APRIL RAINTREE

A MULTI-LEVEL

NOVEL STUDY RESOURCE

FOR INSTRUCTORS

Materials Compiled By

Evelyn Tregidgo

Aurora College, Hay River, NT

Project Funded By

National Literacy Secretariat

2001
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Thematic Unit Approach to Novel Study 1

Thematic Rationale 1-3

Learning Outcomes 4

UNIT 1

General Methodology 5-7

Chapters 1 – 7 8 – 28

Evaluations 29 - 32

Closing Activities 33

Extended Activities 34

UNIT 2

General Methodology 34

Chapters 8 – 11 35 - 39

Evaluations 40 - 41

Closing Activities 42 – 44

Extended Activities 45

UNIT 3

General Methodology 45

Chapters 12 – 17 46 – 53

Evaluations 54

Closing Activities 55 –56

Extended Activities 59

Student Evaluations 60 – 61

Reference 62
 April Raintree
THEMATIC UNIT APPROACH TO NOVEL STUDY

Developing multi-level novel study materials is a critical need in northern adult

education programs. For the most part, classes are heterogeneous; instructors are
expected to teach a wide variety of learners in one classroom. The challenge for
instructors is not only to develop materials but also to implement a variety of techniques
that will enhance the enjoyment of the reading process and to instil reading and writing
skills.
Choosing a novel is the immediate challenge: what topic will interest a group of
northern learners at the 110 to 130 level? Most students have had experience with
aboriginal issues as they grow up: societal institutions (such as foster homes) and
prevailing attitudes toward native peoples; moral dilemmas they face as adults; and the
changes they perceive in themselves and in other people later in life. ABE students can
make connections between the characters, events, and conflicts in April Raintree book
with their personal experiences and, consequently, develop insight into themselves and
other people.
April Raintree novel study focuses on learners at the upper 110 level and
including the 120/130 level. Every chapter consists individualized assignments and
evaluation tools.

THEMATIC RATIONALE

Dividing this book into 3 units provides a basis to focus on distinct themes:

! societal institutions (foster homes) and attitudes experienced by Metis as they

grow up in a white world ( Unit 1)
! dilemmas Metis face as adults ( Unit 2)
! changes in a person’s attitude and outlook brought about by maturity and tragedy
(Unit 3)

Each unit is structured with the language skills, the reading abilities, interests and
experiences of the students in mind. This novel will elicit some strong feelings as the
story progresses; students will share experiences if they deem the classroom a safe place
to share. It’s important that the teacher not only provide a meaningful, challenging
learning environment that will help students gain skills and confidence, but also a
respectful atmosphere wherein all students feel free to talk and listen to each other.

UNIT 1
introduces story elements: characters, setting, conflicts, and events. The student is
encouraged to work with language in a meaningful way by writing, reading, listening,
speaking, viewing and participating in class discussions/groups.
Chapters 1 to 6 are read aloud in class:

! 110 students need to hear the main ideas brought up during discussion before they
can be expected to write summaries and expository paragraphs; 110 students need
to hear the information that is relevant to the handout questions before they can be

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 April Raintree
expected to write comprehensive answers to factual, interpretive and open-ended
questions.
! 120 students tend to read ahead which indicates their interest in the novel.
However, they, too, need to read aloud in class and inter into the discussion in
order to focus not only on the main ideas, but also on the higher levels of
thinking skills in order to answer interpretive and open ended questions.
! April Raintree readability level is approximately 6.8 ( Fry readability score). Due
to the fact that they may be grouped in the same room with other learners, the
weaker 130 students can participate in the class discussions/groups. Stronger 130
students are more than likely able to read the book and complete the assignments
independently. The 130 students are given the same assisgnments as 120.
! Reading aloud is uncomfortable for some students. Creating a supportive
atmosphere will entice them to try. The other students usually encourage them to
try. Assign and practice reading a paragraph with the student before the lesson
begins.

Assignments: Students at the high 110 level may fully comprehend the concepts, but
they may not have cursive writing skills nor the skills with which to frame well
constructed sentences. Some cannot work at the same pace as 120 students. Therefore,
the expectations are modified: assignments are shorter and most learning outcomes and
assignments are geared to the 110 English curriculum. When the reading pace picks up
(chapter 7) and the concepts become more difficult (e.g. theme Unit 3), visual aids,
modelling and one-to-one assistance are necessary for successful completion of
assignments.

Vocabulary: New vocabulary words are not presented in isolation, rather the sentence in
which the word appears (and the page number) is given to the student. The rationale:
students are to choose the meaning of the word from the dictionary that best suits the
context of the sentence.
120/130 students, who usually read ahead, are expected to identify, list and define
the meaning of some words they do not know in each chapter. Conscientious students do
this independently; however, those who do not use the dictionary independently need to
learn that looking up words enhances their reading comprehension.

Writing Sentences, Summarizing, Paragraph Writing: Students are expected to punctuate,

capitalize and write grammatically correct sentences. These skills are not given a
numerical mark or a percentage. The skills required to write correct sentences and
paragraphs are broken down into specific skills, e.g. capital letters, indentation, sentence
structure, opening and closing sentence, etc. (see 120 Skills Checklist for Paragraph
Writing/Checklist for Chapter Assignments) Rationale: From this record the instructor
can focus on the weakness of the class as a whole, e.g. when correcting the summaries or
the answers to the comprehension questions, it may be apparent that the students spell
well as group, however, the group may need reinforcement in sentence structure. Lessons

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 April Raintree
based on areas of weakness can then be developed (see Sentence Structure Review, page
10).

Skimming: In chapter 7, skimming is introduced. Many students, including 110, tend to

laboriously read every line on the page to answer the comprehension questions.
Skimming teaches them to focus on the first sentence in each paragraph in order to locate
information more quickly. They relate readily to the concept of main idea as it is
simultaneously being taught in the writing process.

UNIT 2
There is a shift from reading every sentence aloud to reading chunks of material in this
unit. Skimming was introduced in Chapter 7 to reinforce the main idea of one paragraph.
In Chapter 8, skimming is used to identify chunks of information, that is, several
paragraphs that relate to each other, e.g. five paragraphs plus some dialogue relate to
April’s search for her parents. Then one paragraph refers to her dreams of being rich. To
facilitate 110 students, the main idea of these paragraphs is written on a flip chart as the
lesson progresses.
Another technique that enables students to find information more quickly is scanning
which is used to locate vocabulary words in Chapter 9.
Chapter 10 is treated like a dramatic presentation: students choose their parts, the
narrator reads the text. Students enjoy this!
Events in this book often reflect the experiences some students have had. These
events often elicit discussion whereby students often compare their experiences. Other
students may not be so comfortable. Chapter 11 explicitly dramatizes the rape scene.
Therefore, students read this chapter independently, followed by discussion.

UNIT 3
Most students have read ahead. The pace picks up, leading to the climax and
resolution. Summaries and main ideas are written on flip chart paper to provide a visual
aid for 110 students as well as an aid for group discussions. The concept of ‘theme’ is
overtly introduced in Chapter 13 which provides an opportunity to teach this story
element.
Each chapter in this unit has a multiple choice comprehension assignment that
focuses on literal, story elements, and critical thinking skills. Evaluations are based on
the three skills. These assignments can be used to initiate group discussions or as
individual work.

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 April Raintree

LEARNING OUTCOMES

UNIT 1 GROWING UP IN FOSTER HOMES Chapter 1-6

1. Story Elements
2. Vocabulary
3. Comprehension – literal, critical thinking
4. Writing sentences
5. Writing summaries
6. Writing Process
8. Skimming paragraphs for main ideas
9. Closure Activities

EVALUATION:

UNIT 2 TWO SEPARATE WORLDS Chapter 8 –11

1. Skimming for main ideas of several paragraphs

2. Comprehension
3. Scanning for vocabulary words
4. Writing Process - comparison
5. Independent reading/ oral summary
6. Closure Activities

EVALUATION:

UNIT 3 A NEW BEGINNING Chapter 12 – 17

1. Comprehension – literal, story elements, critical thinking

2. Cloze Procedure
3. Simple, compound and complex sentence recognition
4. Closure Activities

5. EVALUATION:

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 April Raintree

GENERAL METHODOLOGY OF UNIT 1

UNIT ONE GROWING UP IN FOSTER HOMES

Introduce April Raintree to the group. Discuss the title,

author's name, publisher, date, scan the jacket & headlines in the
table of contents. What do you think this story is about? Is this
story fiction or non- fiction? Was this story based on the author’s
experience? (see notation on page 228). Students who have
already read the book as recreational reading material will be
assured they will be taking an in depth look at the novel as well as
learning the skills they require at their level.

