I Am Not A Number
Common Core
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.1
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3
Virginia Standards of Learning
3.5
4.5
5.5
Grade Level
Time Frame
60-90 minutes
Overarching Themes
Lesson Goals
1. Identify feelings and motivations of characters
2. Determine the fairness of American Indian boarding schools in their historical context
Summary
This story retells the experience of a young Native American girl forced to attend an American Indian boarding school in Canada. In detail, it describes the struggles she faces during her year at the school, including being beaten and forced to adopt Western norms and language. Over the summer, her parents decide to hide her so she and her siblings will not have to go back even though this means they are breaking the law and could go to jail.