The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Lesson Plan Unit
Jaclyn Ippolito
English Methods
Professor Cella
5/12/08
“There is another world, but it is in this one.”
– W.B. Yeats
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Individual Unit Plan
Grade/Course: 8th grade ELA class
Unit Length: 5 Weeks
Educational/Classroom Culture:
 Small suburban school in Upstate New York
 Approximately 25 kids per class
 Mixed ability levels
 Single, 50 minute periods
Novel Summary:
Arnold Spirit Jr. is the geekiest Indian on the Spokane Reservation. He wears chunky, lopsided
glasses. His head and body look like Sputnik on a toothpick. When he doesn’t stutter, he lisps.
Arnold is a 14-year-old high school freshman. When he goes outside he gets teased and beaten,
so he spends a lot of time in his room drawing cartoons. “I think the world is a series of broken
dams and floods,” he says, “and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats.”
To say that life is hard on the Spokane rez doesn’t begin to touch it. “My parents came from poor
people who came from poor people who came from poor people,” Arnold explains, “all the way
back to the very first poor people.” The kid was born with 10 too many teeth, so he gets them
pulled — all in a single day, because the Indian Health Service pays for major dental work only
once a year. When Arnold cracks open his geometry textbook, he finds his mother’s name
written on the flyleaf. “My school and my tribe are so poor and sad that we have to study from
the same dang books our parents studied from,” Arnold says. “That is absolutely the saddest
thing in the world.”
Enraged, Arnold beans his geometry teacher with the book and gets suspended from school. The
targeted teacher, Mr. P., visits Arnold at home and gives him a piece of advice: get out. Mr. P.
has seen too many promising students — like Arnold’s sister, Mary Runs Away — fade year by
year, beaten down by poverty and hopelessness. “The only thing you kids are being taught is
how to give up,” Mr. P. says.
“The Absolutely True Diary” tracks Arnold’s year of getting out. He transfers to Reardan High,
22 miles away, a gleaming campus full of wealthy white kids, with a computer room and
chemistry labs. He’s the only Indian — if you don’t count the school mascot. Early on, Arnold
fears being beaten up by the jocks. “I was afraid those monsters were going to kill me,” he says.
“And I don’t mean ‘kill’ as in ‘metaphor.’ I mean ‘kill’ as in ‘beat me to death.’” (The comedian
in Alexie pops up as often as the poet.) Arnold’s toughness soon earns him their respect, though,
as well as a spot on the varsity basketball team.
What he can’t win back is the love of his neighbors at home. On the rez he’s considered a traitor.
His best friend punches him in the face. When Reardan plays Wellpinit High in basketball, the
Indians rain so much abuse on Arnold that a race riot nearly breaks out. Triumph and grief come
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in equal measure. Arnold figures out that he’s smarter than most of the white kids, and wins the
heart of a white girl named Penelope. (“What was my secret?” he says. “If you want to get all
biological, then you’d have to say that I was an exciting addition to the Reardan gene pool.”)
Meanwhile, his father’s best friend is shot and killed, and his sister dies in a trailer fire. “I’m 14
years old, and I’ve been to 42 funerals,” Arnold says. “That’s really the biggest difference
between Indians and white people.”
For 15 years now, Sherman Alexie has explored the struggle to survive between the grinding
plates of the Indian and white worlds. He’s done it through various characters and genres, but
“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” may be his best work yet. Working in the
voice of a 14-year-old forces Alexie to strip everything down to action and emotion, so that
reading becomes more like listening to your smart, funny best friend recount his day while
waiting after school for a ride home. Which, by the way, Arnold doesn’t have. Unless his folks
get lucky and come up with some gas money.
**Above summary was found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/books/review/Barcott3-t.html
Rationale:
At his reading at the Strand bookstore, Sherman Alexie said the one thing he would want
students to take away from this novel is “escaping and confronting familial and tribal
expectations.” Afterwards, I began thinking about how we are all limited to some extent by the
myriad of expectations that are linked to our race, culture, gender, age, and socioeconomic
status. This is also true of Junior who is characterized by his poverty and race. Ultimately, he
must choose between accepting what others expect him to be, or to fight against these forces that
are holding him back.
In this spirit, I have framed my unit around a central question: how do internal and external
expectations manifest themselves in our lives? Under this umbrella, students will consider issues
of race, class, culture, and gender, how they are tied to the construction and perception of
identity, and how these factors impact life choices. Students will also discuss the expectations
imposed by ones community and family, and how, oftentimes, these can be the hardest ties to
break. My hope is that students will learn that they are not without power; choices can be made,
they can resist. But along the way, they will also learn that there will be consequences for
choosing to go against the grain.
