The Native American Experience Focus and Motivate The World … · 2019. 10. 12. · 38 unit 1:...

Selection ResourcesSelection Resources

The Native American Experience

Background

The World on the Turtle’s BackIroquois Creation Myth

did you know? • Both the U.S.

Constitution and the founding charter of the United Nations are based on ideas found in the Iroquois constitution, known as “The Great Binding Law.”

• Iroquois women had many more rights than colonial American women.

• More than 50,000 Iroquois live in the United States today.

“The World on the Turtle’s Back” is an Iroquois (GrPE-kwoiQ) creation story filled with conflict and compelling characters. The Iroquois passed down this story from one generation to the next by telling it in elaborate performances. In the 1800s, David Cusick, an Iroquois author, recorded one version of the story in print. Today, more than 25 written versions of the story exist.

The Power of Unity The term Iroquois refers to six separate Native American groups—the Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Mohawk, and Tuscarora. Five of these groups—all but the Tuscarora—once resided in what is now New York State. They continually waged war with one another, putting themselves at risk of attack from neighboring Algonquin tribes. Troubled by the bloodshed, a Huron named Deganawidah (dE-gäQnE-wCP-dE) joined forces with an Onondaga chief named Hiawatha (hFQE-wJthPE) to end the fighting. Sometime between 1570 and 1600, they formed the Iroquois League,

a confederacy empowered to negotiate treaties with foreign nations and to resolve conflicts among the five nations. In 1722, the Tuscarora, from North Carolina, joined the league. For the next 175 to 200 years, the Iroquois managed to dominate other Native American groups and to remain free of both British and French rule.

The Iroquois Way of Life The league’s effectiveness stemmed in part from the nations’ shared culture. The groups spoke similar languages, held similar beliefs, and followed similar ways of life. They lived in longhouses made of pole frames covered with elm bark, and they built fences around their villages for protection. Up to 50 people occupied each longhouse, and 300 to 600 people lived in each village. Villages were governed by a chief or chiefs, who received advice from a council of adult males. Groups of women gathered wild fruits and nuts and cultivated corn, beans, and squash. In addition to waging war, the men traded, hunted, fished, and built the longhouses.

The Iroquois Through Time During the American Revolution, the Iroquois nations disagreed about whether to support the rebelling colonists or Great Britain. This dispute severely weakened the Iroquois League. Today, the league shows renewed vigor as it fights for environmental protection and increased recognition by the U.S. government.

The totem, or tribal symbol, of the Iroquois

Go to thinkcentral.com. KEYWORD: HML11-36Author Online

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RL 1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL 2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

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Essential Course of Study ecosecos


about the iroQuoisHave students read this page and summarize the key points. Students should recognize that:• the Iroquois passed down myths such as

“The World on the Turtle’s Back” through oral tradition, as discussed on page 26 of the historical essay

• the term Iroquois refers to six separate Native American groups

NOTABLE QUOTE“[Native American] stories . . . remind the people of who and what they are, why they are in this particular place, and how they should continue to live here.”—Larry Evers, Paul Pavich

Have students paraphrase the quotation and discuss the role of creation myths in preserv-ing people’s sense of history and tradition.

Focus and Motivate

* Resources for Differentiation † Also in Spanish ‡ Also in Haitian Creole and Vietnamese

RESOURCE MANAGER UNIT 1Plan and Teach, pp. 9–16Summary, pp. 17–18†‡Text Analysis and Reading

Skill, pp. 19–20†, 21–22†DIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION

TESTSSelection Tests, pp. 25–28

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKITWord Questioning, p. E9

INTERACTIVE READERADAPTED INTERACTIVE READERELL ADAPTED INTERACTIVE

READER

TECHNOLOGY Teacher One Stop DVD-ROM Student One Stop DVD-ROM PowerNotes DVD-ROM Audio Anthology CD GrammarNotes DVD-ROM ExamView Test Generator on the Teacher One Stop

See resources on the Teacher One Stop DVD-ROM and on thinkcentral.com.

Features on thinkcentral.com that support the selection include• PowerNotes presentation • ThinkAloud models to enhance

comprehension• WordSharp vocabulary tutorials• interactive writing and grammar

instruction

Find It Online!


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Teach

differentiated instruction

How do we make SENSE of our world?Introduce the question and discuss why people are eager to understand the origin of their world. Extend the exploration by having groups complete the DISCUSS activity.

for english language learnersConcept Support: Reading Folk Literature Explain that folk literature typically teaches life lessons. For example, the story of King Midas and the golden touch presents a les-son about greed. The Greek myth of Arachne warns against boastfulness. All the fables of Aesop contain morals. By providing lessons with which listeners and readers can identify, folk literature transmits values and beliefs that are important to a culture or society.

