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 the history and culture of the Navajo people? Where is the Navajo Nation, and how many people live there? What are some of the strengths and struggles of the Navajo community today?

Teaching Suggestion: Students can draw from their prior knowledge to answer the first question, but they may need to conduct research before answering the rest. You might ask students to pause after answering the first question and then give them time to consult the sources below or similar resources before attempting to answer the remaining questions.

To provide context for this short-answer question and the resources below, it might be helpful to explain to students that the novel they are about to read is about a young Navajo boy who visits his grandmother on the reservation.

• This brief article provides information about the history, population, and culture of the Navajo Nation.
• This concise article provides details about Navajo history and the struggles faced by contemporary Navajo people.

2. What can individuals do to conserve water? What factors make water scarce or unsafe? How many people lack running water in the United States today?