copyright 1999, Sirpa Grierson
copyright 1999, Sirpa Grierson
Novel Information and Resources:
'I' Is not for Indian: The Portrayal of Native Americans in Books for Young People
American Indian Children at School
http://www.nativeculture.com/lisamitten/ailabib.htm
A paper written by someone at the University of Pittsburg, it considers the use of the Native American culture in Young Adult Literature and the role that it plays in stereotypes.
Charles, Jim. "American Indian Children at School." American Indian Quarterly. 20. 1(Winter 1996) 133-135.Young Adult Literature
Crowe, Chris. "Young Adult Literature." English Journal. 88. 1(September 1998): 120-22.Creative Writing
http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/Lang_arts/Writing_comp/WCP0010.htmlThe Indian in the Cupboard
Fleisher, Paul. "The Indian in the Cupboard." Technology & Learning. 17. 1 (September 1996): 13-14.Native Americans
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ssNativeAmericanActivities.html
Gives a list of different activities that can be used in a classroom to introduce the Native American Culture.
Lesson Plans
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSMDNativeAmerUnit46.html
Gives a lesson plan of one teacher to teach this culture in her classroom.Coming of Age as a Culture
Sanchez, Victoria E. and Mary E. Stuckey. "Coming of Age as a Culture? Emancipatory and Hegemonic Readings of the Indian in the Cupboard." Western Journal of Communication. 64. 1(Winter 2000): 78-91.
Reading Activities compiled by Tonya Hamill
| During Reading | After Reading |
Pre-reading Strategies1. Denny, Phillip. A Guide for Using The Indian in the Cupboard in the Classroom. New
York: Teacher Created Resources, 1995.This resource is directly related to the novel, “The Indian in the Cupboard,” and provides a variety of cross-curricular lessons to do before, during, and after reading the book. The book is reproducible. It includes sample lesson plans, author information, vocabulary building ideas, cross-curriculum activities, sectional activities and quizzes, unit tests, and many ideas for culminating and extending the novel.
2. Hamill, Tonya. Perspective Lesson Plan. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, 2005.
This lesson plan and rubric seeks to assist students in becoming more aware of the dynamics of perspective and how perspective is applied in writing. The activity and writing assignment are designed to introduce students to the issues of perspective that will be presented in “The Indian in the Cupboard.” This awareness will help students to appreciate and comprehend the novel more as they will be able to interpret it from different angles and from a wider spectrum.
3. Hamill, Tonya. Stereotype Lesson Plan. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, 2005.
This Lesson plan and rubric seeks to assist students in becoming more aware of what stereotypes are and what their effects are. It is to be used as a precursor to the study of stereotypes throughout the novel, “The Indian in the Cupboard.” The activity and assignment are designed to help students identify stereotypes and seek to replace them with more authentic representations.
4. Iroquois Indian Museum. Ed. Christina Hanks. 2000. 17 September 2005
<http ://www.iroquoismuseum.org/gift.htm>
This site describes Iroquois art and provides visual examples. It discusses the history of Iroquois art and highlights some modern Iroquois artists. It also talks about the traditional tools and techniques used for Iroquois art. In the novel, “Little Bear” proceeds to create artwork on the walls of his dwelling. This site would provide students with a better understanding of what art meant/ means to the Iroquois.5. Iroquois.net. Ed. John Fadden. 2005. 18 Sept. 2005
<http://www.iroquois.net/>This sight describes traditional Iroquois dances and songs and relates their presentation and meanings. It provides many audio songs to choose from. Through an activity involving listening to Iroquois music, students could gain greater understanding of the character and culture of “Little Bear.”
6. Lynne Reid Banks. Ed. Lynne Reid Banks. 2005. 17 September 2005
<http:// www.Lynnereidbanks.com>This site provides information pertaining to the author of “The Indian in the Cupboard.” It offers a biography, interview, photographs, a listing of her other works, news and contact information. This site offers a good introduction to the author that students may find interesting and rewarding while reading the novel. It explains that her three sons were her models for the characters in the novel.
