Objectives

• Analyse how Silko's framing device in the Opening Poems and Prologue (Ch.1) positions storytelling itself as ceremony and healing.
• Explain how non-linear time and blurred identity in Tayo's nightmares (Ch.3) reflect the psychological reality of colonial and wartime trauma.
• Compare the failed ceremony of Ku'oosh (Ch.6) with Betonie's syncretic ceremony (Ch.8–9) and evaluate what Silko argues must change for healing to be possible.
• Analyse how Silko uses the witchery poem (Ch.13) and Emo's trap (Ch.14) to construct a moral framework in which colonial destruction is supernatural evil, not merely historical injustice.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical paragraph that tracks a single technique — structure, imagery, or narrative voice — across at least two chapters of the novel.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Thought-Woman Spins the Story: Form, Frame, and the Act of Ceremony in Ch.1

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Open to the Opening Poems (Ch.1). Silently read the lines 'I'm telling you the story / she is thinking.' On a sticky note, jot down one word that describes what type of text you believe this is — poem, prayer, novel, myth — along with one reason for your choice. Place it on the board as you take your seat.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the Thought-Woman invocation in Chapter 1: illustrate how the first-person 'I' connects Silko, Thought-Woman, and the reader, blurring the lines between author, deity, and audience. Annotate the shift from past tense ('she thought') to present continuous ('she is thinking') on the board, showing how Silko intertwines the act of reading with the act of creation — the ceremony is taking place right now in this classroom.

   Independent task

   Students will write a PEEL paragraph (150–200 words) in response to the question: "How does Silko use the Thought-Woman frame in Chapter 1 to portray storytelling as a healing act rather than just narration?" They need to include at least two quotes from the Opening Poems, identify the grammatical tense shift, and make one inference about what this framing asks of the reader. The paragraphs will be collected at the end of the lesson.

   Exit ticket

   On a half-sheet: name one formal feature of Ch. 1 that sets it apart from a typical novel opening, and write one sentence explaining what that difference suggests about the type of 'ceremony' this book is intended to create for readers.

2. Lesson 2: The Face That Won't Stay Still: Trauma, Time, and Blurred Identity in Ch.3 and Ch.5

   60 min · ch. 3, 5

   Do now

   Without opening the book, jot down three words that capture your memory of a moment filled with intense stress or shock. Next, turn to Chapter 3, locate the section where Tayo struggles to distinguish the face of the Japanese soldier from Uncle Josiah's face, and underline each pronoun. In that paragraph, how many distinct individuals does 'he' refer to?

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the passage in Ch. 3 where Tayo hallucinates Josiah's face on the dying Japanese soldier. Silko's syntax, characterized by long, unpunctuated clauses that weave between the Pacific jungle and New Mexico, reflects Tayo's struggle to distinguish between past and present, enemy and family, guilt and grief. The pronoun 'he' shifts in meaning, becoming deliberately unstable, highlighting the novel's argument that colonial displacement fractures not only land but also selfhood.

   Independent task

   Students will independently annotate the cattle-work passage in Chapter 5, where Tayo experiences the demanding work in a dazed and detached state. Afterward, they will write a comparison paragraph (150–200 words) addressing the question: "How does Silko use syntax and pronoun instability in Chapter 3, along with sensory disconnection in Chapter 5, to illustrate that Tayo's trauma involves not just psychological aspects but also a disconnection from land and community?" Both the annotations and the paragraph should be submitted together.

   Exit ticket

   In Chapter 3, Silko creates uncertainty about whose face Tayo is seeing, which prompts the reader to feel a sense of disorientation and engage more deeply with Tayo's emotional turmoil.

3. Lesson 3: Old Cure, New Cure: Why Ku'oosh Fails and Betonie Succeeds (Ch.6, Ch.8, Ch.9)

   60 min · ch. 6, 8, 9

   Do now

   Read the paragraph in Ch. 6 where Ku'oosh tells Tayo that the old words 'are not strong enough' for what the war has done. Write two sentences: Ku'oosh acknowledges that the traditional language fails to capture the depth of the war's impact, which suggests that traditions may struggle to adapt to the profound changes brought by modern experiences.

   Teacher input

   Model a comparative reading of Ku'oosh's ceremony in Chapter 6 against the depiction of Betonie's hogan in Chapter 8—especially noting the calendars and phone books stacked next to bundles of herbs. Examine how Silko employs the inventory of objects in Chapter 8 to argue that the ceremony must incorporate elements of the modern world (like phone books and calendars, along with the visible poverty of the reservation) in order to heal a man damaged by that world. Annotate the description of the hogan as a type of altar that embraces the contemporary rather than excluding it.

   Independent task

   Students will create a comparison table followed by a paragraph of 150–200 words that contrasts Ku'oosh's ceremony (Ch. 6) with Betonie's approach (Ch. 8–9) using three headings: Objects Used, What Is Acknowledged, and What Is Left Out. The paragraph should argue which approach Silko supports and include one quotation from each chapter as evidence. Both the table and the paragraph must be submitted.

