Clean Getaway

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. He learns how the bias levied against his grandfather and his grandparents because of their interracial relationship impacted his family. Much of his journey involves connecting larger trends and currents during Jim Crow and the Civil Rights movement to the lived experience of Black Americans (e.g., he learns the intent of the Green Book, and he realizes that G’ma would’ve attended an all-white school because segregation was still in place during her childhood).

• “Behind the Veil” is a collection of oral histories detailing life in the Jim Crow Era.

Short Activity

Choose a slip of paper from a basket. On each one is the name of a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Then, visit the Civil Rights Leaders page on the NAACP’s website and read about your chosen person.

Prepare a brief presentation in which you share the following information:

• Who is this person? When were they born? When did they die?
• What are they most known for?
• Why is it important to learn about them?

Teaching Suggestion:  During each presentation, the previous presenter might record the speaker’s key points in a notebook. At the end of the class, the notebook could be placed in a common location for reference as the class reads Clean Getaway. You might model the activity of notetaking for the first presenter, or select a volunteer to begin the notebook.

Differentiation Suggestion: With students who may be particularly nervous presenting, who have difficulties speaking, or who are hard of hearing, you might forego the oral presentation and instead allow students to complete a series of biographical info-sheets for one or more historical figure (s). These info-sheets can be compiled together as a resource to be used during reading.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Have you or someone you know ever wanted to make a “clean getaway” and have a fresh start? Why?

Teaching Suggestion: At the start of the novel, both Scoob and G’ma want to escape Atlanta. Scoob is fleeing his troubles at school and the difficulties he’s experiencing with his father. G’ma is racked with guilt and wants to make one last journey before she passes away. Students might be encouraged to think about the motivations that prompt one’s desire to flee and why a person might believe that getting away is the only option. Students might analyze and discuss the reasons for a person to stay and work through challenges rather than make a “clean getaway.”

Differentiation Suggestion: An option for musical or verbal-linguistic students might be writing lyrics or a poem expressing their feelings in response to this prompt.