THE FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER

TORDA'S SPRING 2023 TEACHING SITE

THE FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER

10/23/2022

NOTE: THIS DISCUSSION BOARD POST IS NOT DUE UNTIL 1 NOVEMBER 2022

THE PROMPT: what would a pairing of Mockingbird and Firekeeper's look like in an ELA classroom? In what ways would the books compliment each other? Challenge each other? How could you use that to engage students in both texts?

THE CLASS: our classroom this week is about the grade level when you would read TKAM: a ninth grade class at Sharon High School. If you want to get a sense of the school and its students, you can check out the school’s site. You can check out the demographic stats for the school here as well as stuff about MCAS scores and other performance indicators.

42 Comments

Megan Keller

10/24/2022 02:09:59 pm

When beginning to look at the complexities within the novels The Firekeepers Daughter and To Kill A Mockingbird, it is evident that both the novels discuss race. In a ninth-grade setting, the student population should be mature enough to handle these types of themes. It is up to me as the educator to debrief my students on these themes and I would do so by giving the students an excerpt from each novel before beginning the entirety of the piece. I feel that the short excerpt should discuss race and how certain characters are portrayed or treated due to their race being different than the commonality of the white male from historic times. I want the students to then take five to ten minutes in which the whole class will discuss the themes they recognized from the short excerpts. From there, I will introduce the novels and have students read both works over a period of time. Students should be able to recognize the books complement each other through the theme of race and the complexities surrounding race. For example, in TKAM race is portrayed through Tom Robinson being shot seventeen times by running away from the police while in The Firekeepers Daughter, Daunis struggles with her own personal identity. These differences in character development are important to recognize while still noticing that the underlying theme here is race. I feel that both of these texts can be used to accentuate the horrific state of American culture in the past and how racial injustice can affect anyone, regardless of status. The lessons from these novels are something students will be able to take with them as they travel through the rest of high school.

Megan Moore

10/25/2022 10:14:57 am

Hi Megan, I really like your idea of having students read short passages from each novel to get a feel for the tonal and thematic differences. That's a great way to get their minds thinking in the right direction that I hadn't thought of! You might need to do a bit more legwork to get students to recognize the nuanced differences between the novels, but I think opening the unit with a direct comparison will set the tone for the rest of the unit. One thing I think is very important is to prepare students for the more personal struggles of Daunis in "Firekeeper's Daughter." It might be worthwhile to ask them to compare Daunis's struggles to Scout's in order to dramatically show the different ways that race and racism directly affect the two main characters.

Patricia Diaz

11/1/2022 07:47:21 pm

Hi Megan,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I like your idea of presenting students with different excerpts and focusing on prominent issues. I think the powerful component about these books is that there are issues in them that are still relevant to today’s societies. Maybe you can have at some point students doing some form of research where they learn more about topics present in these texts through the lens of a specific community. In addition, because these books were written through the perspectives of different people (Scout or Daunis), I think you can teach your students a powerful lesson about the importance of perspective and what it means when people tell their story.

Jessica Sweeney

12/23/2022 03:24:17 pm

Hi Megan! I really appreciate how you would help students develop an understanding of racial inequity in the book. Racism, while horrific in cases like TKAM, are more covert in other settings and addressing how past history affects our current history is a great think to do with students. Something that I talked about in my post which would fit in nicely with your ideas is talking who gets to tell their own stories. Duanis gets to articulate her own experience with this while Tom does not.

Meaghan Cook

10/24/2022 02:16:28 pm

I believe the pairing of To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM) and Firekeeper’s Daughter (FKD) would be incredibly effective in a high school English class. The novels both deal with racism, injustice, and family. The most essential difference between the two novels is that TKAM is a novel written by and about a white character whereas FKD is written by and about an Indigenous woman. The firsthand accounts we get in FKD are essential to understanding the story from a perspective that is lacking in TKAM. The mistrust in law enforcement featured heavily in FKD is a direct contrast to the adoration and hero worship of Atticus Finch in TKAM. Additionally, the pairing of these novels would bridge the gap between the past and the present, from classic literature to contemporary. While it is significantly longer, FKD would be an easier sell to modern high school students because the novel also features a romantic love interest, as well as a more modern story involving a large circle of friends. You could engage the sports lover with the hockey angle. Engage a mystery reader with the murder and investigation plot line. To engage the students in both texts, I would encourage them to compare and contrast throughout, highlighting the similar themes while contrasting the conflicting messages. I would ask each student to engage in character studies of Scout and Daunis, highlighting not only the obvious differences between the two but also their similarities. Both have experienced loss, both experience and despair in the failure of the justice system, and both place a significant value on their family and trusted friends. What we could take away from this lesson is that while we may all walk through life differently, there are far more things that we can find in common than we can find different.

celeste barbosa

10/25/2022 01:57:25 pm

Hi Meaghan!
I really liked your post, especially about mentioning of comparing and contrasting the differences in the main characters. I think this is a great tool to get students thinking about the differences and the similarities of the two novels! It is really important to note that despite the two novels having different undertones when it comes to racism, they are similar in many ways. It shows students the great techniques in differences when it comes to writing about topics such as racism. Great response!

