The Indian in the Cupboard

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about Indigenous American history and culture? What are common misconceptions or stereotypes that many may have about the lifestyle and habits of Indigenous Americans?

Teaching Suggestion: Omri receives a plastic figurine of an Indigenous man for his birthday. When he locks the figurine in a cupboard overnight, the figurine comes to life. Unbeknownst to Omri, the man is an Iroquois whose lifestyle and habits are significantly different from what Omri has seen on television. You might explore the novel’s theme Plastic Stereotypes and Real People as related to common misconceptions about Indigenous tribes. Consider reviewing the questions using the resources below to both address these misconceptions and highlight the variety of cultural norms among different Indigenous tribes. Students can analyze the different tribal cultures in the article below and share ways in which they are alike and different to record on a chart. You can revisit this chart when students learn about Little Bear.

• This 4-minute video addresses stereotypes and how they are applied to Indigenous cultures.