Black & white bird's eye view photo of Alcatraz
Background illustration by Gary Hanna; Photo by Corinne Dollison Edwards
Paired Texts,

Growing Up on Alcatraz

For decades, this island was home to America’s toughest prison—and most dangerous criminals. Dozens of children lived there too. Why?

By Talia Cowen
From the April 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: to synthesize key ideas from a nonfiction article, a sidebar, and two poems

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose
    A nonfiction article about the kids who grew up on Alcatraz Island is paired with two poems about the island. Each poem is written from a different perspective.
  • Language Conventionality and Clarity
    Vocabulary: The article contains higher-level vocabulary words such as administrator, conclusive, incarcerated, infamous, interactions, notorious, reassure, uninhabited.
  • Knowledge Demands
    The article refers to San Francisco, California, Indiana, Texas, Indigenous peoples like the Ohlone and Miwok, Al Capone, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Lexiles: 950L, 760L
Featured Skill: Synthesis,
Other Key Skills: key ideas and details, figurative language, compare and contrast, text structure, perspective, tone, author’s purpose
Common Core Standards
  • Anchor Standards
    R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.5, R.6, R.7, R.9, W.2, SL.1
  • Grade 6
    RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.3, RI.6.4, RI.6.5, RI.6.6, RI.6.7, RI.6.9,W.6.2, SL.6.1
  • Grade 7
    RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.3, RI.7.4, RI.7.5, RI.7.6, RI.7.7, W.7.2, SL.7.1
  • Grade 8
    RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.4, W.8.2, W.8.4, RI.8.5, RI.8.6, RI.8.7,W.2, SL.8.1
TEKS Standards
  • Grades 6, 7, 8
    1c, 1d, 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h, 5i, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 6j, 8d, 8f, 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, 9f, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 12d, 12e, 12f, 12g, 12i, 12j

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Reading Level

  • 950L
  • 760L
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Reading Level (760L)
AS YOU READ

How did Jolene feel about living on Alcatraz?

Growing Up on Alcatraz

For decades, this island was home to America’s toughest prison—and most dangerous criminals. Dozens of children lived there too. Why?

By Talia Cowen

courtesy of Jolene Babyak

Jolene Babyak

It was early in the morning on June 12, 1962, and 15-year-old Jolene Babyak was asleep in her bed. 

Jolene’s house was perched on a small rocky island called Alcatraz in the middle of San Francisco Bay. As she slept, the gentle sounds of lapping waves and squawking seagulls drifted through her window. 

Suddenly, an ear-splitting siren jolted Jolene awake. 

Jolene knew exactly what that siren meant: An inmate had escaped from Alcatraz Prison—the federal penitentiary that stood a few hundred feet from her house. Alcatraz wasn’t just any prison either. It was the toughest in the country, where America’s most violent criminals were incarcerated. 

So what was Jolene doing there? For Jolene—and dozens of other kids—the island of Alcatraz was home.

It was early in the morning of June 12, 1962. Fifteen-year-old Jolene Babyak was asleep in her bed. 

Jolene lived on Alcatraz, a small rocky island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. As she slept, the sounds of waves and seagulls drifted through her window. 

Suddenly, a siren jolted Jolene awake. 

She knew what that siren meant: An inmate had escaped from Alcatraz prison. The federal penitentiary stood a few hundred feet from her house. It was the toughest prison in the country. America’s most violent criminals were incarcerated there.

So why was Jolene there? For Jolene—and dozens of other kids—the island of Alcatraz was home. 

Escape-Proof

Escape-Proof

For thousands of years, Alcatraz was an uninhabited rocky island, about a mile from shore. Indigenous peoples like the Ohlone and the Miwok paddled canoes there to fish and collect bird eggs. 

After 1848, when gold was discovered in California, the small town of San Francisco ballooned into a busy city, and in 1854, a lighthouse was built on Alcatraz to guide ships in and out of the bay. A few years later, the island became home to a fort and a military prison.

But soon the island would have a new use.

In the 1930s, crime in America was on the rise, and government officials wanted to reassure Americans that they were safe. So in 1934, Alcatraz was turned into a maximum-security prison for the country’s most dangerous criminals.

