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Moss, the Native American hero of Michael Dorris' book Guests, learns to recognize the complex emotions within himself and his elders when his tribe invites white settlers to share the harvest feast.
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Enrichment Activities
Internet Resources
Books
Enrichment Activities
Play a Vocabulary Game
Distribute the handout
Vocabulary for Guests to the students. Separate the class into two teams and instruct them to work cooperatively to find definitions for the words in either print or online dictionaries. When the students have written all of the definitions down, tell them to memorize the spelling and definition of all the words for a game. Once the class is ready, allow each team member to ask a member of the opposite team to spell and define a word of their choosing. Keep alternating teams until all of the vocabulary words have been reviewed. No word may be used twice during the game. To make the game less competitive, you can choose not to keep score and just play for fun.
Name the Chapters
As students read the book, ask them to create a title for each chapter. Tell them to refrain from sharing the titles they've written with one another. After students have read the entire book, break the class into small groups and have students share the titles they created. Encourage students to explain why they think each title fits its chapter. Instruct the groups to select one title for each chapter and write them down in order. As a culminating activity, have each group read their list of titles aloud.
Wampanoag Boys and Girls
Make a chart contrasting the differences between the tasks expected of Wampanoag boys and Wampanoag girls. Ask students to imagine that they are members of this tribe and expected to live by these rules. Do students think they would enjoy their roles? Why or why not? After the class discussion, ask each student to consider this question: How would your life be different if you were the opposite sex? Then ask students to write a one-page journal entry from that point of view. Once these pieces are edited and students have created a final draft, you can make the pages look "old" by dipping them in a bucket of cold tea or coffee. When the pages are dry, arrange them on a bulletin.
Play the "Who Are You?" Game
Ask the class to generate a list of characters from the book and put the names on the board. Tell each student to silently select one of the characters and fill out a Character Chart or a Who Am I? Worksheet. This worksheet may be used during the game. Break the class up into pairs. Student #1 is the questioner and student #2 pretends to be one of the characters in the book until his or her identity is revealed. At that point, the partners switch roles. In the following example, Student #2 is Little Red Riding Hood:
Student #1: Who are you?
Student #2: I am a granddaughter.
Student #1: Who are you?
Student #2: I am someone who wears a red cape.
Student #1: Who are you?
Student #2: I could be someone's dinner.
Student #1: Who are you?
Student #2: I am someone with a basket of food.
Student #1: Who are you?
Student #2: I am someone who walks in the forest.
Student #1: Are you Little Red Riding Hood?
Student #2: Yes, I am.
Have a Debate
In the book Guests, the class can conclude that the "guests" who come to the harvest feast are the Pilgrims. What proof is there in the book that they are, indeed, the Pilgrims? Break the class into three groups: those who will argue that the guests are the Pilgrims, those who will argue that the guests are not the Pilgrims, and those who will act as judges of the debate. Help each group find specific descriptions and examples from the book to support their point of view. The judges can look for evidence that supports either view so they can decide if an argument is valid or not. Allow each group to present their arguments, then let the judges decide who wins the debate.
Be a Storyteller
Michael Dorris includes three Native American stories in this book: "Running Woman," "How the People Lost Each Other," and "The Beaver and the Muskrat Woman." Read each of them aloud to the class and explain that storytelling was a way for Native Americans to pass history, stories, traditions, and fables down from one generation to the next. Conduct a class discussion in which students try to capture the main point of each story and then create a moral for it. Tell students that each member of the class will perform one of these stories from memory. Instruct each student to select the story she likes the best and read it silently to herself one more time. Suggest that each student picture the events of the story in her head rather than trying to memorize the words. If students are nervous about performing without the book, allow them to write a one-sentence description of each important event from the story on an index card. Allow time for students to practice telling their stories. Encourage them to use hand motions, facial expressions, props, and different tones of voice to bring the story to life. When the students are ready, invite an audience (parents, classmates, teachers) to come and listen to the fabulous Native American stories they have to tell.
Make Brochures About the Wampanoag People
As a way to understand the differences between stereotypes about Native Americans and reality, students will conduct research about the Wampanoag people (including their lives today) and create brochures. Gather reference materials such as books, magazines, and the Internet resources below for student use, and allow students to browse through them for a few minutes. Afterward, conduct a class discussion in which students generate a list of topics to research. These might include clothing, food, where the Wampanoag lived in the past and where they live today, cultural traditions, etc. Write the list on the board and allow each student to select a topic that interests him. Explain that each student will research his chosen topic and then create a brochure about it to share with the class. To make the brochures, fold a blank piece of paper into thirds, which will give students six panels (using both sides of the paper) to fill in with illustrations and information. Ask students to put a title at the top of each panel, follow that with facts about the title, and include at least one illustration on each panel. When the brochures are finished, have students share them with one another.
