Every year since I started teaching middle school and high school on St. Paul Island I've taught Sherman Alexie's YA novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007), which is illustrated by Ellen Forney. A friend of my recommended it to me thinking it might be a good book to teach, so I put it on my crazy-long list of books to get to some day. Then I got stuck for a week on St. George Island when I went over to visit the school and my one St. George student, whom I usually taught from St. Paul via VTC.
I found a copy of Alexie's book in the library and thought I might as well read a bit of it while I waited for a plane to make it in. Well, after reading the very first chapter I could not put it down. I ate with one hand and even brought it to the bathroom with me.
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| Photo Credit |
The novel is about a 14 year old freshman, named Junior, who decides he needs to leave his Spokane Indian Reservation school and go to an all-white school 22 miles away in order to get a better education. An enthusiastic student and sickly boy his whole life, he's picked on first by his tribe, and then by the White community. In a lot of ways it's your basic coming-of-age-by-accepting-pieces-of-yourself-and-being-accepted-by-a-community-around-you type novel. But it is executed brilliantly-- just look through the first few pages of the paperback, which is filled with accolades, if you want a second, third, or thirtieth opinion. Through its 230 pages I laughed, I cried, I lesson planned.
Like Alexie's other writings (poems, short stories, novels) True Diary deals with heavy themes, such as alcohol abuse, domestic violence, racism, and the negative effects of social inequality-- all from the perspective of a Native American minority in the U.S. Each of these topics is relatable to members in my community in some way, and it is important to read literature that deals openly with what kids are actually experiencing.
I like to supplement the novel with Meghan Cox Gurdon's review, Darkness Too Visible (WSJ, 2011) and Sherman Alexie's rebuttal, Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood (WSJ, 2011) both to prepare students for the type of content they're in for (there's always a lot of uncomfortable, yet giddy laughter when we read the chapter in which the protagonist waxes philosophical about masturbating), and to get them thinking about what it means to read a book that brings topics like friendship, bullying, poverty, dealing with being an outsider, and abuse out in the open and deals with them honestly and on their level.
True Diary is a quasi-graphic novel. There are upwards of 60 illustrations by Ellen Forney (and the 2009 paperback edition includes a great interview with the artist) which sometimes compliment and sometimes supplement the text. A few major plot points, such as when Junior (our protagonist) throws an outdated text book at his reservation school teacher, are only represented in graphic form in place of any explanation in the text. The cartoons bring a different depth to the reader reaction; they are funny, touching, and often poignant representations of a teenage boy's thoughts and moods. They are also helpful for keeping the attention of students whose minds wander when they're overwhelmed by text, and for just plain visual learners who want content represented pictorially. In addition to this book being great for discussions about genre (What is a young adult book? What is a graphic novel? How does this book fit that definition?), it is ripe for all kinds of sketching activities!
Some Differentiation by Product
Our reading standard in Craft and Structure says that students need to be able to "analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between
individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or
categories)." And we have a school-wide initiative focusing on compare/contrast skills. Each time I teach the book we do a compare/contrast of Junior's life before he switches schools and after he gets established at the all-White school. This year, to avoid having them write what feels like another essay after days of discussion and Venn diagrams, the product after our compare/contrast lesson was a modification of one of Forney's cartoons.
Forney's cartoon (top left, Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. "How to Fight Monsters." The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, 2009. 57. Print.) compares an Indian kid from Junior's reservation to a White kid from his new school. I modified the drawing to be all Junior, but half of him at Wellpinit-- his reservation school, and the other half at Reardan-- the White school. Students had to choose from aspects of our comparison lesson (how peers treat Junior, how teachers treat Junior, how other adults treat Junior, how his best friend treats Junior, the social rules, the resources and facilities available, how Junior feels about himself, etc.) and create 12 labels for the picture-- 6 for each side. They were thrilled they didn't even have to write their labels using complete sentences; I was thrilled that they had such deep insight into how Junior's life is affected by the change in schools.
Some Descriptive Writing
Our writing standards in Text Types and Purposes dictate that students should be able to "use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to
convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters."
We generally don't revisit Descriptive Writing for the sake of description very often-- instead Descriptive Writing gets swallowed up by Narrative, Expository, and Persuasive Writing. At the beginning of 3rd quarter we reviewed the types of writing and did work with sensory details in a narrative. We always emphasize that sight is our most important sense, so usually in writing the majority of sensory details are concerned with what we see. In True Diary some of the plot points are illustrated, and some descriptive detail is sketched out for us to see.
As a bit of a break in the book, which allows students who were absent time to catch up so we don't surge ahead without them, we did a descriptive writing activity.
Brief overview: Students are given an image, they write descriptive details about the image, a classmate has to draw the image based solely on the description. If the description is good, the image is recreated! Students get to compare their drawings to the initial image at the end.
To begin, each student is given a sticky note with a monster sticker, or a dragon sticker-- basically anything with a form that isn't standardized. So you wouldn't want to use a rabbit which everyone knows has long ears and a cotton tail, or a cat, which everyone knows has whiskers and a long tail. You want something with features that are less recognizable.