Nicknamed “the Rock,” the prison was built to be escape-proof. Armed guards kept watch 24/7 from tall metal towers surrounding the prison. Inmates followed strict rules and schedules, with multiple head counts every day. Communication with the outside world was severely restricted, though each cell contained headphones that played preapproved radio stations. Breaking even a small rule could lead to harsh punishment—like being locked in a tiny concrete room called “the Hole,” separated from everyone.

For thousands of years, Alcatraz was an uninhabited island. Indigenous peoples like the Ohlone and the Miwok paddled canoes there to fish and collect bird eggs. 

After 1848, when gold was discovered in California, the small town of San Francisco ballooned into a busy city. In 1854, a lighthouse was built on Alcatraz. It guided ships in and out of the bay. A few years later, the island became home to a fort and a military prison.

But soon the island would have a new use.

In the 1930s, crime in America was on the rise. Government officials wanted to reassure Americans that they were safe. So in 1934, Alcatraz was turned into a maximum-security prison for the country’s most dangerous criminals.

The prison was built to be escape-proof. It was nicknamed “the Rock.” Armed guards kept watch 24/7 from tall metal towers. Inmates followed strict rules. There were multiple head counts every day. Communication with the outside world was restricted. However, the prisoners did have headphones that played preapproved radio stations. Breaking even a small rule could lead to harsh punishment—like being locked in a tiny concrete room called “the Hole.”

Shutterstock.com

Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Escaping Alcatraz was said to be impossible. Over 29 years, 36 men tried to break free. Most were caught or killed in the attempt. Inmates lived in tiny cells (like the ones shown above) under near-constant watch.

A Beautiful Home

A Beautiful Home

Jolene’s family moved to Alcatraz in 1954, when her father got a job there as a prison administrator. Jolene was 7 years old at the time—and she fell in love with her new home right away.

The small town in Indiana where Jolene moved from was flat, quiet, and hundreds of miles from any ocean. Alcatraz was different. On clear days, the sun danced and sparkled on the ocean waves. All around were sweeping views of the bustling San Francisco Bay and the bright-orange Golden Gate Bridge.

“It was like going from black-and-white to full color,” remembers Jolene, who is now 77. 

The island even had a bowling alley and a large playground. Between flying kites and playing baseball, Jolene quickly made friends with the children of the guards and other staff members who operated the prison. 

“The playground was like the village square,” Jolene says. “Kids would just meet up and play with whoever was there.”

Jolene’s family moved to Alcatraz in 1954. Her father got a job as a prison administrator. Jolene was 7 years old at the time. She fell in love with her new home right away.

Jolene had moved from a small town in Indiana. It was flat, quiet, and hundreds of miles from any ocean. Alcatraz was different. On clear days, the sun sparkled on the ocean waves. All around were views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

“It was like going from black-and-white to full color,” remembers Jolene, who is now 77. 

The island had a bowling alley and a large playground. Between flying kites and playing baseball, Jolene quickly made friends with the children of the guards and other staff members. 

“The playground was like the village square,” Jolene says. “Kids would just meet up and play with whoever was there.”

Jim McMahon/Mapman ®

Strict Rules

Strict Rules

In many ways, life on Alcatraz wasn’t so different from life elsewhere in America. In the summer, kids would slurp melting ice cream purchased at the island’s one tiny store. They went trick-or-treating at each other’s houses on Halloween and sang Christmas carols together in the winter. On sunny days, Jolene loved catching crabs and fishing for striped bass off the jagged cliffs.

But living next to the country’s most notorious prison had some downsides. Kids who lived on Alcatraz over the years had to follow many rules. In fact, some kids complained that they had more rules than the inmates. For example, visits from friends who lived off the island had to be approved by prison officials, and kids weren’t allowed to play with toy weapons. Instead, they battled using bananas and sticks. 

Each morning, the children of Alcatraz boarded a boat to San Francisco to attend school. When they got back, they had to go through a metal detector to make sure they weren’t sneaking in anything that an inmate could use as a weapon. 

Kids were strictly forbidden from talking to their prisoner neighbors. Still, interactions with inmates sometimes happened. And when they did, kids traded stories of their encounters like valuable baseball cards. 

Roy Chandler, who was 10 when he moved to Alcatraz for his father’s job as a guard, boasted about shaking the hand of one of America’s most feared gangsters: Al “Scarface” Capone. The encounter took place in the prison’s medical clinic, where Roy was receiving treatment for asthma.

