The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Booktalk By Kristy Fulton

2. Young Adult Booktalk Poster Kristy Fulton LIST 5317, 5326 M.Ed. Triple Literacy Reading Specialist, MRT IRA TExES Reading Specialist EC-12 Reading Specialist Practice Test Not Yet Taken Academic Honesty Statement  I have read and understand the UTA Academic Honesty clause as follows. “Academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form at The University of Texas at Arlington. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. “Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.” (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2., Subdivision 3.22).”  Further, I declare that the work being submitted for this assignment is my original work (e.g., not copied from another student or copied from another source) and has not been submitted for another class.  “Signature” (Typed name): Kristy Fulton Date: October 12, 2008

3. Background Information • I am currently in my 15th year of teaching 1st grade. I am the Lead 1st Grade Teacher at Whitney Elementary School, where I work with five other first grade teachers. I am certified to teach 1st – 8th grade English or Self-Contained, as well as ESL. I am working towards Reading Specialist and Master Reading Teacher certifications, along with my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a Literacy focus. • I use trade books daily in my classroom. I have an enormous collection of books. I also check out books from the library and borrow/share books with the other first grade teachers. I use trade books for daily read alouds and for connections to thematic units. I use them in all content areas. I read trade books as part of my lessons in math, science, and social studies. Trade books help engage students in the learning. I always try to find books that go with my lessons because they help build background knowledge and help my students make connections within their learning. • Trade books are a natural part of the PK-2nd grade classrooms at my school. Young children love to listen to stories. We have a remarkable library and our teachers collaborate well together and share books. As our children get older and move up to the intermediate and middle schools, though, I have witnessed that the use of trade books gradually declines.

4. Reflection • As part of the required curriculum for LIST 5326 Teaching Language Arts in Middle and Secondary Schools during my final practicum, I created a Young Adult Booktalk for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I developed a Power Point describing the book, justifying its use, applying to activities in the classroom, and supporting it with additional resources. • This assignment demonstrates that I have a full understanding of IRA Standard 2 because I used an award-winning young adult book and applied research based instructional strategies for classroom activities, including a KWL chart, a BioPoem, a Book Diary, and Script and Perform. This also demonstrates my understanding of TExES Competency 010 by my ability to choose methods and resources to meet the varied needs of secondary students. • This assignment has prepared me for my role as a reading specialist by giving me the opportunity to develop literacy lessons for secondary students using a young adult novel. It prepared me to utilize a modern-day portrayal of Native American characters in a story written by a Native American author. I am better prepared to meet the multi-cultural needs of all my students.

5. Alexie, Sherman. 2007. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. NY: Little, Brown And Company.

6. Websites • The Official Sherman Alexie Website: www.fallsapart.com • Here you can read about Alexie’s biography, other published works, and awards. It also features articles about Alexie and student and teacher resources, including a reader’s guide for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Teachers can join a discussion group to share ideas for using works by Alexie.

7. I draw because words are too unpredictable. I draw because words are too limited. -Junior, p.5 Websites • The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/books/review/Barcott3-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin • Bruce Barcott summarizes the story and refers to it as “a gem of a book.” He states that Alexie has mastered his first attempt in the young adult genre. • The School Library Journal: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/850019885.html • Elizabeth Bird describes this as “one heck of a novel” and said it was a rare pleasure to inhabit the head of an adolescent male. She says Alexie’s writing is “top notch” and that he delivers the subject matter with both laughter and tears.

8. Amazon.com Reading Level: Young Adult From School Library Journal: Grade 7-10 Average Customer Review: 4 ½ stars (87 reviews) Library of Congress LC # 2007022799 1st Edition Published 2007 New York: Little, Brown Art by Ellen Forney Fiction 229 pages I feel important with a pen in my hand. -Junior, p.6 Book Information