Model the Skill: creation myths

To model for students that different stories are used to explain the creation of the world, point out that science fiction novels and films, like Star Trek and 2001: A Space Odyssey, often use supernatural and mythic elements in their narratives. Ask students why writers at different points in history might use existing expla-nations of the creation of the universe to create their own myths. Point out that cre-ation myths also reflect a culture’s physical environment.GUIDED PRACTICE Ask students what kinds of questions a creation myth is likely, or unlikely, to answer.

T E X T A N A L Y S I S

Model the Skill: reading folk literature

Tell students that folk literature originates in many cultures. Point out American examples, such as the Paul Bunyan folk tales, and tales from other cultures, such as ancient Greek myths, or Aesop’s fables. Discuss why folk literature is popular.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterReading Folk Literature p. 21 (for student use while reading the selection)

R E A D I N G S T R A T E G Y

Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

How do we make senseof our world?Since the beginning of time, people of all cultures have gathered to discuss one of life’s biggest questions: how was the world created? The Iroquois creation myth you’re about to read offers one answer to this question about the origin of the world. DISCUSS What different accounts of creation—biblical narratives, scientific theories, or stories from other cultures, for example—have you heard or read? With a small group of classmates, summarize as many of these accounts as you know.

text analysis: creation mythsA myth is a traditional story, usually involving supernatural beings or events, that explains how some aspect of human nature or the natural world came to be. A creation myth is a specific kind of myth that typically • describes how the universe, the earth, and life began• explains the workings of the natural world• supports and validates social customs and valuesAs you read “The World on the Turtle’s Back,” note the supernatural explanations it offers of the world’s origin. Think about how this myth serves the functions listed here.

reading strategy: reading folk literatureYou’re probably already familiar with different types of folk literature, which includes folk tales, myths, fables, and legends passed orally from one generation to the next. The creation myth you are about to read is another example of folk literature. Using the following strategies as you read will help you not only understand and appreciate the myth’s themes but also glean information about the culture it comes from: • Read the myth aloud, or imagine a storyteller’s voice as

you read silently. • Note mysteries of nature and details about creation that

the myth explains. • Make inferences about the social values or customs taught

through the characters and situations. • Look for details that reveal other aspects of Iroquois culture. As you read, use a chart like the one shown to record your notes and observations about the three kinds of information you find in this myth.

Details About Creation/Nature

Social Values or Customs

Other Cultural Details

Before the earth was created, humans and animals “of the kind that are around us now” did not exist.

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the world on the turtle’s back 37

RL 2

RL 1 RL 2

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38 unit 1: early american writing

WorldTurtle’s Back

Iroquois

In the beginning there was no world, no land, no creatures of the kind that are around us now, and there were no men. But there was a great ocean which occupied space as far as anyone could see. Above the ocean was a great void of air. And in the air there lived the birds of the sea; in the ocean lived the fish and the creatures of the deep. Far above this unpeopled world, there was a Sky-World. Here lived gods who were like people—like Iroquois.

In the Sky-World there was a man who had a wife, and the wife was expecting a child. The woman became hungry for all kinds of strange delicacies, as women do when they are with child. She kept her husband busy almost to distraction finding delicious things for her to eat.

In the middle of the Sky-World there grew a Great Tree which was not like any of the trees that we know. It was tremendous; it had grown there forever. It had enormous roots that spread out from the floor of the Sky-World. And on its branches there were many different kinds of leaves and different kinds of fruits and flowers. The tree was not supposed to be marked or mutilated by any of the beings who dwelt in the Sky-World. It was a sacred tree that stood at the center of the universe. a

The woman decided that she wanted some bark from one of the roots of the Great Tree—perhaps as a food or as a medicine, we don’t know. She told her husband this. He didn’t like the idea. He knew it was wrong. But she insisted, and he gave in. So he dug a hole among the roots of this great sky tree, and he bared some of its roots. But the floor of the Sky-World wasn’t very thick, and he broke a hole through it. He was terrified, for he had never expected to find empty space underneath the world.

The World on theTurtle’s Back

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Sky Woman (1936), Ernest Smith. Courtesy of the Rochester Museum and

Science Center, Rochester, New York.

Analyze VisualsExamine the painting on page 39. How does the artist use light and color to emphasize the division between the Sky-World and the void below it?

a CREATION MYTHSSo far, how is this myth similar to and different from other accounts of creation you’ve heard or read? Explain your answer, citing details.