But most of the time, kids like Jolene would forget that they lived shoulder to shoulder with America’s infamous lawbreakers. 

“I rarely saw prisoners and paid little attention to them when I did,” Jolene says.

Then came the morning of June 12, 1962, when the siren screamed across the island.

In many ways, life on Alcatraz wasn’t so different from life elsewhere in America. In the summer, kids ate ice cream from the island’s one tiny store. They went trick-or-treating on Halloween. They sang Christmas carols. On sunny days, Jolene loved catching crabs and fishing for striped bass.

But living next to the country’s most notorious prison had some downsides. The kids had to follow many rules. Some kids complained that they had more rules than the inmates. For example, prison officials had to approve visits from friends who lived off the island. And kids weren’t allowed to play with toy weapons. Instead, they battled using bananas and sticks. 

Each morning, the children of Alcatraz boarded a boat to San Francisco to attend school. When they got back, they had to go through a metal detector. It checked for things an inmate could use as a weapon. 

Kids were forbidden from talking to the prisoners. Still, interactions with inmates sometimes happened. Kids traded stories of their encounters like valuable baseball cards. 

Roy Chandler was 10 when he moved to Alcatraz for his father’s job as a guard. He boasted about shaking the hand of Al “Scarface” Capone. He was one of America’s most feared gangsters. The encounter happened in the prison’s medical clinic where Roy had been receiving treatment for asthma.

But most of the time, kids like Jolene forgot that they lived near America’s infamous lawbreakers. 

“I rarely saw prisoners and paid little attention to them when I did,” Jolene says.

Then came the morning of June 12, 1962, when the siren screamed across the island.

After the Escape

After the Escape

Jolene had never experienced an escape before. But she’d been told what to do. Heart thumping in her chest, she peeked under her bed and opened up closets to make sure no inmates were hiding there. Meanwhile, her friends were doing the same in their own homes.

Jolene remembers the tension in the hours that followed. 

“No one knew if the three men were still on the island or if they were really gone,” she recalls. 

Guards searched the prison grounds, the cliffs, and the bone-chilling waters around Alcatraz. The three inmates who broke out that night—Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin—were never found. Jolene believes they likely drowned trying to escape. But there’s never been any conclusive proof. To this day, no one knows for certain what happened to them.

Jolene had never experienced an escape before. But she’d been told what to do. She peeked under her bed to make sure no inmates were hiding there. She opened up her closets too. 

Jolene remembers the tension in the hours that followed. 

“No one knew if the three men were still on the island or if they were really gone,” she recalls. 

Guards searched the prison grounds. They searched the cliffs and the freezing waters around Alcatraz. 

The three inmates who broke out that night—Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin—were never found. Jolene thinks they drowned trying to escape. But there’s never been any conclusive proof. To this day, no one knows what happened to them.

Moving Out

Moving Out

Just a few months after the breakout, Alcatraz closed. It had become too expensive to operate. Its 250 inmates were sent to other prisons across America to serve the rest of their sentences. Eventually, the island was turned into a landmark. Today more than 1 million tourists visit it each year. 

So what about the children of Alcatraz? 

By November 1963, they had all moved out. Jolene and her family went to Texas, where her father took a job at another prison. But she and so many of the other kids who grew up on Alcatraz never forgot their time there. For decades, Jolene and her friends met up once a year to talk about their childhoods. Jolene became an Alcatraz historian and wrote several books about the island. 

She still remembers her time on the Rock fondly. “It was the most beautiful home I’ve ever had,” she says.

A few months after the breakout, Alcatraz closed. It had become too expensive to operate. Its 250 inmates were sent to other prisons. Later, the island was turned into a landmark. Today more than 1 million tourists visit it each year. 

So what about the children of Alcatraz? 

By November 1963, they had all moved out. Jolene and her family went to Texas. But she and many of the other kids who grew up on Alcatraz never forgot their time there. For decades, Jolene and her friends met up once a year to talk about their childhoods. Jolene became an Alcatraz historian. She wrote several books about the island. 

She still remembers her time on the Rock fondly. “It was the most beautiful home I’ve ever had,” she says.

