The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Individual Unit Plan Grade/Course

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  How do internal and external expectations manifest themselves in our lives?
  
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  How can societal and familial expectations impact our identities?
  

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  To question the impact expectations can have on ones’ life and how this influences self-esteem.
  
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  To develop an understanding of how societal expectations shape their future roles in society.
  
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  Students will see how lowered expectations and feelings of hopelessness can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
  

This is an idea that came from a story Sherman Alexie told at his reading at the Strand bookstore. When the book first came out, Alexie said that he visited a classroom that consisted of a mostly poor, urban population. One of the students’ assignments had been to create a drawing of whom their parents could have been if someone had paid attention to their dreams, an activity modeled after the illustration on page 12 of the book. Recounting the story, Alexie was almost moved to the point of tears, and I, too, could imagine that such an assignment could be quite powerful. In this activity, students would be asked to complete a similar task.

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  A copy of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
  
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  Writer’s notebook, pens/pencils
  
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  Poster board, markers, crayons, colored pencils
  

When students enter class, have the following “Do Now” on the board:

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  Do Now: Think about when you were a little boy or girl. In your writer’s notebook, write about what you wanted to be when you grew up. Is this still true today? If not, what is it now? Do the people closest to you encourage this dream? Are there any obstacles that might get in the way of realizing that dream? (5 mins)
  

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  Give students the opportunity to volunteer and share out what they have written with the class. (3 mins)
  
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  Have students open up their copy of the book to page 13 and read it aloud. Why does Junior make that drawing? Why does he feel that his parents weren’t able to realize their dreams? Guide students to the passage where Junior says “It’s an ugly circle and there’s nothing you can do about it.” (13) Why does Junior feel so hopeless? (5 mins)
  
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  Ask the class if they have ever heard of the term “self-fulfilling prophecy”. Brainstorm possible definitions, and then have students jot down the definition in their writer’s notebook. Ask students how someone could get into this mindset. What are the causes? Why might this play a role in the circle of hopelessness to which Junior is referring? (7 mins)
  

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  Review the drawing of who Junior’s parents could have been if somebody had paid attention to their dreams on page 12. Tell students that today’s activity is going to be modeled off that illustration and they, too, will be creating such a drawing. The teacher can let them know that it doesn’t have to be sad, or focusing on someone that they feel didn’t quite reach their potential, although it could be. Students will be given the freedom to choose whomever they would like, even someone famous. (5 mins)
  
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  Model an example for the class, perhaps the teacher has a brother or sister who has a passion for music but is working in accounting. Or the teacher could mention someone famous; perhaps the teacher envisions that George W. Bush really wanted to be a rancher, not the President. The possibilities for the assignment are endless but students must be able to answer the following questions: why did this individual give up on his or her dream? What obstacles prevented them from being realized? Students will also be asked to write a short back story to describe the illustration. This should be no more than one page in length. The next day students will be given the choice of voting on whether they would like to present them to the class or engage in a gallery walk. (7 mins)
  
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  Provide the remainder of class time for students to work on the assignment in class. In the last few minutes, review the homework and ask students to think about if they see traces of this in their own lives and the world around them. What could they do, and what could Junior do, to stop this? (23 mins)
  

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  This lesson is planned for a 50 minute period.
  

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  Does using Native American images and names in professional, collegiate, and high school sports teams reinforce and perpetuate stereotypes?
  

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  By closely examining an array of media, including texts, cartoons, and a brief film clip, students will question the consequences of using Native American emblems in educational and sports arenas. The implicit goal of this lesson, and those that would directly follow, is for students to understand how sports mascots perpetuate racial stereotypes of Native Americans, as well as how writing, art, and film can be used as an effective means of resistance and activism.
  

Through the close reading of one page out of the chapter “How to Fight Monsters” as well as an additional article and video clip, students will be asked to consider whether mascots are perpetuating stereotypes. Does this have negative and far reaching consequences or are they harmless graphics that honor Native Americans? I envision this lesson as the first in a series of lessons that would lead up to a persuasive essay on this issue.

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  A copy of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
  
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  Writer’s notebook, pens/pencils
  
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  “NCAA Takes Aim at Indian Mascots” handout
  
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  Projector/Media capabilities to show video clip.
  
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  Handouts for homework assignment including pre-reading organizer, “Topic of Debate”, cartoons, and “Sorry For Not Being a Stereotype” handouts
  

When students enter class, have the following “Do Now” on the board:

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  Do Now: Today we will be considering stereotypes in relation to the chapter you read for homework, “How to Fight Monsters”. In your writer’s notebook, write about any time you feel you have been stereotyped, or perhaps a time you have stereotyped others. Or, if you prefer, free-write on the image on the board (the image taped to the board will be the FSU Mascot; see attached handout). What does it mean to you? What does it stand for? How could it be used? Why? (5 mins)
  

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  Think – Pair – Share: Have student’s pair off and share what they have written. After reading what they have to their partner, encourage them to ask each other questions about what they wrote about or perhaps to help them define or expand upon their understanding of what the word stereotype means. (5 mins)
  
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  Have the class reconvene as a group and ask students to volunteer to share out what they discussed to the rest of the class, making sure that the students understand what stereotype means. (5 mins)
  
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  Ask students to take out their copy of The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian and turn to page 56, a few pages into the chapter “How to Fight Monsters.” Ask for a student to volunteer to read that page starting at “Then the white kids began arriving for school.” (3 mins)
  
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  Ask the class why Junior thinks Reardan is racist, highlighting the line, “So what was I doing in racist Reardan…” (56) to trigger discussion of his comment on the Indian mascot. Why is Junior offended? Should he be? (5 mins)
  

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  Tell students that they will be considering both sides of this debate in class today in preparation for writing a persuasive essay on this topic later in the week. Distribute the attached handout “NCAA Takes Aim At Indian Mascots.” Ask for a volunteer to read it aloud. After it has been read aloud, open the floor for discussion. Do sports mascots offend Native Americans and their culture? If so, in what ways? Can they think of any professional or high school sports teams that use Native American mascots? (see attached list) (10 mins)
  
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  Show the students a clip of “Savage Country: American Indian Sports Mascots Part One”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVDyldTV9OA&feature=related. Encourage them to take notes and think critically about what they are watching. (10 mins)
  
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  Wrap-up discussion (5 mins):
  

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   What did you learn in this video clip and/or the NCAA article?
   
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   If you are a Native American how does this issue make you feel? (If not, pretend you are.)
   
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   Tying it back to the novel, do you think Junior is having problems at Reardon because of the use of such mascots?
   
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   How do you think Alexie feels about the use of Native American mascots? Why?
   
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   With what you have read and seen thus far, does the use of mascots have negative consequences or are they harmless graphics that honor Native Americans?
   

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  The teacher will then hand out the homework assignment below which is a pre-writing exercise that will help students prepare for the first draft of their persuasive essay. They will receive a reader response organization chart along with additional sources on the topic to help deepen their thinking on this issue. For extra credit, students can be encouraged to do research on the topic on their own as well. (2 mins)
  

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  This lesson is planned for a 50 minute period.