Native American Experience Assessment

Essay question:

• How and why have Native Americans struggled with their cultural identity?
• You need three sources, one of which is Sherman Alexie's book. Cite correctly! Check out the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University for reference on how to cite correctly.
• Follow the organizational structure:
• M--Main idea/topic sentence
• E--Evidence--quote/citation (don't forget to integrate those quotes fluently)
• A--Analysis--relate your example to your thesis
• E--Evidence
• A--Analysis
• L--Last line/transition to next paragraph

Contemporary Articles

Discussion groups again (follow the protocol):

• "The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn't Flash Red Anymore"
• Within the context of the story (and beyond), what does it mean to be a “warrior”? How does that fit into oral tradition and storytelling?
• "Indian Education"
• How has the weight of history affected the Native American experience?

HOMEWORK:

• Let’s read an article together
• Here is a summary that integrates quotes from the article: 
• Then go to our article resource page.
• Read two articles 
• Summarize (paragraph for each), integrating at least ONE quote in your summary, citing correctly 
• Do a Works Cited right after your paragraphs 

Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven

• Small group discussion today on "Every Little Hurricane" and "A Drug Called Tradition." See the discussion protocol and questions here.
• Here are some of my own "notes & quotes" from the stories: "Hurricane" and "Drug Called Tradition"
• For tomorrow (homework): "The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn't Flash Red Anymore" and "Indian Education."

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since." -- Ernest Hemingway

Some notes about the novel:

• Satirical tone—Satire: A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony and/or wit. Generally some sort of “Social Commentary.”
• Among the first in major American literature to be written in the vernacular: The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.
• Dialect: A variation of a language spoken within a particular region or class. Vocabulary, pronunciation, or grammatical form is different from standard form of the language.
• Example: “Yo’ ole father doan’ know yet what he’s a-gywne to do. Sometime he spec he’ll go way, en den ag’in he spec he’ll stay. De bes’ way is to res’ easy en let de ole man take his own way” (Twain 18)

Context of the novel (and our focus):

• In the early 1880s, the hopefulness of the post–Civil War years began to fade. The harsh measures the North imposed only made the South more bitter.
• As a result, many Southern politicians began an effort to control and oppress the black men and women whom the war had freed.
• As Twain worked on his novel, race relations, which seemed to be on a positive path in the years following the Civil War, once again became strained. The imposition of Jim Crow laws, designed to limit the power of blacks in the South in a variety of indirect ways, brought the beginning of a new, insidious effort to oppress. The new racism of the South, less institutionalized and monolithic, was also more difficult to combat. Slavery could be outlawed, but when white Southerners enacted racist laws or policies under a professed motive of self-defense against newly freed blacks, far fewer people, Northern or Southern, saw the act as immoral and rushed to combat it.

For our purposes, we'll only read four chapters: chapters 5 & 6, and chapters 15 & 16. Here is a summary of chapters 1-4 and chapters 7-14.

Reconstruction

At the end of The Civil War, the North was industrialized, wealthy, and, for the most part, untouched by the war. The South, however, had experienced massive destruction, was still an agrarian society with no industry, and millions of freed slaves. How does the country do the following:

• Rebuild the South?
• Restructure governments of the South?
• Deal with freed slaves?

In groups, prepare a short presentation with a PowerPoint and a handout for the class that explains one of the following topics (Here is the Reconstruction Assignment)

• Lincoln’s Plan – Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction 
• Congress’ “response” – the Wade-Davis Bill (pocket veto)
• Johnson’s plan, the Black Codes and reactions of Congress
• The First Reconstruction Act and the 14th Amendment
• 15th Amendment
• Scalawags, carpetbaggers, and the KKK
• Johnson’s impeachment and acquittal
• Effects of Reconstruction

1863-Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg

FIRST:
As we give back your essays on Pre-Civil War America, let's have a quick breakdown of what worked and what didn't. Some broad problems:

• Specific Thesis
• Organization
• Citations
• Context
• Word Choice/Voice

As we move forward, let's try to hone our skills!

THEN...
1863 was a meaningful year in the Civil War.

First, There was the Emancipation Proclamation, which we will go through. And of course, Gettysburg!



The bloodiest battle in American history-Let's dissect it, specifically the Gettysburg Address.

• Here's the address itself
• Here are some questions
• Here is a fascinating article from US News & World Report

Civil War Research/Letter Writing

To immerse ourselves in learning about the Civil War, you are to write two letters based on the viewpoint of a character which you have researched thoroughly. Steps to achieving this goal:

• Decide on a character. Use the character bio sheet to help.
• Research: Use the "Research Source Organizer" to analyze five primary sources. Use the libguide Ms. Hopkins made for us. Make sure to look at the exemplars of primary source analysis.
• Product: Look at the requirements and rubric!

Walt Whitman and The Civil War

Walt Whitman is considered by many to be America's first great poet. Why? He changed the game, and displayed a unique American voice. Often called "The Good Gray Poet" or "The Bard of Democracy," he essentially created free verse poetry. Here is some information on him.

What is free verse? It is an open form of poetry that does not use consistent meter patterns or rhyme. However, by repeating phrases and using commas, a poet can create both a rhythm and structure. Internal pattern of sounds, choice of exact words, and effect of associations give free verse its beauty.

Let's look at Whitman's "I Hear America Singing" as an example.

To open our unit on the Civil War (here's our schedule), you will look at some of Whitman's writing, as well as some Civil War photography, and make some connections. The ultimate goal is to create three original pieces—a piece of prose, a piece of poetry, and a photograph/illustration—interpreting what you have been given. Here is your project. We will eventually evaluate each other's work in a gallery-setting.

Also, on the agenda for today, is to watch part of Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War, and answer some questions.