Vocabulary Do you need to know the meaning of every word in

the story to enjoy it?? Find and discuss the best meaning of the
vocabulary words before we read the chapter. Vocabulary words
can also be used for spelling tests.
Class activity #1: The total number of vocabulary words in an
assignment are divided among the students; each student looks
up their designated words in the dictionary and are asked to find
the meaning of the word that best suits the meaning of the
sentence. As a group, discuss the meaning of each word in turn
and the meaning is written on the board. This strategy
introduces the concept of selecting contextual meanings and
enables the teacher to assist the 110 students with dictionary
skills while the others are busy. This strategy also enables the
110 learners to:
! Participate in vocabulary discussion with the group
! Learn the meaning and pronunciation of unknown, longer
words as they are being discussed by 120/130 students
! Write the meaning from the board

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 April Raintree
Class Activity #2: Divide the class into heterogeneous groups
whereby the 110 students work on vocabulary with other
classmates.

Read chapter 1 with the students. Reading aloud in class

requires preparation: use sticky notes with prepared questions to
focus the students on the concepts and main ideas as the reading
progresses. Be sure to discuss the answers to the comprehension
questions.

Summary Writing Model the process of writing a summary for

chapter 1. Brainstorm for relevant main ideas, make a web, and
write the paragraph with the students’ input. The students will
write summaries for chapters 2 – 6 in Unit 1.

Writing Process CHAPTER 2

Introduce the writing process after reading chapter 2. Ask the
students how April was treated at the Dions. Make a web, and
model a paragraph with a title, topic sentence, details and a closing
sentence on the board. Walk the students through the process:
brainstorming, webbing, rough draft, revising, editing,
CHAPTER 5

After reading Chapter 5, brainstorm ideas with the class how April
felt while she lived at the DeRosiers. Make a web on the board.
Arrange these ideas into a paragraph with a title, first word
indented, topic sentence, details that refer to the topic, closing
sentence. Reinforce the writing process.

Writing Skills After correcting the comprehension questions in

each chapter, randomly select and prepare a handout with a few
sentences they have written incorrectly. Objective: the students
will discuss and rewrite their sentences using the correct

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 April Raintree
capitalization, punctuation and structure. (see SENTENCE
STRUCTURE REVIEW, Chapter 1, page 10).
Rewriting the sentences challenges the students to focus on
and participate in correcting their own errors, an important tactile
mode of learning.
This strategy also enables the instructor to teach essential
skills, e.g. excepted/accepted; the concept of cause & effect using
the word ‘because’. Direct and incidental teaching is effectively
done at this level.

Skimming In order to facilitate learning for students, this skill is

teacher-directed and a visual aid is provided by the use of flip chart
notes as the lesson progresses. The list that is generated is then
used as a basis for writing a descriptive paragraph. An alternate
assignment: give 110 students the prepared summary of Chapter 7
using the cloze procedure (see Chapter 7 ).

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 1
110

1. VOCABULARY
Find the meaning of the underlined words in the dictionary. Write the best meaning for
the word in the sentence. The numbers in the parenthesis are the page numbers.

(13) To me this was all so confusing. ____________________________________

(14) I didn’t know what reading and printing were like, but I was very curious about
it. _____________________________________________________________

(19) Most of misery was caused by the separation from my parents. ______________

11. COMPREHENSION

1. April’s mother was part Irish and part Ojibway. Her dad was a mostly Indian.
April looked like her _____________.

2. Because April was Indian and white, she was a________.

3. The people who took April and Cheryl from their home were the ____________
and _______________.

4. The nun forced April to eat her porridge and after April ____________, the nun
realized April really was sick.

Answer the following questions in sentences with correct spelling, capitalization and
punctuation.

1. Who were the members of April’s family? Where did they live?
2. What was the medicine April’s parents drank?
3. (12) Why do you think people were sometimes rude to April’s mother?
4. What were April’s greatest fears while at the orphanage?
5. (19) What did she do to stay out of trouble at the orphanage?
6. How do you think Cheryl felt when her sister was in the hospital?
7. What is your opinion of April and her family?

111.SUMMARY

Write a short summary of the chapter. A summary tells the most important ideas without
writing all the details.

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 1

120/130
1. VOCABULARY
Find the meaning of the underlined words in the dictionary. Write the best meaning for
the word in the sentence. The numbers in the parenthesis are the page numbers.

(15) To me this was all so confusing. ____________________________________

(16) I didn’t know what reading and printing were like, but I was very curious about
it. _____________________________________________________________
(19) Most of misery was caused by the separation from my parents. ____________
_______________________________________________________________

Find the meaning of the words you do not know. Please hand them in.

11. COMPREHENSION

Answer the following questions in sentences with correct spelling, capitalization and
punctuation.
1. Why was April a Metis?
2. What was the medicine April’s parents drank?
2. What did April and Cheryl do for many hours in the summer? What did they do
in the winter?
4. (13) Why was April confused?
5. (16) Who do you think the woman was who came to visit and started an
argument?
6. What happened as soon as the girls arrived at the orphanage?
7. Why did April try to behave herself at the orphanage?
8. (19) What did she do to stay out of trouble?
9. How do you think Cheryl felt when her sister was in the hospital?
10. What is your opinion of April and her family?

111. SUMMARY

Write a short summary of the chapter. A summary tells the most important ideas without
writing all the details.

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 April Raintree

SENTENCE STRUCTURE REVIEW CHAPTER 1

These sentences need corrections in capitalization, punctuation and structure. Rewrite

each sentence correctly.

1. She knew that the Dion’s excepted her into the family. Because she had nothing
but love to give them in return.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. When she sat down next to him and told him it was o.k to cry.
__________________________________________________________________
3. she thought the nuns were boogeymen, she didn’t like being yelled at, and she felt
lonely.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

4. She threw up and was taken to the infirmary room where she was bathed and
feverish. Then taken to the hospital
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

5. lonely
__________________________________________________________________

6. She saw her dad in the window and couldn’t get him to look at them, because of
the thick pane of glass
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 2

110
1. VOCABULARY
Find the meaning of the underlined words in the dictionary. Write the best meaning for
the word in the sentence. The numbers in the parenthesis are the page numbers.

(24) I was really overjoyed but I pretended nonchalance.

_________________________________________________

(26) It was mid-morning when I arrived and I spent most of that day
moping around. ______________________________________

(27) Back then, shows on television made me yearn for adventure.

________________________________

(27) “Why the glum face, April?” Mrs. Semple asked. _____________

(30) Mrs. Semple explained to Mrs. Dion not to coddle me or I would carry
on like this after every visit.
________________________________________

(31) As soon as the social worker told us it was time to go, I became
instantly despondent. ________________________________________

(32) My shoulders slumped inside my heavy coat. _________________

(33) I felt shy and timid again. __________________________________

11. COMPREHENSION

Put T in front of the sentences that are true and F in front of those that are false:

_____ 1. April pretended not to care very much about meeting Cheryl the day April
was taken to the Dion home.
_____ 2. Cheryl was waiting for April when April arrived at the Dion home.
_____3. (26) April felt glum the day she was going to see her sister because she
remembered her dreams and she was afraid Cheryl and her mom and dad would not
be able to come.
_____ 4. Mrs. Dion did not take the social worker’s advice. She coddled April after
April saw her family.

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 April Raintree
Answer the following questions in sentences:

1. (23) Why were April’s eyes stinging when she took a bite or oatmeal cookie?

2. How did April feel after every visit with her real family?

3. What did the Dion family do to make April a part of their family.

4. What did April do to comfort Mr. Dion?

5. After you read how she comforted Mr. Dion, what word would you use to
describe April?

6. April had to leave the Dion family because Maman was sick. What do you think
will happen to April now?

111.SUMMARY

Write a short summary of the chapter. A summary tells the most important ideas without
writing all the details.

1V. WRITING: Using the web outline on the board, write a paragraph describing how
April was treated at the Dions.

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 2
120/130
1. VOCABULARY

Find the meaning of the underlined words in the dictionary. Write the best meaning for
the word in the sentence. The numbers in the parenthesis are the page numbers.