This unit includes supplementary works of poetry and fiction, as well as opportunities for use of
technology in the classroom. As outlined in more depth below, the objectives of this unit are
designed to encourage critical thinking, strengthen analysis, and build communication and
comprehension skills. Moreover, the central text and assessments were chosen with the intention
of reaching multiple intelligences; even the format of the book lends itself well to differentiation
due to the art throughout. Oftentimes, the art in the text highlights the main idea of that chapter,
serving as a useful aid in reading comprehension for struggling learners and ELL’s.
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Essential Questions:
1. How do internal and external expectations manifest themselves in our lives?
2. How can such societal expectations impact our identities?
3. Should a person’s responsibility to their family, tribe, or community take precedence over
their individual goals?
4. How does literature help us to understand ourselves and the world around us?
Learning Goals/Objectives:
In this unit students will:
 Read and respond to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian as well as
supplementary poetry by Native American authors. (Standards 1 and 2)
 Draw parallels between themselves and the characters in the novel, developing an
understanding and knowledge of the internal and external expectations in their lives.
(Standards 1, 2, and 3)
 Explore the roles others play in their lives and their own self-portrayal, developing an
understanding of how societal and familial expectations shape their daily choices and
their future roles in society. (Standard 2)
 Discuss the idea of expectations in terms of race, class, gender, stereotyping, eating
disorders, beauty etc. (Standards 1,2, 3, and 4)
 Learn and/or review literary terms such as setting, plot, characterization, theme, and tone.
(Standard 3)
 Participate in a variety of activities and assessments, such as note taking, brainstorming,
Socratic circles, visual representations, role playing, and journal writing. (Standards 1, 3,
and 4)
 Work collaboratively in groups as well as individually, developing communication skills
and listening strategies. (Standard 4)
 During in class reading, students will make predictions, inferences and draw conclusions.
(Standard 1)
 Create a final multigenre project that centers on the overarching class question for this
unit: How do internal and external expectations shape and affect our lives? (Standards 1,
2, and 3)
 Engage in free write “Do Now’s” in their writer’s notebook in order to have a collection
of ideas as a starting point for their multigenre papers. (Standards 1, 2, and 3)
 Work on their public speaking abilities by sharing part of their multigenre paper with the
class. (Standard 4)
Relevant State Standards:
This unit was created and aligned with New York State Learning Standards. Above, next to each
learning goal and objective, is the corresponding number(s) of the state standard addressed. For
easy reference, the following are the New York State Learning Standards:
Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and
readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and
generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced
texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted
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conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression
Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances
from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and
develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and
performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that
follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic
creation.
Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and
readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others
using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written
language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety
of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.
Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and
written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective
social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the
social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.
**Standards can be found at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/nysatl/engstand.html
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Unit Outline
Week 1
Day 1: Monday
Topic/Activity Lesson: Introduce the
Unit and Main
Overarching Question:
“How Do Internal and
External Expectations
Shape Our Lives?”
Day 2: Tuesday
Lesson: “Who ___
Would Have Been if
Somebody Had Paid
Attention to Their
Dreams.”
In “Why Chicken Means
Brainstorm a list of
So Much to Me”, Junior
expectations that
draws a picture of who
influence their daily lives his parents could have
including familial,
been if someone had
educational, racial,
paid attention to their
cultural, religious,
dreams. The class will
economic, gender,
discuss why Junior feels
community,
they had to give up on
relationships, beauty, etc. their dreams, citing
textual evidence.
Read “The Black-EyeStudents will also be
of-the-Month Club”
asked to define the term
aloud in class (p. 1-6)
self-fulfilling prophecy,
to think about how that
HW: Read “Why
might tie in with the text,
Chicken Means So Much and whether they see
to Me” (p. 7 -14)
traces of this in their
own lives and the world
around them.
Day 3: Wednesday
Lesson: “Who ___
Would Have Been if
Somebody Had Paid
Attention to Their
Dreams” continued.
Students will be asked to
create a drawing that
represents who a person
could have been if
someone had paid
attention to their dreams,
an activity modeled after
the illustration on page
12 of the book.
*Detailed lesson plan
included.
HW: Read “Revenge Is
My Middle Name” (p.
15-24)
Day 4: Thursday
Lesson: Reading and
Writing to Deepen Our
Thinking About Minor
Characters
Students will
independently read
“Because Geometry Is
Not a Country
Somewhere Near
France” (p. 25 -31).
Afterwards, ask students
to open their writer’s
notebooks and create a
back story about one of
the two minor characters
we are introduced to in
this chapter, Mary Runs
Away or Mr. P.
Students will be given
the opportunity to share
out what they have
written and discuss the
differences in the stories
that were created and
why they chose that
particular angle.
Day 5: Friday
Lesson: Anti- Bullying
Read “Hope Against
Hope” (p.32 – 43) in
class.
