Flight ENG 444 Lesson Plan - Ball State University

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Flight
 by
 Sherman
 Alexie
 
Lesson
 Plan
 Unit
 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Amy
 Minix
 
ENG
 444
 
Dr.
 Windell
 

 

 
 

Grade/Course:
 9th
 grade
 
 
Unit
 Length:
 1
 Week
 
Educational/Classroom
 Culture:
 

• Small
 rural
 school
 in
 Indiana
 
• Approximately
 25
 students
 per
 class
 
• Mixed
 ability
 levels
 
• Single,
 50
 minute
 periods
 

 
Novel
 Summary*:
 

 
“Sherman
 Alexie’s
 latest
 novel,
 “Flight,”
 features
 a
 young,
 edgy
 outcast
 named
 Zits
 
on
 the
 verge
 of
 colossal
 violence.
 
 
The
 reader
 meets
 Zits
 one
 morning
 when
 he
 is
 counting
 the
 pimples
 on
 his
 face
 (47
 
in
 all)
 in
 front
 of
 the
 bathroom
 mirror
 at
 the
 home
 of
 his
 newest
 set
 of
 foster
 
parents.
 
“I’m
 dying
 from
 about
 ninety-­‐nine
 kinds
 of
 shame.
 I’m
 ashamed
 of
 being
 fifteen
 
years
 old.
 And
 being
 tall.
 And
 skinny.
 And
 ugly.
 I’m
 ashamed
 that
 I
 look
 like
 a
 bag
 of
 
zits
 tied
 to
 a
 broomstick.
 I
 wonder
 if
 loneliness
 causes
 acne.
 I
 wonder
 if
 being
 Indian
 
causes
 acne.”
 
Zits’s
 Indian
 father
 abandoned
 him
 shortly
 after
 birth.
 His
 mother,
 a
 fun-­‐loving
 
Irishwoman
 who
 sang
 Blood,
 Sweat
 &
 Tears
 tunes
 to
 Zits
 as
 an
 infant,
 died
 of
 breast
 
cancer
 when
 he
 was
 only
 6.
 Since
 then,
 Zits
 has
 been
 bouncing
 from
 foster
 home
 to
 
foster
 home,
 school
 to
 school.
 “My
 entire
 life
 fits
 into
 one
 small
 backpack,”
 he
 says.
 
At
 8,
 he
 ran
 away
 for
 the
 first
 time.
 At
 15,
 he
 is
 already
 a
 self-­‐described
 drunk.
 

After
 Zits
 lands
 in
 a
 juvenile
 jail
 in
 the
 Central
 District
 of
 Seattle
 for
 the
 umpteenth
 
time,
 he
 meets
 a
 white,
 pretty-­‐boy
 anarchist
 named
 Justice,
 who
 schools
 him
 on
 how
 
to
 take
 his
 sorry
 life
 into
 his
 own
 hands.
 Instead
 of
 opening
 fire
 on
 bystanders
 in
 a
 
crowded
 bank,
 as
 Justice
 wanted,
 Zits
 finds
 himself
 on
 a
 time-­‐traveling
 journey
 that
 
traverses
 multiple
 centuries
 and
 transforms
 his
 worn-­‐out
 soul
 in
 unexpected
 ways.
 

First
 Zits
 arrives
 in
 the
 compact
 body
 of
 Hank
 Storm,
 a
 white,
 blue-­‐eyed
 F.B.I.
 agent
 
who
 meets
 up
 with
 two
 Indian
 radicals
 on
 a
 dark
 backwoods
 road
 on
 the
 
Nannapush
 Indian
 reservation
 in
 Red
 River,
 Idaho,
 about
 1975.
 Then
 he
 resurfaces
 
as
 a
 speechless
 Indian
 kid
 at
 the
 brink
 of
 the
 bloody
 battle
 led
 by
 Crazy
 Horse
 at
 
Little
 Big
 Horn
 in
 1876.
 Zits’s
 next
 conversion
 of
 flesh
 is
 as
 Augustus
 (or
 Gus)
 
Sullivan,
 an
 aging,
 expert
 Indian
 tracker
 employed
 by
 the
 Army
 in
 the
 same
 era.
 

The
 mouthy
 narrator
 inhabits
 Jimmy,
 a
 flight
 instructor
 who
 has
 to
 deal
 with
 the
 
guilt-­‐ridden
 aftermath
 when
 one
 of
 his
 students
 carries
 out
 a
 terrorist
 act
 in
 
Chicago.
 And
 then,
 finally,
 Zits
 reincarnates
 into
 his
 father’s
 image,
 a
 homeless
 
drunk
 who
 roots
 through
 trash
 bins
 for
 leftovers
 and,
 as
 it
 turns
 out,
 some
 bits
 and
 
pieces
 of
 respect.
 

