The Medicine Bag Test

How does Martin’s embarrassment during Grandpa Joe’s arrival influence the development of the plot?

• 1. It establishes Martin’s internal conflict with his culture, which eventually leads to his acceptance

• 1. It prompts Grandpa Joe to feel lonesome, so he acts timid and avoids Martin’s friends throughout the story

• 1. It leads to a conflict with his mother, so she encourages Martin to spend more time with Grandpa Joe and insists he invite his friends

• 1. It prompts Martin to grow nostalgic for his visits to the reservation and the fun times he had playing his drum

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

How is Martin’s willingness to let Grandpa Joe put the Medicine Bag around his neck important to the resolution of their conflict?

• 1. It shows Martin’s lack of understanding of Sioux tradition, so Grandpa Joe has to explain how to carry the Medicine Bag and put sage inside

• 1. It demonstrates to Grandpa Joe that Martin is ready to receive the Medicine Bag and hear the story of the sacred iron

• 1. It signifies Martin’s acceptance of his cultural identity and demonstrates his respect for tradition

• 1. It shows Martin’s desire to impress Grandpa Joe with his understanding of Sioux traditions and customs

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

Read paragraph 6. 

I watched the group as it slowly came closer and saw that in the center of the strange procession was a man wearing a tall black hat. He’d pause now and then to peer at something in his hand and then at the houses on either side of the street. I felt cold and hot at the same time as I recognized the man. “Oh, no!” I whispered. “It’s Grandpa!” 

What does this paragraph reveal about Grandpa Joe at this point in the selection?

• It suggests that Grandpa Joe is frail, weak, and confused after his long journey from the reservation

• 1. It emphasizes Grandpa Joe’s ability to fit in on both the reservation and urban setting

• 1. It reveals his lack of confidence regarding his journey and showing up to visit without warning

• 1. It shows that Grandpa Joe is determined to see his family, despite being out of place in the neighborhood

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

In “The Medicine Bag,” why does Grandpa say he has arrived for a surprise visit with the family?

• He wants to see where his only existing descendants live, and he wants to give Martin the medicine bag.

• He feels that death is now very near, and he wants to be buried where his only existing relatives live.

• He wants to teach his grandchildren lessons that will help them respect the old ways.

• He wants to see his family in person to discuss the resentment he has felt for years

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

In “The Medicine Bag,” why does Grandpa collapse after arriving at the house?

• He has been injured in an attack by dogs.

• He is shocked by life in the suburbs.

• He is overcome with grief.

• He has heat exhaustion.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

Which of the following words gives the most likely meaning of wearily as it is used in this sentence?

After a ten-mile hike, we ate an early dinner and then climbed wearily into our tents.

• sadly

• tiredly

• playfully

• carefully

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A
In “The Medicine Bag,” before Grandpa comes to visit, how does the narrator feel about talking to his friends about his Lakota grandfather?

• He makes fun of how Grandpa dresses and where he lives to amuse his friends.

• He becomes angry when the other children make fun of Grandpa's heritage.

• He likes the fact that his stories about Grandpa appeal to the other kids.

• He never reveals to his friends that Grandpa is a Lakota.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

Part B
Which quotation from “The Medicine Bag” best supports the answer to Part A?

• He was my great-grandfather, and he didn't live in a tipi; he lived all by himself in a part log, part tar-paper shack on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.

• Our friends, who had always lived in the city and only knew about Indians from movies and TV, were impressed by our stories.

• He taught me a Lakota chant to sing while I beat the drum with a leather-covered stick that had a feather on the end.

• We never showed our friends Grandpa's picture.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

Near the end of “The Medicine Bag,” Grandpa gives Martin the medicine bag and says, “[You] need not wear it.” What do these words show most clearly about Grandpa’s thinking?

• Grandpa knows that the medicine bag has power even if Martin does not wear it.

• Grandpa realizes that the medicine bag will be more meaningful at a later time.

• Grandpa feels sad that Martin does not want to wear the medicine bag.

• Grandpa understands that Martin is uncomfortable about his heritage.

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

Because (there, their, they're) excited to hear his stories, Cheryl brings her friends to visit Grandpa Joe numerous times.

Tags

CCSS.RF.3.3B

CCSS.RF.3.3C

CCSS.RF.3.3D

CCSS.RF.4.3A

CCSS.RF.5.3A