Megan Keller

10/28/2022 09:48:58 am

Hi Meaghan!
I really enjoyed reading your post and sort of visualizing your words into a classroom scenario. I really felt as if I was a student in your classroom, I knew what was expected of me. Your assignment for students about comparing and contrasting the main characters was something brilliant that I had not previously thought about. I rally enjoyed your response, well done!

Nicole Shepard

10/31/2022 08:56:15 am

Hi Meghan!
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this week’s prompt. You made a great point about how the biggest difference between these two novels is that one author is white and the second author is Indigenous, however they both write about racism. Another point you made that I honestly didn’t think about is the mistrust in law enforcement. Even though the novels have contrasting viewpoints, it goes to show how well these two stories can be paired together. I had a similar idea in my lesson in regard to highlighting similar themes and contrasting messages. I think active reading is really important and helpful when it comes time to compare and contrast novels. Great job this week!

Megan Moore

10/24/2022 03:58:55 pm

In the previous discussion board about "To Kill a Mockingbird," I talked about how I would approach teaching the novel in a high school classroom and my interest in pairing the novel with James Baldwin's "If Beale Street Could Talk." While I would still approach TKAM from a more historical perspective and use it to discuss how privilege and changing ideals are reflected through literature, I could definitely use "Firekeeper's Daughter" as the complimentary novel. I think that the novels are inherently complimentary and challenging to one another. Both discuss racism from the perspective of young women, detail some sort of legal issue, and feature the main characters' friends and family as important moral teachers.
Obviously, the two books challenge each other greatly. TKAM is written by a white author and approaches anti-Black racism from the perspective of a white character. This is inherently problematic and presents challenges when teaching the novel. How do you teach a beloved classic that has a problematic and racist foundation?
"Firekeeper's Daughter" is a strong example of a "good" novel about race and the various ways racism impacts the life of a person of color. Of course, this book specifically talks about the anti-Indigenous racism present in the US, but the ideas it presents are in some ways transferable to other prejudices. One of the biggest strengths when comparing this book to TKAM is that racism is not the sole focus of the novel, but a reality that Daunis faces. It is also a novel of personal struggle and likely more relatable to a high school audience than TKAM.
At Sharon High School particularly, there is a large population of students of color, low income students, and students who speak multiple languages. A unit comparing and contrasting these novels would be more accessible and interesting to students of color than the "racism is bad" teaching of TKAM that many of us received. I would love to teach "Firekeeper's Daughter," and think it would serve as a great contrast to TKAM.

Mary Viera

11/5/2022 11:39:37 am

Hi Megan! I think teaching Firekeeper would show how problematic TKAM is and would perhaps be a more effective way to show it to students. Firekeeper is more relevant in that it was published more recently and has an author who is a member of the Ojibwe community. My analysis was focused more on the characters and stories themselves, however, I think you bring up another really important piece that would have to be brought into the classroom. The context that these stories came into being is something that students should be aware of. Looking at who the author is, what credibility they have to be telling these stories, etc. are questions that might be interesting to ask students.

celeste barbosa

10/25/2022 01:49:49 pm

When looking at To Kill a Mockingbird and The Firekeeper’s Daughter, there is one consistent theme and that is racism. The two novels come from different time periods, but they both provide a different perspective on racism. In a classroom, the best way to have students engage with both texts is through comparison and contrasting. I would first introduce To Kill a Mockingbird as its own unit, that covers symbolism and characterization while discussing the underlying racism in the novel. Students will look at the characters in TKAM and how they add to the meaning of the book, while also noting the symbols and how they add to the meaning of the book. There would be a final short paper written about the book to highlight the use of symbolism in the novel, but it will also provide the students with a general understanding and remembrance of the novel before moving on.

Then The Firekeeper’s Daughter as a different unit, that covers themes while discussing the racism surrounding the indigenous communities. Students will be looking at the different themes of the book like self-identity, culture, and loss. Students would be asked to use quotes as evidence as a way to strengthen their textual evidence skills. There would be a final short paper written about the different themes in the novel and how it effects the novel, this will provide the students with an analysis-based discussion while also continuing remembrance of novel.