Eloi_Omella/Getty Images

Today Alcatraz is one of San Francisco’s top tourist attractions.

The Isle of Alcatraz 

By Esther Faulk

By Esther Faulk

Briend Garcia/Shutterstock.com

The Isle of Alcatraz
(As Seen From the Outside)

Staunch and alone in the bay,
Like a fortress grim,
Lashed by angry waves,
Which no man can swim,
Stands the Isle of Alcatraz.

Day by day the ships go by,
Passing on they anchor not,
Merely gaze with solemn wonder,
At that forbidden spot,
Lonely Isle of Alcatraz.

Sailing thru the Golden Gate,
Ships from foreign lands,
Glimpse with scorn upon the rock,
Where the prison stands,
Unwelcome Isle of Alcatraz.

Little children fear it,
Bad men live there, they are told,
Old folks shudder at the thought,
Of those prisoners bold,
Grim old Isle of Alcatraz.

Thus it stands in Frisco Bay,
Where the waters cold,
Dash and beat in fury,
Against the challenger bold,
Defiant Isle of Alcatraz.

No fame or honor it attains,
No name of high degree,
Thus daily it sees the ships,
pass on into the sea,
Unfamed Isle of Alcatraz.

Staunch and alone in the bay,
Like a fortress grim,
Lashed by angry waves,
Which no man can swim,
Stands the Isle of Alcatraz.

Day by day the ships go by,
Passing on they anchor not,
Merely gaze with solemn wonder,
At that forbidden spot,
Lonely Isle of Alcatraz.

Sailing thru the Golden Gate,
Ships from foreign lands,
Glimpse with scorn upon the rock,
Where the prison stands,
Unwelcome Isle of Alcatraz.

Little children fear it,
Bad men live there, they are told,
Old folks shudder at the thought,
Of those prisoners bold,
Grim old Isle of Alcatraz.

Thus it stands in Frisco Bay,
Where the waters cold,
Dash and beat in fury,
Against the challenger bold,
Defiant Isle of Alcatraz.

No fame or honor it attains,
No name of high degree,
Thus daily it sees the ships,
pass on into the sea,
Unfamed Isle of Alcatraz.

The Isle of Alcatraz
(As Seen by Those Who Live There)

Out in Frisco’s bay of beauty,
High above the lashing waves,
Like a battleship on duty,
Guarding well the Golden Gate,
Stands the Isle of Alcatraz.

Sounds of footsteps hurrying homeward,
At the close of day,
Happy voices, children’s laughter,
Echo out across the bay,
From the Isle of Alcatraz.

Cozy homes where love abides,
Where ease and comfort welcomes one,
Where a loved one homeward strides,
When his day at work is done.
Welcome Isle of Alcatraz.

The passing ships will never know,
The beauty of its cliffs,
Where poppies and sweet flowers grow,
Where beauty lies in secret spots,
Beautiful Isle of Alcatraz.

It cares not for praise or fame,
From the world without,
It cares only to attain,
Praise from those within,
Peaceful Isle of Alcatraz.

Ships may come and pass you by,
But you stand in all your glory,
Lift your regal head up high,
We who know you love you,
Our own dear Isle of Alcatraz.

Out in Frisco’s bay of beauty,
High above the lashing waves,
Like a battleship on duty,
Guarding well the Golden Gate,
Stands the Isle of Alcatraz.

Sounds of footsteps hurrying homeward,
At the close of day,
Happy voices, children’s laughter,
Echo out across the bay,
From the Isle of Alcatraz.

Cozy homes where love abides,
Where ease and comfort welcomes one,
Where a loved one homeward strides,
When his day at work is done.
Welcome Isle of Alcatraz.

The passing ships will never know,
The beauty of its cliffs,
Where poppies and sweet flowers grow,
Where beauty lies in secret spots,
Beautiful Isle of Alcatraz.

It cares not for praise or fame,
From the world without,
It cares only to attain,
Praise from those within,
Peaceful Isle of Alcatraz.

Ships may come and pass you by,
But you stand in all your glory,
Lift your regal head up high,
We who know you love you,
Our own dear Isle of Alcatraz.

Used with permission by Ruth Wyley.

Used with permission by Ruth Wyley.

