Lesson Plan: The Broom Dog

Essential Questions

• Where can we find comfort when we are in distress? 
• How can we help someone who is suffering?
• How can we move past a scary experience?

Literature Connection

• Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the story. Then preview the text features by using the following prompts:

• Read the title and subtitle of the story. Look at the image at the beginning. What do you think is happening in this scene? What seems unusual about this moment? The scene shows a crosswalk. A group of kids are crossing it; they have backpacks and notebooks, so we can tell that they’re near a school. One kid looks like he’s falling. Meanwhile, a school bus is approaching the crosswalk and a crossing guard is signaling the kids to stop. Perhaps the most unusual part of the scene is that a custodian is sweeping the street.
• Skim through the story and look at the side bubbles that contain questions. Read the headers, such as “Figurative Language.” Think about how these skills can help you better understand the story. Are there any skills you’re not familiar with? Discuss them with a partner. Answers will vary.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (devastating, heaving, winced, interact, grille) aloud and discuss the definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

• Set the purpose for reading by telling students they will make inferences about “The Broom Dog.” Making an inference means figuring out something that isn’t directly stated by using clues from the text. 
• Note: The first part of the story contains a number of challenging metaphors. Depending on your students’ ability levels, you might want to pause after reading this part to unpack the metaphors. For help, take a look at the ELL Springboard at the end of this lesson plan. While designed for new English speakers, this activity will prove useful for many readers. 

• Read the story aloud to the class. Stop at bold sentences and have students answer the questions in the margins. (Sample answers are below.)
• After each section, ask students to summarize what happened.
• Afterward, discuss the critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (30 minutes)

• Figurative Language (p. 19) Answers will vary. Encourage students to draw from their experiences with school buses to answer the question.
• Inference (p. 19) It doesn’t seem like Canton thought his mom was in any danger. Based on the description, it sounds like he thought of her as a superhero. He seems to have felt confident that with her powers, nothing could possibly harm her.
• Character (p. 19) Ms. Post is a hero in this moment. She shows extreme courage and selflessness by throwing herself in front of a bus to save a boy. 
• Inference (p. 20) One reason Canton and his mom feel differently about the accident might be  that she has to return to work and can’t afford to be afraid, while Canton feels like he’s stuck in the moment when the accident happened. Another reason might be that during the accident, she was in control and Canton wasn’t. She chose to jump in front of the bus, knowing she was putting herself in harm’s way. For Canton, the event was probably more shocking. 
• Inference (p. 20) In this moment, Canton is overwhelmed by emotions. The description that his chest looked “like it would break open” shows how hard he’s breathing. He’s filled with fear and worry about his mother’s safety. You can tell that the accident has had a major effect on him.
• Author’s Craft (p. 20) This visual way of describing Ms. Post’s injury helps the reader understand Canton’s fears. For the first time, he sees his mom as breakable. Calling her shoulder a “sack of broken bone” expresses that idea more clearly than just saying that it was hurt.
• Character’s Motivation (p. 21) Mr. Munch tells Canton the story about his wife because it’s similar to what Canton is going through. His wife worried about her daughter, just like Canton worries about his mom. Mr. Munch probably thinks the story will help Canton see that his feelings are OK and  that it’s possible to move through them.
• Inference (p. 21) Spending time with a pet can help you relax in many ways. First, pets are cute. Just watching a beautiful creature move through the world can be relaxing. Second, pets can be a good distraction. You can play with them, feed them, pet them—activities that force you to pay attention to something other than your feelings. Finally, pets can be good relaxation role models. In general, pets live in the present and don’t worry much.
• Figurative Language (p. 21) With this rhetorical question, Mr. Munch is trying to make the point that dogs are great. 
• Character (p. 21) Mr. Munch is kind, caring, and a good problem solver. The way he squats on the bathroom floor and calms Canton down, as well as the way he takes Canton to Ms. Post and then steps in for her, shows that he is kind. The story Mr. Munch tells about getting his wife a dog and the broom dog he makes for Canton also show Mr. Munch to be kind and helpful.
• Inference (p. 22) Answers will vary. Students might say that the broom dog is like a security blanket or a beloved stuffed animal for a young child—it’s a familiar object that offers security and boosts confidence simply because it has been assigned that purpose. Students might also say that the broom dog reminds Canton of Mr. Munch’s affection and concern for him.
• Character’s Motivation (p. 22) Canton “has” to get to the corner before the first cross because he’s afraid something bad might happen to his mom again. It probably makes him nervous to think of his mom out there on the street when he can’t see her. 
• Inference (p. 22) Canton is getting ideas for his assignment by watching his surroundings. He’s observing the crosswalk while kids are getting out of school.
• Inference (p. 23) Canton seems to have respect and appreciation for the work his mom does. He compares her to a ballerina, which suggests that he finds her movements graceful. He’s proud of his mom.
• Character (p. 23) The fact that Canton lets the broom dog fall from his lap “like he had forgotten it was there” suggests that he’s moving on from his trauma. He used to be terrified of his mom getting hurt, and the broom dog helped calm him down. But now it seems like he doesn’t need the broom dog to feel safe. He’s doing OK on his own.
• Figurative Language (p. 23) Answers will vary. Encourage students to draw on the fact that Canton and his mom are enjoying each other’s company and to think about things that might represent this feeling (e.g., a hug, a comedy show, a family meeting, a party). 

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• The broom dog helps Canton cope with his feelings after his mother’s accident. What are some other things that might help someone in Canton’s situation? (making connections) Answers will vary. Students might suggest talking about difficult feelings with a trusted friend, family member, or counselor. They might also suggest meditation or exercise, both of which can be valuable in dealing with anxiety.
• What does it mean to be brave? How do Canton and Ms. Post show bravery in the story? (theme) Sample answer: Being brave means doing something you’re afraid of because you know it’s the right thing to do. Ms. Post shows bravery when she risks her own safety to save a boy from being hit by a bus. Canton shows bravery by pushing himself to overcome his fears about his mother.

• Have students work in pairs to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout: Inference activity.
• Assign students to work independently on our Elements of Fiction  Skill Builder. (Click here to see all your Skill Builders for this feature.)
• Writing prompt: Complete the writing assignment that Mr. Davanzo gives as homework. “Write about a place. About people. About how they interact.” Like Canton, you may want to take your notebook to a spot in your neighborhood and write down your observations. (You can do this in any way that suits you. You can write a paragraph describing kids on a swing set. You can write a few sentences about people in a grocery store. Or, like Canton, you can watch the activity in a certain area and write short phrases such as “people go off” and “people go on.”)
• Extend the Lesson: Want more from superstar author Jason Reynolds? Check our archive for Action’s compelling Q&A with Jason and for his wonderful poem “Characters.”