After both novels are completed, students are going to shift gears and compare and contrast both texts. They will be asked to look at characterization, the conflict, the themes, and any other literary techniques both authors use. I will ask them to either create a fun presentation comparing and contrasting the two texts or write a paper. They could either create a poster or powerpoint or big venn diagram or even a song. This will allow students the choice of how to present their information while also making it fun. They will be allowed to use notes that we have taken as a class about the books, and as well as any classwork and their past papers to assist them in their opinions. Comparing and contrasting the two novels will allow students to understand the importance of their meanings individually, but also their relations to racism individually.

Sydney Blair

10/26/2022 06:53:49 pm

Hi Celeste,
I really liked how you decided to separate these two texts into two different units. I feel as though they are both very heavy texts that offer so much, by putting the two together could take away from the depth and importance of the novels! I also went with a compare and contrast like idea for how I would approach it, but I really liked how you focused yours on the time period each book was set in. Like you said this would allow students to compare how different the perspectives, ideas, characterization, and conflict was between each story. I also really liked your idea of allowing students to create a fun presentation, by allowing them to use their creativity, students will be much more engaged (or at least I know that helped me when I was in high school!). Really great job!

Megan Keller

10/28/2022 09:42:23 am

Hi Celeste!
I agree with Sydney, I really enjoyed reading about how you would set these novels up as separate units. I feel the themes may be similar, but the texts both deserve to stand by themselves in regards to unit planning. I also really enjoyed reading about how you will make this unit interactive for your students by allowing them to be creative and create for their assignment. Writing assignments can be tedious, your idea was very well thought out. Great work!

Alexa Delling

10/26/2022 08:30:08 am

In both To Kill A Mockingbird and The Firekeeper’s Daughter, it is evident race plays a large role in both novels but also is discussed in differing ways. It would be worth analyzing the differences between someone like Atticus Finch and Daunis Fontaine since both characters analyze race very differently as well as race means something different to both of them. Atticus in the time period is believed to have the upper hand since he is a white man in society and promotes racism in which the world around him is full of racism towards the black community. For someone like Daunis, she is fighting between two worlds in which her mother’s side of the family is white and her father’s side is Native. Daunis is a young girl attempting to find herself in this in between world and discover her true identity. The harsh difference between the two characters is that Atticus is a grown man and a father and even though he may think he is “doing justice” by defending a black man in court, his racist mind and racist surroundings still come to fruition throughout the novel and within the trial. Atticus has never known what it was like to be undermined due to his race because a white man did and does not face the challenges of black men and women. Whereas someone like Daunis is this young girl trying to find herself in a confusing and difficult world as she is also forced to hide her identity when going undercover for the FBI investigation. Another aspect of both stories would be the idea of community and how, in different ways, both novels show differing communities and how they either come together or turn against one another. I would have the students think about what community they belong to whether that be the town they’re from or a community among their races. What do you do to help your community? What have you done to not help your community? Also, what are these characters doing to either help or neglect their communities? Students could indeed find a lot of differences among these novels as well as learn about different races and what they face in these novels.

Sydney Blair

10/26/2022 06:50:03 pm

After reading both TKAM and Firekeepers Daughter, I could definitely understand how the two could be paired together. Both of these stories tell tales of injustices due to race and culture. The topics that both of these novels present are appropriate for a ninth-grade classroom, especially as so many of these topics can be related back to the real world injustices they are being exposed to in the world today. Not only are both of these stories covering similar concepts, they are also being told through the eyes of a young woman. While Scout is much younger that Daunis, they both tell their stories from a prospective of innocence and hope. I feel that there could be a lot done with these texts in a classroom setting. One of the ways I would approach this topic is determine the similarities and differences between the two texts. One of the differences is that although both narrators are young female girls, one is being told by a white girl (Scout), while the other is being told by a girl of mixed heritage (Daunis). Daunis has emotion, blood, and heritage to connect her to her community and these injustices. Meanwhile, Scout cannot relate to Tom Robinson as she has never been a person of color. I think that prompting students to compare and contrast the different points of view between Scout and Daunis could create a lot of good conversation from the class. Asking them to think about how these two perspectives and their race play a role in this story can make students think deeper than just a typical vend-diagram like assignment. I also feel as though this idea of perspective can open up conversations about the real world and issues that are occurring in today’s modern times. These ideas that these novels and conversations bring up can hopefully help students grow and learn just as the main protagonists in these novels did.

Chloe Tavernier

10/29/2022 12:26:25 pm

Hi Sydney,

That is a really interesting point you made about how both novels are told through the perspective of a young woman. I hadn’t really considered that before, as I was mostly focused on the differences in their approach and presentation of certain themes. I also liked how you would incorporate this keen observation into your lesson plan by asking students to compare and contrast the views of both protagonists, as well as encourage them to make real world connections to prevalent tensions and topics.

