Rain is Not My Indian Name

RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME: Multiple Intelligence Projects
Verbal/Linguistic
Throughout the story, Cassidy Rain keeps a journal. Keep a journal for at least ten days. The pages can remain private. Just fold them lengthwise, so that a teacher can see they have been written on.
OR
In the story, Mrs. Della Owen writes a letter to the editor. Choose a local issue that you are concerned about and write a letter to your local editor. (Be sure that it is checked for grammar and spelling first… they often to publish letters with the mistakes included and the words SIC (stand for spelled in-correctly) afterwards).
Logical/Mathematical

Create a character map about Rain. Break down her appearance, interests, friends, and family. Be sure to be detailed, so that it helps you study for quizes!
AND
This story, like many Native American stories, does not stay married to chronological order in its telling. Some readers are unfamiliar with that style of writing. Whether you are new to Native literature or a big fan, create a timeline and fill in the major events in chronological order. (And, if Native literature is new to you, consider reading more Native stories when you get the chance so that you become more familiar with this literary technique!)
Visual/Spatial
Rain is a photographer. Break out your own camera, buy a cheap or disposable one, or borrow someone else’s for this project. Shoot at least 24 pictures (black and white or color, your choice) that will capture what it is like to be you, right now. Then, using at least eight of the best, make a small scrapbook, with detailed notes explaining the pictures. Write a brief journal about the results of this project and what you learned working in this media.
Body/Kinesthetic
In pairs or small groups, choose a scene to act out in front of the class. You don’t have to go word by word with the text, but it should be a close representation of the work.
Musical/Rhythmic
Find lyrics that you think Rain would like. Copy them down, and write a letter explaining to her why you thought she would enjoy them.
Interpersonal
In groups of no more than five, create your own pasta bridge. Be sure that each person contributes to the construction, and that no one person designs it. Then, after it is complete, discuss the process.
Intrapersonal
Good readers read in phrases, not word by word. Reread on chapter of Rain focusing on reading in this method. Then, make a copy of one page of the novel, and highlight every other phrase as you go. This will focus your mind on the chunking, or phrasing method. At the bottom of the page, explain how this technique affected your reading.

Tofu and T. Rex

Tofu and T. rex

by Greg Leitich Smith

About the book:

Militant vegan Frederika Murchison-Kowalski is back at the Peshtigo School after a brief stink in Texas (where she torched an artificial turf field to save Angus the Fighting Angus from the “rabid and inhumane cult” of football). The bad news is that now Freddie has to live with her cousin, Hans-Peter, a die-hard carnivore, and her grandfather, who happens to own a butcher shop and sausage deli. Having never had a sibling Freddie and Hans-Peter are soon at odds with each other over bathroom sharing, dinner menus, and more. To complicate matters, Hans-Peter needs Freddie’s insider knowledge to get accepted into the Peshtigo School himself.

In the adventures with fire, fossils, and kielbasa, Hans-Peter and Freddie come upon the true meaning of “survival of the fittest”- and come away whole (almost). Greg Leitich Smith delivers more with and hilarity in this companion to Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo.

About the guide:

This guide includes discussion questions and projects appropriate for book clubs, literature circles, and classroom discussions. It is intended to provoke thought and insight into the literary elements of this book including the themes of personal beliefs and values, animal welfare, family relationships, self-identity, and sausage. [TOO FAR???!!!]

About the author:

Greg Leitich Smith grew up in a German American neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side. He drew on his own heritage and experiences at a science magnet high school (much like the Peshtigo School) in writing Tofu and T.rex. He holds degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Texas at Austin, and a University of Michigan degree in law. He now lives with his wife, children’s author Cynthia Leitich Smith, and their four cats in Austin, Texas. Greg’s website is www.gregleitichsmith.com

Pre-reading Activity:

Predict what possible connection tofu and T. rex could have.  What is a vegan? What issues would they have with what you eat, where, and live? How hard would it be to transition your life over to a vegan one? What would be a vegan’s nightmare living situation?

Comprehension Check:

1.      Compare Freddie and Hans-Peter.

2.      What is Hans-Peter’s main goal in the novel? What must he endure to reach it?

3.      Who is Opa? What does he do?

4.      Who influences the other more Freddie or Hans-Peter? Support your answer with examples.

5.      Describe The Peshtigo School.

Discussion Guide:

1.      Why has Freddie landed in Chicago at The Peshtigo School after recently moving away? What warning is she under there?

