Find a struggle her wisdom might address
Junior describes his grief after the deaths of Grandmother and Eugene. He is considering leaving Reardan.
“I blamed myself for all of the deaths.” (Alexie 173)Read in the chapter
The aimWhy can Grandmother forgive the man who killed her, and how might Grandma’s wisdom be useful to Junior?
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 4 assigned groups. See the groups and sentence examples →
From a highlight to your writing
Notice the words
“My grandmother’s last act on earth was a call for forgiveness, love, and tolerance.”
Margin note
She wants the driver forgiven even after his terrible harm. Junior connects that choice to the love she showed in life.
My notebook
Her last request continues her values → care can shape a response to terrible harm.
See note 12 beside the passage · Alexie 157
See the observation become sentences
- What it says
Junior says that Grandmother’s final request expresses forgiveness, love, and tolerance.
- What it helps explain
Her response fits the way she welcomed people while she was alive. The harm is real, but she asks her family to give up revenge.
Your turn: another detail
What is Junior blaming himself for? Explain one way Grandmother’s compassion might help him think about himself. Support the possible connection with the text.
Test a possible misreading
First thought: Grandmother’s wisdom means Junior should stop grieving and forgive everyone immediately.
Consider a way to keep living with grief
The classmates’ support gives Junior hope. He begins listing people and other things that have brought him joy.
“And I kept trying to find the little pieces of joy in my life.” (Alexie 176)Read in the chapter
Look again: Junior keeps trying to find small pieces of joy; the loss has not disappeared. Explain a possible way her values could help him carry grief, rather than claiming her wisdom removes it or makes every choice easy.
Connect Grandmother’s wisdom to Junior’s life
Grandmother’s value
Name a value shown by her words or actions.
Junior’s struggle
Choose a specific moment from Chapters 22-24.
A possible use of her wisdom
Explain how that value might help him respond. Use evidence about both people.
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 12 →Test an interpretation
What does the wake show Junior about living with loss? Connect one moment here to a lesson from Grandmother and a struggle Junior faces in Chapter 24.
Compare with one possible explanation
The laughter exists alongside grief. A possible connection is that Junior can keep caring about people and finding moments of joy while still missing Grandmother. Explain how that connection fits her values and a specific Chapter 24 scene.
Your notebook → your Aim Response
Build your response
Choose your evidence here. Write your sentences in your notebook.
Why she forgives
Connect her final wish to a lasting quality or value.
How her wisdom could help Junior
Name a specific struggle Junior faces. Explain how one of Grandmother’s values might help him respond.
Answer the whole question
Grandmother can forgive because ___. Her wisdom could help Junior when ___ by ___.
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.
Name her usual value
Junior identifies a quality he valued in Grandmother.
“My grandmother’s greatest gift was tolerance.” (Alexie 155)Read in the chapter
Can help with: Why she forgives.
Connect a choice to a pattern
Junior remembers Grandmother’s way of caring for people.
“Everybody loved her; she loved everybody.” (Alexie 156)Read in the chapter
Can help with: Why she forgives.
Explain her last choice
Junior interprets Grandmother’s final request.
“My grandmother’s last act on earth was a call for forgiveness, love, and tolerance.” (Alexie 157)Read in the chapter
Can help with: Why she forgives.
Find a struggle her wisdom might address
Junior describes his grief after the deaths of Grandmother and Eugene. He is considering leaving Reardan.
“I blamed myself for all of the deaths.” (Alexie 173)Read in the chapter
Can help with: How her wisdom could help Junior.
Notice care from someone new
After Mrs. Jeremy mocks Junior’s absences, Gordy drops his textbook in protest and the classmates join him.
“Gordy showed a lot of courage in standing up to a teacher like that.” (Alexie 175)Read in the chapter
Can help with: How her wisdom could help Junior.
Consider a way to keep living with grief
The classmates’ support gives Junior hope. He begins listing people and other things that have brought him joy.
“And I kept trying to find the little pieces of joy in my life.” (Alexie 176)Read in the chapter
Can help with: How her wisdom could help Junior.
Keep the whole aim in view. Explain both Grandmother’s forgiveness and a possible use of her wisdom in Junior’s life. Pair evidence about her values with a specific struggle he faces.
Words of the day 2 points
Use one word from each of these 4 groups. Complete all 4 groups for the vocabulary points. Words separated by “or” are alternatives.
Meaning + one sentence example
tolerance (noun) — Willingness to accept people whose lives or views differ from your own.
Grandmother’s tolerance is a habit of making room for other people.
Original writing example · More word help
Meaning + one sentence example
anthropologist (noun) — A person who studies human communities, cultures, and ways of life.
An anthropologist studies human societies and cultures; careful inquiry requires listening to people who know the life being discussed.
Original writing example · More word help
Meaning + one sentence example
grief (noun) — Deep sadness after a death or another serious loss.
