Reading Assignment #4

Consider the following ideas, then...  
Greg-Devin-Tanner: comment with a short paragraph expressing your thoughts.  
Mathew-Greg-Cody:  reply to the other's comments with your opinion


When Junior is in Reardan (the white town), he is "half-Indian," and when Arnold is in Wellpinit (his home reservation, he is "half white."  The author writes "It was like being Indian was my job, but it was only a part-time job.  And it didn't pay well at all."  

At Reardan High, why does Junior pretend to have more money that he does, even though he knows that "lies have short shelf lives"?  What does he mean by that statement?

Also,think about the title The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian  and also the pictures on the cover.  What ideas from the book do the title and the cover focus on by using "absolutely true" and "part-time"?  Do they make a reference to Arnold's internal struggle, or a struggle between him and the white power structure?  Both?  Neither?

Due Friday Dec. 20

Vocabulary Group 2

Bulimic p.107 – someone suffering from bulimia, a serious physical and emotional illness in which people and especially young women eat large amounts of food and then cause themselves to vomit in order not to gain weight

Anorexic p.107 – someone suffering from anorexia, a serious physical and emotional illness in which an abnormal fear of being fat leads to very poor eating habits and dangerous weight loss

Primate p.115 – A mammal of the order Primates, which includes the anthropoids and prosimians, characterized by refined development of the hands and feet, a shortened snout, and a large brain.

Retroactive p.122 – applying or referring to events in the past

Penultimate p.124 – second to last

     Repressed p.131 – shy, reserved, withdrawn

        

     Contempt p.144 – dislike, disrespect, scorn

     Shamans – A member of certain tribal societies who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events.

Reading Assignment #3

Re-read “My Sister Sends Me an Email” pg. 99-100.  

Then, pretend you are Arnold and write an email back to your sister in Arnold’s voice. Include information about recent events, response to sister’s news, and your thoughts about both. 

Your email must be a minimum of 5 sentences.  It should begin by addressing Mary and be signed by Arnold.  Paste your email into your comment on this post.  

Due Tuesday Dec. 17

Reading Assignment #2B

Comment on this post with your thoughts on the following:

What are Arnold's reasons for leaving the reservation?  Can you understand why he chooses to leave? Which reasons do you think are the best reasons to leave?  If you had reasons for leaving the school in your town, what would they be?  

Reply to one comment either on this post, OR on the Reading Assignment #2A post

Due Friday December 13th

Reading Assignment #2A

Choose one of the following and comment on this post with your ideas:  

1)  How did you react when Junior decided to leave the reservation?  Do you think he made the right decision?  Did it seem like he decided kind of quickly?

2) What do you think about the fight "Arnold" (Junior) gets into with Roger?  Did you think Roger's reaction was weird?  Why did Arnold seem confused?  Are there really "rules" of fighting?  

Reply to one comment either on this post, OR on the Reading Assignment #2B post

Due Friday December 13

Reading Assignment #1

After completing your comparison chart, find a quote from pages 1-31 that goes along with one of your comparisons.  Use a quote from the source you are comparing as well.  Comment on this  post with your comparison, your two quotes, and your explanation of how the two are connected.  Be sure to use an in-text citation with your quotes.  

Due Tuesday Dec. 10

Example:  


"Well I hate to argue with a Russian genius, but Tolstoy didn't know Indians.  And he didn't know that all Indian families are unhappy for the same exact reason:  the fricking booze" (Alexi, p. 200) 
--I read ahead....

"With a suspected genetic predisposition toward alcoholism, their addictions were passed on like heirlooms" (Walter, p. 1)


This quote shows similarities between Arnold in the book and the Spokane Indian Tribe news article.  Both talk about American Indians' struggles with alcohol, even to the point where it is like a common trait every family has or that is passed down from one family member to another.    

Post 3: The book begins!

As you read, consider the following, then comment on this post with your numbered thoughts on two of the following four.  You do not have to answer all four questions. 

Chapter 1

1. What happened to Junior when he was born and what was the result of this occurrence?

2. What other problems did Junior have and what was he called?

3. What does he like to do?

4. What are his dreams?

NEWSFLASH!

YOU GUYS ARE BOMB BLOGGERS!!!  Your comments are very intelligent and also original. Your replies are respectful but still express your own opinions.  Basically, you are doing a super awesome job of getting the assignments done, and sounding super smart while you do it.  KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

REPLIES

If you are at a loss for how to reply to someone's comment, try one of these sentence starters:  

This makes me think...
I agree because...
My opinions differs because...
This is interesting to me because...

ALSO:  You can always ask the author a question and see if they write back :)

Post 2: Thanksgiving Thoughts

Read "Thanksgiving"
Then comment on this post about the following:

(be sure to number your responses)

1.  Write one thing you can share about your Thanksgiving experience.  
2.  Write one sentence about how you feel about Thanksgiving.
3.  Write one thing the narrator of the book shares about his Thanksgiving 
      (a quote with page #)
4.  Write one sentence about how the narrator feels about Thanksgiving.  

Due Thurs. Dec. 4th

Post 1: Pre-Reading Perspectives

In completing the novel's anticipation guide, you either agreed with, disagreed with, or were unsure about twelve statements and then explained your position.  Comment on this post with two of your explanations.  Be sure to also include number, the statement and your explanation.  After at least four of your classmates have posted, reply to at least two comments.  

Comment due Wednesday Dec. 4
Replies due Thursday Dec. 5