Esther Faulk moved to Alcatraz in 1934. Her husband worked in the prison, and theirs was one of the first families to move to the island when it became a prison. They raised three children there, remaining on Alcatraz for almost 20 years.

Esther Faulk moved to Alcatraz in 1934. Her husband worked in the prison, and theirs was one of the first families to move to the island when it became a prison. They raised three children there, remaining on Alcatraz for almost 20 years.

Esther Faulk moved to Alcatraz in 1934. Her husband worked in the prison, and theirs was one of the first families to move to the island when it became a prison. They raised three children there, remaining on Alcatraz for almost 20 years.

Esther Faulk moved to Alcatraz in 1934. Her husband worked in the prison, and theirs was one of the first families to move to the island when it became a prison. They raised three children there, remaining on Alcatraz for almost 20 years.

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Balzer + Bray

Writing Contest 

Compare Esther Faulk’s two poems. How is Alcatraz presented in each? Based on Cowen’s article, which view of Alcatraz did Jolene have? Answer both questions in an essay. Use text evidence to support your ideas. Entries must be submitted to Alcatraz Contest by a teacher, parent, or legal guardian.* Three winners will each get a copy of Unsolved Case Files: Jailbreak at Alcatraz by Tom Sullivan.

*Entries must be written by a student in grades 4-12 and submitted by their teacher, parent, or legal guardian, who will be the entrant and must be a legal resident of the U.S. age 18 or older. See Contest Page for details.


Writing Contest

Compare Esther Faulk’s two poems. How is Alcatraz presented in each? Based on Cowen’s article, which view of Alcatraz did Jolene have? Answer both questions in an essay. Use text evidence to support your ideas. Entries must be submitted to Alcatraz Contest by a teacher, parent, or legal guardian.* Three winners will each get a copy of Unsolved Case Files: Jailbreak at Alcatraz by Tom Sullivan.

*Entries must be written by a student in grades 4-12 and submitted by their teacher, parent, or legal guardian, who will be the entrant and must be a legal resident of the U.S. age 18 or older. See Contest Page for details.

This article was originally published in the April 2024 issue.

This article was originally published in the  April 2024 issue.

video (1)
Audio ()
Activities (6)
Preparing to Read
Reading and Discussing
Skill-Building Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Audio ()
Activities (6)
Preparing to Read
Reading and Discussing
Skill-Building Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Download the Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Prepare to Read

2. Read and Discuss

3. Beyond the Story

4. Write About It

5. Connected Reading

Essential Questions: What makes a place a home? What forms our perceptions of how others live? Is there a “correct” way to view a place?

Essential Questions: What makes a place a home? What forms our perceptions of how others live? Is there a “correct” way to view a place?

1. PREPARE TO READ (20 MINUTES)

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

  • Give students a few minutes to preview the headlines, subheads, photographs, captions, and map that accompany the article and poems. Project the following questions on your whiteboard and ask students to work in small groups or independently to respond to them.

    • What place will be discussed in the article and poems? Have you heard of this place before? If so, what do you know about it?

    • Why do you think young people are pictured in some of the photos?

    • What do you think will be the difference between the two poems?

    • Based on what you saw in the text features, what do you hope you’ll learn in these texts? 

  • Invite volunteers to share their responses.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Project the Google Slides version of Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice on your whiteboard. Review the definitions and complete the activity as a class. Highlighted words: administrator, conclusive, incarcerated, infamous, interactions, notorious, reassure, uninhabited. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud of the definitions are embedded on the slides. Optionally, print the PDF version or share the slideshow link to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity independently before class.

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

  • Give students a few minutes to preview the headlines, subheads, photographs, captions, and map that accompany the article and poems. Project the following questions on your whiteboard and ask students to work in small groups or independently to respond to them.

    • What place will be discussed in the article and poems? Have you heard of this place before? If so, what do you know about it?

    • Why do you think young people are pictured in some of the photos?

    • What do you think will be the difference between the two poems?

    • Based on what you saw in the text features, what do you hope you’ll learn in these texts? 

  • Invite volunteers to share their responses.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Project the Google Slides version of Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice on your whiteboard. Review the definitions and complete the activity as a class. Highlighted words: administrator, conclusive, incarcerated, infamous, interactions, notorious, reassure, uninhabited. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud of the definitions are embedded on the slides. Optionally, print the PDF version or share the slideshow link to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity independently before class.

