Lesson 9

Who are the characters in the story?

• Beaver

• Coyote

• Raccoon

• Bear

What other characters do you meet?

• Huge monster, raccoon. lion, leopard

• Raccoon, monster, muskrat, bear, rattlesnake

• Muskrat, chicken, rabbit, fox, duck

• Bear, muskrat, owl, eagle, rattlesnake

Where and when does the story take place? What does the storyteller mention that helps you understand the story's setting? Check all that applies

• The story happens in Minnesota, before the people exist.

• At the end of the story, the storyteller says, "That's how Coyote created people, " which tells that the story takes place long time ago before there were people on the earth.

• The story takes place in the Nez Perce homeland, in the time before people.

• The storyteller mentions that Coyote lived in the valley, and each spring he would travel up to the Palouse Prairie.

What is the central problem in the story? Why does Meadowlark seek out Coyote to solve thus problem?

• The huge monster helped the people in the land.

• Meadowlark knows that Coyote is smart and powerful and will be able to defeat the monster.

• Meadowlark knows that Coyote is clever and brilliant to trick the monster.

• The huge monster has inhaled all of the plants and animals in the land.

What can the audiences learn from Coyote in this story, especially in how he approaches and solves the problem in the story?

• We can learn how to use our strength to help others. Coyote is smart, and he instructs the other animals to escape.

• We can learn to rely on resources around us to help us solve problems. Coyote knows how to gather materials from the land to defeat the monster.

• None of the answers matter.

• We can learn about the importance of careful planning before trying to solve a problem. Coyote does a lot of planning-gathering pitch, stone knives, and help-before going after the monster.

Why do you think the Nez Perce people tell the story of Coyote and the monster? Nez Perce learn from this story- about their history, their culture, and their homeland?

• All of the answers are correct.

• The story explains the origin of the Nez Perce people and some of their Native American tribes. Telling the story connects the Nez Perce to this story and to their homeland.

• Nez Perce children learn about their people's history of other tribes around them. They learn how Coyote created the Nez Perce people from the heart of the monster and how their people came to live in their homeland.

• The Nez Perce tells the story as a way of passing down and teaching their culture and history to new generations. They also tell the story for entertainment.

What is the character of Coyote like?

• innocent

• clever

• helpful

• smart