Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. When you think of the Civil Rights movement, what historical figures come to mind?

Teaching Suggestion: This novel provides context for readers about figures like Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, and Martin Luther King, Jr. However, it may be useful to provide additional context for understanding the novel’s themes of The Relevance of Black History Today and Racism Towards the Black Community in the United States. Students might briefly investigate individually or in small groups historical figures whose names are mentioned in response to this open-ended question, then share information in a follow-up discussion.

• The Jim Crow Museum has assembled a timeline of events throughout the Civil Rights Movement.
• The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) lists a number of Civil Rights leaders and short biographies.

2. Have you ever heard of the Jim Crow era? How were the lives of African Americans different before the Civil Rights movement?

Teaching Suggestion: So much of Clean Getaway centers around Scoob understanding how The Relevance of Black History Today affects his own life.