(24) I was really overjoyed but I pretended nonchalance.

_________________________________________________

(28) It was mid-morning when I arrived and I spent most of that day
moping around. ______________________________________

(27) Back then, shows on television made me yearn for adventure.

________________________________

(29) “Why the glum face, April?” Mrs. Semple asked. _____________

(31) Mrs. Semple explained to Mrs. Dion not to coddle me or I would carry
on like this after every visit.
________________________________________

(31) As soon as the social worker told us it was time to go, I became
instantly despondent. ________________________________________

(33) My shoulders slumped inside my heavy coat. _________________

(33) I felt shy and timid again. __________________________________

Find the meaning of the words you do not know. Please hand them in.

11. COMPREHENSION
Fact and Opinion

Place F for fact in front of sentences that are factual and place an O in front of those
that are an opinion:

_____ 1. Mrs. Semple became irritated when April said she could look after her
little sister.
_____ 2. April thought the Dion family was rich.
_____ 3. The Dion family was not rich.
_____ 4. April found her classmates bossy.
_____ 5. April was glad to be accepted by her classmates.
_____ 6. April became despondent after each visit with her real family.

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 April Raintree

Answer the following questions in sentences:

1. Why did April pretend to be nonchalant about meeting Cheryl the day April was
taken to the Dion home?

2. (26) Why didn’t April show her true feelings to Mrs. Semple the day they were
going to meet Cheryl and her mom and dad?

3. (29) Why did April feel so defeated when the visit was over?

4. (29) If your were April and Cheryl’s mother or father, how would you feel in
this situation?

5. (32) What information in this chapter indicates that April felt loved by the Dion
family? Why did April feel they deserved her love in return?

6. (36) How did April comfort Mr. Dion?

7. (37) Before she died, Mrs. Dion told April two things. What were they? Do you
think April will need this advice in the future? Why or why not?

8. What do you think will happen to April now?

111. SUMMARY
Write a short summary of the chapter. A summary tells the most important ideas
without writing all the details.

1V. WRITING: Using the web outline on the board, write a paragraph describing how
April was treated at the Dions.

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 3
110
1. VOCABULARY
Find the meaning of the underlined words in the dictionary. Write the best meaning for
the word in the sentence. The numbers in the parenthesis are the page numbers.
1. (38) Her voice was harsh and grating.
_________________________________________________________________

2. (40) The younger boy and the girl eyed me contemptuously.

_________________________________________________________________

3. (41) Maggie had a smug look on her face. _______________________________

4. (43) I just stood there meekly, too scared to say different.___________________

5. (44) I learned about his folly in history. _________________________________

6. (45) Cheryl paused for a breather and continued in a sombre tone.

_____________________________________________________________________

11. COMPREHENSION
Answer the following questions in sentences:

1. Why did Mrs. DeRosier take out the strap and lay it on the table before she talked
to April?
2. Was April treated in a different was at the DeRosiers than at the Dions? In what
was was she treated differently?

4. (45) How did April feel about her Indian ancestory?

5. How did April find out that her parents were drinkers?

6. Underline the words that best describe April?

sombre curious responsible confused smug

despondent meek wilful glum timid

7. How do you think April will pass the summer?

SUMMARY - write only the main ideas in the chapter.

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 3

120/130
1. VOCABULARY
Find the meaning of the underlined words in the dictionary. Write the best meaning for
the word in the sentence. The numbers in the parenthesis are the page numbers.
1. (38) Her voice was harsh and grating.
_________________________________________________________________

2. (40) The younger boy and the girl eyed me contemptuously.

_________________________________________________________________

3. (41) Maggie had a smug look on her face. _______________________________

4. (43) I just stood there meekly, too scared to say different.___________________

5. (44) I learned about his folly in history. _________________________________

6. (45) Cheryl paused for a breather and continued in a sombre tone.

_____________________________________________________________________

Find the meaning of the words in this chapter you do not know. Please hand them in.

11. COMPREHENSION
Answer the following questions in sentences:

1. Why did Mrs. DeRosier take out the strap and lay it on the table before she talked
to April?
2. (40) Why do you think April was not allowed another glass of milk?

3. In what ways was April treated differently at the DeRosiers than when she lived
at the Dions?

4. (45) How did April feel about her Indian ancestory?

5. How did April find out that her parents were drinkers?

6. How do you think April will pass the summer?

111. SUMMARY - write only the main ideas in the chapter.

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 April Raintree
110 VOCABULARY REVIEW CHAPTERS 1, 2, AND 3

Review the vocabulary words.

Listed below are all the words we have taken in novel study:

confusing curious misery moping

nonchalance yearn glum slumped

timid despondent grating contemptuously

smug meekly folly sombre

coddle

What words express action?

What words tell how something in done?

What words are the name of something – a person, place or thing?

Write a paragraph using three or four words from the above list. Title your paragraph.

____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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 April Raintree

120/130 VOCABULARY REVIEW CHAPTERS 1, 2, AND 3

Listed below are all the words we have taken in novel study:

confusing curious misery moping

nonchalance yearn glum slumped

timid despondent grating contemptuously

smug meekly folly sombre

coddle

What words express action?

What words tell how something in done?

What words are the name of something – a person, place or thing?

Write a paragraph using five or six words from the above list. Title your paragraph.

____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 4
110
1. VOCABULARY
Choose the best meaning from the dictionary for the underlined words:

1. (55) When Cheryl came to live with her, April was openly defiant towards the
DesRosiers. _________________________

2. (56) Cheryl was easy to goad. _______________________________________

3. (57) Cheryl had been scared, but she was also stubborn.
________________________

4. (58) My kid sister was spunky. _____________________________

5. (65) I blinked and was dismayed to find a police officer standing over me.
_________

Read the following sentences. Choose a word from the list below and put it in the correct
sentence.
goad stubborn dismayed spunky defiant

1. My mother always had trouble handling my __________brother because he

always wanted to do things his own way.
2. The young teenager yelled at his dad in a challenging and
_____________manner.
3. It was easy to ____________him because he got angry every time I mentioned his
poor marks in math.
4. People who are ________ have the courage to stick up for themselves.
5. I was _____________when I found out my car was beyond repair.

11. COMPREHENSION

Answer the following questions in sentences:

1. Why do you think the DesRosiers wanted to have Cheryl live with them?

2 (57) Why did April’s marks get better?

3. (57) What was Cheryl’s punishment at school for being stubborn?

4. (59) What was her punishment at the DesRosiers?

5. (62) Why did Maggie haul back and punch Maggie and Ricky?

6. What would you have done if you were in the same situation?

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 April Raintree
111. SUMMARY – write a summary using only the main ideas in this chapter.

1V. WRITING The following words tell what kind of person April is. Find the
meaning of words you do not know. Write a paragraph about April using two or three of
these words.

passive responsible unloved angry

meek glum timid

____________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 4
120/130
1. VOCABULARY

Choose the best meaning from the dictionary for the underlined words:
1. When Cheryl came to live with her, April was openly defiant towards the
DesRosiers. _________________________________________________

2. Cheryl was easy to goad. _______________________________________

3. Cheryl had been scared, but she was also stubborn. ________________________

4. My kid sister was spunky. _____________________________

5. I blinked and was dismayed to find a police officer standing over me. _________

Find the meaning of the words in this chapter you do not know. Please hand them in.

11. COMPREHENSION
Answer the following questions in sentences:

1. (55-56) How did Cheryl treat Maggie?

2. For what reasons do you think the DesRosiers wanted Cheryl to live with them?

3. (56) Before Cheryl came to live with the DesRosiers, April was passive. What
information on page 56 tells how April changed after her sister came to live with them.

4. If you read some information in a history book you did not agree with, how would
you react to it? Why do you think Cheryl reacted the way she did?
5. (61) Explain how Ricky endangered Cheryl’s life.
6. Why were the DesRosier children always making life miserable for Cheryl and
April?
7. What was the punishment for beating Maggie and Ricky?
8. (66) What is the “native girl syndrome’? Do you believe this syndrome is just and
true? Why or why not?

