Dear Martin

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. Who calls Justyce at 3am while spending the night at Manny’s house?

2. What is Justyce’s mother’s advice about what to do when confronted by police?

3. In the first dated entry where Justyce writes to Dr. King, he mentions what Black teen who was killed by a white police officer in Nevada?

4. Why does Justyce ask Manny to play a different video game in Chapter 2?

5. Who is Quan Banks?

Short-Answer Response

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What notable event happens to Manny’s cousin that shocks Justyce?

2. In Chapter 3, why does Doc Dray caution Justyce that the topic for that day’s debate class might “hit a nerve”?

3. In Chapter 4, what behavior does Manny display that makes Justyce think that though “these fools might not ‘see’ Manny ‘as black,’” the police certainly would?

Paired Resource

“Dear Martin: Exploring the Why | Nic Stone”

• In this brief clip from the Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau, author Nic Stone describes the motivations that led her to write Dear Martin.
• She says she wanted to find out the “why” behind violence against young Black men.
• What does Stone say how Dr. King’s teachings have been used by the opposition against peaceful protests? Why is this important to note?

“The Death of Jordan Davis: A Family’s Search for Justice”

• Stone cites the murder of a 17-year-old young Black man named Jordan Davis in 2012 as one of the inspirations behind Dear Martin.
• This 20-minute clip from WNYC Studios announces the release of the documentary on Jordan Davis entitled “3 ½ Minutes, Ten Bullets” and goes over key details in Davis’s murder and his family’s current search for meaning after his death.

Part 1, “September 18” - Chapter 7

Reading Check

1. Justyce writes to Dr. King that there are people who, when they look at Justyce, see a man with no what?

2. Jared suggests that his group of friends dress up as what for Halloween in order to make a statement about equality?

3. What are Tyler and Kyle for Halloween, respectively?

4. In Justyce’s November 1 letter to Dr. King, he wonders if showing up to the Halloween party with white kids (including one dressed as a Klansman) makes him what?

5. Justyce learns of his admission to what college in Chapter 6?

Short-Answer Response

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Justyce’s mother react when Justyce says he can’t seem to find where he “fits” in school?

2. After the disagreement between Jared and Trey at the Halloween party, why do Justyce and Manny share a moment of understanding?

3. Why does Jared suggest the class talk about affirmative action in Chapter 7 and what is his overall opinion on it?

Paired Resource

“Affirmative Action on the Chopping Block?”

• As outlined in this Diverse Issues in Higher Education article, the United States Supreme Court, in spring of 2022, was expected to soon rule on whether or not affirmative action admissions programs are lawful.
• If you were on the Supreme Court, how would you vote on race-conscious admissions programs?

Part 1, “December 13” - Chapter 10

Reading Check

1. Why does Justyce say he cannot date a white girl like SJ?

2. What does SJ suggest they argue about at their debate tournament?

3. What are Justyce and SJ doing as their names are announced as state champions at the debate tournament?

4. In his January 13 letter to Dr. King, why does Justyce say he is having trouble eating, sleeping, and focusing?

5. How does SJ avoid being kissed by Justyce?

Short-Answer Response

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Justyce writes to Dr. King that Jared and Trey represent two opposing forces in his life. What are those forces?

2. Why is Manny worried about going to Morehouse College?

3. Why does Justyce call Manny a “sellout” in Chapter 10?

Paired Resource

“Superpredator: The Media Myth That Demonized a Generation of Black Youth”

• The Marshall Project explains the history of the term “superpredator,” which originated in the 1990s and was often applied to young Black men
• How does the idea of a “superpredator” tie into Dear Martin’s messaging on The Impact of Appearances on People’s Assumptions and Perceptions?

Part 1, “January 19”- Chapter 14

Reading Check

1. Justyce writes to Dr. King that people tend to view him as a “_____ instead of a _____”? Fill in the blanks.

2. Doc gives Justyce what beverage to help with his hangover?

3. Justyce admits to Doc that his father suffered from what psychological conditions after leaving the military?

4. What two injuries does Manny have when he appears at Justyce’s dorm in Chapter 12?

5. What’s the sole action that happens in Chapter 14?

Short-Answer Response

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why doesn’t Justyce feel bad about what he did at Blake’s house?

2. What is the perspective that Doc offers when Justyce talks about the qualms he has about Manny and the way he ignores the racist behaviors of their white classmates?

3. What happens in Chapter 13 that makes Manny decide he has had enough “bending over backwards to appease white people”?

Paired Resource

“3 ½ Minutes, Ten Bullets” – Official Trailer”

• This is the official trailer for the documentary about Jordan Davis, the 17-year old young Black man who was killed after playing his music too loudly
• The shooter, Michael Dunn, claimed he shot Davis in self-defense, despite never having seen a gun in Davis’s hands. What does this tell us about The Impact of Appearances on People’s Assumptions and Perceptions, particularly for young Black men?

Part 2, “Transcript from evening news, January 25” - “VP Released for Rabble-Rousing”

Reading Check

1. What is the name of the shooter, as described in the “Transcript from evening news, January 26”?

2. What critical information does Justyce reveal to Dr. King in the February 1 entry?

3. After the funeral service, who enters the bathroom as SJ comes out?

4. According to Dr. Rivers, who is asking that Justyce visit them in Chapter 16?

5. According to Quan, “resistance is _____”? Fill in the blank.

Short-Answer Response

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Justyce partially blame Jared and his father for Manny’s death?

2. What does a grand jury decide about Garrett Tison, and why is this significant when compared with other recent cases?

3. What is the significance of Justyce being shown in his “Thug Extraordinaire” costume on the news report about Manny’s killing?

Paired Resource

“Media Bias Delegitimizes Black-rights Protesters”

• In this Nature piece, a linguistic analysis of recent protests shows how bias that undermines the civil rights movement is woven into media coverage.
• This analysis shows what (often stigmatizing) narratives are being “presented to and adopted by the public” around Black-rights protests, including the Black Lives Matters protests.

Part 2, Chapter 19 - “Four Months Later”

Reading Check

1. What bus does Justyce ride in the opening of Chapter 19, on his way to his old neighborhood?

2. When Justyce reaches the Friedman’s house in Chapter 20, what subject is SJ studying?

3. In the May 21 news transcript, what is reportedly happening to Garrett Tison’s house?

4. What personal fact about Justyce is accidentally revealed to his mother when the police come to question Justyce about a recent crime in the neighborhood?

5. Who is Mr. Rentzen?

Short-Answer Response

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is the irony in Justyce visiting his old neighborhood?

2. Why does Justyce thank Dr. King in his August 25 letter?

3. What unexpected thing is revealed about Jared at the end of the novel, and what is its significance?

Recommended Next Reads

Dear Justyce

• Dear Justyce is the sequel to Dear Martin, told from the perspective of Quan Banks, who is currently in prison for allegedly shooting and killing a police officer.
• The book continues Stone’s exploration of The Effect of Opposing Forces on Self-Motivation and Self-Worth and The Impact of Appearances on People’s Assumptions and Perceptions.
• Dear Justyce on SuperSummary

“not an elegy for Mike Brown”

• A poem by the Black, queer poet Danez Smith, from his collection Don’t Call Us Dead
• This poem is a direct response to the murder of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was fatally shot by a white police officer.
• The poem deals with issues of police brutality and the erasure of Black humanity.
• “not an elegy for Mike Brown” on SuperSummary