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Targeted Passage1T E X T A N A L Y S I S

differentiated instruction

Practice and ApplysummaryThis Iroquois creation myth describes how the earth is formed. Before the earth’s creation, a vast ocean lies beneath the Sky-World of the gods. When a woman falls through the floor of the Sky-World, birds set her down upon a great sea turtle. A muskrat brings her soil from the ocean bottom, which the woman uses to make the land. She gives birth to a daughter who, in turn, bears twin boys. The boys—one honest, the other devious—struggle against each other, each playing a part in creating and ruling the world.

read with a purposeHelp students set a purpose for reading. Tell them to read “The World on the Turtle’s Back” to learn how the Iroquois believed the earth was formed.

for struggling readersIn combination with the Audio Anthology CD, use one or more Targeted Passages (pp. 38, 40, 41, 42, 44) to ensure that students focus on key story events and concepts. Targeted Passages are also good for English learners.1 Targeted Passage [Lines 1–17]

This passage introduces the mythical setting and the woman who is a key character. It also describes the sacred Great Tree.

• What is the setting of this myth? (lines 1–6)• Who lives in the Sky-World? (line 6)• What two characters are introduced?

(lines 7–8)• What is special about the Great Tree?

(lines 11–17)

a creation mythsAnswers will vary. Students should cite details both from this myth and from the creation accounts they’ve heard or read. Some students may recognize similarities between the beginning of this myth and the biblical story of Adam and Eve, who tasted fruit of the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Eve encouraged Adam to taste the fruit against his better judgment.


RL 2


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for english language learnersVocabulary Support Use Word Questioning to teach these words: enormous (line 13), fi-nally (line 55), approach (line 86), conflict (line 103), domain (line 176).

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyWord Questioning p. E9

for advanced learners/apAnalyze Symbolism Have students discuss the symbolism of the Great Tree. Then ask them to recall or research the symbolism associated with trees (for example, the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden) and share their findings with the class. Challenge students to identify literary works that use tree symbolism, such as Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree.

Analyze VisualsPossible answer: The artist paints the Sky-World in bright, sunny yellow hues. In contrast, the void below the Sky-World is dark, its only light coming through the hole from the world above.About the Art In paintings such as Sky Woman, Seneca artist and craftsman Ernest Smith (1907–1975) recorded the traditions and customs of the Iroquois people. Through his clear and clean style, Smith worked to preserve the memory of cultural details that he feared might otherwise be forgotten. The painting on this page vividly depicts the events described at the beginning of “The World on the Turtle’s Back.”

cultural connectionMyths About Twins This Iroquois creation myth centers on the rivalry between twins. In fact, twins play a central role in the legends and myths of many Native American cultures, including those of the Great Plains and the desert Southwest. The Navajo, for example, tell the story of Changing Woman and the Hero Twins, a myth of how twins rid the world of monsters, making it safe for the Navajo people. Invite students to identify stories from other cultures in which twins play an impor-tant role. Encourage them to look for common themes.

This selection on thinkcentral.com includes embedded ThinkAloud models–students “thinking aloud” about the story to model the kinds of questions a good reader would ask about a selection.

Reading Support




But his wife was filled with curiosity. He wouldn’t get any of the roots for her, so she set out to do it herself. She bent over and she looked down, and she saw the ocean far below. She leaned down and stuck her head through the hole and looked all around. No one knows just what happened next. Some say she slipped. Some say that her husband, fed up with all the demands she had made on him, pushed her.

So she fell through the hole. As she fell, she frantically grabbed at its edges, but her hands slipped. However, between her fingers there clung bits of things that were growing on the floor of the Sky-World and bits of the root tips of the Great Tree. And so she began to fall toward the great ocean far below.

The birds of the sea saw the woman falling, and they immediately consulted with each other as to what they could do to help her. Flying wingtip to wingtip they made a great feathery raft in the sky to support her, and thus they broke her fall. But of course it was not possible for them to carry the woman very long. Some of the other birds of the sky flew down to the surface of the ocean and called up the ocean creatures to see what they could do to help. The great sea turtle came and agreed to receive her on his back. The birds placed her gently on the shell of the turtle, and now the turtle floated about on the huge ocean with the woman safely on his back.

The beings up in the Sky-World paid no attention to this. They knew what was happening, but they chose to ignore it.

When the woman recovered from her shock and terror, she looked around her. All that she could see were the birds and the sea creatures and the sky and the ocean.