Junior’s grief is real even when he finds moments of joy and support.
Original writing example · More word help
Meaning + one sentence example
eccentricity (noun) — A way of acting that is unusual or different from what people expect.
Grandmother welcomes eccentricity instead of rejecting people for being different.
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.
Grandmother, another name for this person or idea, …
See one that works
Grandmother, a person Junior remembers for her tolerance, asks for forgiveness.
“a person Junior remembers for her tolerance” and “Grandmother” name the same person or idea. Keep both commas; finish with your own point.
Gordy, another name for this person or idea, …
See one that works
Gordy, Junior’s friend at Reardan, stands up for him when he is grieving.
“Junior’s friend at Reardan” and “Gordy” 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
Why she forgives
How do Grandmother’s earlier words and actions help explain her last request?
How her wisdom could help Junior
Which of Grandmother’s values might help Junior face a real struggle in these chapters?
Name her usual value
Junior identifies a quality he valued in Grandmother.
“My grandmother’s greatest gift was tolerance.” (Alexie 155)Read in the chapterCharacters
What this detail can show
Tolerance means making room for people who are different. Junior presents it as a lasting quality, so her final request is not a sudden change of character.
Connect a choice to a pattern
Junior remembers Grandmother’s way of caring for people.
“Everybody loved her; she loved everybody.” (Alexie 156)Read in the chapterCharacters
What this detail can show
The repeated word “everybody” makes her care sound wide and open. Compare that habit with her final request for forgiveness.
Explain her last choice
Junior interprets Grandmother’s final request.
“My grandmother’s last act on earth was a call for forgiveness, love, and tolerance.” (Alexie 157)Read in the chapterCharacters
What this detail can show
Junior connects her last request to three values. This tells us how he understands her choice; it does not excuse the driver’s harm.
Find a struggle her wisdom might address
Junior describes his grief after the deaths of Grandmother and Eugene. He is considering leaving Reardan.
“I blamed myself for all of the deaths.” (Alexie 173)Read in the chapterCharacters
What this detail can show
Junior turns his grief into blame against himself. Feeling guilty does not prove he caused the deaths. Consider how Grandmother’s compassion might help him judge himself more fairly.
Notice care from someone new
After Mrs. Jeremy mocks Junior’s absences, Gordy drops his textbook in protest and the classmates join him.
“Gordy showed a lot of courage in standing up to a teacher like that.” (Alexie 175)Read in the chapterCharacters
What this detail can show
Gordy stands up for Junior when Junior feels too hurt to defend himself. Grandmother encouraged Junior to meet new people. This action gives him a reason to stay open to those relationships.
Consider a way to keep living with grief
The classmates’ support gives Junior hope. He begins listing people and other things that have brought him joy.
“And I kept trying to find the little pieces of joy in my life.” (Alexie 176)Read in the chapterThemes
What this detail can show
Junior looks for joy while his losses still hurt. His lists include people who care for him. Consider how Grandmother’s love for people could guide what he notices and chooses.
Find more evidence in the chapter
- Chapter 22: Find how Grandmother responds to Junior’s choice of Reardan. What does she value about meeting people?
- Chapter 24: Find a moment of grief, self-blame, support, or joy. Which of Grandmother’s values could help Junior in that situation? Explain the link.
Keep the whole aim in view. Explain both Grandmother’s forgiveness and a possible use of her wisdom in Junior’s life. Pair evidence about her values with a specific struggle he faces.
Choose a second quote that adds something
After explaining Grandmother’s tolerance, which quotation best identifies a problem that her compassion might help Junior face?
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 12 →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.
Grandmother’s greatest gift is : she makes room for people who are different. Her final request asks her family to the driver who killed her. Junior later struggles with and blames himself for the deaths. When a teacher mocks his absences, Gordy shows by standing up for him. Junior then searches for small pieces of . These moments let us consider how Grandmother’s values might help Junior live with loss and accept care.
- Blank 1: Making room for people and differences.
- Blank 2: Give up revenge against someone who caused harm.
- Blank 3: Deep sorrow after a loss.
- Blank 4: Strength to act even when it is difficult.
- Blank 5: A feeling of happiness that can exist alongside sadness.
Track Junior’s response to grief
Drag the blocks or use the arrow buttons. Keyboard: focus a block and press Alt + ↑ / ↓.
- Mrs. Jeremy mocks his absences in front of the class.
- Junior feels some hope and starts looking for small pieces of joy.
- Junior blames himself for the deaths and thinks about leaving Reardan.
- Gordy drops his textbook in protest.
- Other classmates join Gordy and walk out.
Take it into your writing
In your notebook, pair one detail showing Grandmother’s values with one detail showing Junior’s struggle. Explain why she can forgive and how one of those values might help him.
Practice feedback is for you. These activities do not submit a grade.