The Medicine Bag Review

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.

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.

As Grandpa explains in "The Medicine Bag," how is the medicine bag to be passed down from generation to generation?

• only through chiefs

• only through males

• only through females

• only through firstborn children

In "The Medicine Bag," why is the pouch referred to as a medicine bag?

• It holds rocks that carry magical energy.

• It holds leaves that can overcome sickness.

• It holds items that protect and guide the wearer.

• It holds powders needed in the work of a Lakota shaman.

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

Which person best demonstrates the meaning of frail?

• a famous athlete signing autographs

• a sickly person being helped up the stairs

• a shopper complaining about poor service in a store

• a middle-school student taking high-school math classes

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.

Which statement most clearly describes Martin in the early part of "The Medicine Bag"?

• Martin worries about his friends’ opinions.

• Martin is cruel and insensitive toward others.

• Martin appreciates and respects Grandpa’s behavior.

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

Which quotation from "The Medicine Bag" shows most clearly that Cheryl’s reaction to Grandpa’s visit differs from Martin’s?

• My kid sister, Cheryl, and I always bragged about our Lakota grandpa, Joe Iron Shell.

• As we supported him up the steps, the door banged open and Cheryl came bursting out of the house.

• So even after she married my dad, who’s not an Indian, and after Cheryl and I were born, Mom made sure that every summer we spent a week with Grandpa.

• Nothing bothered Cheryl about bringing her friends to see Grandpa.

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.