9. Summary • “It sucks to be poor, and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor” (p.13). Junior is a bright, geeky,14-year old Spokane Indian who lives on a reservation, but longs to escape the poverty and make something of himself. With the encouragement of a teacher, he decides to attend an all-white school in a nearby town, despite being viewed as a traitor by his fellow Indians. The only other Indian at his new school is the mascot. He is terrified of being beat up by the rich, white jocks at his new school, but soon earns their respect and becomes a starting player on the basketball team. He finds that “if you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.” However, as he learns to fit in at the white school, he finds himself struggling to keep his identity and respect on the reservation. He witnesses the extreme differences in lifestyles of the kids on the reservation compared to the kids in town. Throughout his adolescent struggles to fit in, he also must deal with tragic deaths of loved ones and learn to cope with the harsh realities of life. In the end, he comes to understand that life is made up of tribes and how he fits into those tribes, including the tribe of cartoonists, the tribe of teenage boys, the tribe of small-town kids, the tribe of poverty, the tribe of funeral-goers, the tribe of beloved sons, the tribe of bookworms, the tribe of tortilla chips-and-salsa lovers, and more. As he learns to live in two different worlds, he comes to the conclusion that the world is divided into two main tribes: the people who are assholes and the people who are not. He realizes that he is not alone in his loneliness. And he learns to love his Reservation.

10. Personal Response • This is an amazing book! It made me laugh out loud and cry. Junior is dealing with issues that every teenager must face. From struggling to fit in to dealing with death, he learns to cope and keep going. With every incident he faces, he gains wisdom and insights into the facts of life. And no matter how bad things get, he always maintains a sense of humor. • This is not a book for young children. Junior is a 14-year old teenage boy with masturbation and boners on his mind, so use caution when deciding to use this book and make sure it is appropriate for your students. Older teenage boys will be able to identify with adolescent struggles Junior faces, but because of the sexual content, I would not require this reading for a whole class, especially at the middle school level. I think it would be most appropriate for literature circles in which students choose from selections of books, or as a recommendation to individual students. • Junior deals with racism throughout this book. He is very insightful as he becomes aware of both his own people’s attitudes towards whites and as he deals with racism he faces from whites. He is called an “apple” for being red on the outside and white on the inside. He struggles with the fact that he must leave his reservation/Indian life to become successful. He struggles with falling in love with a white girl. As a white girl, Junior made me think about how my life is privileged without offending me. His experiences show that there are good and bad people of both races. I think his story can open up discussions about racism and help students understand different cultures. It also shows that contemporary Native Americans are not the noble heroes or savage Indians from old westerns. They are typical teenagers facing some of the same modern problems as all other teenagers. And they are very much still alive!

11. Justification for Use • This book is needed to introduce students to contemporary Native American characters. Indians are often represented as historical figures or stereotypes that are unrealistic and usually offensive. They might appear overly heroic and mystical, or they might be whooping savages with face paint and feathers. In “Native Americans in Children’s Literature,” (Harris, 1995) Debbie Reese states that 98 ½ % of books featuring Native Americans in 1995 were written by non-Native authors, but that a Native author who has lived in the context of tribal society is more likely to portray Indians as “just people.” This is exactly what Sherman Alexie does in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. It is a loosely based on his own experiences of growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, so he presents believable, “real” characters that teenagers will be able to identify with. His book is also set in modern times, showing that Native Americans are still alive and well today. • While this book is hilariously funny at times, it also brings up serious issues worth discussing in a secondary classroom, including racism, poverty, alcoholism, family violence, death and eating disorders. It also brings up the everyday struggles of teenage life, including friendship, first loves, fitting in, standing up to bullies, and teacher troubles.

12. Web-Based Links The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is loosely based on Alexie’s own experiences of growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The following are links to actual schools mentioned in the book and to information about the Spokane Indians. These links could be used to learn more about the culture of the Spokane Indians, as well as to compare the two school districts that Junior attended. • Spokane Tribe of Indians: http://www.spokanetribe.com • Spokane Indian Reservation: http://www.spokaneoutdoors.com/indirese.htm • The Wellpinit School District: http://www.wellpinit.wednet.edu • Reardan-Edwall School District: http://www.reardan.net/reardan/site/default.asp

13. English Language Arts TEKS 9) Reading/Culture: The student reads widely, including world literature, to increase the knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements across cultures. The student is expected to: • Recognize distinctive and shared characteristics of cultures through reading; and • Compare text events with his/her own and other readers’ experiences. Students will learn about Native American culture as they read Junior’s story. Throughout the story, Junior is struggling with fitting in and finding his identity within his Native American world and the outside white world. He notices the positives and negatives within each culture, as well as the similarities and differences among the cultures. Students will bring their own cultural experiences to this story and will make connections between their own lives and the characters in this book. Even students of other cultures besides Native American or white will be able to make connections with their own cultures.