Jenivieve

10/31/2022 07:28:09 am

Hi there Sydney,

Great ideas on how To Kill A Mocking Bird and The Firekeeper's daughter could be taught together in a ninth grade classroom. One thing that you did not mention is that this ninth grade class is in Sharon. This school district is more than half white, and about 29 percent identify as Asian. Their school district is only 0.01% Native American and 5.2% African American. With that being said, teaching these texts to ninth graders in a high performing district is doable, but needs careful planning. I like your ideas about having the students compare Scout and Daunis. Something that could compliment this activity is having the students conduct background knowledge on the two authors and compare them. A fun idea would be to have Daunis give advice to Scout and Jem. What would she say? How would she have reacted to the trial? society?

Allie Gallahue

10/30/2022 10:51:47 am

Hi Sydney!
I really like your idea about comparing and contrasting the two characters' points of view and perspectives. I did not consider going that deep into this topic in my response, but it would be really beneficial to the students to learn how their age and race will impact the characters' stories. I think that this will also help the students adjust their own perspectives on these types of situations, because they will begin to think about how their own age, race, and identity affect the way that they deal with situations and problems that they face. In turn, this will help with the growth and learning process that you mentioned at the end of your response. Overall, you did a great job with this!

Adam Fernandes

10/27/2022 11:59:15 am

When the novels' dynamic nature is examined, it is evident that both narratives recognize and confront race. The ninth-grade student population should be capable of comprehending such notions. It is my responsibility as a teacher to educate my students on these themes, and I would do so by reading two chapters from each novel before beginning any discussion. Once I have finished reading, I would then give each student two other chapters to close read, making them take notes as they do so. By having them take notes on how racism and race are portrayed in both novels, I would put the students in small groups based on what they discovered.

Megan Keller

10/28/2022 09:46:00 am

Hi Adam!
I really enjoyed reading about how you would set up these novels in your classroom. In regards to the novels themselves, is there a way in which you could compare and contrast these novels? Have the students sort of use the novels together in a way that would be a bit more focused on thematic elements? I think you have your main ideas down and thought out for your classroom. This was a good response overall! Good work.

Chloe Tavernier

10/29/2022 12:16:38 pm

Now after having read both YA novels, it is evident that pairing both To Kill A Mockingbird and The FireKeeper's Daughter would make for an effective curriculum plan. Despite the stark difference in time frame, setting, and characters, both novels share incredibly dynamic and intricate complexities that greatly complement and also challenge each other, especially in terms of their established themes. The most prominent and consistent being racism and that stereotypical prejudices and disparaging injustices that derive from it. While these two novels focus on different racial populations, the inherent turmoil incited by discrimination and racism is still applicable and palpable nonetheless. Both of these novels do undoubtedly share distinct similarities, they also challenge each other in terms of the approach and presentation of these meaningful topics. In TKAM, the perspective did not derive directly from the disparaged and discriminated people, it was instead firmly fixated on the perspective of both Scout and Atticus. Thus contrasts in The FireKeeper's Daughter, as the perspective is centered on Daunis, and the persistent unrest that she experiences due to her precarious identity crisis. Daunis does not feel like she truly belongs to either community, to either of her partial backgrounds. These complicated similarities and differences would make for a particularly fruitful conservation in a classroom. I would approach the subject by proposing the question of how does a community impact one's background and how is prejudice and injustice tackled between the two novels. How are they similar and how do they differ? I would also ask the students for their opinion on which novel presented better. Hopefully these thoughtful discussions can help bring to light the importance of understanding how corrosive damaging prejudice as well as malignant its intentions are.

Allie Gallahue

10/30/2022 10:45:38 am

When analyzing both To Kill a Mockingbird and The Firekeeper’s Daughter, they are more alike than I would have considered at first. While TKAM deals with an external conflict about race and acceptance, The Firekeeper’s Daughter expresses more of an internal conflict about these topics. Daunis is coming to terms with her own racial identity, while Scout is beginning to learn about her privilege as a white person through the trial that showcases institutional racism. Both of these characters are learning more about their identity through different examples of race and the part that it plays in who they are and what is expected from them. I think that this could pose a really interesting essay topic about our connection and relation to figuring out who we are, as we have seen these characters looking for the same thing about themselves. However, we can also work as a class to figure out how their identities differ from each other, and use that to explain how everyone’s experience with finding their identities are different from each other. I think this would be really beneficial to the students because it will remind them that everyone reaches their highest potential in different ways and at different times, and that we can not be discouraged by the success of other people’s journeys. Scout was a child when she had to witness all of these issues in real time that helped her begin to realize her advantages and race, but Daunis is 18 years old and she is still struggling to find out who she is. Due to different life experiences, people will reach the same goal in different ways. I think that, by discussing this, students will realize that they are their own person and they will move at the pace they are ready for.

