The Medicine Bag Worksheet

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 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

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

• only through males

• only through females

• only through firstborn children

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.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

This question has two parts. Answer Part A first. 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.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Part A: 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.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Part B: Which sentence from 'The Medicine Bag' best supports the answer to Part A?

• We usually had some authentic Lakota article to show our listeners.

• 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.

• His getup wasn’t out of place on the reservation, but it sure was here, and I wanted to sink right through the pavement.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

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

• 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.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

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 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.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

At the end of 'The Medicine Bag,' for which of the following is the medicine bag most clearly a symbol? Choose two options.

• Martin’s desire to please his friends.

• Martin’s respect for his grandfather.

• Martin’s dislike for his Lakota heritage.

• Martin’s acceptance of his family heritage.

• Martin’s feelings of embarrassment about Grandpa.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

In “The Medicine Bag,” Grandpa describes a piece of iron his father once found. What does the piece of iron most likely symbolize?

• his father’s purpose in life

• his father’s death in a coming war

• his father’s refusal to learn from his elders

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2