14. IRA Standard 4 Creating a Literate Environment The choice of this book as curriculum material fosters reading and writing because it is an award-winning book that will engage adolescent students. It is also a good multicultural choice that portrays contemporary Native American characters. TExES Competency 010 Instructional Methods and Resources This is a book that will address the varied learning needs of secondary students. The use of cartoons and humor will appeal to reluctant readers. It is easy to read, yet brings up important issues that will foster critical thinking. Educator Standards

15. Reading/WritingApplication to the Classroom • Prereading (Hadaway, Vardell & Young, p.112)) • Before reading this story, I would ask students to write words and phrases or draw images of what comes to their mind when I tell them we’re going to read a book about Indians. This could include a list of books or movies they know that have Indian characters. • This activity could be applied to a KWL Chart (Richardson, Morgan & Fleener, p.156). First, we would write what they Know about Indians from books they’ve read before. Then I would tell them we’re going to read a book about modern-day Indians and ask what they Want to Know. As we read the story, we would fill in what we Learn. • The purpose of this activity would be to show students realistic images of Native Americans as opposed to the stereotypes often portrayed in books and movies.

16. Reading/Writing Application to the Classroom • During reading, students will keep a Book Diary (Richardson, Morgan & Fleener, p.359). As students read, they will record their responses to the story. Response starters might include: • I liked this part because… • I learned that… • I felt ___ when… • I wondered why… • I was confused about…

17. “Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo?” -Roger, p.64 I felt like Roger had just kicked me in the face. That was the most racist thing I’d ever heard in my life. -Junior, p.64

18. Listening/SpeakingApplication to the Classroom • After reading the story, small groups will choose a scene to Script and Perform (Tchudi & Mitchell, p.330). Each group will choose what they believe is an important scene from the story, write a script for it, and then perform it for the rest of the class.

19. In a weird way, being hungry makes food taste better. There is nothing better than a chicken leg when you haven’t eaten for (approximately) eighteen-and-a-half hours. And believe me, a good piece of chicken can make anybody believe in the existence of God. So hunger is not the worst thing about being poor. -Junior, p.8

20. WritingApplication to the Classroom • After reading, students will write a BioPoem (Richardson, Morgan & Fleener, p.352) about Junior or another character from the story. The BioPoem is based on what they learned about the character from the story and follows this pattern: • First name • Four traits of character • Relative of… • Lover of… • Who feels… • Who needs… • Who fears… • Who gives… • Who would like to see… • Resident of… • Last name

21. You should approach each book – you should approach life – with the real possibility that you might get a metaphorical boner at any point. -Gordy, p.97

22. Additional Applications to the Classroom • Draw A Scene (Tchudi & Mitchell, p.169) – Students choose a scene that Junior did not illustrate and draw a cartoon for it. • Community Resources (Tchudi & Mitchell, p.169) – Students create a list of resources from the Internet or telephone book that would help characters in the book with issues they are facing, such as alcoholism and poverty. • Create A Room (Tchudi & Mitchell, p.170) – Students will imagine that they work for a television show such as ExtremeHome Makeover and they will design a new bedroom for Junior with things that he would like or need in it.

23. Supplemental Resources • The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven • This is a collection of 22 short stories also written by Sherman Alexie describing modern life on the Spokane Indian Reservation. • Smoke Signals • This is a movie based on some of Alexie’s stories in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. Alexie wrote the script and it was made by a Native American crew and creative team. • First Indian on the Moon • This book is a collection of poetry and short prose about the pain and oppression experienced by Alexie as a Spokane Indian.

