educator’s guide...devour this retelling of frank stockton’s famous short story, “the lady, or...

E d u c a t o r ’s G u i d e

A n n i e S u l l i v a n g r e w u p i n I n d i a n a p o l i s , I n d i a n a . S h e r e c e i v e d h e r M a s t e r s d e g r e e i n C r e a t i v e Wr i t i n g f r o m B u t l e r Un i v e r s i t y. S h e l o v e s f a i r y t a l e s , e v e r y t h i n g Ja n e A u s t e n , a n d t r a v e l i n g . H e r w a n d e r l u s t h a s t a k e n h e r t o e v e r y c o n t i n e n t , w h e r e s h e ’s w a l k e d o n t h e G r e a t Wa l l o f C h i n a , f o u n d f o u r - l e a f c l o v e r s i n I r e l a n d , w a d d l e d w i t h p e n g u i n s i n A n t a r c t i c a , a n d c a g e d i v e d w i t h g r e a t w h i t e s h a r k s i n S o u t h A f r i c a .

Yo u c a n f o l l o w h e r a d v e n t u r e s o n Tw i t t e r ( @ a n n s u l l i v a ) o r o n h e r b l o g : a n n i e s u l l i v a n a u t h o r. w o r d p r e s s . c o m .

A s w e e p i n g YA f a n t a s y a d v e n t u r e t h a t t e l l s t h e s t o r y o f a f i e r c e d e s e r t p r i n c e s s b a t t l i n g t o s a v e h e r k i n g d o m . Fa n s o f R e b e l o f t h e S a n d s a n d M e a g a n S p o o n e r w i l l d e v o u r t h i s r e t e l l i n g o f F r a n k S t o c k t o n’s f a m o u s s h o r t s t o r y, “ T h e L a d y, o r t h e Ti g e r ? ”

I n t h e m y t h i c a l d e s e r t k i n g d o m o f A c h r a , a n a n c i e n t l a w f o r c e s s i x t e e n - y e a r - o l d P r i n c e s s K a t e r i t o f i g h t i n t h e a r e n a t o p r o v e h e r r i g h t t o r u l e . Fo r K a t e r i , w i n n i n g a l s o m e a n s f u l f i l l i n g a p r o m i s e t o h e r l a t e m o t h e r t h a t s h e w o u l d p r o t e c t h e r p e o p l e , w h o a r e s t r u g g l i n g t h r o u g h w i n d s t o r m s a n d d r o u g h t . T h e s i t u a t i o n i s w o r s e n e d b y t h e g a n g o f D e s e r t B o y s t h a t f r e q u e n t l y r a i d s t h e c i t y w e l l s , f o r c i n g t h e k i n g t o r a t i o n w h a t l i t t l e w a t e r i s l e f t . T h e p u n i s h m e n t f o r s t e a l i n g w a t e r i s a c h o i c e b e t w e e n t w o d o o r s : b e h i n d o n e l i e s f r e e d o m , a n d b e h i n d t h e o t h e r i s a t i g e r.

B u t w h e n K a t e r i ’s f i n a l o p p o n e n t i s a n n o u n c e d , s h e k n o w s s h e c a n n o t w i n . I n d e s p e r a t i o n , s h e t u r n s t o t h e d e s e r t a n d t h e o n e p e r s o n s h e n e v e r t h o u g h t s h e ’d s i d e w i t h . W h a t K a t e r i d i s c o v e r s t w i s t s h e r w o r l d — a n d h e r h e a r t — u p s i d e d o w n . H e r f u t u r e i s n o w b e h i n d t w o d o o r s — o n l y s h e ’s n o t s u r e w h i c h h o l d s t h e k e y t o k e e p i n g h e r k i n g d o m a n d w h i c h r e l e a s e s t h e t i g e r.

A b o u t t h e A u t h o r

A b o u t t h e B o o k

Guide created by Kathryn Elise Barnett, a high school English teacher with a BA of English from the University of Georgia and a MA of Secondary English Education from Piedmont College.

PRE-RE ADING QUESTIONS

Before reading the novel, discuss these questions with your students. It may be helpful to have your students record their thoughts in order to allow them to reflect when they finish reading the novel.