Zits
 witnesses
 brutal
 violence
 through
 the
 eyes
 of
 whites
 and
 Indians,
 fathers
 and
 
sons,
 and
 he
 begins
 to
 understand
 what
 it
 means
 to
 be
 the
 hero,
 the
 villain
 and
 the
 
victim.
 
“I
 open
 my
 eyes,”
 says
 Zits
 when
 he
 wakes
 up
 for
 the
 last
 time
 in
 the
 novel.
 “I
 think
 
all
 the
 people
 in
 this
 bank
 are
 better
 than
 I
 am.
 They
 have
 better
 lives
 than
 I
 do.
 Or
 
maybe
 they
 don’t.
 Maybe
 we’re
 all
 lonely.
 Maybe
 some
 of
 them
 also
 hurtle
 through
 
time
 and
 see
 war,
 war,
 war.
 Maybe
 we’re
 all
 in
 this
 together.””
 

 
*Above
 summary
 was
 found
 at:
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/books/25wals.html?ref=shermanalexie
 

 
Rationale:
 
Some
 common
 reoccurring
 themes
 in
 readings
 from
 ENG
 444
 included:
 racism,
 
identity,
 stereotyping,
 culture,
 violence
 and
 democracy.
 Although
 I
 had
 originally
 
planned
 on
 picking
 a
 text
 that
 specifically
 pertained
 to
 Americans
 studying
 abroad,
 I
 
decided
 that
 I
 could
 extract
 these
 themes
 from
 a
 different
 text
 and
 discuss
 them.
 For
 
this
 reason,
 I
 decided
 to
 focus
 on
 teaching
 various
 tasks
 that
 relate
 to
 Sherman
 
Alexie’s
 novel
 Flight.
 
 

 
This
 book
 is
 riddled
 with
 conflicts
 and
 self-­‐image
 issues
 from
 all
 ends
 of
 the
 
spectrum.
 The
 book
 centers
 on
 the
 narrator,
 Zits,
 who
 is
 half
 Native
 American
 and
 
half
 Irish.
 Zits
 makes
 numerous
 derogatory
 references
 mainly
 towards
 Native
 
Americans
 throughout
 the
 novel,
 mainly
 because
 his
 Native
 American
 father
 
abandoned
 his
 mother
 when
 Zits
 was
 a
 baby.
 Since
 he
 was
 orphaned
 at
 such
 a
 young
 
age,
 he
 never
 learned
 how
 to
 be
 Native
 American
 or
 Irish.
 This
 book
 largely
 
contextualizes
 what
 it
 means
 to
 be
 Native
 American
 through
 different
 time
 periods
 
and
 through
 different
 points
 of
 view.
 The
 narrative
 also
 demonstrates
 what
 it
 means
 
to
 be
 Caucasian
 and
 the
 moral
 conflict
 of
 doing
 “what’s
 right”.
 Zits
 overall
 learns
 a
 
valuable
 lesson
 in
 distinguishing
 what
 is
 right
 and
 wrong
 and
 learning
 to
 think
 and
 
make
 decisions
 on
 your
 own.
 

 
It
 is
 through
 his
 point
 of
 view
 that
 I
 hope
 to
 make
 connections
 to
 not
 only
 various
 
literary
 techniques
 and
 standards
 that
 students
 should
 know,
 but
 also
 to
 the
 rich
 
ideas
 and
 historical
 contexts
 that
 students
 need
 to
 know.
 This
 novel
 is
 perfect
 for
 
teaching
 9th
 grade
 students
 for
 a
 plethora
 of
 reasons.
 Zits
 is
 a
 relatable
 kid
 and
 he
 
deals
 with
 a
 lot
 of
 negative
 self-­‐image
 issues
 as
 well
 as
 not
 “fitting
 in”.
 I
 think
 it’s
 
important
 for
 students
 to
 learn
 empathy
 (or
 sympathy,
 in
 the
 least)
 in
 order
 to
 
understand
 that
 just
 because
 you
 see
 someone
 and
 make
 hasty
 generalizations,
 
doesn’t
 mean
 you
 have
 a
 complete
 and
 accurate
 portrayal.
 As
 9th
 graders,
 it
 can
 be
 
tricky
 trying
 to
 find
 where
 you
 belong
 or
 who
 you
 are;
 it’s
 that
 awkward
 middle
 
ground
 of
 not
 being
 a
 kid,
 and
 not
 quite
 an
 adult.
 This
 can
 be
 a
 very
 insightful
 time
 
for
 students
 in
 this
 grade;
 they
 are
 still
 malleable
 in
 a
 sense
 that
 they
 can
 still
 decide
 
who
 they
 want
 to
 be
 and
 how
 they
 want
 to
 act.
 I
 think
 this
 is
 a
 positive
 novel
 that
 
demonstrates
 that
 having
 all
 odds
 stacked
 against
 you
 doesn’t
 deter
 what
 you
 make
 
of
 your
 life.
 

