WHILE YOU READ OR LISTEN
As you listen to Satchmo tell about his master plan, consider what it actually is that he’s trying to do. Write one sentence to explain why Satchmo created this elaborate plan.
LEARN MORE
Satchmo is named Louis Armstrong, a jazz trumpeter his grandmother loved. “The story goes that Louis was nicknamed Stachmo because he had such a big mouth, a ‘satchel mouth.'” Listen to Louis Armstrong play and sing a popular jazz tune called When the Saints Go Marching In, then learn more about his long career and impact on jazz at the Smithsonian’s website for kids.
THINK AND WRITE
Satchmo’s master plan is all about getting home without being bit by a dog. His plan involves jumping fences, climbing cars, and even swimming through the neighbor’s pool. With a friend or a family member, come up with your own master plan. You could try:
- getting from one end of the room to the other without touching the floor
- sneaking silently through a room without being noticed
- walking across the house with a book balanced on your head
First, write your plan down like Satchmo does. Then, try and execute it! Does everything go according to plan? Do you have to make back-up plans, like Satchmo does?
Want a more difficult writing challenge? Write a story or a poem about a character who faces their fear. Where does this fear come from? How does your character react when they’re afraid? At the end of Satchmo’s Master Plan, Satchmo realizes Mr. Jerry’s new dog is friendly, not scary. Is your character right to be afraid, or will they be surprised like Satchmo is?
WRITE. RIGHT. RITE.
Satchmo imagines an elaborate scheme to avoid a dog to help himself feel less afraid. Some people carry good luck charms like four leaf clovers or a rabbit’s foot to feel more secure. Can you create your own good luck charm? Listen to Jason Reynolds, then write!
TALK
Satchmo says that any dog bigger than a football “caused his back to tighten. Made his heart bark.” What emotion is Satchmo feeling there? How do these descriptions make you feel, as the reader? Does Satchmo’s game plan make you feel excited, nervous, scared?
THINK DEEPER
Consider something that you fear. Is it rational to fear it? If not, can you free yourself from that fear? If it is rational, can you lessen that fear so it doesn’t consume you?
LOOK BOTH WAYS
Satchmo is afraid of dogs due to a previous experience. At the end of the chapter, we don’t know for sure, but it seems like he’ll have the chance to overcome his fear with a different dog in a different situation. Have you ever had a bad experience that caused you to fear something? What have you found that helps you face your fear?