2. READ AND DISCUSS (45 MINUTES)

“Growing Up on Alcatraz”

  • Invite a volunteer to read the As You Read box on page 22 or at the top of the digital story page.
  • Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to author Talia Cowen read her article aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
  • Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following Close-Reading Questions, also located in the Resources tab.

Close-Reading Questions (25 minutes)

  1. Why was Alcatraz turned into a maximum-security prison in 1934? What details show that it was “built to be escape-proof”? (key ideas and details) In the 1930s, crime was rising in the United States. The government wanted to reassure people that they were safe, so they created Alcatraz prison as a place for dangerous convicted criminals. There, inmates had to follow strict rules, and they were watched by armed guards 24/7. They had multiple head counts every day. These details show that Alcatraz was “built to be escape-proof.”

  2. What do you think Jolene Babyak means when she says moving to Alcatraz was like “going from black-and-white to full color”? (figurative language) Babyak probably means that compared with Alcatraz, the place she lived before wasn’t very interesting or exciting. She had moved from a small, quiet town in Indiana that was far away from the ocean. After she moved to Alcatraz, she found beauty and excitement. She lived close to the sparkling ocean and the exciting city of San Francisco, and there were other kids her age to spend time with. 

  3. How was growing up on Alcatraz similar to growing up in other places in America? How was it different? (compare and contrast) Families living on Alcatraz could enjoy ordinary things like ice cream on hot summer days, trick-or-treating on Halloween, and Christmas caroling. But because the kids shared the island with prisoners locked up for committing violent crimes, there were many rules in place to keep everyone safe. Playdates with friends who lived outside of Alcatraz needed to be approved by prison officials. When kids got back to the island from school, they had to go through a metal detector to ensure that they didn’t bring with them objects that could be used as weapons. And kids couldn’t play with toys that could be mistaken for weapons, so they used bananas and sticks instead. 

  4. How does the section “After the Escape” relate to the opening of the article? How do the newspaper headline and the image of the cells inside Alcatraz add to your understanding of the escape? (text structure) The article opens with a description of Babyak waking up to the sound of sirens, indicating that an inmate had escaped. “After the Escape” returns to that moment and explains more about what happened: Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin broke out and were never found. The photo showing rows of guarded cells helps you understand how difficult it was to break out of Alcatraz prison. The large headline from the Chicago Daily Tribune suggests that people all over the country followed the news of the prison break. 

  5. Based on the sidebar “Life on Alcatraz,” how did the public view the prison island? Why do you think people might have felt this way? (perspective) The caption “In the News” states, “Americans were fascinated by Alcatraz and loved to read about the prison in newspapers and magazines.” The nation’s most notorious criminals were imprisoned in Alcatraz; people probably wondered what it was like to live near them and whether it was scary. Additionally, people tend to be interested in unusual lifestyles, and living on a prison island is unusual.


“The Isle of Alcatraz (As Seen From the Outside)” and
“The Isle of Alcatraz (As Seen by Those Who Live There)”

  • Call on two volunteers to read the poems aloud, one for each poem. Optionally, have students listen to the read-aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.

  • As a class, discuss the following Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions, some of which apply to both the article and the poems.

Close-Reading Questions (5 minutes)

  1. What is the tone of “The Isle of Alcatraz (As Seen From the Outside)”? What words and phrases help create this tone? What is the tone of “The Isle of Alcatraz (As Seen by Those Who Live There)”? Find words and phrases that contribute to the tone. (tone) The tone of the first poem is severe or forbidding. Words and phrases including “a fortress grim,” “forbidden spot,” “scorn,” “fear,” and “fury” help create this tone. The second poem’s tone is warm and inviting. Words and phrases contributing to this tone include “beauty,” “happy voices, children’s laughter,” “cozy,” and “welcomes.”

  2. Read the last line of each stanza in both poems. How are they similar and different? (compare and contrast) In both poems, the last line of each stanza ends with the phrase “Isle of Alcatraz.” But the words that come before this phrase to describe the island differ greatly between the two poems. In the first poem, the words are mainly negative: “lonely,” “unwelcome,” “grim,” “defiant,” and “unfamed.” In the second poem, they are mainly positive: “welcome,” “beautiful,” “peaceful,” and “dear.” By repeating a similar line with varying descriptive words, the poet makes a direct comparison of the two views of Alcatraz, one from the outside and the other from within.