In this chapter Mr. P,
Junior’s teacher,
acknowledges that they
allow Junior to get beat
up and picked on.
Discuss the incidents
that have happened thus
far in the novel (Junior
being a member of the
black-eye-of-the-month
club, 30 year old triplets
beating him up, etc.)
and engage in an activity
that confronts bullying
that might be happening
in the school.
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Week 2
Topic/Activity
Day 6: Monday
Lesson: Taking a Look
at Race: Is Hope White?
Day 7: Tuesday
Lesson: Internalizing
Prejudices
Read “Go Means Go”
(p.44 -47) and
“Rowdy Sings the
Blues” (p.48-53).
In “How to Fight
Monsters” Junior’s
father tells him that
white people aren’t
better than him but
In this chapter Junior’s
Junior doesn’t believe
parents tell him that
him: “But he was so
white people have the
wrong. And he knew he
most hope and Junior
was wrong. He was the
decides to leave the rez. loser Indian father of a
This lesson will focus on loser Indian son living
why hope has a color
in a world built for
for Junior’s family.
winners” (55).
Junior also references
Dickens’, A Tale of Two
Cities when comparing
his school with all-white
Reardon. Students could
also read aloud a
selection of the novel to
deepen understanding.
HW: Read “How to
Fight Monsters” (p.54 –
66)
This lesson would
center upon how racism
can be internalized.
What expectations does
Junior have for himself?
Day 8: Wednesday
Lesson: Stereotypes and
Native American Sports
Mascots.
Students will question
the use of Native
American emblems in
educational and sports
arenas.
Day 9: Thursday
Lesson: How Does
Culture Affect Our
Expectations?
Junior expects the White
boys at Reardon to
think the same as the
Indian boys on the rez,
and is surprised when
that doesn’t happen.
*Detailed lesson plan
This lesson will center
included.
on how our culture
impacts what we expect
of ourselves and of
HW: Read
others, and build off the
“Grandmother Gives
stereotyping discussion
Me Some Advice” (p. 67 of the day before.
– 73)
HW: Read “Tears of a
Clown” (p. 74 -76) and
Halloween (p. 77 – 81)
Day 10: Friday
Lesson: Using a Marxist
Lens
Junior and his family are
extremely poor and
oftentimes cannot even
afford to eat. In
“Halloween”, Junior
joins Penelope in trickor-treating for spare
change instead of candy,
to donate to the
homeless. Junior says “I
was a poor kid raising
money for other poor
people. It made me feel
almost honorable.” (79)
Students will use a
Marxist lens to consider
how Junior’s socioeconomic status impacts
his life, and how he
views himself and
others.
HW: Read “Slouching
Toward Thanksgiving”
(p. 82 – 98)
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Week 3
Topic/Activity
Day 11: Monday
Lesson: Junior’s Art
Day 12: Tuesday
Fieldtrip Day
In the preceding
chapter, Junior says of
his cartoons “I use them
to understand the
world.” (95) He then
continues on to say “My
cartoons weren’t just
good for giggles; they
were also good for
poetry.” (95)
This lesson would focus
on Junior’s art: Why
does Junior draw?; Is all
of the art similar in
style?; If not, why?;
How does art help
Junior?; How is art like
literature?
Take students on a
fieldtrip to the National
Museum of the
American Indian in
lower Manhattan to
learn more about Native
American life and
culture, both past and
present.
Students would then
write a poem to go
alongside one of the
pieces of art in the
book.
HW: Read “My Sister
Sends Me an E-mail” (p.
99–100) and
“Thanksgiving” (p.101 –
103)
Day 13: Wednesday
Lesson: Author
Background
Day 14: Thursday
Lesson: Taking a Look
at Eating Disorders
Webquest using
Sherman Alexie’s
website to gain
background on the
author. Students will
discover that
A.T.D.P.T.I. is a
fictionalized
autobiography.
Read “Hunger Pains”
aloud. (p.104 – 113)
Students can work in
groups, or individually,
investigating, analyzing,
and synthesizing what
they found and how this
relates to the novel, and
Alexie’s work in general.
*detailed lesson plan
included.
HW: Read “Rowdy
Gives Me Advice About
Love” (p. 114 – 117)
Does Penelope have an
eating disorder? How
does her expectations of
herself and of beauty
play a role in her
behavior?
Day 15: Friday
Lesson: Navigating
Between Two Worlds
This chapter starts with
Junior saying “I was half
Indian in one place and
half white in the other.”
(118) Discuss
Junior/Arnold’s dual
identities and how he
feels he is navigating
between two different
tribes.
HW: Read “Dance,
Dance, Dance” (p.118 –
129)
HW: Read “Don’t Trust
Your Computer” (p. 130
– 132) and “My Sister
Sends Me a Letter” (p.
133 – 134), “And a
Partridge in a Pear
Tree” (p.150 – 151), and
“Reindeer Games”
(p.135 – 149).
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Week 4
Topic/Activity
Day 16: Monday
Day 17: Tuesday
Lesson: Individual
Lesson: Coping With
Versus Member of the
Death and Grieving
Community (Continuing
Friday’s discussion)
In the chapter read for
homework, Junior learns
Junior’s friend Gordy
of the death of Eugene,
says: “Well, life is a
a close family friend just
constant struggle
a few days after his
between being an
Grandmother’s death.
individual and being a
In less than a year,
member of the
Junior has already
community.” (132)
experienced three
Students will consider
deaths.
this quote and read the
poem “Endless Search” Discuss death, the
by Native American
grieving process, and
poet Alonzo Lopez to
Junior’s suicidal
continue thinking about thoughts. How are we
the individual versus
expected to grieve? Is
collective identity.
this different in other
cultures? Is there a right
HW: “Red Versus
way or a wrong way?
White” p. 152 – 158,
How does Junior cope?
“Wake” (p.159 – 167)
HW: In Like a Lion p.
and “Valentine Heart”
179 – 196 and “Rowdy
(p.168 – 178)
and I Have a Long and
Serious Discussion
About Basketball” (p.
197 – 198)
Day 18: Wednesday
Lesson: The Costs of
Going Against The
Grain
Throughout the novel
Junior has talked about
how he is being
shunned for betraying
his tribe by going to
Reardon but also not
being accepted at
Reardon either.
Day 19: Thursday
Lesson: The Effects of
Alcohol on the
Individual and Society
In today’s reading
Junior’s sister Mary dies
in an alcohol related
tragedy. This is the third
death in the novel that
has been related to
alcohol. Using the poem
“Spirit in Me”, by
Native American poet
Create a body
Esther G. Belin,
biography, a visual and
students will be broken
written portrait that
off into groups and
illustrates several
handed an envelope
elements of Junior’s life, with the lines of the
including the forces
Belin poem cut into
working on the inside as strips. Students will
well as the forces impact create a found poem,
him on the outside.
blending some of the
lines from the Belin
HW: Read “Because
poem with lines from
Russian Guys Are Not
this chapter of
Always Geniuses”
A.T.D.P.T.I.
(p.199 – 213) and
“Remembering” (p.214
– 218)
Day 20: Friday
Lesson: Gender Roles
The preceding chapter
ended with a graphic of
Junior and Rowdy
holding hands and
jumping into the lake
together. The caption
underneath reads: “Boys
can hold hands until
they turn nine.”
How have gender roles
and corresponding
expectations presented
themselves throughout
the novel?
HW:
Talking About Turtles
(p.219 - 230)
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Week 5
Topic/
Activity
Day 21: Monday
Lesson: Sketch to Stretch
Day 22: Tuesday
Lesson: Creating Our Multigenre Project
Students will be given a
graphic organizer (see
attached) and asked to
choose one of the
chapters that does not
already have art. Students
will skim through that
chapter and select a
sentence or paragraph
they feel is the most
important and then
“stretch” it with a visual
representation. Possible
art-free chapters are:
“Tears of a Clown”,
“Halloween”, “My Sister
Sends Me an E-mail”,
“Don’t Trust Your
Computer”, “And a
Partridge in a Pear Tree”,
“Rowdy and I Have a
Long and Serious
Discussion About
Basketball”, or “Talking
About Turtles”.
Students will begin working on their
multigenre projects on A.T.D.P.T.I. The
next three classes will consist of mini
lessons reviewing the genres and
providing in-class time to work on the
projects. Today’s mini lesson will be on
personal narratives.
Paper requirements
Papers must contain:
-Sketch to Stretch drawing
-A body biography of Junior
(Both already finished earlier in unit)
-A personal narrative from Junior’s
perspective (minimum two pages)
Students can then choose any four
different genres that connect and build
off each other, making the central theme
or thesis of the paper stronger because of
those selected genres.
See the following website for a list of
genres:http://www.sheboyganfalls.k12.wi
.us/cyberenglish9/multi_genre/multigenr
e.htm#Types%20of%20Genres
Day 23: Wednesday
Lesson: Continuing
With Our Multigenre
Projects
Day 24: Thursday Day 25: Friday
Lesson: Continuing Lesson: Finishing
With Our
Up Our Multigenre
Multigenre Projects Projects
Mini lesson on
two genres.
Mini lesson
on two genres
and continued
independent
work on
projects.
Students will work in
groups, peer editing
their personal
narratives.
Extra class
time will be
dedicated to
independent
work on
projects.
HW: Revise essay using
suggestions from
classmates and finish at
least one more genre.
HW: Continue
working on
multigenre project.
Students should
have two more
genres completed.
Wrap up in class
time dedicated to
multigenre projects.
Students should
finish their projects
over the weekend.
HW: Finish
multigenre project
and be prepared to
present one genre
to the class on
Monday. If you
choose to present a
piece of art or
collage, it must be
accompanied by a
thoughtful
discussion of the
art, what it
represents and how
it connects to your
project as a whole.
HW: Write the first draft of the personal
narrative. Bring in three copies – one for
teacher, two for peer editing work.
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Detailed Unit Plans:
LESSON PLAN #1 – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
DATE:
5/12/08
8th grade
English
LEVEL:
“Who ____ Would Have Been if
Somebody Had Paid Attention to Their
Dreams”
TOPIC:
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:


How do internal and external expectations manifest themselves in our lives?
How can societal and familial expectations impact our identities?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:



To question the impact expectations can have on ones’ life and how this influences self-esteem.
To develop an understanding of how societal expectations shape their future roles in society.
Students will see how lowered expectations and feelings of hopelessness can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
LESSON OUTLINE:
(Prior to the class meeting, students will have read the chapter “Why Chicken Means So Much to Me”)
Summary:
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.
Materials:
 A copy of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
 Writer’s notebook, pens/pencils
 Poster board, markers, crayons, colored pencils
Steps / Procedure:
When students enter class, have the following “Do Now” on the board:
 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)
 Give students the opportunity to volunteer and share out what they have written with the class. (3 mins)
 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)
 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)
Self-fulfilling prophecy – a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to come true.
 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)
 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)
 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)
This lesson is planned for a 50 minute period.
Homework:
Finish your drawing and short story if not completed in class.
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LESSON PLAN #2 – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
DATE:
5/13/08
8th grade
English
LEVEL:
Stereotypes and Native American Sports
Mascots
TOPIC:
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

Does using Native American images and names in professional, collegiate, and high school sports teams
reinforce and perpetuate stereotypes?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:

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.
LESSON OUTLINE:
(Prior to the class meeting, students will have read the chapter “How to Fight Monsters”)
Summary:
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.
Materials:





A copy of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Writer’s notebook, pens/pencils
“NCAA Takes Aim at Indian Mascots” handout
Projector/Media capabilities to show video clip.
Handouts for homework assignment including pre-reading organizer, “Topic of Debate”, cartoons, and
“Sorry For Not Being a Stereotype” handouts
Steps / Procedure:
When students enter class, have the following “Do Now” on the board:
 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
Ippolito 13
does it stand for? How could it be used? Why? (5 mins)
 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)
 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)
 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)
 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)
 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)
 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)
 Wrap-up discussion (5 mins):
1. What did you learn in this video clip and/or the NCAA article?
2. If you are a Native American how does this issue make you feel? (If not, pretend you are.)
3. Tying it back to the novel, do you think Junior is having problems at Reardon because of the use of such
mascots?
4. How do you think Alexie feels about the use of Native American mascots? Why?
5. 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?
 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)
Ippolito 14
This lesson is planned for a 50 minute period.
Topic of Debate:
Should Sports Teams Use Native American
Names and Mascots?
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Against the Use of Mascots…
Team mascots are racist
In response to previous letters about American Indians being mascots for
sports teams, the writer of “Mascots don’t belittle Indians” (letter, Jan. 9)
stated that the fans [don’t think lowly of American Indians because of] an
American Indian mascot.
By definition, racism is discriminatory or abusive behavior toward members
of another race. While the fans of these sports teams feel it is fine to have
an Atlanta Brave or a Washington Redskin, it is abusive behavior toward
members of American Indian tribes.
“The Washington (blank)s” — in the blank space insert any race, and you
will come up with a team mascot that would not be tolerated in today’s
society.
These team mascots need to be retired and we as Americans need to see
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that if we are to have freedom from oppression, then we need to start with
our own homeland.
Dante Halleck
Kuwait
In Favor of Mascots…
Names prideful, not racist
In response to the letter “Team mascots are racist” (letter, Jan. 17): Team
mascot names are not racist. The writer correctly gave the definition of
racism, and no team mascot comes remotely close to meeting that
definition.
Teams, whether they be high school, college or professional, choose mascot
names that demonstrate strength and power. Cleveland Indians, Florida
State Seminoles, Atlanta Braves, Washington Redskins … none of these
display discriminatory or abusive behavior toward members of another race,
or more specifically, toward American Indian tribes. In fact, when humans
actually flesh out the part of those mascots, they are done with what most
would agree is dignity and pride.
