The Round House

    

• 1.      Please include a detailed description of the text. Take into consideration that your colleagues might not be familiar with the text that you have chosen. A detailed description will include everything necessary for your classmates to gain an understanding of the text without reading it. Your job is to introduce the text in a complete way so that it is possible for others to decide when, where, and how this text might be appropriate.

"The Round House" is told through the eyes of a young boy named Joe. His father is a tribal judge and his mother is a tribal record keeper. She is a brilliant and beautiful woman who is a good mother to Joe. That changes with the first events in the book when she is raped. Geraldine, the mother, is changed forever. She is a shell of her former self. She becomes jumpy and due to the severity of the rape, her physical form is scarred. Geraldine tries to heal physically and emotionally and does not leave the house for sometime. This change in herself effects everyone around her. The father, Bazil, and Joe especially have to work through this and try to improve Geraldine and her spirit. Life for her and her family is changed forever. Joe throughout the story tries to work the case and Bazil, being a tribal judge, does everything in the law's power to find and convict the rapist. Joe has to grow up quickly and does so with the help of his close friends.

• 2.      Please explain why you chose this text. What was your rationale? For whom is this text appropriate? Please consider age, ability, and any other factor you find important. Why is it appropriate for this group of students?

This book is not for the light-hearted. It was intensely sad and frustrating, which is the point. The author, Louise Erdrich, made a great effort in highlighting the problems of tribal life in regards to sexual assault. The husband being a tribal judge further proves the point. The book deals with a lot of heavy hitting topics and should really only be used after asking the class their comfort level with these concepts. The material can be triggering especially for anyone who has personal connections to sexual assault. But this text also shows the effects of sexual assault and the tribal law system. 

• 3.      Please include some teaching ideas. How do you envision this text being used in a secondary classroom? Provide at least 3 specific ideas for what is possible with this text.

I can see this text being used for a look at sexual assault and the negative effects it has on women. The seriousness of the issue can be brought up. It is a coming of age story for Joe, who has to grow up fast. So a character tracking development assignment. Lastly, a lesson on Native American tribal life. There are a lot of references to ceremonies and the daily life of Natives.

• 4.      Please consider some challenges to using this text. What are the potential issues that may arise from using this text? Predict an administrator’s response to the use of this text. Predict parents’ responses. Predict students’ responses. 

lThere are a lot of challenges. As I stated previously, the events that happen can have a lot of triggering responses to most students. The subject matter is very difficult. It also does not end happily, so it is a text to be used with a mature class. It is important, but administration might have some pause and parents especially would be upset about using this text. The subject matter is still important despite its difficulties.