Read the Prereading information on page 777 and the Related Reading on page 784. Discuss with the class what you know about the selection. Also discuss what you know about Native American cultures and the ways they were treated by white settlers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
1. Follow along in the text as your teacher reads aloud the first four paragraphs of the selection. Discuss as a class the reasons Ishi expected to be put to death given your knowledge of the treatment of Native Americans at the time.
2. Continue reading the selection independently. Think about the way Ishi, a human being, was viewed and treated by the people in Oroville and the anthropologists. Are you surprised by this treatment given your prior knowledge? Why, or why not? Record your answer to the question.
If you have difficulty applying the reading strategy, use the Guided Reading Questions to help you focus on some of the key ideas in the selection. Read the first Guided Reading Question on the page, and then read the text until you encounter the answer. Jot down the answer. Then, consider how the answer relates to your knowledge of the treatment of Native Americans at the time. Continue applying the strategy throughout the remainder of the text.
When you finish reading, consider the connections you made to prior knowledge. Then, write a brief essay discussing your reaction to the text based on this prior knowledge. When finished, share your essay with a partner.