Perhaps we should rename them, though, in order to appease the letter
writer. I wonder how he would feel about Cleveland Daisies, Florida State
Kittens, Atlanta Peaches or Washington Pussy Willows? Those names would
certainly strike fear in their opponents’ hearts and minds, wouldn’t they?
Jim McDonald
Camp Virginia, Kuwait
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**Above clips found at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=59841&archive=true
NCAA Takes Aim At Indian Mascots
INDIANAPOLIS, August 5, 2005
(CBS/AP) Fed up with what it considers "hostile" and "abusive" American Indian nicknames, the
NCAA announced Friday it would shut those words and images out of postseason tournaments, a
move that left some school officials angry and threatening legal action.
Starting in February, any school with a nickname or logo considered racially or ethnically "hostile" or
"abusive" by the NCAA would be prohibited from using them in postseason events. Mascots will
not be allowed to perform at tournament games, and band members and cheerleaders will also be
barred from using American Indians on their uniforms beginning in 2008.
Major college football teams are not subject to the ban because there is no official NCAA
tournament.
Affected schools were quick to complain, and Florida State — home of the Seminoles — threatened
legal action.
"That the NCAA would now label our close bond with the Seminole people as culturally 'hostile and
abusive' is both outrageous and insulting," Florida State president T.K. Wetherell said in a statement.
"I intend to pursue all legal avenues to ensure that this unacceptable decision is overturned, and that
this university will forever be associated with the 'unconquered' spirit of the Seminole Tribe of
Florida," he added.
The committee also recommended that schools follow the examples of Wisconsin and Iowa by
refusing to schedule contests against schools that use American Indian nicknames.
While NCAA officials admit they still can't force schools to change nicknames or logos, they are
making a statement they believe is long overdue. Eighteen mascots, including Florida State's
Seminole and Illinois' Illini, were on the list of offenders.
Those schools will not be permitted to host future NCAA tournament games, and if events have
already been awarded to those sites, the school must cover any logos or nicknames that appear.
"Certainly some things remain to be answered from today, and one of those things is the definition
of what is 'hostile or abusive,'" said Tom Hardy, a spokesman at Illinois.
The NCAA did not give a clear answer on that.
President Myles Brand noted that some schools using the Warrior nickname will not face sanctions
because they do not use Indian symbols. One school, North Carolina-Pembroke — which uses the
Ippolito 17
nickname Braves — will also be exempted because Brand said the school has historically had a high
percentage of students, more than 20 percent, who are American Indians.
"We believe hostile or abusive nicknames are troubling to us and it can't continue," committee
chairman Walter Harrison said. "We're trying to send a message, very strongly, saying that these
mascots are not appropriate for NCAA championships."
The decision, however, quickly evoked passions and complaints from both sides.
At Florida State, Wetherell said the NCAA was trying to embarrass the school for using its
nickname, even though the Seminole Tribe of Florida has given the university permission to
continue using it.
"Other Seminole tribes are not supportive," said Charlotte Westerhaus, the NCAA vice president for
diversity and inclusion.
Supporters also were unhappy.
Vernon Bellecourt, president of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media and a
member of the Anishinabe-Ojibwe Nation in Minnesota, approved of the ban but had hoped the
NCAA would take even stronger action.
"We're not so happy about the fact that they didn't make the decision to ban the use of Indian team
names and mascots," he said.
Harrison, president at the University of Hartford, said the executive committee does not have the
authority to do that, and schools can still appeal their inclusion on the list.
Brand and Harrison said they hoped school officials would pursue policy changes through the
NCAA first, before going to court.
"I suspect that some of those would like to having a ruling on that," Brand said. "But unless there is
a change before Feb. 1, they will have to abide by it."
Two years ago, the NCAA recommended schools determine for themselves whether Indian
depictions were offensive.
CBS News Correspondent Tom Foty reports that the NCAA had investigated 33 schools
nicknames and that about half have changed their names since then, leaving the 18 schools now
subject to the new mascot and nickname restriction.
Among the schools to change nicknames in recent years were St. John's (from Redmen to Red
Storm) and Marquette (from Warriors to Golden Eagles).
But that hasn't changed opinions on either side.
"They're not willing to give up this money," Bellecourt said, referring to merchandising revenue.
"We would hope that it (the decision) was the handwriting on the wall that would urge them to drop
Ippolito 18
these team names and mascots."
©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/05/sportsline/printable762542.shtml
Sorry for not being a stereotype
Chicago Sun-Times
April 24, 2004
By Rita Pyrillis
How many of you would know an American Indian if you saw one? My guess is not many.
Certainly not the bank teller who called security when an Indian woman — a visiting scholar —
tried to cash a check with a tribal identification card. When asked what the problem was, the
teller replied: "It must be a scam. Everyone knows real Indians are extinct."
