1a. In the poem, "Name Giveaway," what has the teacher done again?
2a. What is the speaker's original name?
3a. What evidence can you find that demonstrates the teacher's understanding of and feelings toward the speaker and his culture?
4a. The speaker in this poem reacts after a teacher changes his name. Is the speaker's reaction understandable? Why or why not?
5a. How well does "Name Giveaway" communicate the speaker's ideas and frustrations?
1b. How does the speaker feel about what the teacher has done?
2b. How might the speaker's name reflect his identity and personality?
3b. Why does the teacher act in this way? Do you agree with the reason the speaker offers? Why or why not? What might other possible reasons be?
4b. Imagining yourself in the speaker's place, what might your next step be? Would you confront the teacher? Would you live with the new names? Explain your answer.
5b. Compare Ah-nen-la-de-ni's story in the Related Reading to that of the speaker of the poem. What thoughts and emotions do you think the young men shared?
Speaker. What can you learn about the speaker's emotions and thoughts by looking at his words and how he presents them? What tools does the speaker use for emphasis?
Image. What individual images can you find in the poem? What does the combination of images within the poem convey to you? What emotions are aroused by the poem's imagery?
1. Write a letter from the speaker to the teacher, explaining why the name Two Swans Ascending From Still Waters is important to you.
2. Write a memo from a government official to teachers at boarding school for Native Americans. Stress in the memo the importance of introducing and using practical names with students.
3. For one of your friends, write a name that—like Two Swans Ascending From Still Waters—creates a vivid image and reflects the friend's personality.
Synonyms. A synonym is word that has the same meaning as another word. For example, smile and grin are synonyms. Cry and weep are also synonyms. Ascend is a word in "Name Giveaway." Brainstorm a short list of synonyms (or near synonyms) of the word ascend. Then use a thesaurus to see if you can add more synonyms to your list.
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Transitive and Intransitive Verbs. Transitive verbs are action verbs that have completers. Intransitive verbs do not have completers. Read the Language Arts Survey 3.60 and 3.61 about transitive and intransitive verbs. Review the following sentences, and identify whether the verb in each sentence is transitive or intransitive.
1. My teacher gave me a new name.
2. The teacher never had feasts or a giveaway.
3. She calls me "Phillip."
4. The swan ascends into the air.
5. I do not know what "George" means.
Looking at History: Research Native American boarding schools of the late 1800s and early 1900s, looking for reasons behind the U.S. government's desire to change the names of Indian students. How did officials defend the campaign to change names? Did reasons vary from one official to the next? Did any reasons seem valid? Why, or why not? Using the Internet, try the following resources, and others you may find, for information: Texts by and about Native Americans from the Modern English Collection, Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library, at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/natam.html Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, at http://www.doi.gov/bureau-indian-affairs.html Native American History Archive, Institute for Learning Technologies, Columbia University, at http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/k12/naha/index.html Research Log. Use this log to keep track of the sources you use, the information you find, and your reactions what you learn.
Internet sources:
Books and print sources:
Answers to textbook questions:
