Son of a Trickster

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 difficulties and hardships did Indigenous people endure as Canada was colonized? What are some challenges that the Indigenous people of Canada face today?

Teaching Suggestion: With sensitivity to students from diverse backgrounds, consider allowing students to read the overview of the history of Indigenous people in Canada and to compare some of the obstacles facing Indigenous peoples today. The main character, Jared, is part of an Indigenous group that has assimilated into Canadian culture. Some of the problems Jared faces are ones faced by other Indigenous people in Canada today.

• This article provides a brief overview of the history of Indigenous people in Canada.
• This 6-minute video describes 8 specific challenges facing Indigenous people in Canada today.

2. What is generational addiction? What increases the likelihood of addiction? How is choice important? What is the connection between DNA and addiction?

Teaching Suggestion: With sensitivity to family dynamics, consider discussing the connections between generational addiction and DNA. Jared is a product of generational addiction and is in an environment where drugs are prevalent in his household. As a result, Jared himself abuses alcohol and drugs.

• This 8-minute TEDx Talk describes the firsthand experiences of a child of generational addiction.
• This article explains the connection between DNA and addiction in families.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Describe what a dysfunctional family is. What examples have you seen of dysfunctional families on television or in books? What factors may cause a family to become dysfunctional? What do you think is the emotional impact of a dysfunctional family? What reasons might explain why children do not leave dysfunctional families when they have the opportunity?

Teaching Suggestion: With sensitivity to family dynamics, it may be helpful to allow students to view the video links below describing some of the characteristics of dysfunctional families as an anticipatory set. It may be beneficial to ask students to draw parallels between the attributes described in these videos and those of families they may have heard about on TV or through books. Prefacing this prompt with an explanation that, because this is a sensitive topic, students do not need to share their own experiences might be helpful as well.

• This 4-minute video explains the five types of dysfunctional family dynamics.
• This 5-minute video describes common characteristics of a dysfunctional family.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who require an additional challenge, you may want to consider permitting students to research the connections between poverty, drug addiction, and dysfunctional families. Ask students to describe how the three topics are connected and whether these factors tend to be generational or not.