And the woman said to herself that she would die. But the creatures of the sea came to her and said that they would try to help her and asked her what they could do. She told them that if they could find some soil, she could plant the roots stuck between her fingers, and from them plants would grow. The sea animals said perhaps there was dirt at the bottom of the ocean, but no one had ever been down there so they could not be sure.

If there was dirt at the bottom of the ocean, it was far, far below the surface in the cold deeps. But the animals said they would try to get some. One by one the diving birds and animals tried and failed. They went to the limits of their endurance, but they could not get to the bottom of the ocean. Finally, the muskrat said he would try. He dived and disappeared. All the creatures waited, holding their breath, but he did not return. After a long time, his little body floated up to the surface of the ocean, a tiny crumb of earth clutched in his paw. He seemed to be dead. They pulled him up on the turtle’s back and they sang and prayed over him and breathed air into his mouth, and finally, he stirred. Thus it was the muskrat, the Earth-Diver, who brought from the bottom of the ocean the soil from which the earth was to grow. b

The woman took the tiny clod of dirt and placed it on the middle of the great sea turtle’s back. Then the woman began to walk in a circle around it, moving in the direction that the sun goes. The earth began to grow. When the earth was big

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b FOLK LITERATUREReread lines 46–62 and consider the role that “all the creatures” play in this myth. What does this suggest about the Iroquois’ attitude toward animals?

Language CoachMeanings of idioms. “Fed up with” in line 28 is an idiom, an expression that means something different than the literal meaning of the words. “Fed up with” means “wearied or tired of” (to the point of losing patience or control). Use this idiom to explain in your own words why the husband may have pushed his wife.

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Targeted Passage2

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for struggling readers2 Targeted Passage [Lines 29–49]

This passage explains how the first woman comes to the world and how animals help her. It also sets up the explanation for the creation of soil and plants in the world.• How does the woman leave the Sky-World?

What does she hold? (lines 29–32)• Predict how the myth may explain the be-

ginning of plants on the earth. (lines 48–49)

for english language learnersLanguage CoachMeanings of idioms. Possible answer:The husband is tired of his wife’s demands for new foods to eat. Have students work in mixed-ability pairs to determine the meaning of these idioms: “to be all ears,” “to be out of one’s depth.” Then have students write sentences demonstrating understanding of each idiom.

revisit the big QUESTIONHow do we make SENSE of our world?Discuss In lines 33–67, how does the great sea turtle’s role in the origin of the world explain the title of the story? Possible answer: The turtle takes the falling woman on his back (lines 38–41), where she remains afloat in the ocean. The woman places dirt from the ocean bottom on the turtle’s back and plants the roots from the Great Tree in the soil. In time, the “earth began to grow” and “the plants grew on the earth” (lines 65–67). Thus, the world formed on the turtle’s back.

b Model the Skill: folk literature

To model analyzing the Iroquois’ attitude toward animals, read aloud lines 33–41 and lines 46–62. Discuss how the various crea-tures respond to the woman’s situation.Possible answer: The animals play a significant role in the myth, helping and supporting the woman. They are depicted as wise and resourceful, suggesting that the Iroquois had a respectful, even reverential, attitude toward animals.IF STUDENTS NEED HELP . . . Have students review lines 33–41. Discuss how the sea creatures respond to the woman’s situation.Have students reread lines 46–62. Talk about how the animals help the woman.Discuss how the creatures’ actions and reactions reveal the Iroquois’ positive feelings toward animals.


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1. the three sisters: Corn, beans, and squash—the Iroquois’ staple food crops—were grown together. The bean vines climbed and were supported by the corn stalks; squash, which spread across the ground and kept weeds from growing, was planted around the bean plants.

enough, she planted the roots she had clutched between her fingers when she fell from the Sky-World. Thus the plants grew on the earth.

To keep the earth growing, the woman walked as the sun goes, moving in the direction that the people still move in the dance rituals. She gathered roots and plants to eat and built herself a little hut. After a while, the woman’s time came, and she was delivered of a daughter. The woman and her daughter kept walking in a circle around the earth, so that the earth and plants would continue to grow. They lived on the plants and roots they gathered. The girl grew up with her mother, cut off forever from the Sky-World above, knowing only the birds and the creatures of the sea, seeing no other beings like herself.

One day, when the girl had grown to womanhood, a man appeared. No one knows for sure who this man was. He had something to do with the gods above. Perhaps he was the West Wind. As the girl looked at him, she was filled with terror, and amazement, and warmth, and she fainted dead away. As she lay on the ground, the man reached into his quiver, and he took out two arrows, one sharp and one blunt, and he laid them across the body of the girl, and quietly went away.

