Black like me Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
4.6 out of 5, (11 ratings on Open Library)
Black like me has 7 chapters · 189 pages
Part of the A Signet book series
Regardless of how much progress has been made in eliminating outright racism from American life, Black Like Me endures as a great human and humanitarian document.
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Inside the journal: 7 chapter pages, one question each · 3 example answers · a cover for your reader’s name
Written for this book Questions about this story, good after any chapter.
So far, what have you learned about John Howard Griffin’s plan to darken his skin and travel through the southern United States? Explain what he hopes to understand.See all 7 questions ↓
About the book
Regardless of how much progress has been made in eliminating outright racism from American life, Black Like Me endures as a great human and humanitarian document. In our era, when "international" terrorism is most often defined in terms of a single ethnic designation and a single religion, we need to be reminded that America has been blinded by fear and racial intolerance before.
Buy the book on Amazon ↗ (affiliate link)
Black like me questions by chapter
We know the book, its characters, setting and story, but not what happens in each chapter. So every question is written for this book, and any of them works wherever your reader has just stopped. One question per chapter, across all 7 chapters, and every one is editable before you print. The example answers under 3 of the chapters are the ones printed at the front of the booklet.
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Chapter 1
So far, what have you learned about John Howard Griffin’s plan to darken his skin and travel through the southern United States? Explain what he hopes to understand.
Example answer: I learned that Griffin is a white writer who darkens his skin so that strangers will see him as a Black man. He wants to learn about racism by experiencing how people treat him. I think he hopes to understand things he could miss by only watching or asking questions. His plan shows that he wants to learn about a serious problem.
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Chapter 2
Based on your reading so far, what is one word you would use to describe Griffin? Explain how one of his choices supports your answer.
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Chapter 3
At this point in your reading, what do you predict Griffin will learn next about how Black people are treated in the South? Use a detail you have already read to explain your prediction.
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Chapter 4
What has your reading so far shown about fairness? Describe an example from Griffin’s account and explain how it helps you understand racism, or unfair treatment because of race.
Example answer: I think fairness means treating people with equal respect. Griffin finds that people treat him differently when they believe he is Black. He is still the same person inside, but his darker skin changes how strangers respond to him. This helps me see that racism judges people by race instead of by who they are.
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Chapter 5
Choose a word or phrase from your reading that helps explain segregation, which means keeping people apart because of race. What does it mean, and how does it help you understand the world Griffin describes?
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Chapter 6
From what you have read so far, do you think Griffin’s firsthand experience is a useful way to learn about unfair treatment? Explain your opinion with a detail from the book.
Example answer: I think Griffin’s experience is useful because he feels the effects of unfair treatment himself. After he darkens his skin, people respond to him differently even though his personality has not changed. That makes the unfairness clear to me. Still, I do not think a short trip can teach him everything about another person’s whole life.
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Chapter 7
Looking back over your reading so far, how does another person’s behavior toward Griffin help you understand life in the segregated South? Describe the behavior and what it shows.
Discussion questions for after Black like me
Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.
- How does Griffin’s understanding of racism change during the book? Explain what he learns and which experiences teach him the most. Use details from different parts of the book to support your answer.
- What important message does Black Like Me offer about fairness and human dignity, or every person’s worth? Explain how Griffin’s experiences develop that message. Then describe whom you would recommend the book to and why.
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How to use this Black like me reading journal
At home, as a discussion guide
After each chapter your reader writes a few lines on that chapter’s question. Read the answer together at bedtime: it shows what they understood and gives you something real to talk about, without a quiz.
In class, as a novel study
Print a class set (booklets fold from plain letter paper) and use one question per chapter as the reading-response or literature-circle prompt. The example answers at the front show what a full answer looks like.
Homeschool
One booklet covers the whole book, 7 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for Black like me. Reword any question before printing to match your reader.
Printing
The booklet PDF prints on ordinary 8.5 × 11 paper: print double-sided (flip on the short edge) at 100%, fold the stack in half and staple on the fold. There is also a one-page-per-sheet PDF and A5 binder pages.
Where the questions come from
Questions about this story, good after any chapter. We know the book, its characters, setting and story, but not what happens in each chapter. So every question is written for this book, and any of them works wherever your reader has just stopped. The questions were drafted with AI from what is known about the book and checked before publishing; every one is editable before you print.