For
 this
 reason,
 I
 hope
 to
 explore
 identity:
 who
 you
 are
 and
 what
 that
 can
 look
 like
 
in
 the
 eyes
 of
 other
 people.
 Do
 you
 think
 people
 get
 a
 real
 sense
 of
 who
 you
 are
 from
 
strictly
 face
 value?
 What
 happens
 when
 people
 find
 out
 important
 pieces
 of
 your
 
life,
 does
 that
 change
 their
 understanding?
 This
 unit
 will
 focus
 on
 these
 questions
 
with
 correlating
 activities
 that
 highlight
 this
 theme
 and
 extract
 specific
 instances
 in
 
Zits
 life
 for
 students
 to
 compare.
 Since
 this
 book
 is
 considered
 Young
 Adult
 and
 may
 
not
 pose
 a
 challenge
 for
 all
 students,
 I’m
 also
 including
 supplemental
 poetry
 by
 
Native
 American
 writers
 to
 practice
 comprehension
 and
 connecting
 skills.
 
 

Standards:
 

CCSS.ELA-­‐LITERACY.RL.9-­‐10.1
 
Cite
 strong
 and
 thorough
 textual
 evidence
 to
 support
 analysis
 of
 what
 the
 text
 says
 
explicitly
 as
 well
 as
 inferences
 drawn
 from
 the
 text.
 

• Students
 will
 demonstrate
 this
 knowledge
 through
 the
 use
 of
 double-­‐sided
 
journal
 entries.
 Students
 extract
 specific
 quotes
 from
 the
 text
 and
 analyze
 
what
 the
 narrator
 is
 trying
 to
 say
 or
 how
 it
 fits
 in
 with
 overlapping
 themes.
 
An
 example
 of
 this
 could
 be
 a
 quote
 from
 pg.
 7,
 “I
 don’t
 know
 any
 other
 
Native
 Americans,
 except
 the
 homeless
 Indians
 who
 wander
 around
 
downtown
 Seattle.
 I
 like
 to
 run
 away
 from
 my
 foster
 homes
 and
 get
 drunk
 
with
 those
 Indians.
 Yeah,
 I’m
 a
 drunk,
 just
 like
 my
 father.”
 
o Students
 can
 ask
 questions
 that
 seem
 confusing,
 make
 inferences,
 or
 
state
 literal
 meanings
 
Questions:
 What
 is
 Zits
 saying?
 Is
 he
 making
 this
 claim
 about
 ALL
 
Native
 Americans?
 If
 not,
 where
 in
 the
 text
 does
 he
 specify?
 What
 do
 
we
 call
 it
 when
 we
 make
 a
 blanket
 statement
 about
 a
 certain
 group
 of
 
people?
 What
 does
 this
 passage
 say
 about
 Zits’
 attitude
 towards
 his
 
own
 heritage?
 
 
Inferences:
 I
 don’t
 think
 Zits
 feels
 a
 strong
 connection
 with
 his
 lineage.
 
When
 he
 does
 it
 is
 a
 negative
 one
 (i.e.
 drinking).
 I
 think
 Zits
 feels
 like
 
an
 outsider
 among
 people
 who
 should
 understand
 because
 he
 hasn’t
 
had
 the
 kind
 of
 attention
 or
 love
 that
 many
 have
 had.
 
Literary:
 Zits
 tone
 is
 very
 negative
 and
 defensive.
 He
 not
 only
 
stereotypes
 Indians,
 but
 also
 has
 a
 sense
 of
 pride
 when
 describing
 his
 
drinking.
 

 

CCSS.ELA-­‐LITERACY.RL.9-­‐10.2
 
Determine
 a
 theme
 or
 central
 idea
 of
 a
 text
 and
 analyze
 in
 detail
 its
 development
 
over
 the
 course
 of
 the
 text,
 including
 how
 it
 emerges
 and
 is
 shaped
 and
 refined
 by
 
specific
 details;
 provide
 an
 objective
 summary
 of
 the
 text.
 

