57 pages • 1 hour read
Elizabeth George SpeareThe Witch Of Blackbird Pond
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1958A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Introduction
Teacher Introduction
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
- Genre: Fiction; middle-grade historical
- Originally Published: 1958
- Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 850L; grades 5-8
- Structure/Length: 21 chapters; approximately 272 pages; approximately 6 hours, 24 minutes on audio
- Protagonist/Central Conflict: In 1687, 16-year-old Kit Tyler leaves her home in Barbados after the death of her grandfather to live with relatives in Connecticut. The central conflict revolves around Kit’s struggle to fit into the Puritan community and the suspicion she arouses when she befriends an old woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Religious intolerance; suspected witchcraft; ostracism; brief violence; discussion of enslavement; dated and racially insensitive language
Elizabeth George Speare, Author
- Bio: Born 1908; died 1994; American children’s author; taught English at a private school before becoming a full-time writer; known for her engaging characters and detailed historical settings; works often explore themes of “culture clash” and the transition from childhood to adulthood
- Other Works: Calico Captive (1957); The Bronze Bow (1961); The Sign of the Beaver (1983)
- Awards: Newbery Medal (1959)
CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:
- Caught Between Two Worlds
- The Dangers of Intolerance
- Listen to Your Heart
STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:
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