When the girl awoke from her faint, she and her mother continued to walk around the earth. After a while, they knew that the girl was to bear a child. They did not know it, but the girl was to bear twins.

Within the girl’s body, the twins began to argue and quarrel with one another. There could be no peace between them. As the time approached for them to be born, the twins fought about their birth. The right-handed twin wanted to be born in the normal way, as all children are born. But the left-handed twin said no. He said he saw light in another direction, and said he would be born that way. The right-handed twin beseeched him not to, saying that he would kill their mother. But the left-handed twin was stubborn. He went in the direction where he saw light. But he could not be born through his mother’s mouth or her nose. He was born through her left armpit, and killed her. And meanwhile, the right-handed twin was born in the normal way, as all children are born. c

The twins met in the world outside, and the right-handed twin accused his brother of murdering their mother. But the grandmother told them to stop their quarreling. They buried their mother. And from her grave grew the plants which the people still use. From her head grew the corn, the beans, and the squash—“our supporters, the three sisters.”1 And from her heart grew the sacred tobacco, which the people still use in the ceremonies and by whose upward-floating smoke they send thanks. The women call her “our mother,” and they dance and sing in the rituals so that the corn, the beans, and the squash may grow to feed the people.

But the conflict of the twins did not end at the grave of their mother. And, strangely enough, the grandmother favored the left-handed twin.

The right-handed twin was angry, and he grew more angry as he thought how his brother had killed their mother. The right-handed twin was the one who did everything just as he should. He said what he meant, and he meant what he said.

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c CREATION MYTHSMythic stories often include the miraculous birth of a child. In the Star Wars movies, the hero Luke Skywalker and his twin sister Leia are born when their mother dies during childbirth. The miraculous birth of the Star Wars twins is kept a secret from others in the story, but the Iroquois rely on this element of the text structure to show how their world was created. What else might the birth of the twins represent here?

RL 2


Targeted Passage3


This passage explains how plants began to grow on the earth and how the birth of the first twins brought conflict to the earth.• From where do the roots come that the

woman plants in the world? (lines 66–67)• Who visits the girl after she has grown to

womanhood? How does she respond? (lines 76–79)

• What do the twins do as they begin to grow? (line 85)

for english language learnersRelated Vocabulary Stress that the conflict between the twins takes many forms, which are signified in the author’s choice of words. Teach these closely related words from page 41: argue (line 85), quarrel (line 85), fought (line 87), kill (line 90), murdering (line 96), conflict (line 103).

tiered discussion promptsIn lines 85–106, use these prompts to help students understand the events leading up to the twins’ birth and the effects of their birth:

Recall How is the twins’ mother related to the woman who fell from the Sky-World? How are the twins related to her? Answer: The twins’ mother is the adult daughter of the woman who fell from the Sky-World. The twins are the woman’s grandchildren. Analyze What causes the death of the twins’ mother? What positive effect results from her death? What negative effect? Possible answers: The stubborn left-handed twin wants to go toward the light he sees, so he is born through her left armpit, which kills her. A positive effect is that useful plants grow from the mother’s grave. A negative ef-fect is that the right-handed twin blames his brother for killing their mother.Synthesize The author writes that there “could be no peace between” the unborn twins (line 86). Symbolically, what might this conflict between the twins represent? Possible answer: It might represent the “birth” of the struggle between good and evil in the world.

c creation mythsPossible answer: The twins’ birth might represent the birth of the Iroquois people and the good and bad nature of each indi-vidual person.



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He always told the truth, and he always tried to accomplish what seemed to be right and reasonable. The left-handed twin never said what he meant or meant what he said. He always lied, and he always did things backward. You could never tell what he was trying to do because he always made it look as if he were doing the opposite. He was the devious one. d

These two brothers, as they grew up, represented two ways of the world which are in all people. The Indians did not call these the right and the wrong. They called them the straight mind and the crooked mind, the upright man and the devious man, the right and the left.

The twins had creative powers. They took clay and modeled it into animals, and they gave these animals life. And in this they contended with one another. The right-handed twin made the deer, and the left-handed twin made the mountain lion which kills the deer. But the right-handed twin knew there would always be more deer than mountain lions. And he made another animal. He made the ground squirrel. The left-handed twin saw that the mountain lion could not get to the ground squirrel, who digs a hole, so he made the weasel. And although the weasel can go into the ground squirrel’s hole and kill him, there are lots of ground squirrels and not so many weasels. Next the right-handed twin decided he would make an animal that the weasel could not kill, so he made the porcupine. But the left-handed twin made the bear, who flips the porcupine over on his back and tears out his belly.

