Blancaflor - 1st Close Read

​Blancaflor - 1st Close read

By Yvonne Smith

Often in a folktale, the hero/heroine has a task to accomplish or a problem to solve.

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Answer the following questions using page 119

​Folktale

Multiple Choice

After reading p.119, What problem does the prince have?

• A voice offers to help Prince Alfonso.

• Prince Alfonso's father is sick with an illness that no one can cure.

• Prince Alfonso will visit the voice in three years.

Multiple Choice

What solution appears to Prince Alfonso?

• The Prince must figure this out on his own.

• The Prince's father is ill.

• A voice offers to help the Prince and the prince must promise to appear again in three years.

Multiple Choice

The author uses personification with the leaves by giving the leaves what human quality?

"every leaf of the oak tree ____"

• laughed

• jumped

• quivered

The theme of a story is a big idea or message about life that the author wants to share with readers.

• The theme of a story is usually not stated directly. Readers must use details in the text to infer the theme. It is often possible to identify more than one theme in a story.

• Students can analyze text details that describe the relationships of and conflicts among the characters, along with their words and actions, to help them identify the theme of the story.

Ellipsis (...) is used to show that the speaker's voice has faded out, leaving something unsaid.

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​Theme & Ellipsis

Multiple Choice

p120 What happens to the king as a result of Prince Alfonso's promise?

• The king is sick and he dies.

• Prince Alfonso kills the king.

• The king regains his health.

Multiple Choice

In the first sentence on p120, there is an ellipsis. What does the speaker leave unsaid?

• The speaker does not say when the Prince must return.

• The speaker does not say that the Prince must travel to the Land of No Return.

Multiple Choice

What feeling do the ellipsis and the unsaid words convey to the reader?

• They give a happy, fun feeling.

• They give a confused and overwhelmed feeling.

• They give a threatening, bad feeling.

Multiple Choice

On p120, in the fifth paragraph, the author uses the pronoun they. What does the pronoun they refer back to?

• The pronoun they refers to banquets, dances, and outings.

• The pronoun they refers to the portraits of marriageable princesses.

• The pronoun they refers to neighboring kingdoms.

Multiple Choice

Why did the author use a plural pronoun?

• A plural pronoun was used because the noun it refers back to is a plural noun.

• A plural pronoun was used because the noun it refers back to is a singular noun.

To honor a promise means
to keep a promise.

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Honor a promise

Multiple Choice

Is there a connection between Prince Alfonso's promise and the king getting better?

Multiple Choice

Was the feeling the queen had in her heart correct?

• Her feeling was not correct. The Prince does not have to fulfill a promise.

• The Queen's feeling of being worried was correct because the king is healed so now the Prince has to fulfill his promise to the voice

Multiple Choice

Does Prince Alfonso honor his promise to return to the Land of No Return?

Animals often play important roles in folktales, sometimes providing guidance to the hero, or serving as guides.

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​Animals in Folktales

Multiple Choice

The context clue states, “He could not cross the gorge on horseback or on foot.”

What does the word ravine mean?

• A ravine is flat land that is easy to travel.

• A ravine is water.

• A ravine is a deep, steep-sided valley, like a gorge or canyon.

Multiple Select

What roles do the dove and the eagle play in the story? Select all that apply.

• that danger lies ahead

• Both help the Prince on his journey.

• The dove signals to him.

• The eagle carries him across a ravine.

Multiple Choice

p123 Paragraph 2 the words deserted and barren are adjectives, words that describe. What are they describing?

• types of rocks

• the land

• the ravine

Open Ended

When does this folktale take place? What details tell you that this story does not take place today?

Words and actions often repeat in folktales

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Folktales & Repetition

Multiple Choice

Who does the prince meet?

• The dove

• The voice

• Blancaflor

Multiple Choice

What is the problem on p. 124?

• Alfonso must solve 2 riddles.

• Alfonso must complete an impossible task and his life depends on it.

• Alfonso must talk to Blancaflor

Multiple Choice

What must Prince Alfonso do if he wants Blancaflor to help him save his life?

• Trust Blancaflor

• Ignore Blancflor

Multiple Select

What steps are repeated in Alfonso's first two tasks? check all that apply

• He must plant and grow something.

• He must make harvest it.

• He must make something from it.

• Each task must be completed by 11 a.m. the next morning.

Multiple Choice

By repeatedly doing tasks that seem impossible, what is Alfonso learning from Blancaflor?

• Alfonso is learning to give up and not try.

• Alfonso is learning to do the tasks alone.

• Alfonso is learning to trust Blancaflor, who has the power to help him complete the tasks.

Multiple Select

What is the result of Alfonso trusting Blancaflor?

Select all that apply.

• He completes all 3 tasks.

• He fails the tasks.

• He gets to choose Blancaflor as his wife.