The historical fiction novel Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis, is the story of ten year old orphan Bud's quest to try to find his father in Michigan during the Great Depression. Bud may be an orphan on the lam from a cruel foster home, but he's on a mission. His mother died before revealing who his father was, but she left a clue: posters of Herman E. Calloway and his famous jazz band. With the help of a kind librarian, Bud sets out to hit the road and find his father. It is often difficult for students to discern fact from the author's fiction in historical fiction. This collection will provide background knowledge of the history behind the story.

Targeted Vocabulary: Orphan, migrant, segregation, mission, soup kitchen, Pullman Porter, Redcap, Negro Baseball League, shanty, Hooverville, jazz, and Great Depression

Student partners or small groups each select an artifact to research and present to the class. This may be done before staring the novel, after sections of the story, or after completing the novel.