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Page 1: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide

Name___________________________________________

Date____________________________________________

Period___________________

Due Date: December 15, 2010

Page 2: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Elizabeth George Speare

Born

November 21 1908

Melrose, Massachusetts, United

States

Died November 15 1994 (aged 85)

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Occupation Novelist

Nationality United States

Genres Historical fiction

Debut

works Calico Captive

Elizabeth George Speare (November 21, 1908 – November 15, 1994) was an American children's

author who won many awards for her historical fiction novels, including two Newbery Medals. She has

been called one of America’s 100 most popular children’s authors [1] and much of her work has

become mandatory reading in many schools throughout the nation. Indeed, because her books have

sold so well she is also cited as one of the Educational Paperback Association’s top 100 authors. [2]

Speare was born in Melrose, Massachusetts to Harry Allan and Demetria George. Her childhood, as she

later recalled, was "exceptionally happy" and Melrose was "an ideal place in which to have grown up,

close to fields and woods where we hiked and picnicked, and near to Boston where we frequently had

family treats of theaters and concerts." [3] She had an extended family with one brother and many

aunts, uncles, and cousins, and most importantly, very loving and supportive parents. Speare lived

much of her life in New England, the setting for many of her books. Speare discovered her gift for

writing at the age of eight and began composing stories while still in high school. After completing her

Bachelor of Arts degree at Smith College in 1930, she earned her Master's degree in English from

Boston University and taught English at several private Massachusetts high schools from 1932 to 1936.

In 1936 she met her future husband, Alden Speare, and together the two moved to Connecticut where

they married and raised two children; Alden, Jr., who was born in 1939, and Mary in 1942. Although

Speare always intended to write, the challenges and responsibilities of being a mother and wife drained

her of any free time. Speare began to focus seriously on literature when her children were in junior

high school. Speare's first published work was a magazine article about skiing with her children. She

also wrote many other magazine articles based on her experiences as a mother, and even

experimented with one-act plays. Eventually her work saw circulation in Better Homes and Gardens, Woman's Day, Parents, and American Heritage. Speare published Calico Captive, her first novel, in

1957. The next year she completed her second historical fiction work, The Witch of Blackbird Pond,

which won numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal. Ideas and inspiration for both books came

to Speare while she was researching the history of New England and Connecticut, respectively. She

earned her second Newbery Medal for her third book, The Bronze Bow, published in 1961. In 1984 The Sign of the Beaver was published and received a Newbery Honor Citation, the Scott O'Dell Award for

Historical Fiction, and the Christopher Award. In 1989, Speare received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award

for her distinguished and enduring contribution to children's literature. Speare, who once said "it was

always a thrill to watch some girl or boy discover for the first time the enchantment of reading and

writing", died of an aortic aneurysm on November 15, 1994 in Northwest General Hospital in Tucson,

Arizona. She was 85 years old. [4]

Page 3: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Selected bibliography

Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1958) Winner of the 1959 Newbery Medal. The Bronze Bow (1961) Winner of the 1962 Newbery Medal. The Sign of the Beaver (1983)

References

McElmeel, Sharron L., 100 Most Popular Children's Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies, Libraries Unlimited, May 1999, ISBN 1-56308-646-8

H.W. Wilson Company (1963) "Speare, Elizabeth George" by Elizabeth George Speare, special autobiographical statement for More Junior Authors. Retrieved February 15, 2006.

Educational Paperback Association "EPA’s Top 100 Authors" Retrieved February 15, 2006. The New York Times (November 16, 1994) "Elizabeth G. Speare, 84, Author Of Children's

Historical Novels" by Ronald Sullivan; Obituary. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 15, 2006.

Page 4: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Vocabulary

1. Auspiciously—(adv.) in a manner that suggests a positive outcome; favorably

2. Cowed—(adj.) intimidated

3. Disheartening—(adj.) likely to lower morale

4. Fulsome—(adj.) insensitive

5. Hankering—(n.) strong desire

6. Nonplussed—(adj.) at a loss for words

7. Punctilious—(adj.) concerned about following rules exactly

8. Timorous—(adj.) fearful

9. Adroit—(adj.) skilled

10. Composure—(n.) calmness

11. Decorum—(n.) conformity to standards of good taste

12. Enthrall--(v.) to hold spellbound

13. Incoherent—(adj.) disorganized or hard to understand

14. Ingenious—(adj.) clever or original

15. Obstreperous—(adj.) noisy; rowdy

16. Tryst—(n.) secret agreement or meeting place

17. Uproariously—(adv.) in a very noisy or funny manner

18. Concoct—(v.) to put together

19. Instigation—(n.) act of urging, or inciting

20. Intercede—(v.) act as a mediator to resolve differences

21. Inveigle—(v.) persuade through tricks

22. Perforce—(adv.) by force of circumstance

23. Preternatural—(adj.) beyond what is ordinary

24. Sundry—(adj.) various

25. Surreptitiously—(adv.) secretly

26. Tantalizingly—(adv.) mockingly, teasingly

27. Vengeance—(n.) punishment made to pay back an earlier injury

Page 5: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Character Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book.

