Tuesday, November 11th

1st period: Professor Holmes guest speaker in the commons

Today's Goal
1. Analyze Sherman Alexie's "A Drug Called Tradition" and begin to try to identify common themes throughout the stories you are reading.

Starter
What stood out from Professor Holmes' talk?

• What did you learn?
  
• What was most interesting?
  
• What challenged you?
  
• What confused you?
  

Agenda
Katie A.  Eliana, Liam, Anish and Molly 6th period go to Chem

1. Share your takeaways from Professor Holmes

2. Announcements:

• Reminder to read "Indian Education" and "Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" by tomorrow
•  LINK TO REQUIRED JOURNALS
  
• We have two journals this week- #4 is short, #5 will be on Friday in class and is more like a timed essay that you'll peer critique and refine on Monday. It will connect the dots between the Alexie stories and the readings you'll do in class on Thursday.

3. Definition of theme:

Theme is defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly.

4. Small group activity analyzing "A Drug Called Tradition" and then Whole Class Discussion


5. Make thank you cards for Professor Holmes


6. Time to read "Indian Education" and "The Lone Ranger and Tonto...."

Questions from "A Drug Called Tradition"

• Take notes on a shared google document with me and all group members
• Elect one note-taker
• Everyone should have their book open
• Don't divide and conquer- work through each question as a group and make sure everyone understands.

1. What does it mean to be a "real Indian" according to the characters in "A Drug Called Tradition"?

2. How does Alexie divide dreams from reality? What is the difference between dreams and reality for the three boys?

3. What does this quote mean: "When Indians make lots of money from corporations that way, we can all hear our ancestors laughing in the trees.  But we never can tell whether they're laughing at the Indians or the whites. I think they're laughing at pretty much everybody"(13).

4. Where else do you see evidence of a tension between Western society, or the U.S. government and Native culture? What does Alexie seem to suggest about the way these boys feel about the government and/or white society?


5. How does tradition function like a drug for Native Americans? What does it offer them? What does it let them dream of?

6. The narrator talks about skeletons that represent the past and the future. How does he describe these skeletons and how must a young Indian relate to them?  What is he saying about tradition in this selection? 

7. What do you think are the primary themes in this story? Find a passage or quote that best captures the theme. 


8. Where else do you see these themes emerge/develop in the other two stories you read?