7. New York State Museum. Ed. Ron barber. 2000. The University of the State of New York. 18 September 2005
<http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/Iroquois Village/ constructionone.html>Through text and pictures this sight explores how Iroquois longhouses were constructed. It discusses how we know about longhouses, their structure and their interior space. Because “Little Bear” insists on building a longhouse in the book, this site would prove a very informative precursor for students who may have a curiosity for such things.
8. Pictures of England.com. 2005. 17 September 2005
<http://www.picturesofengland.com/>This site allows the viewer to go on picture tours through England. The viewer may choose any region or theme for their tour. The site also provides a history of different regions, maps, and information on famous British people. Besides the author being from England, it is also where the “The Indian in the Cupboard” takes place. Therefore, this site may be helpful in understanding the setting and inspiration for the novel.
9. Wikipedia.com. 2005. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 17 September 2005
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/england>This site shows England’s flag, coat of arms, landscape photographs and maps. It conveys information such as population, climate, largest city, ethnicity, currency, religion, time zone, national flower, and patron saint. It also relates an extensive history of England and information on politics, geography and culture. This site may prove very helpful to students as it would provide information about the setting of the novel and the authors writing environment.
10. Yahoo Search. 2005. Yahoo! Inc. 17 September 2005
<http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=images&imgsz=all&imgc=&vf=all&va=iroquois+longhouse&fr=FP-tab-web-+&ei=UTF-8>This site is a valuable resource for pictures of Iroquois longhouses. The pictures are both real photographs and drawings. They provide helpful visual information on the construction and use of longhouses. These photographs could be used to prepare students to understand the reality of the difficulty “Little Bear” must face when trying to build a home.
1. Bruchac, Joseph. Iroquois Stories: Heros & Heroines Monsters & Magic. Trumansberg:
N.Y., Crossing Pr., 1985.This book presents a mélange of creation stories, "why" stories and stories of magic, animals and monsters. The stories are simple, well told and are enhanced by full-page pencil drawings that precede each tale. This source could be helpful for students to visualize and learn more about the character, “Little Bear’s” culture and beliefs.
2. Bruchac, Joseph. The Boy Who Lived With the Bears: And Other Iroquois Stories.
New York: Harper Collins, 1995.This book presents a collection of traditional Iroquois tales in which animals learn about the importance of caring and responsibility and the dangers of selfishness and pride. The stories are full of moving, funny, vivid images. This book could be useful in giving students a more well rounded idea of the character, “Little Bear’s” identity as an Iroquois and his thought patterns.
3. Canfield, William W. and “Cornplanter.” The Legends of the Iroquois. California:
University Press of the Pacific, 2002.This is a wonderful collection of Iroquois myth, told by the great Seneca Chief of the Longhouse, The Cornplanter. This collection was originally published in 1902. The Cornplanter was born in Conewangus, on the Genesee River, probably in the year 1732. The Cornplanter spent his early years at the council-fires, and became one of the most celebrated orators in the Confederation of the Six Nations. Eventually he was unanimously chosen Chief of the Senecas. This book would be a good source of insight to the character “Little Bear” and his Iroquois identity.
4. The Library of Congress. Ed. Jennifer Brathovde. 2004. 20 September 2005
<http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/067_curt.html>This site offers a wonderful collection of authentic photographs of Iroquois people taken by Edward S. Curtis in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Curtis specialized in portraits. For the Iroquois, Curtis created a rich collection of family history in portraits, most of which have been identified. These pictures would be helpful to students by allowing them to see the real Iroquois people as they would have been in the character, “Little Bear’s” time as apposed to Hollywood’s portrayal.
5. Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk. Dancing Teepees: Poems of American Indian Youth.