Characters

Kit Tyler - This character, orphaned as a baby, is brought up in wealth and freedom by a plantation-owner grandfather. Two of this person's most important qualities are truthfulness

and honesty.

Hannah Tupper - This person is expelled from Massachusetts for being Quaker and comes to

Wethersfield. This individual suffers severely from religious persecution and is shunned by the Wethersfield community.

Nat Eaton - This character is the son of the captain of the Dolphin and loves the sea and

everything about it. This person can also be headstrong and stubborn.

Mercy Wood - Due to being lame after an illness as a child, this character has difficulty

getting around and very rarely leaves home. This person's calm and sweet ways are a staying force of the family.

Judith Wood - This person is haughty and proud, likes pretty things and small luxuries and at

times is self-centered.

Rachel Wood - This person, kind and once very beautiful, is related to another in the novel.

Matthew Wood - This individual is quiet and severe and weathers difficulties to provide for

the family.

Prudence Cruff - This person is a lonely child, ignored by all but very bright and a quick

learner.

John Holbrook - A serious and studious young person, this character is understanding, kind

and courageous.

William Ashby - This person is wealthy and the most eligible bachelor in the community. He

is down-to-earth, practical and very self-confident.

Page 6: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Object Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major objects in the book.

Objects

The Dolphin - Kit travels from Barbados to Wethersfield in this. It is owned by Nat Eaton's

father.

Meeting House - The townspeople meet here for prayers or assemble for political or

disciplinary meetings.

Great Meadow - This is a large area where the settlers have their plots of land for planting

or grazing.

Blackbird Pond - This place is located at the edge of the marshlands and is where the witch

is said to live.

Selectmen - This is the group chosen to have executive authority in the town's public

matters.

Hornbook - This is a single page protected by a transparent sheet of horn, used in teaching

children to read.

Charter - This was drawn up by England in 1662, conferring rights and privileges regarding

organization of the Connecticut Colony. Dame School - Here small children learn their alphabet in order to be prepared for formal

schooling.