   Exit ticket

   Betonie's hogan is full of phone books and calendars because Silko wants to argue that these everyday items symbolize the weight of history and the interconnectedness of lives in a changing world.

4. Lesson 4: Witchery Is the System: The Destroyer Poem, Emo, and Colonial Violence as Evil (Ch.13, Ch.14)

   60 min · ch. 13, 14

   Do now

   Open to the witchery poem in Ch. 13. Read the stanza where the unnamed witch tells the story of white people arriving, saying 'and they will grow and / they will devour everything.' Write one question the poem makes you consider about who or what is to blame for the destruction of the world.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the witch's recitation in Chapter 13, emphasizing the moment the witch declares, "it's already turned loose / it can't be called back." Illustrate how Silko employs the structure of a spoken spell — utilizing present tense, second person, and incantatory repetition — to suggest that colonialism is not merely a historical event, but a continuous supernatural force. Next, link this insight to Chapter 14: demonstrate how Emo's manipulation of Harley reflects the witch's reasoning — exploiting what is already damaged to undermine the possibility of healing.

   Independent task

   Students will compose an analytical paragraph (180–220 words) addressing the question: 'How does Silko use the witchery poem in Chapter 13 to portray Emo's violence in Chapter 14 as more than just personal cruelty?' They should include a quote from the spell that highlights its tense and voice, specify Emo's actions against Harley, and present an argument regarding what Silko achieves by positioning the poem before the confrontation within the novel’s structure. Submissions will be collected at the end.

   Exit ticket

   Before: Name one formal feature of the witchery poem (Ch.13) — tense, person, line length, repetition — and write one sentence explaining how it makes colonialism feel like a force rather than a choice.

   After: Identify a formal feature of the witchery poem (Ch.13) — such as tense, person, line length, or repetition — and compose one sentence that explains how this feature portrays colonialism as an unstoppable force rather than a matter of choice.

5. Lesson 5: The Ceremony Closes: Land, Rain, and What It Means to Be Welcomed Back (Ch.11, Ch.15)

   60 min · ch. 11, 15

   Do now

   Open to Ch.15. Find the moment when the elders recognize that Tayo's ceremony is complete. Write: what physical change in the world indicates that the ceremony has succeeded? What does it signify that healing is validated by the weather, rather than by a doctor or a judge?

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of Ts'eh's first appearance in Chapter 11 — specifically, the passage where she greets Tayo at her mountain dwelling, and the landscape surrounding her is described in vivid sensory detail (color, moisture, and flourishing plants). Illustrate how Silko merges Ts'eh's body with the essence of the land: her hair and hands are depicted alongside the mountain's slopes using similar sentence structures. Show how this approach intertwines Tayo's connection with Ts'eh with his bond to the land, making the act of loving her synonymous with healing the drought.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a full analytical paragraph (180–220 words) on the following prompt: "How does Silko use the figure of Ts'eh in Chapter 11 and the return of rain in Chapter 15 to argue that Tayo's personal healing and the land's renewal are part of the same ceremony?" They need to include a quote that reflects the parallel syntax describing Ts'eh in Chapter 11, identify the physical sign of completion found in Chapter 15, and offer one insight into what Silko's conclusion suggests about the connection between Indigenous identity and the natural world. This work will be collected and graded according to the summative rubric.

   Exit ticket

   Silko ends with rain instead of Tayo speaking to suggest that healing is found in nature and the world around us rather than solely in individual voices or words.

Activities

Assessment

• Exit ticket Lesson 1 — checks whether students can identify a named formal feature of Ch.1 (tense shift, first-person frame) and connect it to the novel's argument about storytelling as ceremony.
• Exit ticket Lesson 2 — checks whether students can articulate the effect of pronoun instability in Ch.3 on the reader's experience, not just on Tayo's psychology.
• Comparison table Lesson 3 — checks whether students can distinguish Ku'oosh's ceremony (Ch.6) from Betonie's (Ch.8–9) using specific textual evidence rather than general paraphrase.
• Exit ticket Lesson 4 — checks whether students can name a specific formal feature of the witchery poem (Ch.13) and link it to Silko's argument about colonialism as ongoing supernatural force.
• Annotated extract from Pronoun Tracking activity — checks whether pairs can locate genuine pronoun ambiguity in Ch.3 and explain its effect in their own words.
• Exit ticket Lesson 5 — checks whether students can explain Silko's choice to end with rain rather than speech, and what that implies about where healing is located in the novel's worldview.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Explain the function of a narrator or speaker in a literary text, including how point of view shapes meaning.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of figurative language in a literary text, including imagery and symbol.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of structure in a literary text, including how an author's choices about form and sequence contribute to overall meaning.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character in a literary text, including how characters embody cultural or thematic tensions.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, including the relationship between Silko's formal choices and the oral/ceremonial traditions she draws on.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with particular attention to how Silko's prose-poem hybrid form generates meaning.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are produced and received, including post-Vietnam Native American political and cultural context.
• AO5 — Demonstrate understanding of literary critical concepts and use appropriate terminology, including discussion of how Silko's narrative structure enacts the ceremonial healing it describes.