, is IQ a good indicator of success? Give an example from the book to back up your response. What are FIVE other good "indicators" (or outliers) that will determine success (be specific - give names - tell me what chapter you got it from)?

  2. Discuss the factors that led to the crash of a Korean Air flight. How did Korean Air respond to the tragedy?

  3. What does Gladwell mean when he states, "An outlier in the end is not an outlier at all."?

  4. Reflect on your own life. What is one outlier that will determine your success? Be specific and explain why you think it will lead to success.

I'M DOWN

• 1. In what ways does Mishna describe her father as adopting an African-American lifestyle? Do you think her descriptions will cement or challenge existing stereotypes?

  2. Describe ways that Mishna tried to find acceptance in her "black" world. Describe ways that Mishna tried to find acceptance in her white world. In which world was she more successful? Explain.

  3. In what ways is this really a story about class rather than race?

  4. A common criticism of the book is that it doesn't bring up the existence of racism. Do you agree? If so, why do you think Wolff didn't include this in her story?

WHY ARE ALL THE BLACK KIDS SITTING TOGETHER IN THE CAFETERIA?

• 1. Why does Tatum spend so much time developing the story of her son and the questions he had about race? Why is it more important for a person of color to have positive affirmations than a white person?

  2. Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? Why does it happen in junior high and high school and not earlier? Does it happen for other people of color (and other ethnicities as well?)

  3. Summarize Tatum's ideas in Chapter 7, "White Identity and Affirmative Action." Do you agree with Tatum's ideas in the chapter?

  4. What does Tatum mean when she says that no one can be "passively anti-racist"? Do you agree with her? If Tatum is right, what are the implications of her observation. In other words, if we can't be passively anti-racist, then what must we become to fight against racism and what will that look like?

THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN

• 1. How does Alexie present life on an Indian Reservation? Use two specific examples from the reading to support your answer.

  2. Why did Arnold (Junior) decide to go to school in Rearden? What adjustments did he need to make at Rearden? How did his decision affect his life on the reservation?

  3. How did Rowdy react to Arnold's decision to leave the reservation? Why did he react this way?

  4. Was Arnold a part-time Indian? Use examples from the book in your answer.

THE DEVIL'S HIGHWAY

• 1. Summarize the stages of death in the desert described by Urrea. Why does he take such great care in describing this, as well as some of the death scenes?

  2. Discuss the motivations and stories of two immigrants. Be sure to name them and discuss their reasons, preparedness and journey.

  3. What attitude did Urrea have toward the U.S. Border Patrol? Do you think he saw them as helpful or as part of the problem?

  4. In the conclusion, Urrea offers some solutions to the problem of undocumented immigration across the southern border. Discuss at least two of Urrea's solutions.

CODE TALKER (CHESTER NEZ...be sure to choose his book)

• 1. Describe Chester Nez's experience at Fort Defiance. What were the negatives? Were there any positives?

  2. How was Chester Nez's wartime experiences different from the average soldier in the Pacific? In general, what was difficult about life as a Code Talker?

  3. What positives and negatives did Chester experience upon returning to the United States after World War II?

THE PORT CHICAGO 50

• 1. How did the U.S. Navy display discrimination towards African Americans during WWII?

  2. Joe Smalls was an important character before and after the explosion.  Discuss his significance in both ways.

  3. What was the main evidence against the Port Chicago 50?  How did Lieutenant Veltmann defend them?