Wandering Stars — Prologue Mini Lesson Pack
Reading questions, answer key, and secondary source comparison chart as well as curated sources to research historical context.
Close Reading • Historical Context • Indigenous Voices
Prepare students to read Tommy Orange’s Wandering Stars with this focused, 1–2 day mini lesson pack that guides them through the Prologue’s language, themes, and historical references. This resource allows students to slow down, unpack key moments, and build a strong foundation in the Indigenous histories Orange weaves directly into the opening pages.
The Prologue references Carlisle Indian Industrial Schools, forced assimilation, ledger art, the Sand Creek Massacre, and the long arc of U.S. policies toward Native peoples. This pack helps students understand those connections through close-reading questions and a source-comparison activity that highlights how history is written, framed, and sometimes misrepresented.
About the Lesson
Students will:
- Closely read the Prologue (pages ix–xi) and respond to guided analytical questions.
- Examine Richard Henry Pratt’s language and the ideologies behind assimilation schools.
- Learn about historical events referenced in the text, including Sand Creek, Fort Marion, ledger art, buffalo extermination, and the American Indian Wars.
- Use a source comparison chart to analyze how two credible sources describe the same event differently.
- Reflect on how historical narratives shape readers’ interpretations of Indigenous stories today.
This pack is ideal as a pre-reading activity or as a context-building lesson to support culturally grounded, accurate understanding.
What’s Included
- Prologue Reading Questions (printable PDF + editable Google Doc)
- Detailed Answer Key
- Sand Creek Massacre Source Comparison Chart
- Historical Context Source Comparison Chart
Perfect For
- Grades 9–12 ELA & Social Studies
- Indigenous Voices & Modern Native American Literature
- Pre-reading support for Wandering Stars, There There, or The Marrow Thieves
- Source evaluation, media literacy, and historical thinking
- Culturally responsive instruction
Why You’ll Love It
- 🧭 Builds essential historical understanding before students encounter the novel’s deeper layers
- 🔍 Strengthens close-reading and source-comparison skills
- 🌎 Centers Indigenous history with clarity, depth, and respect
- 💬 Promotes thoughtful discussion and student reflection
- 📦 Includes flexible PDF + Editable Google Docs formats
- 🕒 Designed for 1–2 class periods
