Native American Oral Traditions

PART ONE : Reading Comprehension (Archetypes)

After reading the section on Native American Oral Traditions (pp. 20-25, answer the following questions):

·         (“The Sun Still Rises…”) What idea does Bruchac’s title suggest?

·         (“The Sky Tree”) What aspects of the settings in this myth are archetypes? What other stories have used the same archetypes?

·         (“The Earth Only”) What does the idea repeated in the last three lines of this chant signify about the position of old men in this culture?

·         (“Coyote Finishes His Work”) What does the archetype of the Earth-mother in this story reveal about the Nez Perce vision of nature?

PART TWO: Creative Writing

Think of a type of severe weather. Write a short story explaining the origin of this type of weather.

·         Use at least two animal characters in your story.

·         Include dialogue to help tell the story.

·         Draw a picture to illustrate the main idea in your story (on construction paper)

·         Write a creative title for your story on the construction paper with your illustration.

·         Tape the notebook paper with your story and the questions onto the back of the construction paper.