Catie Mullen

11/1/2022 01:38:33 pm

Hi Allie,

I absolutely love your lesson idea! It's interesting that you mention the identity aspect because currently, in my developmental psychology class, my professor tells us that when she gives presentations to young adults on belonging, equity, diversity, and inclusion (BEDI), she focuses on the students finding out their own identity first, before she gets into the heavy information on BEDI. And you're right by having your students explore their own identity first because that is the first step in discussing cultural differences. As you said, everyone grows up differently and has different life experiences, which ultimately allows people to reach a similar goal, but different ways.

Jenivieve D'Andrea

10/30/2022 11:06:26 am

Pairing TKAM and TFKD for a ninth grade classroom in Sharon, MA would pose challenges. Teaching both of these novels as a unit on social justice would be a way to relate the texts to one another. In a town like Sharon, background information should be given to contextualize the racism in both stories. Being a high performing town, students in a ninth grade classroom in this district would really be able to push themselves to compare and contrast these two stories. While the book's topic of prejudice compliment each other, there are very clear distinctions that would need to be accounted for. For example, why does Lee write her novel? Why does Boulley do the same? What is different in their intentions? Doing comparative lessons on symbols, spirituality/religion, race, and identity would be a great way to have students study both texts. Students in this particular district will have to be pushed to understand the difference in motives between the two novels. For one, TKAM questions the justice system while still glorifying white saviorism through Atticus Finch. In TFKD, Daunis does not trust the FBI or any federal government with her tribe because she understands the impact of white men on a minorities chances in an already racist world. These books would compliment each other well if TKAM is read first, and hen TFKD. I suggest this because students will see the contrast between Scout and Daunis' thinking. After reading TFKD the students might be able to better understand the problematic nature of Lee's story.

Jenivieve

10/30/2022 11:11:06 am

The rest of my response got cut off somehow. Anyways, I wanted to include that I have ideas on how to teach both stories successfully. If students keep character charts for both stories, they can track how identity develops in the story. A major part of both novels is noticing those surrounding the protagonist, and noting their beliefs whether public, or secretly held. Another fun activity I would have students do is keep a journal, either a secret squirrel journal, or a journal from Scout throughout the reading. This would help students understand the difference in the girl's points of view.

Madelyn Ames

11/1/2022 09:17:09 am

I really like your idea to include character charts throughout your readings of both novels. I think that it would keep students both organized and engaged as they tackle two monster-texts. Your use of interactive activities is a great way to keep your students engaged and actively participating in lessons that it would be easy to disengage during simply because of the weight of the subject matter. Personally, I struggle with coming up with hands on activities for heavier texts and I really appreciated reading your take on it!

Samantha Tyrrell

11/1/2022 05:29:10 am

I think creating a lesson surrounding the use of symbols in the novels, particularly religious ones, is a great idea. The students would have a better grasp on the hidden meanings in the novels, particularly FKD. I also like how you touched on the white saviorism found in TKAM. There are many flaws in the novel, and FKD would complement it nicely by filling in the gaps.

Lucienne Quirk

11/1/2022 12:50:29 pm

Hi Jenivieve,

I absolutely love your idea of having students consider the purpose of the text. I really wish that I had thought of that-- it perfectly describes why the characters in TKAM fall flat, while Daunis is rich and well-developed.

Of course, I have to critique something, so I'll try-- even though this idea is wonderful. I guess I could push you to consider what a summative assessment for this fictional unit would be. I could totally see students doing a research project on the history of TKAM and/or TFKD. They could deep dive into the context in which both texts were written and maybe come out as an "authority figure" on the topic. Either that, or perhaps they could read some interviews from the authors to gauge their purpose-- then argue what that purpose was in a short essay.

Thank you for sharing this idea!

Nicole Shepard

10/31/2022 08:40:04 am

The two novels To Kill a Mockingbird and The Firekeeper’s Daughter could be paired together for a successful ELA unit on young adult literature, racism, and culture. As someone who had to read To Kill a Mockingbird in ninth grade and honestly dreaded reading it, I am positive that pairing this novel with a recent text (The Firekeeper’s Daughter) would enhance learning and engagement in the classroom. These two novels share similar themes but also contrast/challenge each other in a way that bring about insightful discussions to the classroom.

I would begin this ELA unit by introducing both novels and reading the summary of each. Without giving any more details away, I would ask my students to take out their notebooks and create a chart with similarities on one side and differences on the other side. Making predictions is a great way to get students thinking about the two texts and is also a useful resource to have to look back on after reading the novels. Since To Kill a Mockingbird and The Firekeeper’s Daughter are both long novels, we would spend at least a few weeks on this unit.

