1. The Birchbark House
By Louise Erdrich

2. Questions to Think About
Today we will read chapter 9. Objectives: I can analyze figurative language. I can identify key ideas and details in a story.
Vocabulary
Questions to Think About
Intentions (pg. 123)
Solemnly (pg. 123)
Exacting (pg. 130)
Inevitable (pg. 138)
How is the family’s life different in the winter?
What new things do we learn about some characters?

3. Close Reading
Why is Omakayas glad about the boring time spent during the summer pressing clay into places where dry mud had crumbled?
Why were preparations made for winter important to community members who visited?
What important issues did the grownups discuss at Omakayas’s home?

4. Close Reading What is the meaning of the word donned on page 124?
What context clues tell you the meaning?
Put on
Tallow “donned” her coat, which suggests she put on her coat

5. Think About It!
Do you think it is okay for settlers to try to force the Anishinabe from their lands? Use details from the text to support your answer.

6. Reading Analysis: Figurative Language
A statement can sometimes mean something more or different than its words alone. For example, if it is “raining cats and dogs”, cats and dogs are not actually falling from the sky. That is figurative language!

7. Reading Analysis: Figurative Language
Look back at page 122: “That thin whine sent a shiver down her back.”
What is “whining”?
Can wind really “whine” like a person does?
What type of figurative language is this?
When we give a nonhuman animal or object human-like characteristics, that is personification!

8. Reading Analysis: Figurative Language
Can we find more figurative language? Look back at page 127!
“Her heart shrunk cold in her chest, tiny but heavy as a rock.”
What type of figurative language is this? Hint: It uses as to compare two things.
It is a simile! What two things are being compared?

9. Writing Skill: Introductory Paragraphs
When a writer of an opinion piece of writing is writing an introductory paragraph, they want to…
1) Include a sentence or question to catch the reader’s interest.
2) Tell the topic in clear words.
3) State an opinion that corresponds to the topic.
Hook the reader!

10. Writing Skill: Introductory Paragraphs
Example: The prompt is, “Which character does The Birchbark House portray most vividly?”
“It is a difficult question: Which character does The Birchbark House portray most vividly? In my opinion, the most vivid character is Old Tallow. The author provides descriptive details to help readers envision her. In addition, the author provides several striking draws of Old Tallow.”

11. Writing Skill: Introductory Paragraphs
What does the writer do well in this paragraph?
Does the writer clearly state his/her opinion?
Does the writer introduce to the reader what they will be reading about?
What could the writer do even better?
“It is a difficult question: Which character does The Birchbark House portray most vividly? In my opinion, the most vivid character is Old Tallow. The author provides descriptive details to help readers envision her. In addition, the author provides several striking draws of Old Tallow.”