Trace a family bond to a moment
Junior’s mother tells him she is proud of him.
“I’m so proud of you.” (Alexie 216)Read in the chapter
The aimJunior decides he belongs to many tribes. Which ones, and how did he find each one?
Read this week
Close-reading practice
Read first. Make your own notes, then switch on the model highlights in each passage.
Words for this response
Use one word from each of 3 assigned groups. See the groups and sentence examples →
From a highlight to your writing
Notice the words
“And to the tribe of basketball players. And to the tribe of bookworms. And the tribe of cartoonists.”
Margin note
Playing, reading, and drawing give him three more ways to belong. These groups come from things he does and loves.
My notebook
Basketball / reading / drawing → groups from what he does and loves.
See note 7 beside the passage · Alexie 217
See the observation become sentences
- What it says
Junior names basketball players, readers, and cartoonists as groups he belongs to.
- What it helps explain
He can recognize people through shared activities, even when they come from different places. Each group grows out of something he has actually done.
Your turn: another detail
Connect Mom’s words to “the tribe of beloved sons.” Write how this moment gives the group name meaning.
Test a possible misreading
First thought: Junior gives up being Spokane and joins new Native nations called basketball players and bookworms.
Keep his Spokane identity in the picture
Junior explicitly affirms his Spokane identity.
“I realized that, sure, I was a Spokane Indian. I belonged to that tribe.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapter
Look again: He clearly says he still belongs to the Spokane tribe. In the later list, “tribe” often means people with a shared interest or experience; a reading hobby is not a Native nation.
Connect a group to an experience
Group
Bookworms.
Experience
Gordy takes time to read and study with Junior.
Connection
Reading becomes a shared activity, not just something Junior does alone.
Characters
What do their choices show?
Themes
What message is developing?
Change
What is different, and why?
Your evidence is building toward a bigger question
The rez calls Junior a traitor for leaving; Rowdy ends the book calling him a nomad. Which one is he, and what proves it?
Open the evidence ledger through Week 15 →Test an interpretation
Choose three tribes. For each one, name an experience that helped Junior find it.
Compare with one possible explanation
He is still Spokane because it is his people and home. He belongs with basketball players through his teams. He belongs with readers through books and his friendship with Gordy. These groups let him have more than one kind of belonging.
Your notebook → your Aim Response
Build your response
Choose your evidence here. Write your sentences in your notebook.
Which groups
Choose two groups to explain closely; you may add more.
How he found them
Connect each chosen group to an earlier experience.
Answer the whole question
Junior finds belonging among ___ through ___ and among ___ through ___.
A starting shape, not the only way to write your answer. Replace the spaces with your own thinking.
Evidence 1 + your explanation
The exact quotation, its context, and its citation will appear here.
What it saysIn my own words, this means …
What it showsThis helps answer the question because …
Evidence 2 + your explanation
The exact quotation, its context, and its citation will appear here.
What it saysIn my own words, this means …
What it showsThis helps answer the question because …
Choose two different quotations. Then check that your writing explains every part of the aim.
Connect the two details
The first detail shows … . But / So / Because … . Together, these details help explain … .
Choose the connector that matches your reasoning: but contrasts, so gives a result, because gives a reason.
See the shape in a complete model
This model answers a related question. Notice where the quotes, explanations, words, and appositives go.
Explain why shared experience matters
Junior recognizes a feeling he shares with other people.
“I realized that I might be a lonely Indian boy, but I was not alone in my loneliness.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapter
Can help with: How he found them.
Keep his Spokane identity in the picture
Junior explicitly affirms his Spokane identity.
“I realized that, sure, I was a Spokane Indian. I belonged to that tribe.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapter
Can help with: Which groups.
Trace a connection to a journey
Junior uses “tribe” figuratively to connect his experience with other journeys.
“But I also belonged to the tribe of American immigrants.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapter
Can help with: Which groups; How he found them.
Trace a connection to a relationship
Junior thinks about how much he misses Rowdy.
“And the tribe of boys who really missed their best friends.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapter
Can help with: Which groups; How he found them.
Connect groups to things he does
Junior names groups connected with activities he does.
“And to the tribe of basketball players. And to the tribe of bookworms. And the tribe of cartoonists.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapter
Can help with: Which groups.
Trace a family bond to a moment
Junior’s mother tells him she is proud of him.
“I’m so proud of you.” (Alexie 216)Read in the chapter
Can help with: How he found them.
Find how a group became part of his life
Explain two groups closely. More groups can add depth if you explain their connections too.
Bookworms
Chapter 12: Gordy stays with Junior through a difficult reading lesson.
Identify encouragement
Junior describes Gordy continuing to help him understand.
“I really didn’t, but Gordy believed in me. He wouldn’t let me give up.” (Alexie 94)Read in the chapter
This experience connects him to the group because …
Basketball players
Chapter 20: Junior works through tryouts and shares a moment with his new team.
Identify people who join him
Junior describes Coach and teammates laughing with him during tryouts.
“And then Coach started laughing with me. And so did my teammates.” (Alexie 144)Read in the chapter
This experience connects him to the group because …
Boys who miss their best friends
Chapter 7: Junior experiences a painful break with Rowdy.
The rupture before Halloween
Junior describes the rupture with Rowdy after the school-choice conversation.
“my best friend had become my worst enemy.” (Alexie 53)Read in the chapter
This experience connects him to the group because …
Junior uses some “tribes” as a figure of speech for shared experience. The Spokane tribe is his actual Native community.
Words of the day 2 points
Use one word from each of these 3 groups. Complete all 3 groups for the vocabulary points. Words separated by “or” are alternatives.