• The
 overall
 theme
 I
 envision
 discussing
 with
 this
 novel
 is
 identity.
 I
 want
 
students
 to
 understand
 what
 perception
 is
 and
 how
 each
 character
 feels
 is
 
subjective
 to
 their
 own
 experiences
 and
 point
 of
 view.
 For
 instance,
 at
 the
 

beginning
 of
 the
 novel,
 students
 may
 feel
 negatively
 about
 Zits
 father
 
abandoning
 his
 family
 in
 favor
 for
 alcohol.
 However,
 towards
 the
 end
 of
 the
 
novel
 when
 Zits
 puts
 himself
 in
 his
 father’s
 shoes,
 he
 doesn’t
 feel
 angry
 or
 
upset.
 He
 understands
 where
 this
 deep-­‐seeded
 issue
 stems
 from
 and
 that
 the
 
problem
 goes
 deeper
 than
 simply
 not
 wanting
 to
 be
 around
 to
 raise
 Zits.
 
Students
 can
 draw
 many
 connections
 of
 what
 it
 means
 to
 have
 an
 identity
 
and
 if
 actions/thoughts
 challenge
 or
 reinforce
 the
 status
 quo
 associated
 with
 
said
 identity.
 
 

CCSS.ELA-­‐LITERACY.RL.9-­‐10.3
 
Analyze
 how
 complex
 characters
 (e.g.,
 those
 with
 multiple
 or
 conflicting
 
motivations)
 develop
 over
 the
 course
 of
 a
 text,
 interact
 with
 other
 characters,
 and
 
advance
 the
 plot
 or
 develop
 the
 theme.
 

• This
 novel
 transitions
 and
 shifts
 from
 multiple
 people
 to
 different
 places
 and
 
periods
 of
 time.
 I’m
 hoping
 to
 discuss
 how
 Zits
 outer
 body
 experiences
 
shaped
 his
 thinking
 and
 transformed
 his
 decisions
 from
 the
 point
 he
 wakes
 
back
 up
 in
 the
 bank
 and
 onward.
 For
 example,
 Zits
 starts
 out
 deifying
 
authority,
 resorting
 to
 violence,
 and
 verbally
 and
 physically
 hurting
 those
 
around
 him.
 Throughout
 each
 time
 travel,
 more
 and
 more
 of
 Zits’
 poor
 
attitude
 is
 chipped
 away,
 revealing
 a
 change
 of
 heart
 and
 complete
 180
 in
 his
 
thinking.
 I
 think
 this
 is
 a
 valuable
 concept
 for
 students
 to
 understand
 because
 
the
 catharsis
 Zits
 experiences
 ultimately
 leads
 to
 a
 new
 outlook
 on
 a
 once
 
troubling
 life.
 
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Outline
 


  Day
 1:
  Day
 2:
  Day
 3:
  Day
 4:
  Day
 5:
 

Monday
  Tuesday
  Wednesday
  Thursday
  Friday
 
Point
 of
 View/
  Race
 &
  Concluding
 
Topic/
  Introduction
 of
  Beginning
 and
  Shifting
 into
 Hank
  the
 Novel
 
Activity
  Text,
 Author,
 &
  Frontloading
 of
  Stereotypes
 
Quickwrite:
  Quickwrite:
 
Overarching
  Flight
  Pick
 either
 Justice
  Quickwrite:
  Pick
 one
 of
 
or
 Art
 and
 write
  Think
 back
 to
  your
 entries
 
Theme
 
  from
 your
 

  Quickwrite:
  about
 what
  the
 survey
  homework
 
Quickwrite:
  Students
 will
 hear
  meeting
 Zits/Hank
  question,
 “When
  that
 you
 think
 
What
 are
 some
  series
 of
  looked
 like
 through
  we
 are
 wronged
 
their
 perspective.
  best
 
events
 in
 history
  statements
 and
  Share
 with
 partner.
  or
 insulted,
  represents
 
that
 you’ve
  choose
 to
 agree
 or
  revenge
  Zits
 thinking
 
learned
 about
  disagree.
 This
 will
  Discuss:
  at
 the
 END
 of
 
Point
 of
 view.
 How
  is”…always
 or
  the
 novel.
 (If
 
Native
  act
 as
 frontloading
  are
 the
 actions
 of
  never
 justified?
  you
 didn’t
 
Americans?
  activity
  Justice/Zits/Hank/ After
 reading
  pick
 one
 that
 
Art
 justified?
 How
  this
 chapter
 did
  meets
 these
 
Would
 you
 say
  is
 Zits
 reaction
 to
  criteria,
 take
 a
 
overall
 they
 are
  Read
 Ch.
 1
 in
  your
 opinion
  minute
 to
 find
 
pleasant
 or
  class.
 
