Catherine, Called Birdy September–October Reading Comprehension Worksheet | Grade 7 English & Medieval History

Instructions

1. Read only the September and October diary entries of Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman.
2. Answer each question in complete sentences.
3. For Questions 1–5, support every answer with a specific quotation or paraphrase from the September–October entries. Include the diary date or page number when possible.
4. For vocabulary, use clues from the entries before checking a dictionary.
5. In discussion questions, connect Birdy’s experiences to medieval feudalism. Explain your thinking with details from the text.

Learning goals: I can cite textual evidence to support an answer, and I can explain how the diary format develops Birdy’s point of view. These skills align with RL.7.1 and RL.7.6.

Part 1: Comprehension and Textual Evidence

1. Birdy’s View of Marriage

What do Birdy’s words and actions in the September–October entries reveal about her attitude toward marriage and the expectations placed on her? Use evidence from at least two dated entries.

Evidence and explanation:

2. A Day on the Manor

Identify two activities, responsibilities, or events that show what daily life is like on Birdy’s manor. Explain what each detail teaches the reader. Cite the dates of the entries you use.

Evidence and explanation:

3. Birdy and People with Less Power

Choose one person or group in the September–October entries who has less power than Birdy’s father. How does Birdy describe or respond to that person or group? What does this reveal about Birdy’s character or point of view?

Evidence and explanation:

4. Religion and the Calendar

Find a September–October entry that mentions a religious observance, saint’s day, prayer, church activity, or religious belief. How does this detail show the importance of religion in Birdy’s world?

Evidence and explanation:

5. Birdy as Narrator

Birdy does not describe every event in a neutral way. Choose two words, phrases, or details that show her personal opinions or sense of humor. Explain how these details shape the reader’s understanding of the events.

Evidence and explanation:

Part 2: Discussion—Birdy and Medieval Feudalism

Discuss each question with a partner or small group. Write notes that include evidence from the September–October entries.

1. Manor Life

How does Birdy’s daily life show that the manor is a place where people work in different roles and depend on one another? Consider food, chores, farming, servants, animals, and household work.

Discussion notes:

2. Lords, Villeins, and Power

What do the entries suggest about the relationship between a lord and the people who work his land? How are the lives of Birdy’s family members different from the lives of villeins or other workers?

Discussion notes:

3. Expectations for Girls

What are girls expected to learn, do, or accept in Birdy’s society? How do Birdy’s thoughts and behavior fit those expectations, and how does she resist or question them?

Discussion notes:

Part 3: Vocabulary from Context

Use the September–October entries to figure out a likely meaning for each word or phrase. Write a definition in your own words and copy a short context clue or describe the clue that helped you.

1. villein

Meaning from context: __

Context clue: __

2. privy

Meaning from context: __

Context clue: __

3. saint’s day

Meaning from context: __

Context clue: __

4. reeve

Meaning from context: __

Context clue: __

5. tithe

Meaning from context: __

Context clue: __

Part 4: Short Response—The Power of the Diary

What does the diary format let us know about Birdy that a regular third-person story might not? Explain how her private thoughts, word choices, humor, complaints, or changing feelings help the reader understand her point of view. Use at least two details from the September–October entries.

Optional Challenge

Choose one September–October entry and rewrite it as a short paragraph from the point of view of another person on the manor. Then explain one important difference between that character’s point of view and Birdy’s.

Answer Key

Sample Answers: Comprehension Questions

Answers may vary when they use accurate evidence from the September–October entries. Students should identify the entry date or page number and explain how the evidence supports the answer.

1. Birdy’s view of marriage: Birdy presents marriage as something adults arrange for her rather than a choice she controls. Her complaints, jokes, and fearful or angry reactions show that she values independence and does not simply accept the role chosen for her. Strong answers cite at least two entries in which she discusses marriage, family pressure, or what is expected of her.

2. A day on the manor: Strong answers identify two concrete activities or responsibilities from the entries, such as household work, religious observances, preparing for visitors or events, caring for people or animals, or dealing with the work of the estate. The explanation should connect these details to the fact that manor life depends on many kinds of labor. Evidence should come from two dated entries when possible.

3. Birdy and people with less power: A strong response may discuss villeins, servants, workers, or another person whose choices are limited by social rank. Birdy’s description may show sympathy, curiosity, impatience, humor, or a mixture of these feelings. The answer must cite a specific interaction or description and explain what it reveals about Birdy’s attitudes.

4. Religion and the calendar: A strong response explains that religious observances help organize time and community life. References to a saint’s day, prayer, church, fasting, or another religious practice show that faith is part of everyday routines rather than separate from ordinary life. The student should identify the relevant dated entry and explain its importance.

5. Birdy as narrator: Strong answers identify specific informal, humorous, exaggerated, or judgmental wording. These choices show that the story is filtered through Birdy’s personality, not presented as an objective report. A complete answer explains how her word choices make the reader share her frustration, amusement, confusion, or criticism.

Sample Vocabulary Answers

• villein: A peasant who is legally tied to a lord’s land and owes work or payments to that lord.
• privy: A small outside toilet or latrine.
• saint’s day: A religious feast day honoring a particular saint.
• reeve: An official or manager who oversees work and responsibilities on a manor.
• tithe: A portion of goods or income, traditionally one-tenth, given to support the church.

Sample Short Response

The diary format lets readers hear Birdy’s private thoughts directly instead of receiving only an outside narrator’s description. Her jokes, complaints, strong opinions, and changes in mood show how she interprets the people and rules around her. A regular third-person story might tell us what Birdy does, but the diary shows what she thinks about marriage, manor life, religion, and the expectations placed on girls. Specific entries from September and October reveal that her point of view is personal, observant, and sometimes biased.