Hamilton American Authors

1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Read about Sherman Alexie(click hyperlink)

2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time IndianBy Sherman Alexie2007Winner of the National Book Award “Well I want you to know that hitting me with that book was probably the worst thing you’ve ever done. It doesn’t matter what you intended to do. What happens is what you really did. And you broke an old man’s nose. That’s almost unforgivable.” He was going to punish me now. He couldn’t beat me up with his old man’s fists, but he could hurt me with his old man words. “But I do forgive you,” he said. “No matter how much I don’t want to I have to forgive you. It’s the only thing that keeps me from smacking you with an ugly stick. When I first started teaching here, that’s what we did to the rowdy ones, you know? We beat them. That’s how we were taught to teach you. We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child.” “You killed Indians?” “No, no, I’m just saying. I didn’t literally kill Indians. We were supposed to make you give up being Indian. Your songs and stories and language and dancing. Everything. We weren’t trying to kill Indian people. We were trying to kill Indian culture.”

3. Sherman Alexie Biography (click on hyperlink) On Colbert Report (watch Alexie)

4. Monday, November 15th Read, “Why Should I Care?” Pre-Reading Activity Complete on a separate sheet of paper Pre-reading activity 2, 3, 4 Hand in Write down literary terms Write down terms on slides 1, 2, and 3 We’ll write down slides 4 and 5 tomorrow Which terms are familiar to you? Begin reading chapter 1 if time The books stay in the room Check mark students who receive a book Make sure students return book after class!

5. Tuesday, November 16th Reflection #1 -Describe Arnold (Junior) -What is he up against? Timed Reading Read Chapter three Write down the start time Write down your finish time /10 pages

6. Chapter 3 Comprehension Questions Describe Rowdy and his problem. Describe the pow wow. Why doesn’t’ Arnold want to go? What happened with the triplets? Describe Rowdy and Arnold’s friendship.

7. Pre-Reading Activity #2 Hanging around friends who are sick will make you susceptible to catching the flu. I would be upset if I had to attend a decrepit school.

8. Thursday, November 18th Quiz today Reflection #2 What are some things you’re fighting against? How is your struggle like Arnold’s? Read up to page 100 Summarize your reading

9. Objectives Students will: Critically analyze the character’s emotions and actions. Reflect on the developing themes and character development. Identify vocabulary words that are unfamiliar to them and learn to look them up. Activities Read story Continue writing in Human Truths chart Write Reflection #3 Tribes chart Start a “vocabulary log” Sympathy note to Arnold Hand in your notebook on Wednesday Reflection #1, 2, and 3 Human Truth Chart Tribes Timed Reading

10. Hand in your notebook on Wednesday Reflection #1, 2, and 3 Human Truth Chart Timed Reading 10 Vocabulary words Literary term list Sympathy note to Arnold

11. Continue keeping track of the “Greater Human Truths” you come across in the book Create a chart and write them in Reflection #3 Arnold is learning new things as a result of choosing Reardan over the reservation school. Describe these lessons. Sympathy card for Arnold Tribes- describe the tribes you belong to

12. Monday, November 29th Review Valentine Heart Continue reading Summarize chapter #Reflection 4 Describe how Arnold deals with the loss of people he knows and loves. Predict How do you think the story will end? Describe Arnold’s future

13. Tuesday, November 30th Reading quiz Vocabulary Activity Finish reading Russian Guy chapter Psychological analysis of Arnold’s reaction Continue reading next chapter

14. Wednesday, December 1st (yuck) Review Evidence of my understanding Copy notes You’ll need this for your paper Finish book Discuss conflict Discuss model paragraph Topic sentence Supporting evidence Analysis

15. Concept The main character has a conflict What I understand (psychological analysis) Look at what the character does Listen to what the character says Look at how other characters respond to the main character

16. Finding more details Re-read the parts where- His dog His grandmother died Eugene died How did Arnold react? Write down QUOTES and PAGE NUMBERS

17. How did Arnold react to the deaths in his life? General statement Mention author and title of book Mention Arnold and the people who died Thesis statement: Arnold had a variety of reactions to the deaths. Main point A- Oscar (dog) Topic sentence Supporting evidence Analysis

18. Main point B- Grandmother Spirit Topic sentence Supporting evidence Analysis Main point C- Eugene Topic sentence Supporting evidence Analysis

19. Main point D- Mary Main point D- Mary Arnold blamedhimself for Mary’s death. “Yeah, but have you ever heard the story about how I killed my sister when I left the rez?” (211) Arnold believed that his sister died because he left the reservation to better his life in the “white world” of Reardan. He also believed that he caused his sister to move to Montana after he left. He figured that if he hadn’t gone to Reardan, his sister would still be alive.

20. Conclusion Restate thesis Closing statement

21. Evidence of My Understanding

22. Reading Quiz Reflect on Tolstoy’s quote, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” How did Arnold respond to this quote given to him by Gordy? What was the news Ms. Warren delivered to Arnold? How did he react? Is this a normal reaction? What was Arnold anxious about?

23. Vocabulary Look up 10 words that are unfamiliar to you If you’re unsure which definition to choose, look at the context that the word is being used

24. Tribes Reread page 217. Pay particular attention to the list Arnold makes of his “tribes”. Make a list of eight tribes you belong to and explain what role you play in each tribe.

25. Greater Human TruthsWrite down the quote that shows a greater human truth. Be sure to cite your work--include page number.

26. MentorsName four of these mentors (positive influences and helpers)Explain the positive role each plays in Arnold’s life.

27. Cartooning- choose a cartoon and draw your own version of it. Insert something of “you” into it.

28. Literary Terms (1) Point of View: Perspective from which the story is told First-person: narrator is a character in the story; uses “I,” “we,” etc. Third-person: narrator outside the story; uses “he,” “she,” “they” Third-person limited: narrator tells only what one character perceives Third-person omniscient: narrator can see into the minds of all characters.

29. Literary Terms (2) Flashback: Interruption of the chronological (time) order to present something that occurred before the beginning of the story. Action: Everything that happens in a story. Antagonist: The person or force that works against the hero of the story. (See protagonist) Protagonist: The main character in a story, often a good or heroic type.

30. Literary Terms (3) Character: One of the people (or animals) in a story. Climax: The high point in the action of a story. Comedy: Writing that deals with life in a humorous way, often poking fun at people’s mistakes. Characterization: Techniques a writer uses to create and develop a character by what: he/she does or says, other characters say about him/her, or how they react to him/her the author reveals directly or through a narrator.

31. Literary Terms Satire: Writing that comments humorously on human flaws, ideas, social customs, or institutions in order to change them. Style: The distinctive way that a writer uses language including such factors as word choice, sentence length, arrangement, and complexity, and the use of figurative language and imagery.

32. Literary Terms Novel: A book-length, fictional prose story. Because of its length, a novel’s characters and plot are usually more developed than those of a short story. Prose: A literary work that uses the familiar spoken form of language, sentence after sentence. Realistic Fiction: Writing that attempts to show life as it really is.