85 pages • 2 hours read
Louise ErdrichA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.
Short Answer
What is the meaning of the term “broken heart”? Could the meanings be both literal and figurative—and if so, how? What are the physical and emotional symptoms of a broken heart? What other emotions do people often associate with the heart?
Teaching Suggestion: Lead the class to come to a consensus regarding a working definition of the term.
Short Activity
Brainstorm a list of stories you’ve read (for a class or on your own) that fit the genre of historical fiction. Then find 2-3 reputable, helpful sources to use in answering the questions.
Teaching Suggestion: You might want to create a chart with columns for Setting, Characters, Plot to record students’ ideas about the characteristics of the genre. As time allows, students might use resources online to investigate the historical setting of the novel.
By Louise Erdrich