2.      Freddie and Hans-Peter have a complicated relationship. How do they irritate each other? Do they ever get along? How do they influence each other?

3.      Opa is tolerant of a great deal but doesn’t put up with disrespect either. Give examples of his punishments for particular crimes. Do you think he’s being fair? Why or why not? Would you like to live with Opa?

4.      Being Vegan isn’t just a way of eating but a lifestyle. Do any parts of it appeal to you? Could you be as dedicated to your beliefs as Freddie is? Would you like living with Freddie? Why or why not?

5.      Why does Hans-Peter want to attend the Peshtigo School so desperately? Would you want to attend this nontraditional school? Why or why not?

6.      What is the setting for the novel? What does it add to the texture of the story? How does it compare to your own neighborhood?

7.      What does USCACA stand for? What things would they protest at your own school? Do you agree with their tactics to raise awareness? Do you feel this strongly about any issue?

8.      Freddie says on p. 32 “How can people be expected to treat other people okay if they don’t treat those who most need to be treated okay okay?” What does she mean by this? Can you give another example? Do you agree with her? Why or why not?

9.      Hans-Peter is so concerned with being accepted at Peshtigo that he doesn’t really consider whether he should accept it for himself. Have you ever been caught up in belonging like this? How do you keep yourself from being caught up in the competition that you forget about its purpose?

10.  What did you think of the entrance exam? How would you have done on it? Is it a fair assessment? Can tests be fair? When? How? What did you think of the boy who was immediately dismissed for his comments?

11.  Consider the homecoming float incident. Were you surprised to learn who was involved? Did you suspect that Freddie might be too? Would you be willing to take the blame as Freddie did for Hans-Peter? What did this reveal about their relationship?

12.  Hans-Peter comments,” Everyone Pestigoan seemed to be brilliantly eccentric. Or eccentrically brilliant. Or both.” (p. 82) Would you thrive around these standards or be too intimidated to work? What would you study if given free reign?

Projects:

Language Arts:

Create a mnemonic device for any test you’re currently studying for in any subject. Turn in a copy of your notes and the device you create.

Write an essay on the same topics that Hans-Peter had to complete for The Peshtigo School:

What do you do for fun?

Discuss an item representative of your cultural heritage.

Describe something you’ve built.

Math:

Vegan Math: Create two shopping lists, one vegan one a typical American family, being sure to have the same number of items on each. Then, visit your local grocer and compare prices and nutrition labels. Turn in your findings and a brief journal about the experiment.

Science:

Hans-Peter is very interested in The Peshtigo’s School Paleontology expeditions. What recent scientific expeditions do you wish you could join? Turn in at least one article about the findings of the expedition and your reaction to it.

Or, research and list at least 30 a-typical jobs in the sciences and highlight any you’d be interested in exploring further.

History:

Research and create a pamphlet or computer presentation on one of the following topics from the novel:

Animal welfare and rights

Vegans

Vegetarians

Paleontology

Recent dinosaur discoveries

Art:

Design your own homecoming float that makes a political or cultural statement important to you.

Music:

Create your own piece of music to commemorate an occasion like Johann Ambrosius and Christoph Brandenburg did for their parent’s anniversary. If this is above your skill level, then at least plan what music would inspire it (like Steveie Ray Vaughn and Bach did for the Brandenburgs) and which instruments you would choose for your own concerto.