24. Supplemental Resources • A Woman of Her Tribe by Margaret A. Robinson (Fawcett, 1991) • Half Nootka Indian and half white, Annette struggles to figure out her place in the world. • This story would be a good female alternative to pair with The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. • A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris (Picador, 2003) • This is another alternative featuring female characters. It tells the stories of a girl, her mother, and her grandmother as they come to grips with their past.

25. Student Interview I interviewed 15-year old Baylor, who is a sophomore at Whitney High School. He has not read the book, but I recommended it to him because I think he will like it. First, I asked him to try one of the activities for pre-reading by drawing and writing what comes to mind if I tell him he’s going to read a book about Indians. He asked if I meant old or new, so he did have the understanding that Indians are not just part of history. He seemed to enjoy drawing pictures of what he knew. His images of old were the typical Indians with feathers and tipis. His images of new were poor kids riding bikes, a truck bringing water, and a man smoking outside a motor shop. (He told me he saw a report on television once about a reservation that doesn’t have running water.) The book character he thought of was the Indian from The Indian in the Cupboard and he couldn’t think of any others. I asked him if he had ever done a KWL chart in school and he asked me what it is. I explained the KWL chart to him and he said he didn’t think he had ever done one. I asked if he ever studied Indians in any of his other classes at school and he said he couldn’t remember doing anything since about 2nd grade. I shared a summary and some excerpts from the book to give Baylor an idea of what it is about. Then I asked his opinion of the activities I planned for the book. He did not like the Script and Perform activity because he said he has done this in class before and he doesn’t like talking in front of the class. He also doesn’t like the Book Diary idea. He doesn’t want to write as he reads the book. When I first mentioned writing a poem, he didn’t like the idea, but when I explained the BioPoem, he said that it might be alright. He liked that it gives prompts/guidelines of how to write the poem. He also thought it might be fun to draw a new cartoon for the book or design a room for a character. He thought finding community resources would be boring. I think his responses demonstrate the importance of providing a choice of activities and responses that will meet the needs of students with different learning styles and personalities. Because he is very shy and doesn’t like to speak in front of others, he would need to be in an extremely comfortable environment in order to develop his speaking skills. He likes to draw, so I think he could relate to Junior’s character in the book. He goes to a mostly white, rural school similar to the one Junior chooses to attend, so I think it would be good for him to see the perspective of an outsider like Junior from another culture. His knowledge of Native Americans is limited to mostly historical information, so it would be good for him to “meet” some contemporary Native Americans through Junior and his friends in the story. Even though the characters are poor and live on a reservation, Baylor needs to see that Native Americans are normal teenagers with many similarities to kids he knows in Whitney.

26. Teacher Interview • I interviewed Kam Cook, Reading and English II Pre-AP Teacher at Whitney High School. She also teaches Journalism and Yearbook. This is her 5th year teaching. She does not use tradebooks in her classroom, nor does she have a class library. Every Friday, she has sustained silent reading time during class. She also gives students about 15 minutes at the end of class on other days if there is time. The students read their AR library books at this time.

27. Librarian Interview • I interviewed April McKinney, the Whitney High School Librarian. She stated that she looks for award-winning books when ordering new titles for the library. She uses Tayshas List, Best Books for Young Adults, The Alex Award, and Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adults. She also uses review sources, such as Booklist and School Library Journal, looking especially for books that receive starred reviews. She uses displays both in the library and in a hallway display case to feature new books. She also tags all of the Tayshas books in the MARC record so students can search for them using the online catalog. She has noticed recently a huge increase in the demand for vampire books, thanks to a popular new series by Stephenie Meyer. She says her students mostly check out fiction, and that the most popular types are realistic fiction and vampire or horror stories right now. • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an AR book and is available in the library.

28. Research Support Bibliography Hadaway, N.L., Vardell, S.M., & Young, T.A. (2002). Literature-based instruction with English language learners K-12. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Harris, V.J. (1997). Using multiethnic literature in the K-8 classroom. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc. Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that work. Portland, MN: Stenhouse Publishers. Richardson, J.S., Morgan, R.F. & Fleener, C. (2006). Reading to learn in the content areas. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Tchudi, S. & Mitchell, D. (1999). Exploring and teaching the English language arts. NY: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.