  “killing”
 Junior
  change
 from
 the
  one).
 How
 has
 
Discuss:
  juxtaposed
 to
 his
  Zits’
 thinking
 
unpleasant?
  own
 misdoings?
  original
  shifted
 from
 
What
 do
 we
 call
  questionnaire?
  the
 start
 of
 the
 
Explain
 your
  that
 (irony)?
 How
  Explain
 how
 it
 
answer
 with
  changed/stayed
  novel?
 
detail
 and
  • Use
 of
  does
 Zits
 
examples
  Language
  perception
 of
 Hank
  the
 same.
  Write:
 
The
 majority
 
• What
 it
  change
 when
 he
  Read:
  of
 class
 will
 be
 
means
 to
 be
  meets
 his
 family?
  N.A.
 writer
 Joy
  spent
 writing
 
Watch:
  Indian,
 Irish,
  Harjo’s
 poem,
 

  a
 small
 in
 
First
 five
  &
 white
 in
  “When
 the
  class
 essay
 

  World
 as
 We
  using
 which
 
minutes
 of
 
  Zits
 eyes?
  Knew
 It
 Ended”
  ever
 scene
 
West-­‐Carlisle
  HW:
 Read
 Ch.
 7-­‐15
  students
 
of
 Flight
 &
  Discuss:
  picked
 from
 
Indian
 School
  Begin
 Double
  complete
 5
 entries
  Difference
 in
  their
 journals.
 
Clip
  Entry
 Journal
  in
 journal.
  attitudes— This
 will
 allow
 
students
 to
 
Read:
  • Model
 how
  Jimmy’s
 
Sherman
 Alexie’s
  to
 cite
  apprehension
 in
  further
 
teaching
 Abbad.
  connect
 
account
 in
  passages
 for
  Gus’
 change
 of
 
Native
 American
  heart
 towards
 
hw
 
schools
 and
  Bow
 Boy.
 Can
 
you
 think
 of
 any
 
treatment
 in
  HW:
 Read
 CH.
 2-­‐6
  other
 instances?
 
white
 schools
  of
 Flight
 &
 fill
 in
 3
 

Discuss:
  entries
 with
 quotes
 

and
 page
 #’s
 in
 
How
 does
  double
 entry
 
Sherman
 Alexie’s
  journal
 
account
 as
 a
 

Native
 American
  How
 does
  themes
 with
 
in
 a
 white
 school
 
compare/contra Harjo’s
 poem
  the
 ending
 of
 
reinforce/
  the
 novel
 and
 
st
 with
 your
 
previous
  deconstruct
 
 
 
  with
 Alexie
 as
 

knowledge
 of
  a
 Native
 
Native
  HW:
 Read
 Ch.
  American
 

Americans?
 How
  16-­‐21
 of
 Flight
 &
  writer
 
does
 Alexie’s
  complete
 5
 
experience
 
compare
 to
 the
  entries
 in
 
 
West-­‐Carlisle
  journal
 
school
 back
 in
 
1879?
 How
 
 
much
 has
 
changed
 or
 
remained
 the
 
same?
 

 

 


 

 
 

Lesson
 One:
 

 
  I
 would
 like
 to
 start
 this
 unit
 by
 frontloading
 the
 injustices
 Native
 Americans
 

face
 both
 in
 the
 past
 and
 even
 today.
 I
 want
 to
 compare
 and
 contrast
 Alexie’s
 
experience
 inside
 a
 white
 school
 with
 the
 experiences
 of
 Native
 American
 children
 
in
 West-­‐Carlisle
 back
 in
 1879.
 I
 included
 another
 article
 by
 Alexie
 because
 he
 does
 
a
 nice
 job
 explaining
 his
 situation
 and
 it
 provides
 a
 critical
 look
 at
 how
 flawed
 our
 
system
 can
 be.
 I’m
 hoping
 to
 frame
 this
 by
 asking
 students
 about
 what
 they
 already
 
know
 about
 Native
 Americans.
 I’m
 guessing
 most
 will
 talk
 about
 Thanksgiving
 and
 
their
 kindness
 to
 the
 pilgrims.
 I
 might
 expect
 some
 to
 know
 or
 discuss
 the
 Trail
 of
 
Tears,
 but
 I’m
 guessing
 for
 the
 most
 part
 that
 student’s
 perceptions
 of
 history
 are
 
probably
 a
 little
 skewed.
 This
 starts
 the
 conversation
 about
 identity.
 Everything
 
