Bellringer—Monday Write at least 2 COMPLETE SENTENCES answering the question below: What would you do if you were told that you could never read another book again as long as you lived?

Bellringer—Wednesday Directions: Punctuate the following sentences with commas. Wading into the cool lake we found relief from the heat. The day was overcast yet we went to the beach. The story nevertheless is interesting. Gene Fowler who happens to be a poet is my best friend.

Bellringer—Wednesday Directions: Punctuate the following sentences with commas. Wading into the cool lake, we found relief from the heat. The day was overcast, yet we went to the beach. The story, nevertheless, is interesting. Gene Fowler, who happens to be a poet, is my best friend.

“Superman & Me” by Sherman Alexie Lesson 1

I Can… Analyze vocabulary and word choice in the text. 9-10.RI.CS.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. Determine the author’s point of view in the text. 9-10.RI.CS.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose. I Can…

You Will Need… “Superman and Me” starting on page 339 of your purple guidebook Highlighters/markers provided by your teacher

Sherman Alexie The author’s ethnic background is American Indian and he grew up living on a reservation, which is land in the United States that is controlled by specific American Indian tribes.

Before We Read… Take a moment to number the paragraphs in this piece to make it easier to discuss our observations following our reading. There are 8 total paragraphs.

As We Read… STAR details that support the author’s point of view about reading and writing. Underline the following vocabulary words: Avid Prodigy Subverted The teacher will read the text out loud while students annotate according to the directions above.

What details in the sentences help you to understand the meaning of the words below? Avid Prodigy Subverted Sample responses for vocabulary: Avid: This word means “wanting to very much” and the list of the many different kinds of books that the father likes to read help the reader understand the meaning. Prodigy: This word means “a young person who is unusually talented”. The context and the use of the word “oddity” help clarify the meaning of the word. Subverted: This word means “try to overthrow the rules or laws of a person, place, or society”. The preposition “but” gives context for the meaning because it contrasts “subverted” with “lived up to those expectations”.

Details Supporting the Authors POV Based on this piece of writing, how does Alexie feel about reading and writing? How do you know?

What did you find that reveals how Alexie feels about reading and writing? Paragraph 1: “Learned to read with Superman comic book” Paragraph 1: “I was 3 years old, a Spokane Indian boy living with his family on the Spokane Indian Reservation in eastern Washington state.” Paragraph 2: “My father loved books, and since I loved my father with an aching devotion, I decided to love books as well.”

What did you find that reveals how Alexie feels about reading and writing? Paragraph 3: “I still remember the exact moment when I first understood, with a sudden clarity, the purpose of a paragraph” Paragraph 3: “This knowledge delighted me” Paragraph 5: “ But he is an Indian boy living on the reservation and is simply an oddity.” Paragraph 5: “He grows into a man who often speaks of his childhood in the third-person, as if it will somehow dull the pain and make him sound more modest about his talents.”

What did you find that reveals how Alexie feels about reading and writing? Paragraph 6: “We were Indian children who were expected to be stupid. Most lived up to those expectations inside the classroom but subverted them on the outside.” Paragraph 7: Repetition of “I read” Paragraph 8: “In all my years in the reservation school system, I was never taught how to write poetry, short stories or novels. I was certainly never taught that Indians wrote poetry, short stories and novels. Writing was something beyond Indians.”

What did you find that reveals how Alexie feels about reading and writing? Paragraph 8: “They are trying to save their lives.” Paragraph 8: “I am trying to save our lives.” Paragraph 8: “"Books," I say to them. "Books," I say. I throw my weight against their locked doors. The door holds. I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky. I am trying to save our lives.”

YOU HAVE 10 minutes to work! After rereading the text with your partner, highlight words or phrases that reveal the author’s attitude toward the topic below that matches your assigned color: BLUE—reservation life YELLOW—how others treat American Indians PINK—other American Indians YOU HAVE 10 minutes to work! Partner Work

BLUE—What did you find that reveals how Alexie feels about reservation life? Paragraph 1: “We were poor by most standards, but one of my parents usually managed to find some minimum-wage job or another, which made us middle-class by reservation standards.” Paragraph 2: “one of the few Indians who went to Catholic school on purpose” Paragraph 5: “ If he'd been anything but an Indian boy living on the reservation, he might have been called a prodigy. But he is an Indian boy living on the reservation and is simply an oddity. He grows into a man who often speaks of his childhood in the third- person, as if it will somehow dull the pain and make him sound more modest about his talents.”

YELLOW—What did you find that reveals how Alexie feels about how others treat American Indians? Paragraph 6: “A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike.” Paragraph 6: “We were Indian children who were expected to be stupid.” Paragraph 6: “As Indian children, we were expected to fail in the non-Indian world.” Paragraph 6: “Those who failed were ceremonially accepted by other Indians and appropriately pitied by non-Indians.”

YELLOW—What did you find that reveals how Alexie feels about how others treat American Indians? Paragraph 8: “In all my years in the reservation school system, I was never taught how to write poetry, short stories or novels.” Paragraph 8: “I was certainly never taught that Indians wrote poetry, short stories and novels. Writing was something beyond Indians.”

PINK—What did you find that reveals how Alexie feels about other American Indians? Paragraph 6: “I fought with my classmates on a daily basis. They wanted me to stay quiet” Paragraph 6: “Most lived up to those expectations inside the classroom but subverted them on the outside. They struggled with basic reading in school but could remember how to sing a few dozen powwow songs. They were monosyllabic in front of their non-Indian teachers but could tell complicated stories and jokes at the dinner table. They submissively ducked their heads when confronted by a non-Indian adult but would slug it out with the Indian bully who was 10 years older.”

PINK—What did you find that reveals how Alexie feels about other American Indians? Paragraph 8: “The Indian kids crowd the classroom. Many are writing their own poems, short stories and novels. They have read my books. They have read many other books. They look at me with bright eyes and arrogant wonder. They are trying to save their lives.” Paragraph 8: “Then there are the sullen and already defeated Indian kids who sit in the back rows and ignore me with theatrical precision. The pages of their notebooks are empty. They carry neither pencil nor pen. They stare out the window. They refuse and resist.”

Partner Work—10 minutes Look back at the words and phrases you highlighted in your assigned color. Write a brief paragraph answering the questions to the right. Consider point of view and tone words as you analyze your topic.

Reading and Writing Possible Answer: In the words related to reading and writing, there seems to be a pattern of using the word “loved” over and over and of using short, staccato sentences. This seems to reveal Alexie’s passion for literacy and the energy he gets from reading and writing.

Partner Work—If you don’t finish, it is homework. Look back at the words and phrases you highlighted in your assigned color. Write a brief paragraph answering the questions to the right. Consider point of view and tone words as you analyze your topic.