December 17, 2014 Universal themes continued

The Crane Maiden vs. Aunty Misery

Homework: Get progress report signed

Get a copy of Ben Mikaelsen's Touching Spirit Bear

ObjectiveI can evaluate universal themes across multi-cultural texts.

Warm Up: Take out a clean sheet of paper. Put your first and last name in the upper right hand corner. On the title line, write Yeh-Shen /

Sootface Quiz. Skip that first line and then number 1-10. Yeh-Shen starts on pg. 762.

universal theme

theme = message about life or human nature

universal = throughout time / different cultures

universal themes are lessons about life that are found throughout the literature of all time periods.

What was the universal theme found in all of the Cinderella stories that we read?

Today we will be looking at another universal theme:

There are times when we have to let go and say goodbye.

In your groups of 4, make a list of stories or movies in which a character has to give up something or someone. Then pick one situation that you agree was most difficult and explain why.

Some of the Cinderella stories that we read were folk tales. We will be reading two more examples of folk tales today and tomorrow, one is Japanese and the other is Puerto Rican.

Let's review the characteristics of folk tales together.

characters may be human or animal and represent one or more qualities such as greed, honesty or cleverness

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characters may be human or animal and represent one or more qualities such as greed, honesty or clevernessa wise message or lesson about life is presented at the end

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characters may be human or animal and represent one or more qualities such as greed, honesty or clevernessa wise message or lesson about life is presented at the end similar stylistic elements or motifs magic helpertransformations the rule of three

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Turn in your Lit book to pg. 748

The Crane Maiden A Japanese folk tale

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What have you learned so far about the setting and characters?

A. Summarize

What quality or qualities have the old man and his wife demonstrated?

B. Folk tales

What has happened in the story so far?

C. Summarize

Pay attention to what the girl requests in lines 57-59. A common stylistic element in traditional tales is "binding promise," in which a mysterious character requests that others do (or do not do) something. Based on your experience with folk tales, what is usually the outcome when a character asks others to keep a promise like this?

D. Folk tales

What has happened in the story since the young girl arrived at the old couple's home?

E. Summarize

In traditional tales, events often occur in sets of three. How many times has the girl gone to the loom?

F. Folk tales

What quality or qualities might the crane represent?

G. Folk tales

What supernatural abilities does the crane demonstrate?

H. Folk tales

What is the old couple meant to learn from this experience?

I. Folk tales

December 18, 2014 Universal themes continued

The Crane Maiden vs. Aunty Misery

Homework: Get progress report signed

Get a copy of Ben Mikaelsen's Touching Spirit Bear

ObjectiveI can evaluate universal themes across multi-cultural texts.

Warm Up:What are the three main characteristics of a folk tale? Bullet these in your notes and take out your questions from The Crane Maiden.

Turn in your Lit book to pg. 754

Aunty Misery A Puerto Rican folk tale

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Which characteristics of folk tales are in this story so far?

J. Folk tales

How does Aunty Misery solve her problem?

K. Summarize

Which qualities does Aunty Misery demonstrate through her actions?

L. Folk tales

Quiz time!

Take out a clean sheet of paper. Put your first and last name in the upper right hand corner. On the title line, write Crane

Maiden / Aunty Misery Quiz. Skip that first line and then number 1-10.

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1. What does the old man in "The Crane Maiden" discover in the marsh? A. silver dishes B. a young girlC. a trapped birdD. beautiful cloth

2. In "The Crane Maiden," the couple makes the terrible mistake of: A. trapping a crane in the marshB. making a lonely girl their daughterC. selling their daughter's cloth for goldD. peaking into their daughter's weaving room

3. In "Aunty Misery," the old woman is greatly troubled because of: A. unwanted visitors seeking a place to stayB. children stealing her pearsC. her old age and bent bodyD. her fear of dying

4. Which sentence best summarizes the events in "Aunty Misery"? A. A woman's kindness gains her a supernatural tree and her quick thinking allows her to escape Death. B. Angered that children are stealing her pears, an old woman complains to a sorcerer. C. At an old woman's request, Death climbs into a pear tree and becomes stuck. D. Without death in the world, people stop going to doctors and pharmacists.

5. Both stories share the folk tale characteristics of: A. beautiful clothB. lonely travelersC. supernatural beingsD. talking birds

6. Before she begins to weave, the girl in "The Crane Maiden" asks the old couple to promise to: A. leave her alone while she weavesB. free more trapped birdsC. give her new kimonosD. pay her in gold

7. Which sentence best summarizes the events in "The Crane Maiden"?A. The beauty of a crane deeply moves an old man when he releases it from a trap. B. When two old people adopt a lonely girl, her weaving talent enriches their lives. C. An old couple gains a supernatural gift because of their kindness, but loses it through curiosity. D. Each year, an old couple leaves a bowl of grain for a beautiful crane.

8. Why does the sorcerer grant the old woman's wish in "Aunty Misery"?A. He saw children stealing her fruit. B. He pities her because she lives alone. C. She gave him food and a place to sleep. D. She helped him find his way through the woods.

9. The old woman captures Death in "Aunty Misery" because she: A. makes Death sick from eating pears from her treeB. informs Death that there are children in the treeC. persuades Death to leave and never come backD. tells Death to climb her tree and he gets stuck

10. In the folk tales "The Crane Maiden" and "Aunty Misery", people: A. supernaturally change into birds B. receive a supernatural gift for being kindC. lose a supernatural gift for being too curiousD. behave badly and are supernaturally punished

Aunty Misery used her wish to eventually play a trick on Death. With a partner, you will come up with a similar trickster tale.

Your story will need to have the following elements:

A colorful illustration on the front coverAunty Misery must have a problem. She helps a stranger and is granted a wish that solves this problem. She uses this wish to cleverly trick someone else. BE CLEVER and stick with the characteristics of folk tales!