Indian Shoes

Multiple Intelligence projects
Indian Shoes by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Verbal/ Linguistic
Reread your favorite chapter from Indian Shoes, then write a short story about a special time you shared with a grandparent or other adult. Like the author, be sure you give each of your characters a chance to speak for themselves. This is called dialogue, and it makes a story seem more real for the reader. It feels like you’re walking along with them, listening in. Try it!
Logical/ Mathematical
Fill in the chart on the provided page. In the first row, explain what the main idea of that chapter was. Then, in the corresponding character blocks fill in what part that person played in the event. An example is done for you.
Visual/ Spatial (This project would make a terrific bulletin board when complete)
In The Accident, Ray’s picture gets ruined because of Bandit. Paint a picture of your home, just like he did, and instead of on accident, pour a Dixie cup full of water over it on purpose. Then, after it dries, cut it into the shape of a shoe that best represents you or your family (ex: ballet slippers, moccasins, baseball cleats, cowboy boots, in-line skates, ice skates, etc.)
Body/ Kinesthetic
A chapter is made of small events called scenes. Usually a scene will switch so the story can move along. Here are the main scenes from the first chapter in Indian Shoes:
in the antique store
at the Cub’s game
back at the antique store
outside the antique store
Now, go through each chapter and list the scenes. Then, as a class, assign a scene to small groups to act them out. It doesn’t have to be exactly like the book, but it should stick to the flavor of it. Practice for a couple days, and then put on a play of the whole book!
Musical/ Rhythmic
In several instances the author describes the sound Ray and Grandpa Halfmoon hear. For example, in chapter one “rat-a-tat-a- clang” is the sound of a trash can band, and “ka-smack” for the sound of a homerun hit. This is called ONOMATOPOEIA. It is when you try to make the sounds match the letters of the alphabet. Throughout your day, try to write ten onomatopoeia words that represent sounds you hear. Be sure to write down what it is!
Interpersonal
Ray and Grandpa Halfmoon always consider each other’s feelings before they decide how to act. For example, when Grandpa is clearly feeling homesick, Ray decides that he would feel better if he had the moccasins. This is called empathy, when you can get inside the heart (sometimes people say shoes) of someone else and know how they feel.
List at least three other examples of this in the book. Then, explain what a kid could do in these situations:
Your sister is worried Your dad is extra tired after work.
about starting kindergarten.

Your Mom misses her
sister who lives far away.
Your neighbor, an elderly man,
never has any visitors.
Intrapersonal
Ray finds a special spot of his own in Night Fishing where he can see “the lake blue sky stretched to the horizon. The water below glittered beneath the sun. It was quiet too. No rattling trains or trash-can bands. Ray could hear the squirrels play tag from limb to limb and he settled in to listen.” Where do you go when you want to think? What does it look like? sound like? Draw a picture of it to keep in your notebook. Then, right before a test or something else stressful, you can look at it, then close your eyes and pretend you’re there.

Pre Reading/ Prediction guide for Indian Shoes
Pre-reading
Just by looking at the cover, what can you guess about the book? How much do you know about modern Native American tribes, if anything? Can you guess what you might learn?
Reading
1. What would Grandpa Halfmoon say if he saw the card the librarian placed by Ray’s shoes?
2. Will having them ease his homesickness? Will he get to go home soon too? What clues does the author give you that they will?
3. After the events of the wedding, what do you think they’ll both do the next time they’re asked to be in a wedding? why?
4. What will the owners of all the pets say to Grandpa and Ray?
5. Will Ray create more pictures using collage? What makes you thinks so?
6. In Team Colors, do you think that at the next game other boys will come sporting team colors?
7. Will Ray get up to go night fishing again? Why?

Comprehension/ Quiz Questions for Indian Shoes
Knowledge:
1. Locate the passages that make it clear that Grandpa Halfmoon is homesick. Have you ever been homesick? If so, what were you homesick for?
2. List at least three ways that Grandpa and Ray show they care about each other.
Comprehension:
1. Describe in your own words what happened at the wedding.
2. Retell the events of The Accident.
Application:
1. What can you learn from Ray and Grandpa Halfmoon about helping one another? Use examples from the text.
2. Can you think of other safe solutions for the pets in Coming To Dinner?
Analysis:
1. Compare yourself to Ray. How are you like him? In what ways, if any, are you different?
2. How would this story be different if it were written through the eyes of Grandpa Halfmoon? Would it still be a children’s book? Why?
Synthesis:
1. What would you have done at the wedding? What do you think they did at the reception?
2. Of all the stories told in this book, which do you think that Ray would look back on as an adult with the best memories? What makes you think so?
Evaluation:
1. In The Accident, Grandpa Halfmoon doesn’t lecture Ray about his decision not to be in the contest. What does he do instead? Do you think this is more effective? Why or why not?
2. Choose your favorite chapter and answer these questions: Why is this part your favorite? How does it demonstrate how Grandpa and Ray feel about each other? What is the best description? What is something you’ll remember about it long after you have closed the book?