111. SUMMARY - write a summary of this chapter using only the main ideas

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 5
110
1 VOCABULARY
Choose the best meaning from the dictionary for the underlined words:
1. (71) It made me sick and I hadn’t been able to hide my hostility towards her.
______________________________________________________________
2. (72) You know, Rebel, we both talk the same language. We both whine.
______________________________________________________________
3. (72) I renewed my friendship with Jennifer, but I could see that even she was
embarrassed to be seen with me. ____________________________________
4. (73) I envied her having her own horse to ride. _________________________
5. (75) Then I wondered how she ever had the courage to stand up in front of her
class and give the speech. __________________________________________

11 COMPREHENSION
True or False:
1. _____April was proud to be a Metis
2. _____April was proud that Cheryl was a Metis
3. _____(76) April began to notice the kids at school were treating her
differently because Maggie and Ricy were saying things that were not true.
4. _____ (79) April was embarrassed at the things Mrs. Wartzman told her
because they were true.

Answer the following questions in sentences:

1. (73) Why was April lonely and miserable?
2. (73,74) For what two reasons did April envy her sister?
3. (75) Why was grade nine the very worst school year she ever had?
4. (79) Why did April feel so embarrassed at the things that Mrs. Wartzman told
her?

111. SUMMARY - write a summary of this chapter using only the main ideas.

1V. WRITING: Using the web outline on the board, write a paragraph describing how
April felt while she lived at the DeRosiers.

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 5
120/130
1 VOCABULARY
Select words in this chapter you do not know. Please write out the meanings and hand in.

Choose the best meaning from the dictionary for the underlined words:
6. (71) It made me sick and I hadn’t been able to hide my hostility towards her.
______________________________________________________________
7. (72) You know, Rebel, we both talk the same language. We both whine.
______________________________________________________________
8. (72) I renewed my friendship with Jennifer, but I could see that even she was
embarrassed to be seen with me. ____________________________________
9. (73) I envied her having her own horse to ride. _________________________
10. (75) Then I wondered how she ever had the courage to stand up in front of her
class and give the speech. __________________________________________

11 COMPREHENSION
What do the following expressions mean:
1. (70) on the spur of the
moment________________________________________________________
2. (72) as the laughing stock of the school ______________________________
3. (73) kept my self-control___________________________________________
4. (79) plumb out of my head _________________________________________

Answer the following questions in sentences.

1. (70) What did April say to Cheryl on the spur of the moment?
2. (73,74) For what two reasons did April envy her sister?
3. (76) April began to notice the kids at school were treating her differently. What
three ways was she being treated differently?
4. (78) Cheryl was so proud of her Metis heritage. On the other hand,, April did not
appreciate her sister’s pride. Why?
5. (79) Mrs. Wartzman gave April a speech. Do you think the things she said to
April were true or not true. Why do you think Mrs. Wartzman would say such
embarrassing things to April?
6. What decision does April make at the end of the chapter? Do you think April will
be able to do something about her situation?
7.
111. SUMMARY - write a summary of this chapter using only the main ideas.

1V. WRITING: Using the web outline on the board, write a paragraph describing how
April felt while she lived at the DeRosiers.

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 6

110
1 VOCABULARY
Find the best meaning of the underlined words in the dictionary:

1. (82) For a week I pondered over how I could work my like at the DeRosers into a
Christmas story.____________________________________________________

2. (83) I was sure they were going to throw my story in the garbage after giving me
a good scolding. ___________________________________________________

3. (83) I’ve heard the rumors about April. _________________________________

4. (83) I waited patiently and in November, 1963, something happened which made
me forget my impatience temporarily. __________________________________

5. (87) Mrs. DeRosier scowled at me as if trying to tell me to get back downstairs.

6. (85) I felt I had been betrayed. ________________________________________

11 COMPREHENSION
1. April wanted to get even with Mrs. DeRosier. What does ‘get even’ mean?
2. (84) How did Cheryl feel about the information she read in history books?
3. (85) How did April feel when she found out she missed a visit with her sister?
5. What do you think will happen to April now that she has left the DeRosiers?

111 SUMMARY
Chapter 6 tells how April finally got her chance to leave the DeRosiers. Write a
summary of this chapter.

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 6
120/130
1 VOCABULARY
Select some words from this chapter you do not know. Write out the meanings and hand
in. Try this one! History should be an unbiased representation of the facts. (page 84)
What does unbiased representation mean? Look up the root word ‘biased’ in the
dictionary. The prefix ‘un’ mean ‘not’
unbiased________________________________________________________________

Define the following words using the best meaning from the dictionary:
1. (82) For a week I pondered over how I could work my like at the DeRosers into a
Christmas story.____________________________________________________

2. (83) I was sure they were going to throw my story in the garbage after giving me
a good scolding. ___________________________________________________

3. (83) I’ve heard the rumors about April. _________________________________

4. (83) I waited patiently and in November, 1963, something happened which made
me forget my impatience temporarily. __________________________________

5. (87) Mrs. DeRosier scowled at me as if trying to tell me to get back downstairs.

6. (85) I felt I had been betrayed. ________________________________________

11. COMPREHENSION
1. (84) What is Cheryl’s reaction to the information she read in history books?
What does ‘unbiased representation’ mean? Do you believe everything you read
in history books? Why or why not?
2. April missed a visit with her sister. Explain why April suspected Mrs. DeRosier?
3. What do you think will happen to April now?

111. SUMMARISE how April finally got even with Mrs. DeRosier.

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 7

TEACHING STRATEGY

Introduce the concept of skimming. Tell students they are going to read the first and
last paragraph in Chapter 7 to get an idea what is happening in this chapter.

Elicit the main ideas of the first and last chapter from students:

What is going to happen to April now?

How does she feel? Does she show her feelings?
What important event happened at the end of Chapter 7?

Brief one-word responses from the students may require prompting to elicit verbal
sentences that have a subject and a predicate

Do you read the end of a book before finishing it?

Do we usually read a chapter in a book by reading the first and last paragraph of a
chapter? We are doing this to read for the main ideas, but it is not the usual way we read
a chapter.

Read the first sentence of a few paragraphs at the beginning of the chapter aloud to the
class explaining that the information in the paragraph refers to the topic sentence. Ask
the students to read the first sentence of a selected paragraph and explain what the main
idea is.
Where is April living?
How many years in April’s life does this chapter cover?

While you are skimming, you will notice that April had some very strong feelings during
those two years.

SKIM the chapter for those paragraphs that describe April’s feelings and behaviour.

Read those paragraphs, ask for student responses, list on flip chart:

89 – April keeps her feelings inside because it is safe

90 – she lies to her classmates
91 - she puts her sister down for fantasizing. She doesn’t want to spoil Cheryl’s dream so
she says nothing. She knows her parents are alcoholics and wishes them dead.
92 – April discourages her sister from attending the academy
92 – April doesn’t tell Cheryl she stays at other students’ homes on weekends
94 – imagined herself much better than her friends
94 – she didn’t write to her sister all summer

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 April Raintree
95 - April complements her sister on the essay because she feels guilty; she does not take
the essay seriously
96 – she thought she was wealthy; money was important to her
96 - she was FREE!

120/130
Using the information from the flip chart, the students will write a paragraph describing
April’s feelings about herself behaviour toward her sister during her high school years.

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 7
110
Fill in the blanks with the word that makes sense:

April Finds Freedom

April was excited because she would be going to St. Bernadette’s Academy for

the last two years of high school, but she did not show her feelings. April made many

___________ at school. When they asked about her __________she said they had died

in a plane crash. Because she had lied about her parents, she did _________ want Cheryl

to attend the Academy. She_______ ashamed of being a Metis.

The two girls ________ time together that summer. Cheryl often dreamed of

living _________their parents. April wished her parents were __________. She did not

tell Cheryl the truth___________ their parents because she did not want to spoil Cheryl’s

dream. The next summer, April worked _________ Winnipeg. She didn’t write to

_________ all summer. When school started, April spent weekends __________ her

friends. This made Cheryl feel very __________.

After April graduated she got a _________ in a lawyer’s office. She was now

_______to live on her own. She was no longer a foster ___________.

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 April Raintree
EVALUATIONS FOR UNIT 1:

Evaluations for April Raintree assignments are based on the learning outcomes:
vocabulary words, comprehension questions, sentence structure and writing summaries
for Chapters 1 – 6 (see page 30). Each skill is rated as follows: well done, needs
improvement, improving, not completed.

At the literacy level there is a need for continuous progress with a progressive movement
towards mastery. Giving students marks or percentage points promotes competition with
other students and a sense of failure if skills are weak. Each student needs to learn to
improve their own skills; they need to compete only with themselves. Therefore, rating
skills on a continuum is an appropriate evaluation tool to determine the progress of each
student.