Meaning + one sentence example
immigrant (noun) — A person who moves into another country to live there.
Junior compares his move with an immigrant’s search for a new life, while still belonging to the Spokane tribe.
Original writing example · More word help
Meaning + one sentence example
evaluate (verb) — To judge how good, effective, or important something is by using evidence.
To evaluate a claim about belonging, connect a named group to a specific experience.
Original writing example · More word help
Meaning + one sentence example
arrogant (adjective) — Acting as if you are more important or better than other people.
Recognizing experiences he shares with others can challenge arrogance, the belief that he stands above everyone else.
Original writing example · More word help
An alternative from a listed root family fills the same group. Review words in a practice model do not replace this list. Connect each word to your point; a made-up event is not evidence.
Introduce two people or ideas 2 appositives · 2 points
The words between the commas give another name for the noun.
Gordy, another name for this person or idea, …
See one that works
Gordy, the friend who studies books with Junior, connects reading with careful attention.
“the friend who studies books with Junior” and “Gordy” name the same person or idea. Keep both commas; finish with your own point.
The Spokane tribe, another name for this person or idea, …
See one that works
The Spokane tribe, Junior’s Native community, remains part of who he is.
“Junior’s Native community” and “The Spokane tribe” name the same person or idea. Keep both commas; finish with your own point.
Check the response in your notebook
Point to the evidence in your own paragraph before checking a box.
These boxes are a self-check, not a grade. Development reflects how your argument builds and your growth as a writer. Checks stay in this browser.
More evidence and practice
Explore the evidence
Which groups?
What kinds of belonging does Junior name?
How did he find them?
Which action, relationship, or experience led him to each connection?
What changes?
How does adding connections change his sense of being alone?
Explain why shared experience matters
Junior recognizes a feeling he shares with other people.
“I realized that I might be a lonely Indian boy, but I was not alone in my loneliness.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapterThemes
What this detail can show
Junior feels lonely but discovers that other people know that feeling too. Shared loneliness becomes one way to recognize a connection.
Keep his Spokane identity in the picture
Junior explicitly affirms his Spokane identity.
“I realized that, sure, I was a Spokane Indian. I belonged to that tribe.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapterCharacters
What this detail can show
Junior explicitly says he belongs to the Spokane tribe. His later list adds forms of belonging rather than replacing his Native identity.
Trace a connection to a journey
Junior uses “tribe” figuratively to connect his experience with other journeys.
“But I also belonged to the tribe of American immigrants.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapterThemes
What this detail can show
Junior compares his search for a different life with other people’s journeys. Here “tribe” is a figure of speech for shared experience.
Trace a connection to a relationship
Junior thinks about how much he misses Rowdy.
“And the tribe of boys who really missed their best friends.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapterCharacters
What this detail can show
Missing Rowdy connects Junior to other boys who miss a close friend. A painful feeling becomes a bond he can recognize beyond himself.
Connect groups to things he does
Junior names groups connected with activities he does.
“And to the tribe of basketball players. And to the tribe of bookworms. And the tribe of cartoonists.” (Alexie 217)Read in the chapterThemes
What this detail can show
These groups grow from playing, reading, and drawing. For each group, use an earlier scene to explain how he found that connection.
Trace a family bond to a moment
Junior’s mother tells him she is proud of him.
“I’m so proud of you.” (Alexie 216)Read in the chapterCharacters
What this detail can show
Mom tells Junior she is proud of him. This moment helps explain his later description of belonging among “beloved sons.”
Find more evidence in the chapter
- Chapter 12: Find a moment when Junior and Gordy read or talk about books. What does Junior do that helps support his later place among bookworms?
- Chapter 20: Find one action from basketball tryouts that helps explain Junior’s place among basketball players. Use the action, not just the fact that he made the team.
Choose a second quote that adds something
After the list of activity groups, which quotation best adds a different kind of belonging grounded in a family relationship?
In your notebook: explain what your second quotation adds that the first one could not show alone.
Your evidence is building toward a bigger question
The rez calls Junior a traitor for leaving; Rowdy ends the book calling him a nomad. Which one is he, and what proves it?
Open the evidence ledger through Week 15 →Reading practice helps you prepare. Your Aim Response is the paragraph you write in your notebook. Check that paragraph against the rubric →
Check yourself
Complete the explanation
Use each choice once. These are practice sentences, not quotations.
In Chapter 29, Junior begins to describe belonging as something that can . His Spokane identity remains part of him while he recognizes connections through books, games, art, and . Calling readers a tribe of does not mean they are a separate Native nation. It is a comparison based on a shared activity. The same list includes people joined by , an unequal condition rather than a hobby. By the end, Junior still misses . His wider view of himself creates hope, but it does not make every relationship or loss simple.
- Blank 1: A verb meaning to share space or exist at the same time.
- Blank 2: The group connected to the phrase “beloved sons.”
- Blank 3: The name in his list for people who love reading.
- Blank 4: A condition of lacking enough money or resources.
- Blank 5: The best friend Junior still wants to see.
Follow the steps in Junior’s widening view
Drag the blocks or use the arrow buttons. Keyboard: focus a block and press Alt + ↑ / ↓.
- He feels hope from that realization, then thinks of Rowdy and wants to see him.
- He affirms that he belongs to the Spokane tribe.
- Junior recognizes that other people have also left their birthplaces in search of a dream.
- He adds groups connected by migration, basketball, reading, and drawing.
- His list grows to include shared circumstances and relationships, such as poverty and beloved sons.
Take it into your writing
In your notebook, choose one of Junior’s groups, connect it to a specific earlier experience, and explain what kind of belonging that experience creates.
Practice feedback is for you. These activities do not submit a grade.