Craft Lesson 4

Resources: Draper, Sharon. Fire From the Rock. New York: Dutton, 2007
Discussion- This lesson focuses on using reading to expand the student's perspectives of a variety of cultures. Many students have stereotypes and prejudices against other cultures due to a lack of experience with that culture. Reading can be used as a tool to expose students to a different lifestyle then their own. Before teaching the responsive writing exercise, the students should be familiar with civil rights and the social conditions in the 1950s. They should also be aware of African-American traditions and customs practiced during this time period.
How to Teach it- As the students are reading Fire from the Rock, they begin the assignment by taking notes of similarities and differences between the character's lives and their own. At the end of each reading they will write a short reaction response describing how they feel about the text. After finishing the book, the students will use the notes they have been compiling to write a one page response paper based on one of the following prompts- Have the students compare the events in the book to personal experiences. Have the students put themselves in the position of a main character and write from that perspective. Pose a controversial queston related to the book (segregation, racism, etc.) and have the students write their opinions. When the students have turned in their papers, the teacher can use their responses to generate a class discussion based on a variety of interconnected themes.

Daily Reading for 2-18

I was glad to finally be through with this book. The journal format really bothered me. It was interesting to see the different perspectives of the races. The author did a good job of showing that racism extended even to the Jews. I wish there would have been a more exciting plot. I never could get caught up in the book. I don't think I would use this book in my class based on its lack of appeal and interest. I think students could find more interesting books to learn about the same time period.

Draper, Sharon M. (2007). Fire From the Rock. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

Daily Reading for 2-13

The book is still setting up the conflict with integration at the High School. The fact that the book is written in journal format for both points of view confuses me. I think the book would have been better off if the author stayed with one point of view for the entire story. Some of the pressures and conversations are interesting to experince from a black girl's perspective. It is also going to be fun seeing what happens with her Jewish friend once she starts actually attending. I think Reggie will still like her even after they move to different schools. This book does have some important court cases mentioned throughout it that could be tied into a social studies lesson.

Draper, Sharon M. (2007). Fire From the Rock. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

Daily Reading for 2-11

I do not like this book at all. It is a very slow read and the chapters are boring. It seems like it is taking the author a long time to set up the plot even though it is clear from the title what the book is about. The readings seem drearfully long and I can't wait to finish this book. Even the action in the story is predictable (Gary getting beat up for back talking white teenagers). I can't see many students getting involved with this book and wanting to finish. The multiple cultural perspectives and ties are interesting though. A lesson could be taught on the interdependence we have with each other, and how we need to respect each other.

Draper, Sharon M. (2007). Fire From the Rock. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

Daily reading for 2-4

I enjoyed the last section of the reading because there were a few surprises that caught me off guard. His grandmother and sister's death was very depressing, although the scene with Billionaire Ted was funny. The book almost has an anti-drinking message due to all the bad things that happen resulting from alcohol. The basketball game gave me goose bumps. I remember battling rivals in high school, and Alexie was able to capture all the excitement associated with sports. Overall this is a great book I enjoyed reading. I would have this be a choice students could select and read, but I would not assign the whole class the book. There are some parts that are unnecessarily crude (but realistic), and the violence could cause problems with sensitive readers. Good reading selection!

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.

Daily reading for 1-30

I enjoyed how the book was such a fast read. I never felt like I had to struggle to finish the reading assignments. I think most kids could identify with the feelings of isolation Junior felt. Teachers could tie this story in with personal stories about changing schools from the students. The differences from reservation life and Reardan life are very interesting. This is one of the first books I've read that compares the two societies. Sherman Alexie has a great ability to make you want to see Junior succeed.

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.

Daily reading for 1-28

I really enjoyed the start of this book. I read The Lone Ranger and Tonto: Fistfight in Heaven for an English class last year and was very impressed with Alexie's work. I'm glad I get to read another one of his books. The setting and emotions have been easy to understand, and I think most adolescents would enjoy reading this. The drawings throughout the book are wonderful and add a personal touch to the reading.

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.

Craft Lesson Three

Resources-
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. NY: Little, Brown, 2007.
Computer lab
Indian cultural items
Discussion-
Many young adolescents haven’t been exposed to Indian culture or reservation life. There are many preconceptions based on movies and TV programs that inaccurately represent Native Americans. This craft lesson uses The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian to help students relate to and understand how real Native Americans perceive the modern world. By the end, the student will know more about Indian reservations, tribes, and their culture.
How to teach it-
To begin the lesson, the class will brainstorm anything they know about Indians. This will be composed into a list that will be kept for the entire lesson. The students will then begin to read Sherman Alexie’s book. After reading the first section, the students will use the computer lab in groups to look up specific tribes and reservations mentioned in the book. The groups will pick three interesting facts and present them to the class before the next reading. The follow up activity for the second reading would be to examine some cultural items Indians used in the past, as well as some modern Indian items (blankets, dream catchers, carvings, etc.). After the final reading, the class will evaluate the list they made at the beginning and revise previous stereotypes. They will then use this revised list to write a narrative story from an Indian's perspective.