Short Stories

Lesson 1
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ELA

Unit 6

9th Grade

Lesson 1 of 13

Objective


Explain how Sherman Alexie uses juxtaposition to characterize Junior.

Practice the systems and routines (vocabulary acquisition, annotation, independent reading) of the high school literature classroom.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie  pp. 54 – 57

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Target Task


Multiple Choice

Which of the following best explains how Alexie uses juxtaposition to characterize Junior in these pages?

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Which quotation below best proves the answer to number 1?

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Writing Prompt

What is Alexie revealing about Junior through his use of juxtaposition? Explain in one to two sentences.

Key Questions


  • What do we learn about Junior on pages 54 and 55?
  • How does the narrator's use of the word "crucified" on p. 55 affect the reader?
  • How has Junior "betrayed" his tribe? Has he really?
  • How does the author use juxtaposition to characterize Junior? What examples have we seen on pp. 54-56?
  • How does the diagram on p. 57 serve as an example of juxtaposition?

Notes


  • Students are reading a chapter from a novel, so a little background knowledge will be necessary. Junior, the protagonist, lives on the Spokane Indian reservation and has decided to attend an all-white off-reservation school in order to get a better education. This chapter describes his first day at the new school.
  • Also, students using the Match curriculum in middle school will have read this novel in its entirety in 7th grade. In the spirit of this unit being a bridge from middle to high school, we think it is fine to re-read this except through a high school lens. Alternatively, the teacher could substitute in a different piece of short fiction focused on identity.
  • Vocabulary for explicit instruction: betray, translucent
  • Terms to be defined through image or quick definition for today’s reading: crucified, “the rez”
  • Literary terms for explicit instruction/definition: characterization, juxtaposition
  • Either for homework on this evening or as a Do Now the following day, students should answer the unit essential question --not in relation to any text, just for themselves. “Who or what defines who we are? Can each individual decide and shape his or her own identity?”
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Lesson 2

Lesson Map

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