When it comes to reading the novels, I would have my class read To Kill a Mockingbird first. Active reading is a strategy I think is crucial to really understanding a novel and is helpful when it’s time to go back and discuss it. I would have my students make notes in the novel during moments when they feel race comes in to play. After reading this novel I would spend one to two classes discussing the major themes and plot moments with my students. I believe one of the most important conclusions that needs to be made is To Kill a Mockingbird is written by a white author centered around a white American family. This novel portrays racism through the lens of white privilege. I would then have my students read The Firekeeper’s Daughter, making sure they are actively reading during this novel as well. When it’s time to discuss the story, the biggest difference my students should be able to note between the two novels is that The Firekeeper’s Daughter is written by an Indigenous author and told through the lens of a young Native girl. Since there is already a major difference in the point of view, the way racism is portrayed in these two novels is going to differ.

After reading and discussing both novels, my students would be required to write a paper analyzing the similarities and differences between the two stories. I would ask them to pick at least one similarity and one difference two discuss and explain how they demonstrate a theme from the novels. I’m sure my students would say that the similarity between the novels is racism, but there are so many differences they could pick from. I would expect to see some papers discussing how the identity of the author impacts the characters, how the time period differs, family relations, the acceptance of law enforcement, or even relationships between characters.

Samantha Tyrrell

11/1/2022 05:25:28 am

I believe that together, To Kill a Mockingbird and Fire Keeper's Daughter create an effective pairing to teach race in today's classroom. TKAM is problematic in some ways in its dealings with race. It is a book about race by a white author, told in the perspective of a white character. We don't get the perspective of Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of a serious crime. FKD fills in some gaps left by TKAM. FKD is written by an Indigenous author, and told from the perspective of an Indigenous person. The Indigenous characters in the book are given room to be fully formed human beings, flaws and all. Tom Robinson isn't given that same opportunity in TKAM.
I would start with TKAM so that the class could discuss the ways in which it succeeds, and the ways in which it fails to talk about race in a fully formed way. Then I would have the class read FKD. I would ask the class to, in small groups, discuss the similarities and differences of the two novels. Then I would have the class free write about common themes they find in both novels.

Madelyn Ames

11/1/2022 09:04:31 am

I think that there are several prominent reasons that To Kill a Mockingbird (TKM) and Firekeeper's Daughter (FKD) could be a great pairing in the classroom setting. I was struck by the difference in publishing dates, as FKD was published in 2021 and TKM was published in 1960. There is a significant gap between the publishing dates, yet not within the subject matter of the two novels. They both deal with race and injustice. I think it is important to note that TKM is written by a white author, whereas FKD is written by an Indigenous author, so it is necessary to note the different narrators.

I would have my students read TKM first, and we would talk about the historical context as well as the blatant racism that was accepted in the country at the time. We would talk about how systemic racism and the corruption of the court back then.

Then, we would read FKD and cover the same set of issues but from a more current lens. That way, as a class we could discuss how these two novels are smiliar and if they differ, how?

Lucienne Quirk

11/1/2022 12:44:26 pm

A pairing of TKAM and The Firekeeper’s Daughter would work in tandem to provide students how literary representations of race can be both detrimental and empowering– depending on the way people of color are written. On the one hand we have Tom Robinson and Calpurnia, the one being a sacrificial lamb for the enlightenment of white people, and the other acting mostly in servitude to her white family in order to highlight their tolerance and justness. On the other, we have Daunis, the narrative force and protagonist of Firekeeper’s Daughter. She stands as a prime example of a three dimensional character for the English classroom. Her race does not become her personality or represent how she should behave; rather, it acts as an important facet of her character. She is a STEM-minded investigator in a murder case, yet can also be witty and at times comical– it depends on the situation. She has fleshed out ties to her mother and her deceased father, longings for a romantic relationship, wishes to be tied more firmly to her Native culture– all of these wants and needs working together to create a person.
Sharon highschool would seem to be receptive to a discussion about the characterization of people of color in the classroom. After checking their website, they appear to have a “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Team” of about a dozen faculty members. They also have a student population that is more diverse than many towns in southeastern Massachusetts, with a 55% white population, a 29% asian population, a 5% black population, and 5% hispanic population. The Native population is .1%, which is considerably smaller, but no less important– it may be enriching for indigenous students to read a story with a Native protagonist. I think that we could possibly open up discussion by talking about the way we’ve seen people of color portrayed in media. I want to guide the discussion towards positive representation they’ve seen: are they a favorite actor, singer, author? Then we would open up to talking about how positive representation can be fictional as well. We could revisit this topic as we read both TKAM and Firekeeper’s Daughter. A great assignment, I think, would be for students to compare and contrast the two texts. This way, they could draw their own conclusions about race representation, with the goal of realizing how representation matters.

Meaghan Cook

11/1/2022 03:23:10 pm

Hi Lucienne,

I love how you pointed out the way the novels each depict people of color. I also think it’s incredibly important that we think about not only what the story is saying but the way it is portraying the characters. I think that Daunis’ Indigenous heritage being her strength was a great choice for the author to make, especially given that she is caught between the two worlds she occupies. I love your idea to have the students compare and contrast the novels because it really gets them to think critically about the media they are consuming, which is an important lesson that they can carry throughout their lives.

