Elijah of Buxton Final Project
Directions: Write an article for The Buxton News . As a class we will follow the writing process to plan, write, revise, edit, and publish an article to be put into our own class newspaper. Be sure to use your own words. Plagiarism will result in serious consequences.
1) Setting - find the history and location of Buxton - write an informative article about this settlement.
2) Fiction/ Entertainment - make up a back story based on what you know about one of the main characters. Use your imagination to make the story sound like an informational article about an event that happened in your chosen person
’s life.
 Cooter
 Ma
 Pa
 Mrs. Brown
 Mrs. Holton
 Mr. Leroy
 Preacher
 Mr. Travis
3) Pick one of these historic people to research and write a biographical article about. Be sure to use facts about their life, their significance to this time in history, and a photo.
 Frederick Douglas
 John Brown
 Harriet Tubman
 Abraham Lincoln
4) Research and report on information about the underground railroad. Include information on how slaves and abolitionist were able to communicate where to go and when. Hint: research quilts, songs, and stars
5) Write a letter from Mrs. Chloe to Hope Too-mah-eenee. Write from Mrs. Chloe’s perspective explaining what happened to separate them and advice she has for Chloe as she grows up.
6) In the book, Elijah has to help Mrs. Holton write a tribute to her husband. Pick three of the main characters to write tributes about. Be sure to include examples of strong character that set them apart from the average person. Also, remember specific, detailed word are important. Make sure your message is clear and concise.

Elijah of Buxton Final Project
Directions: Write an article for The Buxton News . As a class we will follow the writing process to plan, write, revise, edit, and publish an article to be put into our own class newspaper. Be sure to use your own words. Plagiarism will result in serious consequences.
7) Report on the traveling show (Carnival of Oddities). Use your imagination to write up an article that highlights some of the main attractions and the costs to get into each show.
Draw some bills to illustrate some of the attractions that might have been part of the traveling show.
8) Write a comparison / contrast essay that illustrates the external conflict of the story
(freedom vs slavery). Be sure to explain the perspectives of people from the community
(former slaves versus people who were born free).
9) Write about Elijah. Explain his internal conflict and describe how he changed throughout the book. Highlight some of the major events that helped Elijah to become strong and not
“fra-gile”.
10) Make a timeline that shows the major events in the rising action. Write a two or three sentence description for each event.
11) Climax. - write a summary (3-5 sentences about the climax of the story). Make inferences about how this addresses the conflicts (internal and external) of the story.
12) Falling Action - write a summary (3-5 sentences) of the falling action. Support how this connects to the theme of the book and brings the w hole story together. Explain Elijah’s perspective of what happened and what affect it had on him.
13) Resolution- write a summary (3-5 sentences) of the falling action. Explain how the whole story came together. What lessons were learned by Elijah and the community. How did everything turn out? What predictions do you have for the community and the main characters in the story?
14) Write a comparison / contrast essay that illustrates the lessons taught by Mr. Travis
(chapter 6) and Mr. Leroy (chapter 7). Be sure to explain the perspectives of both of these people and how their pasts influenced their lessons and how they explained the importance of understanding that “Familiarity Breeds Contempt”.

Elijah of Buxton Final Project
Directions: Write an article for The Buxton News . As a class we will follow the writing process to plan, write, revise, edit, and publish an article to be put into our own class newspaper. Be sure to use your own words. Plagiarism will result in serious consequences.
15) Write a creative historical fiction story that uses all the vocabulary from the packet.
Make sure the words fit naturally and are used within the correct context. Also, make sure that your short story follows a plot line that engages the reader.
16) Part of this story revolves around the importance of getting an education. Elijah and
Cooter spent much of their day at school. Research what schools were like during this time period. Use photos and historic examples to illustrate what school was like for students during this time period.
17) Write a book review of Elijah of Buxton. Rate it using a four star system and be sure to write a summary of the book. You can also give your opinion about the book but support it with examples for the book or your rationale for liking / disliking it.
18) Do an author study on Christopher Curtis. Include biographical information such as when and where he was born, where he gets his inspiration for books, what other books he has written, and other information that readers would find informative.
19) Write a movie review for Night John. Rate it using a four star system and be sure to write a summary of the movie. You can also give your opinion about the movie but support it with examples for the book or your rationale for liking / disliking it.
20) Write a comparative essay about Elijah of Buxton and Night John. There are different themes and characters that could be addressed. Some to include are Elijah and Sarny, freedom versus slavery, and literacy versus illiteracy.