These prize stickers are from Carson-Dellosa publishing and can be found on their website or teacher stores across the country!
So, students get a monster/dragon sticky note and paper to write their description. As a class we usually warm up by describe some image together. This year I gave everyone a scratch'n'sniff (chocolate) sticker with a toucan holding chocolate chip cookies. We described the toucan with as much detail as possible and came up with a list of important traits to include:
Your Description Should Include:
The Shape, The Color/Pattern, The Size, The Position, and The Number of
Heads
Eyes
Noses
Mouths
Teeth
Ears
Horns
Wings
Bodies
Arms
Hands
Legs
Feet
Claws
Tails
I always participate in this activity with the students so I have an extra description just in case a student's description is unfinished or sub-par. Also, I participate because I love this activity!
I insist that students write using complete sentences during this activity to try to make the descriptions as clear as possible for their peers. I realized this go-round that the descriptions are good source material for a 6-Trait: Organization analysis. I recommend not only making a list of the features to include, but also pre-teaching and practicing (better than I did) keeping all related details together in one sentence group.
After students are finished describing, it's time for some drawing! I gather all the descriptions and then distribute them at random, but make sure that no one gets their own description. I bust out the art supplies, and they're off!
While students read their descriptions, there's always some confusion: "What shape is a peanut?" "What does a raccoon's tail look like?" "What's an upside-down banana?" "What color is the tail supposed to be? It doesn't say." I use the ensuing chaos that comes with any art supplies to my advantage and point out nitpicky things like why we're supposed to follow directions, why we're supposed to double check our work to make sure we included everything. But I also start and develop casual discussions about audience-- if your audience doesn't come from a place that has raccoons, how do you deal with describing one-- do you leave it up to them to figure it out or do you take on that burden as the author? While we're drawing we discuss/review the point of descriptive writing in the first place-- does the author want to be in charge of what you're imagining? How can an author paint a picture in a reader's head? I also bring their attention to devices like similes-- why was it more effective to describe the toucan's beak like a banana than to try and describe the color/shape/size/position any other way?
When the drawings are done and I hand out the original sticky notes with the stickers that go with them, great fun is had by all.
Some turn out pretty good:
Some end up lacking detail:
Some end up reminding me of a gremlin and haunt my dreams:
Don't get this screen wet.
When the drawings don't match the sticker, inevitably someone gets defensive and someone goes on offense. Students often try to blame their (or their peer's) drawing skills. But I point out that essentially we are just drawing shapes based on the written description, and we all know our shapes (except peanuts) and colors. So if the description is good enough, the drawing will be, too! (So long as everyone focuses and does their best, of course.)
After our descriptive writing and drawing, we return to the graphic novel genre discussion and re-evaluate what it is that the cartoons are doing for us as readers in this novel.
Some (Tony Toni) Tone
For me, tone and mood are the hardest things to teach. I feel like I barely understand them myself . Even if I make some great statement or analysis about a passage's tone, I always second guess myself afterward. Was I really talking about the right thing?
But I can't ignore tone and mood just because I don't know quite how to talk about them. The reading standards in Craft and Structure require that students be able to "determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in various genres,
including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the
cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the
language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper)."
I love using Ellen Forney's drawings to teach students about tone because I think the visual representation leads to a clearer definition and clearer understanding of what a different "tone" suggests to the reader.
In her interview in the back of the book, Forney says, "I use different [drawing] styles for different purposes...Arnold's artwork needed to span different situations and moods, so his drawing style needed to change as well." When Junior's cartoons are casual or funny or random, she uses a style of drawing that looks like she just jotted it down. When the drawings are dealing with more serious content, her drawing style is more realistic. When the cartoon is something that Junior concentrates on or thinks a lot about, then her style is a life-like pencil sketch. So how Forney/Junior draws something expresses his attitude toward the subject. That's the same idea as using the words and sentence structure to show a character's attitude! ...Wait, it is,isn't it?
I use a varied collection of Forney's cartoons, like the one above from page 31 to help students think about tone being the tools (diction, syntax, point of view, style) a writer uses to show attitude. (Here's a link to a pdf of my assignment: Sketch to Stretch and Introduction to Tone)
For each cartoon I pick, I ask them to think about the tone and purpose of each cartoon. What is Junior trying to accomplish with each drawing? Is he trying to be funny or serious (or both)? Is he trying to capture someone else's character in his art? What are we getting from these cartoons that we wouldn't get from just the text alone?