Evaluating the assignments is NOT the last step. After the assignments are corrected the
instructor can readily identify the areas of strength and weakness. If , for example, Needs
Improvement (NI) appears under the comprehension heading for most students, the class
will need reinforcement in comprehension and/or sentence structure skills. Incorrect
questions and answers will be taken up in class. Poor sentence structure will prompt the
instructor to randomly select and prepare a handout with a few sentences they have used
incorrectly. Objective: the students will discuss and rewrite their own sentences using the
correct capitalization, punctuation and structure. (see SENTENCE STRUCTURE
REVIEW, Chapter 1).

Assignments are corrected and handed back with written feedback, e.g. a student who
persistently uses apostrophes in every word that ends with an ‘s’ is consistently reminded
that plural words do not have an apostrophe. If the problem persists, that student is given
a mini-lesson. The instructor will consistently point out the proper use of apostrophes in
other language arts activities in order that the student makes the transition.

The following checklist indicates areas of weakness. Reinforcement and continuous

feedback are the instructional methods whereby students improve their literacy skills.

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 April Raintree
110/120 SKILLS CHECKLIST for CHAPTER ASSIGNMENTS
Key: check mark – well done NI – needs improvement I – improving NC – not completed

DATE _________________ ________________ _______________

CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3

NAME Vocab Compre- Sum- Vocab Compre- Sum Vocab Compre- Sum
OF hension mary hension hension
STUDENT & & &
Sentence Sentence Sentence
Structure Structure Structure

DATE _________________ ________________ _______________

CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6

NAME Vocab- Compre- Sum- Vocab Compre- Sum Vocab Compre- Sum
OF ulary hension mary hension hension
STUDENT & & &
Sentence Sentence Sentence
Structure Structure Structure

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 April Raintree
EVALUATIONS - PARAGRAPH WRITING

Specific skills are rated according to the following criteria: work not completed,
improving, needs improvement and well done. This tool enables the instructor to focus on
students’ strengths and weakness. For example: if most students who use the writing
process are checked off, this skill does not need to be reinforced. However, if there is NI
listed under sentence structure column for most students, the instructor needs to reinforce
this skill with all students. Students who exhibit individual areas of weakness can be
dealt with by written notations on their assignments and by addressing their writing
problem on a one-to-one basis.

110/120/130 SKILLS CHECKLIST for PARAGRAPH WRITING

Key: check mark – well done NI – needs improvement I – improving NC – not completed

Name/Item ____________________________________ Date ___________________

NAME Uses End Capital Sentence Inden- Topic Closing Commas & Spell-
OF the Punc- Letters Structure tation Sentence Sentence Apostrophes ing
STUDENT writing tuation
process

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 April Raintree
110/120/130 SKILLS CHECKLIST for PARAGRAPH WRITING

Key: check mark – mastered NI – needs improvement I – improving NC – not completed

Name/Item_____________________________________ Date ___________________

NAME Uses End Capital Sentence Inden- Topic Closing Commas & Spell-
OF the Punc- Letters Structure tation Sentence Sentence Apostrophes ing
STUDENT writing tuation
process

110/120/130 SKILLS CHECKLIST for PARAGRAPH WRITING

Key: check mark – mastered NI – needs improvement I – improving NC – not completed

Name/Item_____________________________________ Date ___________________

NAME Uses End Capital Sentence Inden- Topic Closing Commas & Spell-
OF the Punc- Letters Structure tation Sentence Sentence Apostrophes ing
STUDENT writing tuation
process

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 April Raintree

CLOSING ACTIVITIES UNIT 1

110/120

After reading Chapter 7, divide the 110/120 class into groups. They will brainstorm their
ideas which describe how April was treated during her stay at the DesRosiers. Each
student will arrange these ideas into a paragraph with a title, first word indented, topic
sentence, details that refer to the topic and a closing sentence.

After reading Chapter 7, divide the 110/120 class into groups. They will brainstorm their
ideas which describe April’s character. Use the vocabulary words learned in Chapters 1
to 6. Each student will arrange these ideas into a paragraph with a title, first word
indented, topic sentence, details that refer to the topic and a closing sentence.

120/130

a) Write a paragraph describing ‘the native girl syndrome’. What is your opinion
of this stereotyping of native girls?

b) Write a paragraph stating your opinion of Metis children being raised in foster
homes? If you do not have any personal experience, use the information from the first
seven chapters of April Raintree.

c) Write a paragraph describing April’s early years as a foster child. Describe

why she was not happy to be FREE!

130

The students will write an essay comparing how April was treated at the Dions with her
treatment at the DeRosiers.

110/120/130

What if April had not been so passive and despondent. What would she have written in a
letter to her sister about her life with the DesRosiers if she had been an outgoing, open
minded person? Write a letter April would have written to Cheryl describing her life with
the DesRosier family.
! Divide the class into heterogeneous groups. Each group will brainstorm
on flip chart paper.
! Use their ideas to write the letter.

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 April Raintree
EXTENDED ACTIVITIES UNIT 1

1. Group discussion: The instructor prepares several analysis questions, places each
in an envelope and gives the envelope to each student in turn. Each person reads their
discussion question; students analyse the problem, issue or emotional feelings. They must
use the information from the chapter to clarify their answers (Reading – A Novel
Approach, p 3).
Sample questions: Find sentences that tell how Cheryl felt about her heritage.
Which character was the most outgoing and courageous?
What do you feel caused her to be that way?
What was the Social Worker’s attitude toward the
DesRosiers? Why did she behave this way?

2. Use vocabulary words to create a word search.

3. Create a crossword puzzle with vocabulary words.

GENERAL METHODOLOGY OF UNIT 2

UNIT TWO TWO SEPARATE WORLDS

Assignments focus on the theme of this unit: April and Cheryl lived in two separate
worlds: white and Metis. Most students, except for 110, will have already read a few
chapters ahead.

This unit includes the following strategies:

! Unit 8 - skim paragraphs to locate chunks of information; read for details
In order to assist 110 students, give direct instructions and write student responses on
flip chart paper
! Unit 9 - scan paragraphs for vocabulary words; read for details; write student
responses on flip chart paper
! Unit 10 - read as a drama.
! Unit 11 - students read independently

Chapter 8 - Writing Process: model a comparison paragraph for 120/130 before Chapter
8. The 120/130 students will use this model to complete their Chapter 8 assignment.

110 students will complete a summary of the chapter using the cloze procedure strategy.

Chapter 9 – The instructor uses the VOCABULARY assignment sheet a) as a teaching

tool for 110 students and/or; b) 120/130 students work on the assignment independently.

Chapter 10 - Pre-reading activity: define story elements on flip chart paper: Review each
in relation to the story. Students select their roles to read.

34
 April Raintree

.
CHAPTER 8

Discuss and review the first 7 chapters. Tell students Chapters 8 to 11 focuses on the
problems, dilemmas, dreams and fantasies April and Cheryl face as adults. April lives in
one world: Cheryl in another. This leads to conflict between the two girls.

INSTRUCTOR STUDENT RESPONSES

Read the first paragraph. What is the main idea? April is finally free! She finds a job
and an apartment in Winnipeg. She
makes new friends at work.

Read the first sentence of each paragraph on April tries to find her parents.
pages 98, 99 and top of 100. What is the main
idea?

Paraphrase the details; ask students who have read

the chapter to paraphrase Student input

Read the first sentence of the 2nd & 3rd paragraph

on page 100? What is the main idea of these two
paragraphs? April dreams about being rich

Paraphrase details ….

Record student responses on flip chart:

! (99) April gives up trying to find her parents. She decides not to tell Cheryl about
her search.
! (100) She dreams of being rich
! April meets Roger Maddison but they don’t get along
! Cheryl moves in with April
! April feel guilty because she treats Cheryl the same way Garth did. She doesn’t
want to be seen with her own sister.
! April met and broke up with Jerry – he was married.
! April went out with Cheryl and her friends from the Friendship Centre but she
wasn’t comfortable with them
! She dreams of the ideal husband
! She met and married Bob Radcliffe
! Cheryl tells April one day she will be proud to be a Metis

Discussion: What information tells us both girls lived in two different worlds? Discuss.