Native
 American
 children
 are
 taught
 is
 punished
 and
 stripped
 away,
 replaced
 by
 
the
 shiny
 idea
 of
 assimilation.
 I’m
 also
 thinking
 this
 would
 be
 a
 nice
 transition
 into
 
talking
 about
 what
 it
 means
 to
 have
 your
 identity
 stripped
 away.
 What
 happens
 
when
 you
 were
 never
 given
 the
 chance
 to
 know
 or
 understand
 your
 identity?
 This
 
is
 an
 overarching
 theme
 that
 I
 hope
 to
 explore
 throughout
 each
 lesson
 as
 well
 as
 
touch
 on
 new
 themes
 as
 they
 arise.
 

 


 

 
Lesson
 Two:
 
The
 activity
 I
 would
 like
 to
 focus
 on
 during
 this
 lesson
 is
 the
 questionnaire
 
students
 will
 fill
 out
 at
 the
 beginning
 of
 class.
 Students
 will
 be
 able
 to
 choose
 
from
 two
 answers
 that
 they
 most
 agree
 with.
 These
 questions
 are
 framed
 to
 help
 
students
 think
 about
 perspective
 and
 influence
 of
 cultural,
 and
 include:
 
 

• What
 is
 more
 important:
 having
 a
 sense
 of
 togetherness
 or
 being
 able
 to
 
stand
 on
 your
 own?
 
 

• What
 is
 more
 valuable:
 real
 life
 experience
 or
 getting
 an
 education?
 
• In
 a
 confrontational
 situation,
 it
 is
 better
 to:
 compromise
 or
 fight?
 
• When
 we
 are
 wronged
 or
 insulted,
 revenge
 is:
 always
 justified
 or
 never
 

justified?
 
I’m
 hoping
 these
 questions
 will
 spark
 conversation,
 such
 as:
 Were
 there
 right
 or
 
wrong
 choices
 in
 the
 values
 statements?
 Which
 statements
 were
 most
 likely
 to
 
cause
 controversy
 or
 conflict?
 Were
 any
 of
 their
 choices
 that
 could
 be
 different
 
based
 on
 the
 influence
 of
 cultural
 backgrounds?
 I
 want
 students
 to
 think
 about
 these
 
questions
 because
 Zits
 experiences
 these
 existential
 dilemmas
 throughout
 various
 
points
 in
 the
 novel.
 There
 are
 no
 right
 or
 wrong
 answers
 and
 perception
 changes
 
based
 on
 the
 situation
 at
 hand
 and
 who
 is
 involved.
 I
 thought
 this
 activity
 would
 be
 
an
 interesting
 way
 to
 spark
 debate
 among
 peers
 without
 being
 too
 controversial.
 I
 
also
 thought
 that
 these
 are
 important
 questions
 to
 keep
 in
 mind
 as
 Zits
 transitions
 
from
 person
 to
 person.
 This
 lesson
 is
 largely
 focused
 on
 the
 beginning
 of
 the
 novel
 
and
 what
 to
 think
 about
 while
 reading.
 I
 also
 want
 students
 to
 document
 their
 
findings
 in
 double-­‐entry
 journals,
 which
 I
 discussed
 in
 the
 standards
 section.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Lesson
 Three:
 

 
  I
 imagine
 that
 day
 three
 is
 largely
 discussion
 based
 because
 the
 students
 will
 
have
 had
 a
 chance
 to
 read
 the
 first
 six
 chapters
 and
 complete
 their
 first
 journal
 
entry.
 I
 really
 think
 point
 of
 view
 is
 critical
 in
 the
 first
 six
 chapters
 because
 readers
 
start
 to
 get
 a
 sense
 of
 who
 Zits
 is
 as
 a
 character.
 Readers
 also
 experience
 the
 first
 
bits
 of
 time
 traveling
 and
 what
 that
 entails
 for
 Zits.
 I
 would
 like
 to
 hear
 and
 share
 
which
 character
 student’s
 choose
 to
 write
 about
 in
 their
 Quickwrites
 and
 ask
 them
 
to
 share
 with
 a
 partner
 and
 then
 discuss
 as
 a
 class.
 There’s
 also
 an
 important
 
element
 of
 irony
 in
 these
 chapters,
 particularly
 when
 Zits
 feels
 conflicted
 and
 
disgusted
 by
 the
 idea
 of
 having
 to
 shoot
 a
 Native
 American
 that
 is
 already
 dead.
 