From here, we're ready for a more in-depth look at tone. There are two scenes that are similar-- one from True Diary and one from Alexie's adult novel, Indian Killer. They are similar in action-- both characters are dealing with loneliness in school. But they are very different in tone. Indian Killer's tone is desperate and depressed, and True Diary's tone is light-hearted, conciliatory, and humorous. A writing project I've done from this point is based on analyzing the difference in tone in these two passages (focusing on word choice and sentence structure), and then using that knowledge to rewrite a scene from True Diary with a different tone. We storyboard the action in the scene that we will re-write so the setting and plot are the same, just the character's attitude is different in the re-write. Here's a link to a rudimentary version of this assignment with my teacher notes: Tone: ATDOAPTI and Indian Killer
I think it's a good assignment. But my final words on the subject: tone is difficult and confusing for me to teach. Hopefully with practice and Pinterest I'll improve.
Some Sketch to Stretch
We talk a lot about a writer using details to paint a picture in the reader's mind and that it's important to a) be able to imagine and understand that picture as readers, and b) be able to write in a way that stimulates your reader's imagination. I love using the Sketch to Stretch instructional strategy because its the perfect way to help students understand that each person who reads a story will interpret it in their own way, connecting the content to their own experiences. Sketch to Stretch can also help visual learners make different connections to the text, and it is a nice change of pace for my artistic students whose papers are always filled with more doodles than writing assignment.
To have students complete this activity, I have them choose a scene from chapters we have read so far that they think is important. It can't already have been illustrated by Forney. They have to give me a basic 5W1H summary of the scene and tell me the page number. I ask students to pick one of Forney's three drawing styles which she details in her interview (jotted sketch, more realistic, life-like pencil sketch) and why they think their scene needs this style of drawing. Once they've given a lot of thought to their scene, they sketch it out. Based on the level of artistic enthusiasm in the student group we may do rough and then final drafts of our sketches.
I can't believe I don't have (or just can't find) student samples of previous years' sketch to stretch activity with True Diary to share. Each year I am pleasantly surprised by which passages jump out at my readers. And I like to point out to them how their sketches enhance the text just like Forney's cartoons enhance the text.
I can't recommend Alexie's novel enough. It's a great read for all ages. Even if you know your school board would never approve it as part of the curriculum, read it yourself and recommend it far and wide. If you do get to teach it, I hope you're similarly inspired to differentiate and incorporate basic artwork into your lesson planning. Even if you do fun activities like our monster drawing, you'll still have kids warming your teacher heart by whining about how they just wanted to read today. This book is just that good.
For each cartoon I pick, I ask them to think about the tone and purpose of each cartoon. What is Junior trying to accomplish with each drawing? Is he trying to be funny or serious (or both)? Is he trying to capture someone else's character in his art? What are we getting from these cartoons that we wouldn't get from just the text alone?
From here, we're ready for a more in-depth look at tone. There are two scenes that are similar-- one from True Diary and one from Alexie's adult novel, Indian Killer. They are similar in action-- both characters are dealing with loneliness in school. But they are very different in tone. Indian Killer's tone is desperate and depressed, and True Diary's tone is light-hearted, conciliatory, and humorous. A writing project I've done from this point is based on analyzing the difference in tone in these two passages (focusing on word choice and sentence structure), and then using that knowledge to rewrite a scene from True Diary with a different tone. We storyboard the action in the scene that we will re-write so the setting and plot are the same, just the character's attitude is different in the re-write. Here's a link to a rudimentary version of this assignment with my teacher notes: Tone: ATDOAPTI and Indian Killer
I think it's a good assignment. But my final words on the subject: tone is difficult and confusing for me to teach. Hopefully with practice and Pinterest I'll improve.
Some Sketch to Stretch
We talk a lot about a writer using details to paint a picture in the reader's mind and that it's important to a) be able to imagine and understand that picture as readers, and b) be able to write in a way that stimulates your reader's imagination. I love using the Sketch to Stretch instructional strategy because its the perfect way to help students understand that each person who reads a story will interpret it in their own way, connecting the content to their own experiences. Sketch to Stretch can also help visual learners make different connections to the text, and it is a nice change of pace for my artistic students whose papers are always filled with more doodles than writing assignment.
To have students complete this activity, I have them choose a scene from chapters we have read so far that they think is important. It can't already have been illustrated by Forney. They have to give me a basic 5W1H summary of the scene and tell me the page number. I ask students to pick one of Forney's three drawing styles which she details in her interview (jotted sketch, more realistic, life-like pencil sketch) and why they think their scene needs this style of drawing. Once they've given a lot of thought to their scene, they sketch it out. Based on the level of artistic enthusiasm in the student group we may do rough and then final drafts of our sketches.
I can't believe I don't have (or just can't find) student samples of previous years' sketch to stretch activity with True Diary to share. Each year I am pleasantly surprised by which passages jump out at my readers. And I like to point out to them how their sketches enhance the text just like Forney's cartoons enhance the text.
I can't recommend Alexie's novel enough. It's a great read for all ages. Even if you know your school board would never approve it as part of the curriculum, read it yourself and recommend it far and wide. If you do get to teach it, I hope you're similarly inspired to differentiate and incorporate basic artwork into your lesson planning. Even if you do fun activities like our monster drawing, you'll still have kids warming your teacher heart by whining about how they just wanted to read today. This book is just that good.