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 8
110
1. COMPREHENSION
1. Mark T for true or F for false:
4. _____ April dreamed of being rich, while Cheryl just wanted to help her friends
at the Friendship Centre.
5. _____ Cheryl had many native and white friends, but April had few friends.
6. _____ Cheryl was ashamed to be a Metis, but April was proud to be a Metis.
7. _____ April didn’t feel guilty because she was ashamed to be seen with her
sister.
8. _____ Cheryl knew that April was ashamed to be seen with her.

6. ______ Cheryl said that some day April would be proud to be a Metis.

2. Fill in the blanks with words that make sense:

TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS

April and Cheryl lived in two different worlds. April dreamed of being _______

some day. Her sister wanted to be a ______________________ when she graduated

from university. April did not tell her sister she tried to find their _____________because

she wanted to forget them. She was ashamed of being a _________. She always met her

____________ at the university cafeteria or at restaurants where her friends would not

see her. She finally __________ going out with Cheryl and her friends because she felt

embarrassed to be seen with natives. When April decided to ______________ a white

man, Cheryl told April she should tell him she was Metis. April became ___________

and told her sister she was ashamed of being a Metis. She was selfish and __________

to live in a white society where she could have everything she always wanted. Cheryl told

her that some day she would be ___________ to be a Metis. She may be old and grey, but the

day would come. April wanted to live in the white world, but Cheryl was happy to live and

work with native people.

3. Do you think April’s marriage to Bob will last? Why or why not?
4. Do you think Cheryl will be proud to be a Metis?

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 8

120/130
April and Cheryl live in two different worlds:

Answer the questions:

APRIL CHERYL

1. April decides not to tell Cheryl she tried 1. Cheryl doesn’t know where their parents
to find their parents because she’s ashamed are or if they are still alive.
of the way natives live.
2. She is ashamed to be seen with Cheryl 2. Cheryl spends most of her time helping
or her friends. her native friends at the Friendship Centre
3. Future plans: 3.Future plans?
! dreams of being rich !

4. What hasn’t April told Bob? 4. Cheryl confronts April about not telling
April’s future husband, Bob, the truth.

5. What does April finally realize? 5. Cheryl tells April she may be old and
grey when she becomes proud of being a
Metis, but it will happen.

6. April admits she is selfish and wants April thinks her sister is a giving, unselfish
what white society can give her. person.

COMPREHENSION

1. How do you think Cheryl felt when April stopped going to the Friendship Centre
with her?
2. Cheryl said “…one day you will be proud of being Metis. You may be old and
grey when the day does come, but it will come, I guarantee it.” Do you think her
prediction will come true? Why or why not?
3. Do you think April’s marriage to Bob will last? Why or why not?
4. What other words would you use to describe Cheryl? Find them in the thesaurus.

WRITING: Write a paragraph describing the conflict between the two girls. Title your
paragraph Two Different Worlds.

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 9
120/130
1. VOCABULARY
Skim the first paragraph in chapter 9. What is the main idea?

1. Look up motive in the dictionary. Write the meaning:

April decides to invite her sister to visit. Because we know that April is ashamed of being native,
it is strange that April would want to do this. What was April’s motive for inviting her sister to
visit?

2. Skim page 114 for the sentence containing the word offensive. Read the sentence and look the
word up in the dictionary. What is the meaning?

What offensive remarks was Cheryl saying to April?

What did April say to defend herself?

3. Find the sentence with the word prejudiced. Look up the word and write the meaning.

Cheryl accuses her sister of being prejudiced. What does April say to defend herself?
Do you think April is prejudiced? Why or why not?

4. Find the word debut. What is the definition?

Why do you suppose Mother Radcliffe put off Cheryl’s debut into society?

5. Skim the next paragraph for the word patronizing. What is the meaning?

What were some of the patronizing remarks the women at the party made?

6. April and Cheryl have a terrible fight. What information did April disclose?

Define decision. What decision does Cheryl make?

7. Cheryl finally explains that she did not want to be critical of her sister. She said to April, “I
just want to rouse you out of your passive state.”
Define rouse: Define passive:
Explain what ‘rouse you out of your passive state’ means:

What did April think of having a reunion with their family?

8. Last paragraph – the girls had disclosed their feelings throughout the visit. April feels there
will never be complete honesty between them. She feels like a coward. Cheryl, on the other
hand, never cared what other people thought. She was fearless and full of compassion.
Define coward: Define compassion:

Discussion: List the information tells us both girls lived in two different worlds?

110 – Write a summary of Chapter 9. Write a paragraph that states your opinion of
April and Cheryl.

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 10
110/120/130

1. VOCABULARY

1. I came to hate how easily Bob and Heather could laugh so easily and suspicions
set in. _________________________________________________________
2. But that was okay because I was just as disgusted with her and her snobbish
friends.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. They were hypocrites, all of them.
_________________________________________________________________

APRIL’S WORLD COLLAPSES

Characters:
Narrator (2 or 3 readers) Heather Bob
April Mother Radcliffe

Setting: Toronto, the Radcliffe mansion

Read as a drama and discuss:

1. Which characters are in conflict in this chapter?
2. Use some of the vocabulary words to describe April’s change in attitude toward
her lifesyle.
3. What events make up the plot? What event made April fighting mad?
4. What do you think has happened to Cheryl?

CHAPTER 11

Students will read this chapter independently. Discuss April’s reason for going back to
Winnipeg, the conversation she had with her sister at the hospital and the event that
occurred when April went to pick up Cheryl’s belongings.
What do you think April will deal with being raped?
Why do you think the rapists referred to April as a sqaw?
How will it affect her life?
How will Cheryl react to this news?

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 April Raintree
EVALUATIONS FOR UNIT 2:

110 SKILLS CHECKLIST for CHAPTER ASSIGNMENTS

Key: check mark – well done NI – needs improvement I – improving NC – not completed
DATE _________________ ________________ ________________

110 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10

NAME True/ Cloze Drawing Comprehension & Vocabulary

OF False Proce- Conclu- Sentence Structure
STUDENT dure sions

120 SKILLS CHECKLIST for CHAPTER ASSIGNMENTS

DATE _________________ ________________ _______________

120 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10

NAME Compre- Sentence Vocabulary

OF hension Structure
STUDENT

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 April Raintree

WRITING EVALUATIONS

110 SKILLS CHECKLIST for SUMMARY WRITING

Key: check mark – well done NI – needs improvement I – improving NC – not completed

Name/Item Summary of Chapter 9 Date ______________

NAME Main End Capital Sentence Inden- Opinion Commas &
OF Ideas Punc- Letters Structure tation Apostrophes
STUDENT tuation

120/130 SKILLS CHECKLIST for PARAGRAPH WRITING

Key: check mark – well done NI – needs improvement I – improving NC – not completed

Name/Item Two Different Worlds Chapter 8 Date _________

NAME Uses End Capital Sentence Inden- Topic Closing Commas & Spell-
OF the Punc- Letters Structure tation Sentence Sentence Apostrophes ing
STUDENT writing tuation
process

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 April Raintree

CLOSING ACTIVITIES UNIT 2 TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS

April and Cheryl lived in two different worlds. Using the information from Chapters 8 to 11, gather all the evidence that they had
conflicting lifestyles and attitudes. Did the girls ever agree or get along with each other? Do they ever see each other’s point of
view?
Enter your information on the Venn diagram. In the left circle write April’s attitude and lifestyle; in the right circle enter Cheryl’s.
Where the circles intersect, write the information that indicates their lifestyles overlapped.

UGGESTED ANSWERS UNIT 2 TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS

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 April Raintree

SUGGESTED ANSWERS
April and Cheryl lived in two different worlds. Using the information from Chapters 8 to 11, gather all the evidence that they had
conflicting lifestyles and attitudes. Did the girls ever agree or get along with each other? Do they ever see each other’s point of view?

Enter you information on the Venn diagram. In the left circle write April’s attitude and lifestyle; in the right circle enter Cheryl’s.
Where the circles intersect, write the information that indicates their lifestyles overlapped.

• April’s ambition: to be rich • Cheryl’s ambition: be a Social Worker

• Gives up trying to find parents; doesn’t tell • Still has fantasy about parents; has no idea
Cheryl about her search where they are or if they’re still alive
• Ashamed of being a Metis • Proud of her heritage
• Married into high society • Giving, unselfish, fearless person who helped
• Ashamed to be seen with Cheryl & Cheryl’s native people at the Friendship Centre
friends • Wasn’t accepted by April’s relatives & friends
• Doesn’t show her emotions • Discovered April was ashamed to be seen with
• Selfish, passive, her

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 April Raintree
CLOSING ACTIVITIES UNIT 2 continued

110/120/130 Divide the class into groups. Give each group flip chart paper with a Venn
diagram. Each group will discuss and enter their ideas on the diagram.