This
 is
 ironic
 because
 back
 when
 Zits
 was
 himself,
 he
 freely
 shot
 and
 killed
 
innocent
 people
 without
 thinking
 twice.
 This
 could
 be
 marked
 as
 foreshadowing
 of
 
how
 Zits
 will
 handle
 the
 rest.
 I
 think
 there’s
 also
 some
 interesting
 characterization
 
of
 Zits,
 Justice
 and
 Hank.
 Students
 can
 discuss
 what
 qualities
 they
 notice
 about
 the
 
various
 characters
 and
 how
 that
 supports
 their
 identity.
 The
 reason
 I
 have
 a
 
discussion
 based
 lecture
 here
 is
 because
 I
 think
 students
 will
 be
 excited
 and
 
intrigued
 by
 the
 time
 traveling
 scenes
 and
 will
 have
 a
 lot
 of
 thoughts
 and
 ideas
 to
 
contribute.
 

 

 
Lesson
 Four:
 

 
  I
 choose
 lesson
 four’s
 quickwrite
 question
 based
 on
 events
 that
 were
 
occurring
 during
 chapters
 7-­‐15
 of
 the
 novel.
 Seeking
 revenge
 is
 also
 a
 prevalent
 
theme
 throughout
 the
 novel
 and
 it’s
 not
 always
 clear
 who
 the
 good/bad
 guy
 is,
 
mostly
 because
 both
 sides
 are
 equally
 portrayed.
 This
 section
 of
 the
 novel
 is
 
particularly
 plagued
 by
 not
 wanting
 to
 do
 something
 that
 you’re
 supposed
 to
 (e.g.
 
Gus
 leading
 the
 troops
 to
 the
 Indian
 camp).
 
 I
 want
 students
 to
 think
 back
 to
 their
 
initial
 answers
 from
 the
 survey.
 How
 do
 their
 answers
 apply
 with
 what
 is
 occurring
 
in
 the
 novel?
 How
 does
 Zits
 struggle
 to
 extract
 revenge
 as
 a
 young
 Native
 American
 
boy
 on
 a
 U.S.
 soldier?
 What
 sorts
 of
 things
 does
 this
 tell
 us?
 I
 think
 it’s
 important
 for
 
students
 to
 understand
 that
 by
 seeking
 revenge,
 nothing
 is
 necessarily
 solved.
 
What
 is
 the
 purpose
 of
 causing
 the
 same
 harm
 to
 someone
 as
 they
 have
 you?
 How
 
can
 revenge
 against
 your
 own
 kind
 be
 fueled
 into
 good
 (here
 I
 would
 like
 them
 to
 
talk
 about
 how
 Gus
 shifts
 from
 the
 enemy
 into
 an
 ally).
 I
 would
 also
 like
 to
 look
 at
 
Harjo’s
 poem
 and
 discuss
 the
 critical
 analysis
 I
 found.
 The
 poem
 directly
 correlates
 
with
 Jimmy’s
 sentiments
 toward
 his
 friend
 and
 the
 betrayal
 he
 felt
 when
 he
 
realized
 the
 skills
 he
 taught
 Abbad
 were
 used
 against
 him.
 Harjo’s
 poem
 talks
 about
 
a
 Native
 American’s
 point-­‐of-­‐view
 during
 the
 9/11
 terrorist
 attack.
 I’m
 hoping
 to
 
parallel
 differences
 between
 feelings
 in
 the
 eyes
 of
 a
 Native
 American
 woman
 and
 a
 
Caucasian
 man.
 Both
 narrators
 exhibit
 different
 angles
 that
 are
 necessary
 to
 form
 a
 
complete
 story.
 I’d
 also
 like
 to
 challenge
 students
 with
 poetry
 and
 add
 another
 
mixture
 of
 mediums
 for
 students
 to
 study.
 

 
Lesson
 Five:
 


 
  Throughout
 this
 unit
 there
 have
 been
 many
 themes
 for
 students
 to
 discuss
 
and
 understand.
 Although
 the
 wide
 range
 of
 this
 unit
 specifically
 deals
 with
 
identity,
 students
 have
 also
 discussed
 culture,
 betrayal,
 revenge,
 self-­‐image,
 and
 
point
 of
 view.
 I
 want
 to
 see
 how
 students
 connect
 the
 novel
 with
 the
 supplementary
 
material,
 including:
 Alexie’s
 “Indian
 Education”,
 Harjo’s
 “The
 World
 As
 We
 Knew
 it
 
Ended”,
 or
 personal
 connections
 with
 how
 students
 initially
 portrayed
 the
 life
 and
 
struggle
 of
 Native
 Americans.
 Students
 will
 assert
 what
 they
 know
 into
 a
 well-­‐
crafted
 essay
 which
 demonstrates
 their
 knowledge
 about
 the
 text
 and
 themes.
 This
 
will
 be
 good
 practice
 for
 students
 because
 it
 isn’t
 as
 lengthy
 as
 writing
 a
 research
 
paper,
 but
 still
 draws
 many
 connections
 that
 act
 as
 a
 summative
 way
 to
 assess
 
students’
 knowledge.
 