New York: Holiday House, 1989.This book is a collection of 13 Native American poems. Iroquois, Sioux, Navajo, and Apache tribe members wrote some of the poetry in this collection. Four of the poems were written by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve. The poems show the life of Native Americans by sharing a newborn ceremony, a Hopi lullaby, a Paiute cradle song, Zuni corn ceremony, a song for young girls, a Dakota elk song, a prayer before a young man's first buffalo hunt, and a myth of the Wintu. This book could be a useful tool in helping students to distinguish Iroquois values in comparison to other tribes.
6. Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk. The Iroquois. New York: Holiday House, 1995.
In this book, the author describes the life of the Iroquois tribe before the advent of white people. She starts with the tribe’s vision of the creation story and continues through everyday life, the roles of women and men within the tribe, rearing of children, food gathering and preparation, spiritual customs, and finally the tribe’s adaptation to modern life. She explains the details of how many of the tribes which occupied what is now New York State originally fought among themselves until a peacemaker persuaded fifty tribes to form a council and help each other. The text provides very nice color illustrations and a map showing the location of the tribe which would be especially useful in helping students to visualize the character, “Little Bear’s” real life.
7. Tehanetorens. Legends of the Iroquois. Tennessee: Book Publishing, 1998.
This is a collection of stories and writings of Tehanetorens, a master storyteller in the Mohawk tradition. These ancient stories are presented in pictograph form with English translation. They explore the Native American culture of the Six Nations Confederacy. The text is supported with illustrations by the accomplished Iroquois artist Kahionhes, son of Tehanetorens. This book could be the basis for fun creative writing projects in pictograph form.
8. Tehanetorens. Wampum Belts of the Iroquois. Tennessee: Book Publishers, 1999.
This book describes the nature and significance of Indian wampum belts, focusing on their history and uses by the Iroquois. It explains why “Wampum” is the most important bead in American history. It was sacred to Native Americans, the Iroquois and their allies, and used in all public events. It articulates how wampum was commonly made into belts, not for wearing but for keeping records. The book has over 40 pictures of these belts and discusses their meanings. The author tells the story from the standpoint of the Iroquois who are the makers of the belts (though not the beads). This book would provide very interesting information to students who may want to expound upon this Iroquois tradition.9. The University of Oklahoma Law Center. Ed. Marilyn Nicely. 2002. 20 September 2005
<http://www.law.ou.edu/iroquois.html>This site relates the Iroquois constitution. Among other things, it talks about the duties and qualifications of Lords, the rights of the people of the five nations and funeral addresses. Of most interest to the class might be the official symbolism. It could be used in reference to “Little Bear,” helping students to better understand some of the symbolisms in dress, jewelry, ceremonies and rituals that the character may be familiar with.
10. Webwinds.com. Ed. Tracy Marks. 2001. 20 September 2005
<http://www.webwinds.com/yupanqui/iroquoisdreams.htm>This site offers a variety of information on the Iroquois nation that could be useful in helping students better understand the character “Little Bear.” The site is divided into three major parts. The first part discusses Iroquois dreamwork and spirituality. The second part discusses Iroquois myths and legends. The third part presents more modern Iroquois audio music and lyrics by an artist named Joanne Shenandoha.
1. Banks, Lynne Reid. The Return of the Indian. New York: Harper Trophy, 1999.
This book is the next in line of four sequels to the original “The Indian in the Cupboard.” The story continues a year after Omri's adventures with the cupboard came to a halt. Excited by a prize he won for a story about his adventures with the cupboard, Omri wants to share the news with Little Bear. However his joy dissipates when he activates the cupboard and finds a critically wounded Little Bear. From there, the story relates the problems that Omri and Little Bear face when toying with the magic cupboard. This book may be useful as a continuation of the unit or for independent reading material for students who are interested in comparing their own predictions for the continuation of the original novel to those of the author.