1. Define the term climax in plot structure. [CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4]

2. Give traits of a loving father. [CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4, W.9-10.10]

3. Define loyalty in your own words. [CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2, W.9-10.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.4]

4. Consider the saying, blood is thicker than water. Describe the meaning of this expression in your own words. Contemplate how the phrase relates to loyalty.

[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2, W.9-10.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.3]

5. Think about the types of circumstances that cause people to connect with one another. Make a short list of circumstances that you have experienced, which helped you connect with other people. Explain why those connections occurred. [CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3, W.9-10.10]

PRE-RE ADING ACTIVIT Y

Before reading the novel complete the task below as a class or have students work independently.

1. Read the short story on which this novel is based – “The Lady, or the Tiger?” by Frank R . Stockton. [CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2, W.9-10.9, W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10]

2. Look up desert conditions, and record bulleted lists of facts concerning deserts.[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.7, W.9-10.10]

b y A n n i e S u l l i v a n

POST-RE ADING QUESTIONS

After reading the novel, discuss these questions with your students. If you had your students record their responses to the pre-reading questions, then have them review their responses and respond to the following post-reading questions on the same sheet of paper.

1. In your words, describe the different settings in the story, and discuss how each setting impacts Kateri’s interactions with other people.

[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1; RL.9-10.3; RL.9-10.5; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.6]

2. Thinking about the story as a whole, list two different themes of the work. Explain how each theme relates to the novel giving text evidence to support your response.

[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1; RL.9-10.2; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.6]

3. Describe your initial impression of Cion, and discuss how your impression changed as the story continued.

[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.3; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.6]

4. Consider which characters in the story were loyal and explain to whom they were loyal and why. [CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.3; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10;

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.6]

5. At what point in the story did you feel Kateri began to trust the Desert Boys? Explain your reasoning using text evidence.

[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.5; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.6]

6. Explain whether you felt Kateri’s father ever loved her using text evidence to support your response. [CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.3; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10;


7. Consider the various betrayals in the novel – the King to Kateri; Rodric to Cion; the King to the people of Achra. Describe how each betrayal occurred and describe the ramifications of each betrayal on the story.

[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.5; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.6]

8. After reading the novel, contemplate whether your response to Pre-Reading Question #4 has changed. Explain why or why not.

[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.2; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.6; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.3]

9. Describe how the ending of the story would have been different for you if Kateri had not set free the remaining tiger.


10. Discuss whether you think the soldiers following Rodric’s and the King’s orders regarding the water restrictions are just as guilty as Rodric and the King. Explain your reasoning.


11. Contemplate whether you felt there was a way for the people of Achra to rise against their oppressors. Describe what you think they could have done, if anything.


12. Discuss whether you think Kateri was guilty of allowing Rodric and the King to restrict water through her own ignorance at the beginning of the story. Explain your response.


13. Describe whether by the conclusion of the story you felt Kateri had earned the right to claim she was “of the desert.”


14. Compare the novel to the short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger?”. [CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.7; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10;


15. After reading the novel, do you have a different opinion as to the conclusion of the short story? Explain your response.


ACTIVITIES

Students may complete the following actives while reading or after reading the novel.

1. Create a collage of images to represent the setting and characters of the novel. Write one-two sentences explaining each image you select to include in your collage and how the image relates to the novel.

[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.5, RL.9-10.7; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.5, SL.9-10.6], SL.9-10.6]

2. Write a journal entry as though you are Cion following the first water raid that occurs in the novel, when Cion pushes Kateri in the well. Describe the events from Cion’s perspective and how he feels.

[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.3; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3, W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10]

3. Look up “sand surfing” or “sandboarding.” After researching some places where this is possible, design a weekend trip to the destination. Write up an itinerary that includes sand surfing.

[CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2, W.9-10.7, W.9-10.10]

4. Continue the story by writing how you envision the Kingdom of Achra is one year later. [CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3, W.9-10.8, W.9-10.10]

educator’s guide...devour this retelling of frank stockton’s famous short story, “the lady, or...

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