 
Possible
 Prompts:
 
 

• Zits
 has
 many
 transformations
 (physically
 and
 mentally)
 throughout
 the
 
novel
 Flight.
 Describe
 how
 this
 change
 occurred
 over
 time
 and
 how
 it
 
shaped
 his
 identity.
 How
 do
 the
 shifts
 lead
 to
 the
 ultimate
 “rebirth”
 at
 the
 
end
 of
 the
 novel?
 Use
 textual
 evidence
 to
 support
 your
 claim.
 

• Sherman
 Alexie
 is
 the
 Native
 American
 writer
 who
 wrote
 Flight.
 Compare
 
or
 contrast
 influences
 from
 Alexie’s
 life
 or
 experiences
 that
 help
 shape
 
Zits
 as
 a
 narrator.
 What
 theme(s)
 are
 addressed
 through
 Alexie’s
 writing
 
that
 correlate
 with
 real-­‐life
 issues
 that
 occur
 to
 Native
 Americans?
 Use
 
textual
 evidence
 to
 support
 your
 claim.
 

• Joy
 Harjo
 writes
 from
 a
 Native
 American’s
 perspective
 about
 the
 horrors
 
of
 September
 11,
 2001.
 How
 are
 her
 views
 similar
 or
 different
 to
 the
 
fictional
 character
 Jimmy
 in
 Flight?
 How
 does
 cultural
 identity
 shape
 both
 
narratives?
 Use
 textual
 evidence
 to
 support
 your
 claim.
 


 

 
Conclusion
 
 

I
 think
 this
 is
 an
 excellent
 text
 to
 teach
 because
 it
 addresses
 many
 social
 
misconceptions
 regarding
 the
 treatment
 and
 understanding
 of
 Native
 Americans.
 
There
 are
 a
 multitude
 of
 themes
 that
 can
 be
 taught
 to
 students,
 which
 overlap
 and
 
connect
 with
 other
 texts.
 Not
 only
 does
 this
 book
 draw
 on
 many
 important
 issues,
 
but
 it
 is
 also
 genuinely
 interesting
 and
 fun
 to
 read.
 If
 I
 were
 a
 high
 school
 freshman,
 I
 
would
 be
 interested
 in
 this
 text
 and
 I
 think
 there
 are
 a
 lot
 of
 important
 issues
 that
 
unfortunately
 don’t
 get
 addressed
 enough
 in
 our
 educational
 system.
 I
 think
 this
 is
 a
 
wise
 choice
 for
 combining
 real
 historical
 context
 in
 a
 literature-­‐based
 setting.
 

Works
 Cited
 

 
Alexie,
 Sherman.
 Flight:
 A
 Novel.
 New
 York:
 Black
 Cat,
 2007.
 Print.
 

 
"Alexie/Indian
 Education."
 Mpsaz.org.
 N.p.,
 n.d.
 Web.
 2
 Apr.
 2014.
 
 

<http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/staff/dmsokol/101/files/sherman_alexie.pdf
 
>.
 

 
Harjo,
 Joy.
 "When
 the
 World
 as
 We
 Knew
 It
 Ended."
 Poetry
 Foundation.
 Poetry
 
 
Foundation,
 n.d.
 Web.
 30
 Mar.
 2014.
 
<http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179779>.
 

 
Into
 the
 West-­‐Carlisle
 Indian
 School.
 2011.
 Youtube.
 Web.
 25
 Apr.
 2014.
 
 
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfRHqWCz3Zw>.
 

 
Rose-­‐Vails,
 Shannon.
 ‘“Shimmering
 Possibilities”
 Amongst
 the
 Rubble:
 An
 Analysis
 
 
of
 Joy
 Harjo’s
 “When
 the
 World
 as
 We
 Knew
 It
 Ended.”’
 PDF
 File.
 
 
<http://homepages.se.edu/nas/files/2013/03/NAS-­‐2009-­‐Proceedings-­‐
Rose-­‐Vails.pdf>
 

 
"What Can't You Teach." Teaching Flight /. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
<http://teachingflight.pbworks.com/w/page/19908155/What%2520can%2527t%2
520you%2520teach>.