Identity, Meaning, and Engagement with School: A Native American Student's Composition of a Life Map in a Senior English Class

Abstract

Abstract:This case study of a Native American high school senior focuses on one of the final assignments he completed before dropping out of school early in the school year. The task was to draw a life map — a nonverbal text that identified 10 key life events on his journey to that point — as part of a larger unit on identity for his senior English class. The protocol analysis identified the possible topics he considered for inclusion in his life map, along with the cultural dimensions of the task that we infer kept him engaged enough to complete it at home while simultaneously producing the think-aloud protocol for the research. The article concludes with a consideration of the potential of assignments that enable nonverbal composing based on life and cultural experiences for engaging Indigenous students who are otherwise disengaged from school.