And the right-handed twin made berries and fruits of other kinds for his creatures to live on. The left-handed twin made briars and poison ivy, and the poisonous plants like the baneberry and the dogberry, and the suicide root with which people kill themselves when they go out of their minds. And the left-handed twin made medicines, for good and for evil, for doctoring and for witchcraft.

And finally, the right-handed twin made man. The people do not know just how much the left-handed twin had to do with making man. Man was made of clay, like pottery, and baked in the fire. . . .

The world the twins made was a balanced and orderly world, and this was good. The plant-eating animals created by the right-handed twin would eat up all the vegetation if their number was not kept down by the meat-eating animals, which the left-handed twin created. But if these carnivorous animals ate too many other animals, then they would starve, for they would run out of meat. So the right- and the left-handed twins built balance into the world.

As the twins became men full grown, they still contested with one another. No one had won, and no one had lost. And they knew that the conflict was becoming sharper and sharper, and one of them would have to vanquish the other.

And so they came to the duel. They started with gambling. They took a wooden bowl, and in it they put wild plum pits. One side of the pits was burned black, and by tossing the pits in the bowl and betting on how these would fall, they gambled against one another, as the people still do in the New Year’s

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d FOLK LITERATUREReread lines 95–112. Which twin is characterized as being more admirable? What does this characterization tell you about Iroquois values?

Language CoachWord Definitions Look at the word doctoring in line 133. Many people know the term doctor, but doctoring or to doctor might be unfamiliar. Doctoring here means “healing.” What clues from the text help you guess the meaning of doctoring?


Targeted Passage4

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This passage describes the twins’ role in achieving balance in the world.• Paraphrase this sentence: “These two

brothers, as they grew up, represented two ways of the world which are in all people.” (lines 113–114)

• What are some of the living things that each twin created? (lines 119–128)

for english language learnersLanguage CoachWord Definitions: Possible Answer: A clue is that the twin made medicines for doctoring. In that same phrase, “for doctoring and for witchcraft,” point out to students that the suffix craft means “a skill of a particular kind.” Have students think of other words ending in “craft” and use them in sentences. Possible answers: needlecraft, stagecraft

tiered discussion promptsIn lines 117–142, use these prompts to help students understand the role of the twins in creating a balanced world:

Connect What examples in nature can you think of that suggest “a balanced and or-derly world” (line 137)? Possible answer: The rise and fall of the moon controls the tides. Analyze How do the opposing efforts of the twins create balance in the world? Possible answer: Each twin uses his powers to counterbalance the other’s creations. For example, one twin makes deer and squirrels, while the other twin creates predators who kill these animals (lines 119–125). Evaluate How effective is the author in showing how the twins achieved a natural balance in the newly created world? Explain. Accept all reasonable responses.

d Model the Skill: folk literature

Tell students that they can infer social values of Iroquois culture from these characters. Read aloud lines 95–112 and lead a discussion to analyze the twins’ behaviors. Have students volunteer their observations about the social values illustrated in the passage.Possible answer: The right-handed twin is characterized as admirable. He is truthful and direct, while the left-handed twin is un-truthful and devious. This characterization suggests that the Iroquois valued honesty and straightforwardness.



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2. New Year’s rites: various ceremonies to get ready for the New Year. They often included community confession of sins, the replenishing of hearths in the homes, and sacred dances, as well as the gambling ritual.

3. lacrosse: a game of Native American origin wherein participants on two teams use long-handled sticks with webbed pouches to maneuver a ball into the opposing team’s goal.

rites.2 All through the morning they gambled at this game, and all through the afternoon, and the sun went down. And when the sun went down, the game was done, and neither one had won.

So they went on to battle one another at the lacrosse3 game. And they contested all day, and the sun went down, and the game was done. And neither had won.

And now they battled with clubs, and they fought all day, and the sun went down, and the fight was done. But neither had won. e

And they went from one duel to another to see which one would succumb. Each one knew in his deepest mind that there was something, somewhere, that would vanquish the other. But what was it? Where to find it?

Each knew somewhere in his mind what it was that was his own weak point. They talked about this as they contested in these duels, day after day, and somehow the deep mind of each entered into the other. And the deep mind of the right-handed twin lied to his brother, and the deep mind of the left-handed twin told the truth.

On the last day of the duel, as they stood, they at last knew how the right-handed twin was to kill his brother. Each selected his weapon. The left-handed twin chose a mere stick that would do him no good. But the right-handed twin

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e FOLK LITERATUREReread lines 146–156. Note in your chart the information about Iroquois customs and rituals you learn from these lines.

