I use this assignment as an easy culminating group project for the novels "The Light In the Forest" and "The Crimson Cap." In both of these novels, Native American and European cultures clash. At the beginning of each unit, students think about the questions 1.) Does what is "right" and what is "wrong" vary according to culture? 2.) Do individuals see the same events in the same way? 3.)Must a family be related by blood in order to love one another? This activity is a great way to tie everything together, and it gets students to think cooperatively in groups about applying themes to real life.
I spent three years as a 7th grade English teacher in an inner-city public school. I currently teach 7th and 8th grade English in a suburban private school.