Page 7: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 1

1. How old is Kit?

2. Where is Kit traveling from on the Dolphin?

3. What is the name of the captain's son?

4. What is the name of the port where Kit first goes ashore on her way to Wethersfield?

5. What is the name of the woman who has taken Kit under her wing on the Dolphin?

6. What group of people does Kit see at the port dressed in somber colors and styles?

7. What item does Prudence accidentally drop in the water?

8. In chapter one, how do people seem to respond to Kit jumping in the water?

9. What is Mr. Holbrook studying to be?

10. What warning does Mr. Holbrook give Kit?

11. What rumor is Mrs. Cruff spreading about Kit on their boat ride to Wethersfield?

12. Why does Kit jump off the boat and into the water in Chapter 1?

Page 8: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 2

1. How many days does it take the boat to make its way up the river to Wethersfield?

2. After observing the Cruffs, how does Kit view them?

3. Who raises Kit?

4. How does John Holbrook view reading?

5. When Kit's grandfather dies, who is her only living relative left?

6. How does John react when hearing that Kit can read and what she reads?

7. How does Nat view slavery?

8. When Kit arrives in Wethersfield, who is there to meet her?

9. What type of home does Kit grown up in?

10. What does Kit mention the Dolphin smells like?

11. Where do Kit's father and mother meet?

12. Who teaches Kit how to read?

Page 9: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 3

1. What is Kit's initial reaction to Wethersfield?

2. Why is Mercy crippled?

3. How is Kit received when her aunt learns that she has come to live with them?

4. What happens to Kit's grandfather that causes his death?

5. What does the overseer of Kit's grandfather's plantation do?

6. After Kit's grandfather dies, what happens to the plantation and Kit's wealth?

7. How does Kit describe her Aunt's home?

8. How many trunks full of her belongings does Kit bring to Wethersfield?

9. When Matthew Wood finds out how much luggage Kit has brought with her, what is his response?

10. What is the religion of Kit's relatives in Wethersfield?

11. How do Kit's cousins respond to her many fancy and colorful gowns?

12. What type of political outlook does Kit's grandfather adhere to?

Page 10: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 4

1. What additional gift does Kit convince Judith to take with the clothes she has already given her?

2. Whose reaction does Judith wonder about when they see her in the new clothes?

3. Because the girls are busy trying on their new clothes, what is left undone?

4. When Matthew returns home and sees the new clothes, what does he do?

5. When Kit finds out that the Woods have no servants, how does she feel?

6. What happens when Kit begins to help with the chores?

7. Which sister tends to be more patient with Kit as she tries to learn the chores?

8. What meal does Kit try to help make?

9. Where is Kit to sleep her first night in the Colony?

10. What does Mercy tell Kit about their life in Wethersfield?

11. What hurtful thing does Judith say about her cousin her first night there?

12. What warning does Matthew give Kit about living with them?

Page 11: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 5

1. What day is prayer meeting held?

2. Who is the only member of the Wood family not expected to attend prayer meeting?

3. How does Kit feel about having to go to prayer meeting?

4. Why is Matthew angry about what Kit is wearing to prayer meeting?

5. Who comes to Kit's defense when Matthew gets angry about Kit's outfit?

6. Until moving to the colonies, what role does religion play in Kit's life?

7. How does Kit feel about her first prayer meeting?

8. What is Kit surprised to hear when they are leaving her first prayer meeting?

9. What familiar person does Kit meet again at the Meeting House?

10. Who is Dr. Bulkeley?

11. Whom does Kit seem to have made quite an impression on and is introduced to after the service?

12. Which members of the Wethersfield community are expected to go to the meeting?

Page 12: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 6

1. After service, Dr. Bulkeley and who else are invited to the Woods' for dinner?

2. What opinion does Dr. Bulkeley mention that upsets Matthew?

3. Who is named by England as governor of the Colonies?

4. What state seems to be taking longer accepting a governor appointed by the monarchy?

5. How does Kit feel when the reverend says a prayer for Mercy and her affliction?

6. Who does Kit note is the staying force of the Wood family?

7. What does Kit consider Mercy to be?

8. What does William ask Matthew in Chapter 6?

9. Whom does Judith declare she is going to marry?

10. What does the author note in Chapter 6 that is a touchy subject in Wethersfield?

11. Who is the monarch of England at the time Kit moves to the colonies?

12. What response does William's request of Matthew in Chapter 6 elicit from the three girls?

Page 13: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 7

1. What does William mention he is intending to build?

2. In Chapter 7, what important responsibility has William recently been given?

3. What does William think that his new responsibility will enable him to do?

4. Who hands out new concessions of land grants?

5. When William first comes to court Kit, what do they do?

6. In Chapter 7, who comes and interrupts Kit's time with William?

7. Which king gives the charter to the colonists?

8. What does William think about the new governor of the Colonies appointed by the King?

9. In Chapter 7, what do Mercy and Judith tell Kit when the guests are gone?

10. What are two sentiments that are deeply ingrained in the Colonies?

11. What does Matthew think about the Assembly's land-concessions move?

12. It is common knowledge that once William decides on a wife, he will do what?

Page 14: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 8

1. What do Rachel and Mercy make for Kit?

2. Why are Kit and Judith sent out to the meadows?

3. What does Kit think of the fields of the Great Meadow?

4. Why does no one live in the Great Meadow?

5. How does Judith describe Hannah Tupper?

6. Where does Hannah live?

7. What keeps Matthew Wood from having a larger plot in the meadow?

8. What news from the town selectmen does Mercy have for Kit when she returns home from the Great Meadow?

9. How does Kit find the work of weeding the onion patch?

10. Where is the school that Mercy teaches the young children?

11. What happens to Rachel's first son?

Page 15: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 9

1. How many young children are in Mercy's class?

2. How does Kit react to teaching the young children?

3. What does Kit tend to do at the end of each class?

4. What story does Kit have the students act out?

5. How do the Puritans view play-acting?

6. What do the schoolmaster and the reverend do when they come into the class and see

the children playing make-believe?

7. What does Hannah do when she sees Kit crying in the Great Meadow?

8. What about Hannah's physical appearance seems to frighten Kit?

9. Hannah is kind to Kit. What does she do that shows Kit kindness?

10. Where do Hannah and her husband walk from to Wethersfield?

11. Why were Hannah and her husband not allowed to stay in town when they arrived in Connecticut?

12. What is the name of Hannah's husband?

Page 16: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 10

1. What decision does Mr. Kimberly make about closing the school?

2. In Chapter 10, what does Kit tell Mr. Kimberly about the play-acting at the school?

3. How does Rachel respond when she hears about Kit spending time with Hannah?

4. What do the Puritans consider the Quakers?

5. What does Hannah do to raise some money to pay for taxes and fines?

6. Who arrives while Kit is visiting Hannah in Chapter 10?

Page 17: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 11

1. It is summer; what little anonymous gift has Kit been receiving?

2. Why does Prudence's mother think of her?

3. Where does Prudence meet with Kit to learn to read?

4. Where do Kit and Prudence decide to hide the hornbook?

5. How do Prudence and Hannah respond to each other?

6. In Chapter 11, what does Kit notice as John Holbrook reads aloud to the group in the

Woods' house?