2. Fenton, William N. The False Faces of the Iroquois. Oklahoma: The University of
Oklahoma Press, 1991.This book covers all aspects of Iroquois false face masks, from carving through use. It provides twenty-four color and more than two-hundred black and white photos of wooden and cornhusk masks. The author classifies the types of masks he has observed, describes the personages who the masks represent, and documents rituals in which he has seen the masks used. He also relates the ritual songs and positions of maskers during ceremonies. This book is an excellent resource that could connect students to the real life of the character “Little Bear.” The idea of Iroquois face masks could be used as the basis for creative writing.
3. Hamill, Tonya. Book Review Lesson Plan. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, 2005.
In this lesson plan and rubric, students type a one page book review for "The Indian in the Cupboard" which can be submitted to the school newspaper. This activity would test student’s comprehension of the novel. It would also be useful in helping students to review and organize their thoughts about the plot, characters, and major themes that were discussed in the unit.4. Hamill, Tonya . Iroquois Legend Lesson Plan. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University,
2005.
In this lesson plan and rubric, students create a legend/ myth that is similar to the Iroquois legends discussed in "The Indian in the Cupboard" unit. This activity could be helpful in testing student’s listening and reading comprehension. It would also provide students a great opportunity to build their creative writing skills.
5. Hamill, Tonya. Movie Critique Lesson Plan. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University,
2005.In this lesson plan and rubric, students write a one page movie critique for "The Indian in the Cupboard" movie. This activity would inspire students to make comparisons and contrasts between the movie and the book. It would help students to think more critically about literature and practice critical writing. The activity would also assist in visualization of the novel as a form of reading comprehension.
6. Hamill, Tonya. Prediction Lesson Plan. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, 2005.
In this lesson plan and rubric, students type a one page prediction of how they think the story of "The Indian in the Cupboard" will continue. Students are to use clues found throughout the story to help them to write a more believable prediction, thus demonstrating reading comprehension skills. Students then have the opportunity to share their predictions in small groups and present to the class the best option.
7. Hamill, Tonya. Stereotypes Lesson Plan. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, 2005.
In this lesson plan and rubric, students demonstrate their knowledge of stereotypes throughout the novel, "The Indian in the Cupboard," by writing a paragraph that identifies at least two stereotypes and relates how they were overcome in the novel. This activity will test student’s reading comprehension as well as inspire students to think and write about larger issues presented by the novel.
8. The Indian in the Cupboard. Dir. Frank Oz. Perf. Hal Scardino, Lindsay Crouse,
Litefoot, Richard Jenkins. Paramount Pictures, 1995.This movie is the visual recreation of Lynne Reid Bank’s “The Indian in the Cupboard.” It could be a helpful and constructive tool to test students’ visualization techniques as they could compare their previous images from the book with those of the director of the movie. Students may find the movie helpful in clarifying any parts of the novel that they might not have understood.
9. Oneida Indian Nation. Ed. Ray Halbritter. 2000. 18 September 2005
<http://oneida-nation.net/>This sight introduces a history of Iroquois food. It provides a full cookbook of recipes that use principally beans, corn and squash which the Iroquois refer to as “The Three Sisters.” The sight also relates several popular Iroquois legends. The information provided on this site could be used in an end-of-the-unit activity which may include traditional Iroquois food and story telling.
10. Winthrop, Elizabeth. The Castle in the Attic. New York: Random House Inc.,
1986.This book offers a similar story in theme to that of “The Indian in the Cupboard,” with its basis on miniature toys magically coming to life and the moral dilemma surrounding such an idea. It is about a ten-year-old boy named William who is so distraught at the idea of his beloved housekeeper/nanny Mrs. Phillips returning to England that, with the aid of a magic token, he shrinks her into the size of the toy knight which inhabits a wooden castle. To undo his rash deed, William must be miniaturized himself and accompany the silver knight on a quest to overthrow a wicked magician. This book could be used as an extension of the themes found in “The Indian in the Cupboard” as well as independent reading material for students who were intrigued by the ideas of miniaturization and magic.