Using the information on the flip charts, each 120/130 student will then use these ideas
to write an essay comparing the lifestyles of both girls.

110 students will write a paragraph that describes

a) April’s World or
b) Cheryl’s World.

EXTENDED ACTIVITIES UNIT 2

1. Skimming Skills: After the chapter is read, divide the class into groups. Each
student takes a turn reading a short part from the chapter. Other students skim the chapter
for the page and paragraph. The first to find the passage receives five points, the second,
four points, the third, three points. (Reading – A Novel Approach, p 103)

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 April Raintree

GENERAL METHODOLOGY OF UNIT 3

UNIT THREE A NEW BEGINNING

Most 120/130 students will have read this unit independently. Ask them direct questions:
In 25 words or less what do you think is the main idea of this unit?
What, in your opinion, is the most important part of the story ?
Were you shocked or surprised at the ending?
These questions reinforce, once again, elements of a novel – theme, climax, resolution.
The questions and answers also apprise the students who have not yet read ahead.

Chapter 12: Once again, choose roles to read this chapter. As the chapter is read,
students identify the emotional and attitudinal changes April is experiencing (note on
chart paper). This information provides a visual aid for discussion and a reference for
110 students to answer the comprehension questions.

Chapter 13: Pre reading Activity: review story elements on flip chart paper.

This chapter provides an excellent approach for teaching the concept of ‘theme’. On flip
chart paper, write the summary of Chapter 13 without punctuation and capital letters.
The class will review punctuation in simple, compound and complex sentences by
identifying the correct punctuation (see page 48).
Next, have the students read Cheryl’s essay aloud. Discuss. Then ask them to identify
the theme of Cheryl’s essay. Brainstorm and record student responses.
Teach the concept of theme at this point.
Draw to their attention that the author’s purpose in writing the essay is stated in the last
paragraph of the chapter.

Chapter 14: - cloze procedure format.

Chapter 14 to 17 - The assignments are comprised of two questions for each

comprehension skill: literal, story elements and critical thinking. Group discussion can be
generated using these questions. Evaluations are based on these skills.

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 12

April experiences many changes in this chapter:

April now has a fear that Cheryl is an alcoholic.

She admitted she is a Metis. She discloses her feelings about her heritage
April becomes friends with someone she didn’t like
April is now experiencing a deep hatred of the men who raped her
April and Cheryl are laughing and joking.
She hates the rapists and the justice system
April buys a book about native culture to get Cheryl interested in something again

COMPREHENSION
Check the correct answers. There may be more than ONE correct answer for each
question:
1. April began to fear that Cheryl may be an alcoholic because
a. Cheryl had grown fidgety and suggested they go out for a drink
b. Cheryl came home drunk
c. There were liquor bottles on the floor

2. April wanted to keep Cheryl out of the lounge so she:

a. Willingly bought her a book about the Metis
b. Bought Cheryl whatever she wanted
c. Told Cheryl to stay home.

3. What happened last in the plot of this chapter?

a. April buys a house for both girls.
b. The police took April to Emergency Health Services
c. Roger Morrison invites April out for lunch

4. In this chapter April may be characterized as:

a. Full of hatred
b) Afraid
c) Helpful

5. It is reasonable to conclude that Roger Maddison may have liked April by the way
a. he spoke to her
b. he talked to April as they ate lunch
c. he looked at April when he said that once he thought he had found the right
girl.

6. Clues in the conversation with Roger indicate that April’s feelings about being a
half – breed means:
b. that she has the best of both worlds
c. that she feels the weaknesses of both worlds
c. that she will never learn to live in the white world

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 13

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 13

April purchased a home and a car she offered to pay for

Cheryls education but Cheryl refused After seeing the pictures of
the rapists on television April was able to identify the leader her
hatred of the rapists and the justice system became more intense
Cheryls drinking problem became more obvious because April
found empty liquor bottles in her room to renew Cheryls interest
in the native cause April suggested they attend an Indian powwow.
April had to attend a preliminary Hearing the hearing which
had a devastating effect on her proved there was sufficient
evidence for a trial she felt such relief she and Cheryl went to the
rouseau reservation for the powwow they danced ate and listened
to native singers the girls began to confront each other about their
heritage Cheryl felt alcohol was a destructive force and that metis
people don’t have many choices in society on the other hand April
still feels ashamed of her metis heritage she also feels the metis
should have stood up for their rights while they were in their tent,
Cheryl received a controversial essay she had written at university
it was a powerful piece that had one main theme:

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 13

COMPREHENSION
Check the correct answer. There may be more than ONE correct answer for each
question:
1. April and Cheryl never talked about the rape because:
a. Cheryl did not know about the rape
b. Cheryl blamed herself
c. Both girls refused to talk about the rape

2. What information in the chapter reveals that Cheryl no longer hides her feelings
toward her sister:
a. Cheryl tells her sister she does not like her
b. Cheryl refused to invite her friends to their housewarming party
c. Cheryl refused April’s offer to buy her a new car

3. What ONE statement best expresses the author’s purpose in writing the essay:
a. To tell that the Metis are the only Indians who are dying
b. To show that the earth is being destroyed
c. To warn the white man to slow down,

4. What ONE statement best expresses the theme of Cheryl’s essay:

a. The white man has destroyed the Indian way of life
b. The white man is responsible for destroying all that is sacred and if it
continues there will be nothing left for future generations.
c. White man and Indian wisdom will die

5. What group of words express the change in April’s feelings towards native people
when the girls were at the powwow:
a. She felt lonely and embarrassed
b. She felt alive and proud
c. She had a feeling of peace

6. It is likely that April did not admit to Cheryl she was impressed with the powwow
because:
a. Both girls went to bed early
b. She liked criticizing native people
c. She always kept her true feelings to herself

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 14

Fill in the blanks with the word that makes sense:

After the powwow, Cheryl seemed more relaxed and started going back to the

Friendship Centre. April went back to ________, but she had no ____________ for the

native people she saw. April ___________to be interested for Cheryl’s sake.

__________ Cheryl invited April to the Friendship Centre, she went. April _________ a

spiritual connection with the ____________she met there.

Roger, who had not _________ from April for some time, came to _________

her. They formed a _________ friendship, but April did _________tell him about the

rape.
April had to testify _____ the trial. It was a _________ experience. She found

out the rapists believed ________sister was a prostitute. Therefore, when the rapists

picked April up, _________ thought she was Cheryl. April was shocked. After

________, Cheryl left the house ___________defending herself.

Roger happened to __________ in the courthouse. He _________April and she

told him __________ the trial. April felt relieved and ________ some justice had been

done when the rapist was found guilty.

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 April Raintree
CHAPTER 14

COMPREHENSION
1. The native elder, White Thunderbird Woman, made April feel:
a. Wise
b. Humble and respected
c. Special

2. Cheryl was not content living with her sister because she:
a. Did not want to use April’s car nor did she invite her friends to their house
b. Liked staying at Nancy’s place
c. Spent most of her time at the Friendship Centre

3. Which line of dialogue affected April most deeply?

a. You should have told me about it.
b. I told her your vision was clouded, but when your vision cleared, you
would be a good person for the Metis people.
c. We find the Defendant guilty as charged.

4. Which group of words characterizes Cheryl in this chapter?

a. Angry, resentful, frustrated
b. Relaxed, helpful, caring
c. Lazy, careless, truthful

5. At the end of the chapter, Cheryl did not return home. She probably did not
return because she:
a. Was afraid of April now that April knew the truth
b. Thought April would never forgive her
c. Knew April would blame her for the part she played in the rape.

6. Now that the trial is over, April will likely:

a. Have a deeper relationship with Roger
b. No longer have have personal conflicts with her sister
c. Learn to accept being a Metis

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 15

COMPREHENSION

1. April realized her ritual bath was not solving her internal conflict because:
a. Each time she bathed she enjoyed killing the rapists over and over in her
mind
b. She was keeping the rape alive; she was refusing to let herself heal
c. Roger told her to quit bathing.