And not the woman who cut in front of me at the grocery checkout a few months ago. When I
confronted her, she gave me the once over and said: "Why don't you people just go back to your
own country."
OK, lady, after you, I said, when I thought of it the next morning.
Even though I was born and raised in Chicago, strangers sometimes assume I'm a foreigner. For
the record, I'm Native American, or Indian — take your pick. I prefer Lakota.
Sometimes strangers think I'm from another time. They wonder if I live in a teepee or make my
own buckskin clothes or have ever hunted buffalo. They are surprised when I tell them that most
Indians live in cities, in houses, and some of us shop at the Gap. I've never hunted a buffalo,
although I almost hit a cow once while driving through South Dakota.
Sometimes, people simply don't believe I'm Indian. "You don't look Indian," a woman told me
once. She seemed disappointed. I asked her what an Indian is supposed to look like. "You know.
Long black hair, braids, feathers, beads."
Apparently, as Indians go, I'm a flop, an embarrassment to my racial stereotype. My hair is
shoulder-length, and I don't feather it, unless you count my unfortunate Farrah Fawcett period in
junior high.
When you say you're Indian, you better look the part or be prepared to defend yourself. Those
are fighting words. When my husband tells people he's German, do they expect him to wear
lederhosen and a Tyrolean hat? Of course not. But such are the risks when you dare to be Indian.
You don't tug on Superman's cape, and you don't mess around with a man's stereotype.
Ippolito 19
Native American scholar Vine Deloria wrote that of all the problems facing Indian people, the
most pressing one is our transparency. Never mind the staggering suicide rate among Native
youth, or the fact that Indians are the victims of violent crimes at more than twice the rate of all
U.S. residents — our very existence seems to be in question.
"Because people can see right through us, it becomes impossible to tell truth from fiction or fact
from mythology," he wrote. "The American public feels most comfortable with the mythical
Indians of stereotype-land who were always THERE."
Sure. Stereotypes don't have feelings, or children who deserve to grow up with images that
reflect who they are — not perfect images, but realistic ones. While Little Black Sambo and the
Frito Bandito have gone the way of minstrel shows, Indians are still battling a red-faced, bignosed Chief Wahoo and other stereotypes. No wonder people are confused about who Indians
really are. When we're not hawking sticks of butter, or beer or chewing tobacco, we're scalping
settlers. When we're not passed out drunk, we're living large off casinos. When we're not
gyrating in Pocahoochie outfits at the Grammy Awards, we're leaping through the air at football
games, represented by a white man in red face. One era's minstrel show is another's halftime
entertainment. It's enough to make Tonto speak in multiple syllables.
And it's enough to make hard-working, decent Indian folks faced with more urgent problems
take to the streets in protest. Personally, I'd rather take in my son's Little League game, but as
long as other people insist on telling me when to be honored or offended, or how I should look or
talk or dance, I will keep telling them otherwise. To do nothing would be less than honorable.
Rita Pyrillis is a free-lance journalist and a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
Ippolito 20
Reading Towards Your Persuasive Essay
Step 1: Read the article or cartoon
Step 2: Identify the major concepts
Article/Cartoon
“NCAA Takes
Aim at Indian
Mascots” article
“Sorry For Not
Being a
Stereotype”
“Topic of Debate”
handout
“Racial
sensitivity” and
“Go Redskins”
cartoons
“Pow-Wow” and
“Really? You
don’t look like an
Indian” cartoons
Step 3: State whether you Agree / Disagree
Step 4: Explain why you Agree / Disagree, providing specific reasons.
Statement: What is this piece saying? Identify
the major concepts.
Post-Reading Reaction
Agree/Disagree
Explain Your
Post-Reading Answer
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Ippolito 22
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTim e™ and a
decompressor
are needed t o see t his pict ure.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Ippolito 24
LESSON PLAN #3 – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
DATE:
5/14/08
8th grade
English
LEVEL:
TOPIC:
Author Background - WebQuest
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

How might learning about Sherman Alexie’s life inform our reading of the text?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:



Students will learn that The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a fictionalized autobiography of
Alexie’s childhood growing up on a Spokane Indian reservation and in Wellpinit, WA.
Students will read excerpts of other novels written by Alexie and be able to discern thematic connections in
his writing.
Students will begin to think about how stereotypes of Native Americans are perpetuated in film.
LESSON OUTLINE:
Materials:



A copy of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Advance arrangements will be made for class to be held in a computer lab to complete the webquest
Webquest worksheet and website outline
Steps / Procedure:
 Tell students that today’s class will be dedicated to completing a webquest to learn more about the author of
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Explain to students what a webquest is and distribute the
list of links that students will be reading and analyzing.(5 mins)
Sites for Webquest:
1. “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie http://www.fallsapart.com/superman.html
Alexie’s essay “Superman and Me” talks about his life on the reservation and how he learned to read through
comics. Students could tie this essay to the idea that Junior is a cartoonist, his emphasis on education as a way
out, as well as his struggle with familial and tribal expectations.
