WEEK 12 · CHAPTERS 22–24 · PP. 152–178
Grandmother’s wisdom: your questions answered
FRIDAY’S AIM
Why can Grandmother forgive the man who killed her, and how might Grandma’s wisdom be useful to Junior?
Start with a question you are working on. Use the book to test the answer, then write your own reasoning.
Why can Grandma forgive? How kind is she?
Her last request follows a lifetime of tolerance. Connect her choice to the way she treated people.
Read the answer →What wisdom might help Junior make decisions?
Choose one of Junior’s struggles, then explain how Grandma’s openness or compassion might help.
Read the answer →How do I turn my brain dump into an argument?
Build a connection: Grandma’s value, her forgiveness, Junior’s struggle, and a possible response.
Read the answer →QUESTION 01
Why can Grandma forgive? How kind is she?
Her final request fits a lifetime of tolerance: she welcomes people others reject and stays open to new experiences. Explain those actions rather than simply calling her heart “pure.” The strongest answer connects how she lived with her request to forgive Gerald.
Find it in the book: Alexie 155–157
QUESTION 02
What wisdom might help Junior make decisions?
Grandma models openness and compassion. Junior might question his self-blame, judge people by their actions instead of race, and accept support. Choose one struggle and explain how her example might change his response. A possible lesson is an argument to support, not a future event already proved.
Find it in the book: Alexie 173 · Alexie 175–176
QUESTION 03
Why is this loss so important? Will it affect his whole life?
Junior loses someone who supported him and showed him how to treat others. Her death also brings the community together. Her example might continue guiding him, but these chapters cannot prove every future effect. Grief can remain even when he finds support, laughter, or hope.
Find it in the book: Alexie 156–160 · Alexie 168 · Alexie 173–178
QUESTION 04
Does forgiveness mean the harm was okay?
No. Gerald still goes to prison for eighteen months. Dad honors Grandma’s wishes by leaving him to the justice system instead of taking revenge. Forgiveness can coexist with consequences and boundaries. Do not invent Gerald’s intentions or claim that Junior must accept repeated mistreatment.
Find it in the book: Alexie 157
QUESTION 05
Will the next chapter give us more evidence?
Yes. Chapter 24 gives you Junior’s side of the Aim: he blames himself (173), receives support from classmates (175), and searches for joy (176). Connect one moment to Grandma’s values from Chapter 22. Explain why the connection makes sense; do not just place two quotes together.
Find it in the book: Alexie 155–157 · Alexie 173 · Alexie 175–176
QUESTION 06
Can I use more than two quotes, or different chapters?
Yes. The packet requires two exact quotes: one about Grandmother and one about Junior. They can come from different chapters. More evidence helps when it adds a new reason and you explain what it says and shows. Two well-explained quotes are stronger than extra unexplained quotations.
Find it in the book: Packet rubric · page 7
QUESTION 07
Why do we hear about Gerald only now? What about the rez?
Junior selects events that matter to his story; this is not a complete report of every resident. Gerald enters when Junior explains Grandma’s death. Chapter 23 does show the rez: people gather at the wake and stop harassing Junior. The text does not establish a hidden earlier role for Gerald.
Find it in the book: Alexie 156–160
QUESTION 08
Could we have 20–30 minutes to read on our own?
Thank you for suggesting this. Independent reading can help you pause, reread, and form your own ideas. Use the reading time already scheduled this week and complete Reading Coach. Thank you for letting me know that a longer independent-reading block would help you.
Find it in the book: Week 12 class plan
QUESTION 09
What if I study and still worry I will fail?
That worry is understandable; it does not predict your result. Try a short check: close your notes, state your claim, and explain two useful scenes. Reopen the book, correct gaps, and try again. Bring one confusing scene or practice explanation to Mr. Soltysik for specific help.
QUESTION 10
How do I turn my brain dump into an argument?
Answer both parts of the Aim. Use a Grandma quote, explain her values, then use a Junior quote and explain how her wisdom might help. Connect the reasons with because, although, or if. A plot summary tells what happened; your explanation shows why it matters to your answer.
Find it in the book: Packet rubric · page 7
QUESTION 11
How can all four word families fit my answer?
Use tolerance, anthropologist, grief/grieve, and a centr-family word meaningfully; family forms count. For example, Ted’s anthropologist gets the outfit wrong, showing why real people matter more than assumptions. Link that detail to Grandma’s openness, then return to the central question about Junior. Avoid an unrelated vocabulary sentence.
Find it in the book: Alexie 155–157 · Alexie 164–167 · Packet rubric · page 7
Put the answer to work
Choose one question that helps your draft. Find the passage, explain what it says, and explain what it helps you prove.