What does Hawkeye reveal by asserting his identity while admitting his own people's wrongdoing?
The Last of the Mohicans
30 minutes total
ByJames Fenimore Cooper
Grade9-10
Time30 minutes
Essential question
What does Hawkeye reveal by asserting his identity while admitting his own people's wrongdoing?
Marked passage
Passage location
Chapter III
Start anchor
I am not a prejudiced man
End anchor
my people have many ways, of which, as an honest man, I can’t approve.
Passage focus
Hawkeye qualifies racial pride
Ways to teach it
Listening
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
Solo
Read the exact passage independently.
Supported
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
Teacher guide
Close
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
Evidence
Use his assertion of white identity and the admissions or condemnations he makes about white conduct.
Mark
Underline Hawkeye’s statements of identity or loyalty. Circle the admissions of wrongdoing by his own people. Star the sentence where pride and criticism appear closest together.
Instructional move
Read self-description that contains its own criticism
Notice
• What would an unqualified statement of group pride sound like? • How does admitting wrongdoing change the credibility of Hawkeye’s self-description? • Can loyalty become stronger rather than weaker when it includes criticism?
Strong answer
Hawkeye's identity claim gains credibility because he can belong to his people without pretending they are blameless. Loyalty includes the capacity to criticize wrongdoing committed by one's own group.
Think
Answer provisionally: What does Hawkeye reveal by asserting his identity while admitting his own people's wrongdoing? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
Watch for
Do not interpret criticism as rejection of identity. The passage holds belonging and moral judgment together.
Why this passage
Hawkeye identifies strongly with his own people but interrupts that pride with criticism of their conduct. The self-description becomes credible because belonging does not prevent moral judgment.
Write
Write a short evidence-based response to: What does Hawkeye reveal by asserting his identity while admitting his own people's wrongdoing? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
Student tasks
Mark
Underline Hawkeye’s statements of identity or loyalty. Circle the admissions of wrongdoing by his own people. Star the sentence where pride and criticism appear closest together.
Notice
What would an unqualified statement of group pride sound like? How does admitting wrongdoing change the credibility of Hawkeye’s self-description? Can loyalty become stronger rather than weaker when it includes criticism?
Think
Answer provisionally: What does Hawkeye reveal by asserting his identity while admitting his own people's wrongdoing?
Write
Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage. Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.
Ready-to-teach lesson
TumbleTA 6-12 · TEXT-BASED LESSON
BATCH 11 · 9-10 · LESSON 219
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
What does Hawkeye reveal by asserting his identity while admitting
his own people's wrongdoing?
TOTAL TIME
PASSAGE
30 minutes
Hawkeye qualifies racial pride
FIND THE ANCHOR TEXT
Use the Anchor Text Table of Contents in the Enhanced Reader to open the START anchor. Then use the dropdown to select the END anchor.
SECTION / LOCATION
Chapter III
START
I am not a prejudiced man
END
my people have many ways, of which, as an honest man, I can’t approve.
PASSAGE ID
sec-lm-01
THE MOVE
Read self-description that contains its own criticism
WHY THIS PASSAGE
Hawkeye identifies strongly with his own people but interrupts that pride with criticism of their conduct. The self-description becomes credible because belonging does not prevent moral judgment.
MARK
Underline Hawkeye’s statements of identity or loyalty. Circle the admissions of wrongdoing by his own people. Star the sentence where pride and criticism appear closest together.
NOTICE
What would an unqualified statement of group pride sound like?
page 1
How does admitting wrongdoing change the credibility of Hawkeye’s self-description?
Can loyalty become stronger rather than weaker when it includes criticism?
THINK
Answer provisionally: What does Hawkeye reveal by asserting his identity while admitting his own people's wrongdoing? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
WRITE
Write a short evidence-based response to: What does Hawkeye reveal by asserting his identity while admitting his own people's wrongdoing? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
CLOSE
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
STRONG ANSWER
Hawkeye's identity claim gains credibility because he can belong to his people without pretending they are blameless. Loyalty includes the capacity to criticize wrongdoing committed by one's own group.
EVIDENCE
Use his assertion of white identity and the admissions or condemnations he makes about white conduct.
WATCH FOR
Do not interpret criticism as rejection of identity. The passage holds belonging and moral judgment together.
SOLO
Read the exact passage independently.
SUPPORTED
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
LISTENING
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
page 2
STUDENT PAGE · SAME PASSAGE, SAME THINKING
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
What does Hawkeye reveal by asserting his identity while admitting
his own people's wrongdoing?
START ANCHOR
I am not a prejudiced man
END ANCHOR
my people have many ways, of which, as an honest man, I can’t approve.
Use the Anchor Text Table of Contents in the Enhanced Reader to open the START anchor. Then use the dropdown to select the END anchor.
OPEN THE MARKED PASSAGE IN TUMBLELIT
SOLO: read independently. SUPPORTED: use narration + highlighting. LISTENING: listen to the exact passage. The question and evidence task stay the same.
1.MARK - Underline Hawkeye’s statements of identity or loyalty. Circle the admissions of
wrongdoing by his own people. Star the sentence where pride and criticism appear closest together.
2.NOTICE - What would an unqualified statement of group pride sound like? How does admitting
wrongdoing change the credibility of Hawkeye’s self-description? Can loyalty become stronger rather than weaker when it includes criticism?
3.THINK - Answer provisionally: What does Hawkeye reveal by asserting his identity while
admitting his own people's wrongdoing?
4.WRITE - Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage.
Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.
page 3
Original printable PDF
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