Detail of Sky Woman (1936), Ernest Smith. Courtesy of the Rochester Museum and Science Center, Rochester, New York.


Analyze VisualsActivity Ask students what ideas this detail from the painting on page 39 emphasizes.Possible answer: The detail emphasizes the importance of the turtle and, by extrapolation, of other animals in the creation myth of the Iroquois.

for advanced learners/apAnalyze Tone and Style [small-group option] Have students work in small groups to discuss the author’s tone and style. Have them analyze the sentence variety, diction, and author’s viewpoint. Then have them con-sider these questions:• Does the author reveal any personal feel-

ings about the Iroquois’ beliefs, or does the author remain totally neutral?

• Is the author’s tone and style appropriate for the subject?

• In what ways might the author have changed the style and tone of the selection? How would these changes have affected the readers’ response to the selection?

Encourage groups to exchange their conclusions.

E folk literaturePossible answer: Details About Creation/ Nature

Social Values or Customs

Other Cultural Details

The Iroquois gambled and played lacrosse. They held ceremonies to prepare for the New Year.



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picked out the deer antler, and with one touch he destroyed his brother. And the left-handed twin died, but he died and he didn’t die. The right-handed twin picked up the body and cast it off the edge of the earth. And some place below the world, the left-handed twin still lives and reigns.

When the sun rises from the east and travels in a huge arc along the sky dome, which rests like a great upside-down cup on the saucer of the earth, the people are in the daylight realm of the right-handed twin. But when the sun slips down in the west at nightfall and the dome lifts to let it escape at the western rim, the people are again in the domain of the left-handed twin—the fearful realm of night.

Having killed his brother, the right-handed twin returned home to his grandmother. And she met him in anger. She threw the food out of the cabin onto the ground and said that he was a murderer, for he had killed his brother. He grew angry and told her she had always helped his brother, who had killed their mother. In his anger, he grabbed her by the throat and cut her head off. Her body he threw into the ocean, and her head, into the sky. There, “Our Grandmother, the Moon” still keeps watch at night over the realm of her favorite grandson. f

The right-handed twin has many names. One of them is Sapling. It means smooth, young, green and fresh and innocent, straightforward, straight-growing, soft and pliable, teachable and trainable. These are the old ways of describing him. But since he has gone away, he has other names. He is called “He Holds Up the Skies,” “Master of Life,” and “Great Creator.”

The left-handed twin also has many names. One of them is Flint. He is called the devious one, the one covered with boils. Old Warty. He is stubborn. He is thought of as being dark in color.

These two beings rule the world and keep an eye on the affairs of men. The right-handed twin, the Master of Life, lives in the Sky-World. He is content with the world he helped to create and with his favorite creatures, the humans. The scent of sacred tobacco rising from the earth comes gloriously to his nostrils.

In the world below lives the left-handed twin. He knows the world of men, and he finds contentment in it. He hears the sounds of warfare and torture, and he finds them good.

In the daytime, the people have rituals which honor the right-handed twin. Through the daytime rituals, they thank the Master of Life. In the nighttime, the people dance and sing for the left-handed twin. !

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180

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f CREATION MYTHSThe transformation of a character is a common element of mythology, often used to explain natural phenomena. Consider the natural feature explained in lines 172–183. How does this myth explain the fact that the moon is visible mainly at night?

THEME AND GENREThe right-handed twin is also called “the Master of Life.” Many works of mythic literature are built around the idea of a good hero overcoming obstacles and eventually achieving a reward. The 2001 film Shrek uses some of the elements of mythic literature to illustrate the struggle of a character who must overcome the problems of an ogre to gain his reward. How would you relate the idea of a good hero who overcomes obstacles to a recent film you’ve seen?

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Targeted Passage5

f Model the Skill: creation myths

Point out to students that the left-handed twin, the grandmother’s favorite, reigns over the realm of the night. Read aloud lines 177–183 and discuss how, in death, the grandmother transformed to remain near her favorite grandson.Extend the Discussion Why do you suppose the grandmother favors the left-handed twin (see also line 104)?


selection wrap–upREAD WITH A PURPOSE Now that students have read “The World on the Turtle’s Back,” ask them to consider how well the selection accomplishes the goal of telling how the world was created. Possible answer: The myth accounts for the creation of the earth, plants, humans, and some animals. However, it does not explain the origin of animals that assist the woman from the Sky-World.

