Three Day Road
By Joseph Boyden
Reading Guide
Reading Schedule: Please adhere to the reading schedule as there will be reading quizzes and entry cards.
Week One
Nov 18-21
Week Two
Nov 24-28
Week Three
Dec 1-5
Week Four
Dec 8-12
Week 5
Dec 15-16
M
T
W
T
F
M
T
W
T
F
M
T
W
T
F
M
T
W
T
F
M
T
W
T
F
Book given
1-24
intro
24-49
50-62
63-75
76-95
96-109
110-129
130-146
147-163
164-176
177-191
192-212
213-239
While Reading, Look For:
 Nature imagery
 Storytelling as healing
 Metafiction: story within a story
 Loyalty/disloyalty/betrayal
 Savagery
 The imagery of war
 The use of language: personification,
visual imagery, similes, metaphors
 The unique narrative perspective
 Symbolism
 Urban environment versus wilderness
 Irony
 The function of time/ non-linear,
interwoven plot
 Justice
 Addiction
 Parallel experiences/trauma
 Racism
 Historical perspective
 Loss of innocence
 Bonds of family
Main Characters:
Elijah Whiskeyjack
Xavier Bird (narrator)
Niska aunt to Xavier (narrator)
Characters from the Moose Factory
Area
(Moose Factory, Mushkegowuk,
Moose River, Hudson Bay)
Rabbit
The Frenchman
Niska’s father
Joseph Netmaker
Old Man Ferguson
Mariaus
Micah
Micah’s wife
240-258
259-287
289-310
311-331
332-351
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352-382
Culminating
Culminating
Culminating
Culminating
Bonds of friendship
Bonds of culture/tradition
Communication/silence
Love and heartbreak
Cannibalism
Civilization/ the uncivilized
The effects of childhood experiences
Invisibility
Shadows/darkness
The Windigo (literal and metaphorical)
The power of language
The influence of colonialism
Medicine/healing
Madness
Revenge
Hunting/prey
Competition
Characters from the War
(Vimy Ridge, Saint Eloi,
Passchendale, Belgium)
Fat
Graves
McCann
Breech
Thompson
Grey Eyes
Peggy
Sean Patrick
Colquhoun
Smithy
Gilberto
Francis
Driscoll
We will focus on:
 Inquiry-based big idea questions
 The author’s style (imagery, metaphor, personification, simile)
 Narrative structure
 Round-table discussions/Socratic discussions
 The importance of setting and context
 Story-weaving/mapping
 Connections to other works
 Perspective writing/Writer’s Notebooks
 Reading stamina
 Effective note taking
Question/Quote Rubric
K/U
0123
T
0123456
-your question and chosen quotation demonstrates understanding of the
reading, characters, themes, narrative elements
-your question has been well planned, demonstrates higher-order thinking,
responses have been anticipated; the quotation is central to the reading and
this is made clear through your presentation of it
COMM
-your question and quotation have been well delivered, you have inspired
01234
classroom discussion/debate, you facilitate ongoing classroom discussion; your
questions and quotation have been placed on the board at the back of the room
Qualities of higher-order thinking discussion questions: open-ended (not a simple yes or no); promotes
discussion; can be viewed from multiple perspectives; often begin with HOW and WHY.
Qualities of an effective quotation: the use of language is remarkable; the use of poetic/narrative devices
is remarkable; the theme established or developed is relevant; there is a relevant connection to a work
that we studied in class; the words synthesize ideas and/or characterization in the novel; you LOVE it for
all of the reasons above and more…
“For now, I will tell him another story.” (210)