Page 18: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 12

1. What food item does Rachel give to Kit to take to Hannah?

2. What is Nat doing when Kit arrives at Hannah's in Chapter 12?

3. What does Kit confess to Nat?

4. What author does Kit discover Nat enjoys reading?

5. How does Matthew react when he learns that Kit has been visiting Hannah?

6. What does Nat insist on doing after dinner at Hannah's?

Page 19: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 13

1. When do the settlers get together to husk the corn?

2. Who is left out again from the corn-husking festivities?

3. What does Judith announce as they are working to husk corn?

4. Whom does John tell Kit he is in love with?

5. What does John think when he hears that Kit has been visiting Hannah?

6. What is Kit's response when William proposes?

Page 20: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 14

1. What does Kit realize one day as she watches her uncle gazing at his land?

2. What about autumn enchants Kit?

3. When the Dolphin is back in port, what does Nat bring back for Hannah?

4. What cargo is Nat's ship carrying in Chapter 14?

5. How does Nat speak to Kit when the Dolphin returns to Wethersfield?

6. What rumor does Nat hear when he returns with the Dolphin to Wethersfield?

Page 21: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 15

1. Who is governor of the Connecticut Colony by Chapter 15?

2. Who hides the charter from the new governor?

3. What does the act of hiding the charter mean to the king?

4. Now that there is a new governor in Connecticut, what will increase?

5. What are those individuals called who are against the rule of the king in the colonies?

6. In response to the new governor, what are some of the colonists calling for?

Page 22: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 16

1. What holiday does the new governor decide to change the date of?

2. What do some rowdy sailors put in the windows of the house William is building?

3. What happens to the young sailors when they are caught in town?

4. What does Kit confide to Hannah when she brings her Nat's gift?

5. What changes in Prudence does the reader see in Chapter 16?

6. When Kit arrives at her aunt's house, what disturbing news does she hear about John

Holbrook?

Page 23: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 17

1. Not long after John's departure, what happens to Judith?

2. Who comes to the Woods' house to help with Mercy in Chapter 17?

3. Why do the townspeople come to Matthew's door saying they are going to get Hannah?

4. Why does Hannah not want to leave her home at first even though Kit tells her of the angry crowd?

5. When Matthew initially hears of the townspeople trying to go after Hannah, how does he respond?

6. Where does Nat think to take Hannah to keep her safe?

Page 24: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 18

1. Who leads the party that has come to arrest Kit?

2. What animal do the townspeople think Hannah has turned herself into in order to escape?

3. Why do the townspeople want to arrest Kit?

4. What "proof" about Kit is found at Hannah's house?

5. Where do they lock Kit when she is arrested?

6. Who comes to visit Kit when she is locked away as a prisoner?

Page 25: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 19

1. What crimes is Kit charged with at her trial?

2. What is the punishment for all of Kit's so-called crimes?

3. How does Kit's trial end?

4. Who tries to defend Kit in court?

5. What does Prudence come to the courtroom to do?

6. How does Mr. Cruff respond when his daughter reads the Bible in front of the

courtroom?

Page 26: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 20

1. What does William's response to Kit's trial make her realize?

2. How does the first snowfall of winter affect Kit?

3. Who comes into town with reports from the militia?

4. Who is there to comfort Judith when there is no news of John Holbrook's fate as a militiaman?

5. With the coming of winter, what is Kit's emotional state?

6. Who is the thin, bedraggled man who suddenly shows up at the Woods' door one winter

night?

Page 27: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Study Guide - Wikispacesmccallwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/guideWitchBlackbirdPond10.pdf · Selected bibliography Calico Captive (1957) The Witch of Blackbird

Short Answer Questions - Chapter 21

1. What joyous event happens for the Woods in April?

2. What is Kit planning on selling to finance her leaving Wethersfield?

3. While out in the meadow one spring day in Chapter 21, what does Kit realize?

4. What month does a new ketch come into dock at Wethersfield?

5. What is the name of the new boat that Nat owns?

6. What is Nat relieved to discover when he returns to Wethersfield with his new ship?