2. “I Hated Tonto (Still Do)” by Sherman Alexie http://www.fallsapart.com/tonto.html
Alexie’s essay on how Native Americans are represented in film and how perpetuates stereotypes and racism.
Alexie also demonstrates how such stereotypes can become internalized.
3. Sherman Alexie’s Biography http://www.fallsapart.com/biography.html
By reading this short piece on Alexie’s life, students will quickly see the connections between the novel and his
life.
4. Excerpt from Alexie’s book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
http://www.etsu.edu/writing/studentsamlit/alexie.htm#excerpt
5. Interview Transcript: Sherman Alexie: Up All Night
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_alexie.html
 Distribute the webquest worksheet students will complete by the end of class. Review the outline, answer any
questions and then let students work independently for the remainder of the class (5 mins)
This lesson is planned for a 50 minute period.
Ippolito 26
Webquest - Sherman Alexie
Website
List three important
facts you learned.
How does this site help
you understand
ATDPTI?
What questions do
you have from
reviewing this site?
Ippolito 27
Unit Assessment Outline:
In addition to informal assessments, such as talking to and observing my students while
working in groups or during class discussions, I have also included a rubric to distribute to
students at the beginning of the unit so that they will know in advance what is expected of them.
I feel that using such rubrics allows all students to succeed as long as they are completing the
work and putting in the effort.
For overall grading, I thought the idea of using a -, /, +, each with a designated point
value for their work throughout the unit and their multigenre projects, made the assessment clear
and easy for the students to follow, as well as aid in differentiation, being as clear as possible for
any struggling ELL’s in the class. This would be used in grading along with their completed selfassessments. I would also encourage them throughout the unit to meet with me one on one to
review any questions they may have on the text, their work, if they weren’t satisfied with their
grade, or just had any general questions.
Finally, assessments should not be a way one street; our students should be given the
same opportunity to evaluate their teachers just as college students. By providing them with the
opportunity to assess my work, I hope to show my students that their opinions are valued and an
integral part of the classroom. I would encourage them to include anything that they would have
liked to have happen in the unit that didn’t, or just provide any feedback on the class overall. It is
important to provide continual opportunities where the students’ opinions can be heard, and so
I’ve included the option to remain anonymous to further encourage their candor without fearing
Ippolito 28
that speaking up will have negative consequences. Such feedback will help me gauge how I can
improve, and make it clear that I genuinely want their input in order to help foster a strong, open,
and effective classroom environment.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Self-Assessment
Name:____________________________ Date:___________
Mark how well you thought you did on the continuum.
Next time I need, or would like, to:
I significantly revised and reworked
my final project.
I met reading homework deadlines
consistently and completed the
final assignment as outlined in the
rubric.
I thoughtfully and constructively
engaged in peer group activities
and class discussion.
My work is neat, organized and
free of grammatical and spelling
errors.
On the back, write what you feel the teacher could have done better
or any general comments you would like me to know. If you would
like to remain anonymous, feel free to use a separate sheet of paper.
Ippolito 29
Signed Student_____________________________________
* Derived this template and modified using the following website:
http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/units/poetry/self_assessment.html
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Final Project Assessment Rubric
Multigenre paper includes 7 genres: the body biography, sketch to stretch, personal
narrative from Junior’s perspective (2 pages minimum) and four different genres of the
student’s choice. (6 points)
- / +
Project centers around how you feel Junior’s experiences can be used to explore the
overarching question of the unit: How do internal and external expectations shape our
lives? Making inferences and the use of imagination is encouraged but textual connections
should be apparent throughout your project, as well. (3 points)
- / +
Significantly revised and reworked the personal narrative with consideration of comments
made by peer editing group and teacher comments. (6 points)
- / +
Work is free of grammatical and spelling errors. (3 points)
- / +
Met deadlines consistently. (3 points)
- / +
Thoughtfully engaged in class discussions and peer group work activities. (3 points)
- / +
Final project is well organized, has an engaging opening and closing, demonstrates a
logical progression of ideas, and communicates with depth and density. (3 points)
- / +
Thoughtfully and professionally presented one genre from the project to the class (3
points)
- / +
Overall Assessment:
Total points earned:
-=1
/=2
+=3
Note that a higher designation of six points will be used for two categories: revisions
spurred by peer group work, and the inclusion of seven distinct genres. Point designations
are as follows for those categories:
-=2
/=4
+=6
Total possible points: 30
Student Final Score:
Ippolito 30
Comments:
Ippolito 31