CRITIQUE

• Have students evaluate the story. Discuss which parts were most and least interest-ing. Ask whether the story would have been more or less effective if told in a more con-ventional manner.

• After completing the After Reading ques-tions on page 45, have students revisit their responses and tell whether they have changed their opinions.

INDEPENDENT READING Students may also enjoy reading John

Bierhorst’s Latin American Folktales: Stories from Hispanic and Indian Traditions.


This passage summarizes the twins’ shared role in ruling the world.• Which twin lives in the Sky-World?

(lines 192–193)• Which twin controls “the world below”?

(line 196)• How do the people show their apprecia-

tion of both twins? (lines 199–201)

for struggling readersDevelop Reading Fluency Use the lyrical language in lines 184–201 to promote read-ers’ interest. Have students work in small groups, with different individuals reading aloud one each of the five paragraphs. Remind them to be expressive and to use punctuation as a guide for pauses and other emphasis. Encourage students to share their thoughts on how a fluent reader keeps listeners interested and engaged.

T H E M E A N D G E N R Etext structureAfter students have read this story, ask them to discuss films, plays, or novels that connect to other myths about creation.


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After Reading

Comprehension 1. Recall How do the animals help the woman who fell from the sky? 2. Recall What roles do the grandmother and her daughter play in the earth’s

creation? 3. Summarize What is the outcome of the battles between the twins?

Text Analysis 4. Compare and Contrast How

does this myth compare with the accounts of the world’s origin you summarized before you read? Use a Venn diagram to record the differences and similarities between “The World on the Turtle’s Back” and one of the accounts you discussed.

5. Analyze a Creation Myth Reread lines 105–112. Summarize the differences between the right-handed twin and the left-handed twin. Why do you think the Iroquois honor both twins? What elements of human nature are explained by “The World on the Turtle’s Back”?

6. Draw Conclusions from Folk Literature Folk literature often transmits central ideas about a people’s culture and way of life. Review the details you noted in your chart as you read. From this myth, what did you learn about the Iroquois’• attitude toward nature?• view of their gods?• important food, games, and rituals?• beliefs about good and evil?

Text Criticism 7. Critical Interpretations Creation stories often serve many purposes.

According to Larry Evers and Paul Pavich, scholars of Native American literature, such stories “remind the people of who and what they are, why they are in this particular place, and how they should continue to live here.” Do you think that “The World on the Turtle’s Back” fulfills these functions? Explain, citing evidence from the text to support your interpretation.

How do we make sense of our world?How did the Iroquois make sense of their surroundings? Why might this story have been important to them?

Another Creation Account

“The World on the Turtle’s Back”


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For preliminary support of post-reading questions, use these copy masters:

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MastersReading Check p. 23Creation Myths p. 19Question Support p. 24Additional selection questions are provided for teachers on page 13.

answers 1. The birds break the woman’s fall; the turtle

carries her on its back; the muskrat brings back soil from the ocean floor.

2. The woman and her daughter make the earth grow by walking around the soil. The daughter gives birth to twins, who eventually rule the earth.

3. The left-handed twin is defeated but reigns in the underworld, while the right-handed twin rules from the Sky-World.

Possible answers: 4. Answers will vary. Encourage students to be

specific. 5. common core focus Analyze a Cre-

ation Myth The right-handed twin tells the truth and acts in a “right and reasonable” way. He creates edible berries and herbivo-rous animals. The left-handed twin lies, does things “backward,” and acts deviously. He creates poisonous plants and carnivo-rous animals. The Iroquois honor both twins because they recognize “crooked” and “straight,” predators and prey as necessary to a balanced world. The myth explains why humans have both virtuous and devious impulses.

6. common core focus Draw Conclu-sions from Folk Literature The Iroquois respect nature. They see animals as worthy of admiration; they respect the balance of nature. The Iroquois believe the world was created by a higher power; they speak of their gods with reverence. Corn, beans, and squash are essential to the Iroquois; lacrosse is a key game and competition is important; the Iroquois perform ceremo-nies to get ready for the New Year. The Iroquois believe good and evil together create a balanced world.

7. Students may say that the myth explains where the Iroquois came from, suggests why humans feel conflicting impulses and emotions, and serves as a guide for living by teaching reverence both for the gods and for nature.

How do we make SENSE of our world? Possible answer: They used myths to explain nature; the stories provide an explanation for their creation.

Practice and Apply

Assess and ReteachAssessDIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION TESTS

Selection Test A pp. 25–26Selection Test B/C pp. 27–28

Interactive Selection Test on thinkcentral.comReteachLevel Up Online Tutorials on thinkcentral.com


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