Catie Mullen

11/1/2022 01:33:59 pm

The two texts, Firekeeper's Daughter and To Kill a Mockingbird, have connected themes that resonate with the Young Adult genre. These themes include innocence, family roles, community relations, and socioeconomic status. There are also three themes between these two books that are real issues our world continues to face today: women's rights, sexual assault, and racism/prejudice. These topics may be difficult for ninth graders to discuss, but are important and beneficial to talk about in an English Language Arts classroom. Students can have the freedom to explore these topics in whichever way feels comfortable to them (ie., through discussion posts, reading, podcasts, films, and class/small group discussions). Even though these two texts carry connected themes throughout the stories, they both take place in different time periods, which could make it hard for students to compare the similar themes between the two texts.

Both of these novels highlight the overarching idea within YA fiction: coming of age. In order to highlight these three important themes, students would be expected to analyze Daunis (from FKD) and Scout's (from TKAM) adolescent life from the beginning to the end of the book. Character development is an important literary aspect for students to learn about and vital within the creation of thematic result within these two books. I would have students focus on analyzing thematic result of each work and compare/contrast these two texts to each other. I will ask students to create group presentations on how reading these two books teaches important lessons to our society and to young adults. They will be answering questions like: How did Daunis and Scout find out their identity?; How do communities play an important role in being open with discussions on problems of racism, women's rights, and sexual assault?; and What identity roles are expected from you? Students can feel free to run with these presentations and have creative freedom, however they are required to pick one societal theme within these two books, discuss how this theme plays a part in both books, do background research on the topic, apply this theme to society today, and discuss opportunities that communities can openly be proactive on solving problems associated with the chosen theme.

Katie Rodrigues

11/1/2022 02:33:04 pm

Hi Catie,

I agree with you when you said that some themes are difficult, but important to discuss such as those of sexual assault and racism. By creating group discussion students will be able to analyze and dissect the feelings of the characters and maybe even their own feelings. Since the book does tell about the coming of age of Daunis and Scout, it would be important for the students to see the differences they go through from childhood to emerging adulthood. I also enjoyed the questions you proposed for your students to answer. The questions you created allows for students to dive deeper into one particular theme and discuss and research it in detail.

Katie Rodrigues

11/1/2022 02:28:14 pm

Both To Kill A Mockingbird and Firekeeper's Daughter both have similar themes that are discussed in each book. When teaching both of these books together, I would have the students compare how similar themes were tackled differently. In Firekeeper's Daughter the issue of racism is shown differently than it is in TKAM. Unlike TKAM, Daunis, the main character, faces the racism herself rather than watching someone else experience it. She is not fully accepted in either of her two worlds. Her white family does not fully accept her because of her tribal background and her tribal family does not fully accept her because of her white background. She is in this kind of limbo when it comes to her identity and where she belongs. In TKAM, we see racism through the eyes of a white little girl rather than the person who is actually experiencing the racism.
Another theme that both books tackle is something that has been in every book thus far, and that is the idea of growing up. All characters experience the coming of age and navigating their identity and emerging adulthood.
The books compliment each other by having similar themes, but it would also be interesting to hear students thoughts on how these themes are shown differently in each novel.
When going to teach both, I would give background information and have students do their own research as well. For Firekeeper's Daughter I would have students do their own research on the Ojibwe tribe to give them some prior knowledge about the tribe before reading the story. I think this could be beneficial to give the students prior information before reading both novels.

Linnea Fawkes

11/1/2022 06:56:19 pm

Hi Katie,

In both of our posts, we wrote about themes that can be found in both novels. I like how you mention the theme of growing up, as I did not think of that and it is really important and creative. There is so much you could do in the classroom with that theme and all students could easily relate to growing up, as they are in the process of doing that still. Teenagers are still trying to find identities for themselves and this is another common theme in YA books. I also like how you would personally ask your students about themes that they idenitifed from the novel on their own, that would be great classroom discussion.

Patricia Diaz

11/1/2022 02:49:56 pm

I think that pairing To Kill a Mockingbird and Firekeeper’s Daughter would be effective in a classroom because both novels talk about issues that the other doesn’t and can provide multiple perspectives regarding issues such as race. For instance, To Kill a Mockingbird is centered around Tom Robinson who is a black man and because of such, it discusses issues about this population. On the other hand, Firekeeper’s Daughter focuses on Daunis who is half Native American, and because of that, it offers a perspective into this certain community.
If I was teaching a unit on these books, I think I would start first with To Kill a Mockingbird to cover the basis of racism, literary devices, and the idea of the “white savior” that many critics think Atticus plays in the novel. After finishing this novel, I would introduce Firekeeper’s Daughter and offer a different perspective. I would offer them how instead of a white savior, we have a heroine named Daunis and we would talk about identity and race as presented in the novel while not omitting the Native American community.
My biggest goal would be for students to learn about the importance of perspectives and how they can impact a story. I would also want them to learn about current issues, such as racism and violence that many people in different communities face. Perhaps I would have them do some research to see how these issues are played in a specific community of their choice and ask them to think about solutions to these issues (if we were in a perfect world, what would it need to happen for this issue to not exist or to be fixed?).

