This resource can be used as supplemental teacher material or as a primary basis for literature study to:

• Draw students into a text with pre-reading questions and warm-up prompts, maintain engagement with in-class analysis through free-writing or discussion, and assess knowledge and comprehension with quizzes.
• Ensure deeper understanding and enjoyment of the literature with activities for all learning types.
• Stretch students’ critical thinking and writing skills with differentiated essay topics.

Note to Teachers: To support lesson-planning, connections to the work’s primary themes are noted throughout this resource (Indigenous struggles to survive, the trauma of boarding schools, the intersectional danger of being an Indigenous woman, and the connection to the Earth and space on it).

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Brainstorm historical fiction titles that students are familiar with. What did they learn about the time period in the novel or story?

Teaching Suggestion: As students think of titles, point out to them the historical events that they learned about and prompt them to think of at least one fact they learned through this piece. Students can also bring up movies, songs, or TV shows that narrate stories about the past.