  3. Read the description of poet Esther Faulk that appears below the poems. What do you think motivated her to write these poems? (author’s purpose) Faulk lived on Alcatraz for almost 20 years and raised three children there. She likely had fond memories and warm feelings about the island and wanted to let people know that living there was not how many might imagine it. Perhaps she wanted to share an insider’s view, one unknown to most people.

Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)

  1. If you could trade places with Jolene Babyak and spend part of your childhood on Alcatraz, would you? Why or why not? Answers will vary.

  2. Why do you think the way Jolene and Esther Faulk viewed Alcatraz was different from the way the general public viewed it? Answers will vary, but students may say that for the general public, the first thing—and maybe the only thing—people thought of when they thought about Alcatraz was a harsh penitentiary and its infamous inmates. For those who lived there, Alcatraz was first and foremost a home—and it was a lovely one, with “sweeping views of the bustling San Francisco Bay,” where “the sun danced and sparkled on the ocean waves.”

“Growing Up on Alcatraz”

  • Invite a volunteer to read the As You Read box on page 22 or at the top of the digital story page.
  • Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to author Talia Cowen read her article aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
  • Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following Close-Reading Questions, also located in the Resources tab.

Close-Reading Questions (25 minutes)

  1. Why was Alcatraz turned into a maximum-security prison in 1934? What details show that it was “built to be escape-proof”? (key ideas and details) In the 1930s, crime was rising in the United States. The government wanted to reassure people that they were safe, so they created Alcatraz prison as a place for dangerous convicted criminals. There, inmates had to follow strict rules, and they were watched by armed guards 24/7. They had multiple head counts every day. These details show that Alcatraz was “built to be escape-proof.”

  2. What do you think Jolene Babyak means when she says moving to Alcatraz was like “going from black-and-white to full color”? (figurative language) Babyak probably means that compared with Alcatraz, the place she lived before wasn’t very interesting or exciting. She had moved from a small, quiet town in Indiana that was far away from the ocean. After she moved to Alcatraz, she found beauty and excitement. She lived close to the sparkling ocean and the exciting city of San Francisco, and there were other kids her age to spend time with. 

  3. How was growing up on Alcatraz similar to growing up in other places in America? How was it different? (compare and contrast) Families living on Alcatraz could enjoy ordinary things like ice cream on hot summer days, trick-or-treating on Halloween, and Christmas caroling. But because the kids shared the island with prisoners locked up for committing violent crimes, there were many rules in place to keep everyone safe. Playdates with friends who lived outside of Alcatraz needed to be approved by prison officials. When kids got back to the island from school, they had to go through a metal detector to ensure that they didn’t bring with them objects that could be used as weapons. And kids couldn’t play with toys that could be mistaken for weapons, so they used bananas and sticks instead. 

  4. How does the section “After the Escape” relate to the opening of the article? How do the newspaper headline and the image of the cells inside Alcatraz add to your understanding of the escape? (text structure) The article opens with a description of Babyak waking up to the sound of sirens, indicating that an inmate had escaped. “After the Escape” returns to that moment and explains more about what happened: Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin broke out and were never found. The photo showing rows of guarded cells helps you understand how difficult it was to break out of Alcatraz prison. The large headline from the Chicago Daily Tribune suggests that people all over the country followed the news of the prison break.

  5. Based on the sidebar “Life on Alcatraz,” how did the public view the prison island? Why do you think people might have felt this way? (perspective) The caption “In the News” states, “Americans were fascinated by Alcatraz and loved to read about the prison in newspapers and magazines.” The nation’s most notorious criminals were imprisoned in Alcatraz; people probably wondered what it was like to live near them and whether it was scary. Additionally, people tend to be interested in unusual lifestyles, and living on a prison island is unusual.


“The Isle of Alcatraz (As Seen From the Outside)” and
“The Isle of Alcatraz (As Seen by Those Who Live There)”

  • Call on two volunteers to read the poems aloud, one for each poem. Optionally, have students listen to the read-aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.

  • As a class, discuss the following Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions, some of which apply to both the article and the poems.

