TEACHING GUIDE
A Distant Enemy
by Deb Vanasse
Before Reading
•
KWL:
KWL:Have students create Know-Want to Know-Learned charts about Alaska, Eskimos, and the Arctic
•Stereotypes:
Stereotypes:Have students free write and share on the following questions: What might people from outside your region and/or culture assume about you and the way you live? How do you feel about these assumptions? Connect with the KWL activity; some “Know” items may actually be stereotypes or assumptions.
•Personal Applications:
Personal Applications:Have students free write on these questions: What do you think of when you hear the word enemy? How do people become enemies? What hope might there be for reconciliation when people are enemies? Students may wish to use hypothetical names or initials rather than referring to real people in their responses.
While Reading
•Predictions
PredictionsUpon completion of various chapters, ask students to journal or discuss their predictions of what might happen next.
•Relationships:
Relationships:Ask students to work collaboratively to map Joseph’s relationships with other characters in the book. Encourage them to create a visual representation in a meaningful format such as a geometric shape, a tundra scene, or an appropriate metaphor such as fishing, hunting, or trapping. Map midway and at the conclusion of the novel; compare.
•Point of View:
Point of View:Review point of view choices, noting that the novel is written in third person limited, using Joseph’s point of view. Ask students to rewrite a scene or scenes from the novel using another character’s point of view, in either first or third person. Share and discuss.
•Themes:
Themes:As the novel unfolds, ask students to identify emerging themes. Collaborative groups may log their observations on particular themes, presenting their findings in visual and oral form upon completion of the novel. Themes may include friendship, anger, honesty, cultural conflict, change, family, and survival.
•Cultural Connections:
Cultural Connections:As a class, chart the old ways and new ways of living within Joseph’s culture. Discuss the value of traditions and the ways in which they can be preserved. Ask students to write letters to Joseph in which they comment on his efforts to hold on to the traditions of his people and offer suggestions for the future.
After Reading
•Revisit the Pre-reading Activities:
Revisit the Pre-reading Activities:Have students complete the final section of their KWL charts; discuss. Did they discover incorrect assumptions or stereotypes about the Eskimo people? Discuss how Joseph might feel about these stereotypes. Ask students to consider the origins of stereotypes and the ways in which we can avoid them. Discuss their predictions about the novel now that they’ve finished reading. Have them write their post-reading thoughts on enemies and reconciliation.
•Passages:
Passages:Have students select a favorite passage from the novel and illustrate in poster form.
•Reviews:
Reviews:Have students write reviews of the book. They may submit these to web sites such as www.amazon.com
•Predictions:
Predictions:Have students predict what might happen if Joseph goes to visit his father. They might write a scene from the visit or a letter from Joseph in Oregon to one of the characters in the village.
•Classroom Event:
Classroom Event:The novel ends as Joseph goes off to join a feast. Celebrate with a multicultural feast, inviting students and parents to bring in foods representative of their own cultural heritage. Have each contributor say a few words about his/her culture as part of the event.
•Primary Research:
Primary Research:Search online for a school unlike your own. If you’re in an urban area, search Alaskan rural school districts such as Lower Kuskokwim, Lower Yukon, or Yukon-Koyukuk Schools. See if you can engage in an email exchange to share information about cultures and school settings.
•Author Dialogue:
Author Dialogue:Students may email the author at debv@gci.net with questions and comments. The author is also available for school visits; go to www.DebVanasse.com for more information.
Interdisciplinary Connections
•Social Studies:
Social Studies:Review the concept of expansion and its effects on indigenous people. Examine geographic and economic factors that have helped the Yup’ik people preserve many of their traditions. Research the unique aspects of the Yup’ik Eskimo culture relative to other Native American cultures.
•Art:
Art:Study the art of Yup’ik mask-making and have students create a mask for one of the characters in the novel. The web sites listed under Additional Resources provide information on mask-making.
•Science:
Science:Examine the delicate ecosystem of the tundra. Have students prepare a mural showing the key features of the ecosystem and the unique adaptations of tundra life forms. Chart the patterns of migratory bids, noting the importance of tundra habitat.
Additional Resources