2. After about a year April finally felt better about herself because:
d. She forced herself to forget it
e. Roger was supportive
f. Time was the best medicine

3. The setting of the conflict between April and Cheryl took place:
a. At the bar
b. At the house April and Cheryl shared
c. At the Friendship Centre

4. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of this chapter?

a. Cheryl gets drunk and insults her sister
b. The tension between the two girls increases
c. Both girls are finally communicating

5. Cheryl resents her sister because

a. April is a snob
b. She depends on April for financial support
c. April was never proud of her

6. Cheryl was drinking because she was so hurt. She was hurt mostly about:
a. Her fantasy about her parents was shattered
b. April always lying to her
c. April blamed her for the rape

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 16

COMPREHENSION

1. All her life April was unable to show her emotions. What information in this
chapter reveals she had not changed:
a. She didn’t cry at Cheryl’s funeral
b. She let Roger make the funeral arrangements
c. She was in shock after she identified her sister’s body.

2. What evidence in this chapter reveals that April is finally beginning to accept
Roger as more than a friend:
a. She always tells Roger her problems
b. She spends a lot of time with Roger
c. She tells Roger she loves him

3. From Roger’s point of view the two girls have lived in two worlds because:
a. April was a snob; Cheryl had a low self image
b. Cheryl identified with Indians; April identified with whites
c. Both girls were raised by foster parents

4. What event could be described as the climax of this chapter?

a. April and Roger declare their love for each other
b. Cheryl commits suicide
c. April and Roger finally find Nancy’s place

5. April concludes Cheryl may have jumped off Louise Bridge because:
a. Other people had committed suicide by jumping off the same bridge
b. Nancy said Cheryl seemed okay…in a funny way.
c. Cheryl had told her their mother had jumped off that bridge

6. Based on the information in this chapter, we can assume Cheryl did not want to be
found because she:
a. Needed time to herself
b. Could not deal with the hurt she felt when she sobered up, so she
continued drinking
c. Was ashamed on her drunken outburst after the trial.

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 April Raintree

CHAPTER 17

COMPREHENSION

1. In Chapter 8 Cheryl made a prediction:

a. April would be proud to be a Metis someday. She may be old and grey,
but it will happen.
b. April will never change; she would always be a snob.
c. Cheryl would find their parents

2. April went into a rage because:

a. She blamed Cheryl’s death on alcohol and on the wrong things she had
done to her sister
b. She was angry at their parents
c. She had not cried for a long time.

3. The climax in this chapter occurs when:

a. April read Cheryl’s journals
b. April was finally able to cry.
b. April realized Cheryl has a child.

4. The resolution of April Raintree occurs when:

a. April has finally found her identity – she now accepts that she is Metis.
b. She found out she has a nephew
c. She discovered April had lost her will to live

5. From the information given in this chapter do you think will happen:
a. April will raise Henry Lee
b. April will let Mary and Nancy raise Henry Lee
c. Henry Lee will have to go to a foster home.

6. We can conclude that:

a. Cheryl’s prediction came true
b. Cheryl became proud of her heritage, but she was not old and grey when
she made the decision
c. April lived happily ever after.

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 April Raintree

EVALUATIONS FOR UNIT 3:

Assignments are composed of 2 factual and 2 story element questions and 2 critical
thinking questions. Students are rated on a continuum: mastered, needs impovement,
improving and not completed. Wherever the group shows an area of weakness, the
instructor will take up those questions in class; an individual will be given one-to-one
reinforcement.

Key: check mark – mastered NI – needs improvement I – improving NC – not completed

NAME OF STUDENT_____________________________________________________

FactualComprehension Story Elements Critical Thinking

# 1,2 #3,4 #5,6,
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17

NAME OF STUDENT_____________________________________________________

FactualComprehension Story Elements Critical Thinking

# 1,2 #3,4 #5,6,
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17

NAME OF STUDENT_____________________________________________________

FactualComprehension Story Elements Critical Thinking

# 1,2 #3,4 #5,6,
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17

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 April Raintree

CLOSING ACTIVITIES UNIT 3 A NEW BEGINNING

120/130

1. ESSAY: Using the writing process, write an essay on one of the

following topics:

! Society still treats Metis people as inferior.

! April experiences many changes throughout her life. She learns to

accept who she is.

! Compare your experiences with those of April and Cheryl. Which

one do you relate with? Express your feelings about this novel based
on your own experiences. What feelings did the novel bring forth
when you were reading?

! Metis children should be placed in Metis foster homes.

OR

! Choose your own topic.

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 April Raintree
11. BOOK REPORT:

Name__________________________________

Title_________________________________________________________
Author_______________________________________________________
Copyright date_________________________________________________
Publisher______________________________________________________

How would you classify this book? Choose one or two answers.

adventure love story science fiction poetry

war story mystery detective story horror
western novel (story about everyday people)

Where does this story take place?

When does the story take place?

Who are the main characters? Write a short description about each of them.

Write a brief summary leading up to the main event.

What have you learned from reading this book?

Would you like to read other books by the same author? Why or why not?

Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?

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 April Raintree
EXTENDED ACTIVITIES
120/130

1. Write a 1 page RESEARCH PAPER on ONE topic.

*An issue that occurs in the novel such as

! child abuse,
! aboriginal children in white foster homes,
! history books do not reflect native culture

* The author - research his/her history and other books they have written

* A topic of your choice: your idea must be taken from the book. For
example, you may want to use he Friendship Centre as your topic.

Use the library, the internet, magazines, newpapers. Your paper will have an
introduction, a body, and a conclusion. On a separate page, list your
references.

120/130

11. BOOK TALK: ORAL PRESENTATION:

Using the information you have written in your essay or book report, give an
oral report to the class. A sample outline:

1. Introduction
a. Title of book
b. Name of author
c. Type of book

11. Setting
a. Time
b. Place

111. Brief summary leading up to the main event

1V. Main event

V. Appreciation of the book

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 April Raintree
Before speaking to the class, discuss and answer the following questions
with your instructor.
SPEAKING SKILLS

SKILLS STUDENT RESPONSES

What are some
stressful feelings I
will experience
when giving a
presentation?

How can I control

anxiety? What
technique can I use
to make a
presentation?

How can I practice

volume, pacing,
emphasis, gestures,
eye contact to make
a presentation?

Answers questions
and shares ideas on
the topic with the
class

ORAL PRESENTATIONS CHECKLIST based on Toastmaster’s Format

SKILLS NAMES OF STUDENTS

/5
Ums & ahs

Presentation

Organization

Body
language
Eye
Contact

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 April Raintree

EXTENDED ACTIVITIES continued

110

1. Write a cinquain poem about a character in the novel (Reading – A Novel

Approach, p 58).

2. Design a book jacket for the novel (Reading – A Novel Approach, p 106).

110/120/130

1. Have students make up questions based on the characters, events, emotions,

setting, etc. with 4 possible answers. Use these questions to play a game with
prizes to be awarded to the winning group.

2. Write a story that tells what happens to April after she takes Henry Lee home.

3. Suggest a new title for this book.

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 April Raintree

STUDENT EVALUATION OF APRIL RAINTREE

EVALUATE April Raintree by commenting on your enjoyment,

reaction, and opinion of this novel.

NAME ____________________________________________________

NAME OF BOOK _____________________________________________________

1. Did you enjoy this story? Why or why not? Would you want to read other books by
this author?
Comments:______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. Do you think the author made the characters appear as real people? Do you think the
events in the story were plausible?
Comments:______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

3. What did you learn by reading this book?

Comments:______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

4. Were you pleased or disappointed by the ending?

Comments_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

5. Would you recommend this book to anyone else? Why or why not?
Comments:______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
If you were to rate this book on a scale of 1 to 5, circle your choice.

1 2 3 4 5

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 April Raintree

APRIL RAINTREE NOVEL STUDY

STUDENT PARTICIPATION
SELF EVALUATION FORM

NAME_____________________________________ DATE_________________

Were you present at all, most, some or few group discussions?

Rate yourself out of five. _________

Why did you give yourself this rating?

Did you participate in all, most, some, or few of the group discussions?
Rate yourself out of five. _____

Why did you give yourself this rating?

Were you prepared for all, most, some, or few of the group discussions?
Rate your self out of five. _____

Why did you give yourself this rating?

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 April Raintree

References

Szabos, Janice. Reading – A Novel Approach. Crest Litho, Inc., 1984

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