Linnea Fawkes

11/1/2022 06:51:41 pm

Hi Patricia,

I really liked reading your response. I think it's so important that you wrote about the significance of different perspectives that all characters have based on their backgrounds in novels. I think it is a great idea to tie in current issues that are happening now in our society, allowing your students to be able to relate things in the novel to real life. I like the idea of asking students to think of the importance of different communities and asking them what could be done better for all people of different backgrounds that live there.

Linnea Fawkes

11/1/2022 06:46:38 pm

Pairing both of the novels To Kill A Mockingbird and The Firekeeper’s Daughter would be great to teach in the classroom and the two novels would tie nicely together. Both of these YA books cover topics of race, self identity, and family values. All of these topics are common among most YA books, allowing the students to be able to connect and correlate other similar themes from previously read YA books. As a teacher, I would create a lesson based around common themes in YA novels, and I would relate this to starting to read these two novels. This lesson would be based on focusing on another YA book that a student read in another class or one that they had read on their own. I would ask students to look for themes of race, self identity, and family values. Once students have identified a YA book that they had read that has any type of relation to these themes, I would ask the students to write a short and brief reflection paper. In this reflection paper I would have the students write about how the theme they picked connected to the novel and in a real world setting. This would only be a 1 page response and I would have students share in small groups. Much later in the year or semester after students have read both novels, I would ask them to go back to that short reflection paper that I assigned them. I would ask them to write how the original theme they chose relates to both of the novels in another paper. This paper would be a maximum of two pages and I would ask students to read each other's papers in a group setting. By doing so, students will be reminded of what common YA themes are and how they can relate to many other novels we read and that they have important themes that are found in real life. I as a teacher will also be able to see if student’s really understood the main themes of the novel as well.

Mary Viera

11/5/2022 10:17:34 am

There is a significant difference between Mockingbird and Firekeeper at first glance. They were published over 60 years apart and feature two very different main characters facing problems that characterize their generation. I think that these stark contrasts would make it interesting to teach them side by side to encourage students to make connections even when it seems there are none. The books compliment each other in that they are both sensitive about what it means to “grow up” and learn truths about your community. Even though Scout is very young and her father tries to shield her from the adult things going on in her community she still learns about the unfairness of reality. Growing up is inevitable and the picture perfect life she imagined of her neighborhood starts to disappear as she begins to learn more about the people in her community. Daunis experiences the same thing. She always had a great affinity for her tribal community and for her family, however, as she becomes involved in the FBI investigation she starts to learn things about people that makes her distrust them. Part of growing up is losing that childlike innocence (that Scout is able to demonstrate so well in the beginning of TKAM) and becoming aware that not everyone can be trusted. After Daunis has escaped from being kidnapped by her brother she then finds herself kidnapped yet again by her childhood hockey coach. She says, “I am no longer able to assess what people are or are not capable of” (443). These two books also challenge each other in that TKAM suggests justice is always restored naturally in the end with the death of Bob Ewell. In Firekeeper, however, justice is only partially restored as the Edwards are never held responsible for their crimes. Firekeeper suggests that those with money can escape punishment which is interesting held up against TKAM as Bob Ewell is poor and Scout’s family is a little more upper class than him.

Jessica Sweeney

12/23/2022 03:24:45 pm

Pairing To Kill a Mockingbird in FireKeepers daughter would be a very interesting combination to open up the classroom for exploration of identity, storytelling, and inequity. These books, both featuring young women as their primary storytellers, could offer an interesting comparison in the lives of two very different people. Students could compare and contrast Scout and Daunis, and what struggles they are facing. Something I would also implement in my classroom is examining how the books handle cultural and racial inequality, and who gets to tell that story. I would ask my students which story is more effective than understanding the detriments of an unjust society, highlighting how Daunis gives us a holistic understanding of herself as a person, and not just a product of an unjust society. I would ask students to think about how Scout's version of the story helps, or does not help, us to understand Tom's identity in the story. I would engage students in compare and contrast activities while thinking about what kinds of conflicts are in the book, where the conflicts are similar and different, and how these books handle those conflicts. I would ask students to think about who is more effective in their experience with conflict. We would also talk about the nuance of coming of age and how it affects both of these young girls differently.

THE FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER

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