Close-Reading Questions (5 minutes)

  1. What is the tone of “The Isle of Alcatraz (As Seen From the Outside)”? What words and phrases help create this tone? What is the tone of “The Isle of Alcatraz (As Seen by Those Who Live There)”? Find words and phrases that contribute to the tone. (tone) The tone of the first poem is severe or forbidding. Words and phrases including “a fortress grim,” “forbidden spot,” “scorn,” “fear,” and “fury” help create this tone. The second poem’s tone is warm and inviting. Words and phrases contributing to this tone include “beauty,” “happy voices, children’s laughter,” “cozy,” and “welcomes.”

  2. Read the last line of each stanza in both poems. How are they similar and different? (compare and contrast) In both poems, the last line of each stanza ends with the phrase “Isle of Alcatraz.” But the words that come before this phrase to describe the island differ greatly between the two poems. In the first poem, the words are mainly negative: “lonely,” “unwelcome,” “grim,” “defiant,” and “unfamed.” In the second poem, they are mainly positive: “welcome,” “beautiful,” “peaceful,” and “dear.” By repeating a similar line with varying descriptive words, the poet makes a direct comparison of the two views of Alcatraz, one from the outside and the other from within.

  3. Read the description of poet Esther Faulk that appears below the poems. What do you think motivated her to write these poems? (author’s purpose) Faulk lived on Alcatraz for almost 20 years and raised three children there. She likely had fond memories and warm feelings about the island and wanted to let people know that living there was not how many might imagine it. Perhaps she wanted to share an insider’s view, one unknown to most people.

Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)

  1. If you could trade places with Jolene Babyak and spend part of your childhood on Alcatraz, would you? Why or why not? Answers will vary.

  2. Why do you think the way Jolene and Esther Faulk viewed Alcatraz was different from the way the general public viewed it? Answers will vary, but students may say that for the general public, the first thing—and maybe the only thing—people thought of when they thought about Alcatraz was a harsh penitentiary and its infamous inmates. For those who lived there, Alcatraz was first and foremost a home—and it was a lovely one, with “sweeping views of the bustling San Francisco Bay,” where “the sun danced and sparkled on the ocean waves.”

3. BEYOND THE STORY (10 minutes)

  • Let students know you are about to show them a short video that has more information about the escape from Alcatraz that is mentioned in the article they just read. Then show the video “Beyond the Story: Escape From Alcatraz.”
  • After watching the video, discuss: What do you think happened to the escapees? What stuck with you about Alcatraz after reading the article and poems and watching the video? What questions do you still have about Alcatraz?

  • Let students know you are about to show them a short video that has more information about the escape from Alcatraz that is mentioned in the article they just read. Then show the video “Beyond the Story: Escape From Alcatraz.”
  • After watching the video, discuss: What do you think happened to the escapees? What stuck with you about Alcatraz after reading the article and poems and watching the video? What questions do you still have about Alcatraz?

4. WRITE ABOUT IT: SYNTHESIS (45 minutes)

  • Have students complete the Featured Skill Activity: Synthesis. This activity prepares them to respond to the writing prompt on page 26 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page:

Compare Esther Faulk’s two poems. How is Alcatraz presented in each? Based on Cowen’s article, which view of Alcatraz did Jolene have? Answer both questions in an essay. Use text evidence to support your ideas.

  • Alternatively, have students choose a task from the Choice Board, a menu of culminating tasks. (Our Choice Board options include the writing prompt from the magazine, differentiated versions of the writing prompt, and additional creative ways for students to demonstrate their understanding of a story or article.) 

  • Have students complete the Featured Skill Activity: Synthesis. This activity prepares them to respond to the writing prompt on page 26 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page:

Compare Esther Faulk’s two poems. How is Alcatraz presented in each? Based on Cowen’s article, which view of Alcatraz did Jolene have? Answer both questions in an essay. Use text evidence to support your ideas.

  • Alternatively, have students choose a task from the Choice Board, a menu of culminating tasks. (Our Choice Board options include the writing prompt from the magazine, differentiated versions of the writing prompt, and additional creative ways for students to demonstrate their understanding of a story or article.)

CONNECTED READING

Another story about Alcatraz from the Scope archives:

Another story about Alcatraz from the Scope archives:

Text-to-Speech