THEME: Can Two Drastically Different Cultures Coexist?

THEME: Can Two Drastically Different Cultures Coexist? Sing Down the Moon by Scott O’Dell

Be sure to note items for EACH section on a double-entry journal.

Section 1 (pages 1-37) 1. The author uses a lot of descriptive details to describe the setting. Identify 1-2 passages that best paint a picture in your mind of the setting. Create an illustration. 2. On page 17, the Long Knives deliver a message to Old Bear. Explain this message. Do you think the Long Knives have the right to make such a statement? Explain. What do you think prompted them to make such a demand? 3. At end of chapter 6, the main character feels that another girl is telling her to run, that even if the Spanish kill her that it is better to die in the street. Do you think this girl is right, that it is better to die than be a captive?

Section 2 (pages 38-71) 1. Whom do you think the Bright Morning should’ve listen to, Rosita or Nehana? Explain. 2. Do you think it was right for the girls to steal the horses?

Section 3 (pages 72-97) 1. Do you think the Navajo made the right choice to leave? 2. Reread pages 83-84. Choose 2-3 phrases or sentences the author uses to evoke mood. Write the sentences and explain the mood that is created. 3. Toward the bottom of 93, Bright Morning likens her people to a flowing river. Reread that description. How is this description similar / different than her description of a flowing river earlier in the book (page 2)?

Section 4 (pages 97-End) 1. Earlier in the novel, Bright Morning risks her safety to escape slavery. She felt the risk was worth it. Nehana said it was better to be dead than be a captive, and yet the entire Navajo nation is now captive. What do you think Bright Morning and her people should do – fight back, or try to make the best of things? 2. Why do you think the settlers chose to treat the Native Americans in this way? What were they hoping to accomplish?