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Lesson 1 (from Part 1, The Girl from Spirit Island)

Objective

Part 1, The Girl from Spirit Island

This novel is in the historical fiction genre. The objective of this lesson is to understand historical fiction.

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: Lead the class in a discussion of historical fiction. Have the students compare and contrast the real life of Omakayas and her family with that of people who actually lived during the mid 1800s in the Lake Superior area. What similarities do they find? What differences do they see? How closely does the author mirror the real people near Lake Superior who made their living from the sea and the land? What liberties does the author take with the fictional Omakayas?

2) Small Groups: Divide the class into small groups and have them research the concept of historical novels. Historical fiction is usually based on events which have occurred in the distant past. Why would Louise Erdrich be drawn to...

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