Think and Search

• Why did the animals think that Grandmother Spider should not go to get fire (too old, too slow, too weak)
• What three skills did Grandmother Spider have?  (making a fire, weaving, and pottery)

Author and You Questions:

• Which character do you most admire in this passage and why? What character traits do you see that make the spider a character to be admired?
• Even though Grandmother Spider was slow, old and weak, how did she manage to bring back the fire - (made a pot, took her time getting there and returning,  put the fire in the pot.) What traits does this prove that grandmother had (wisdom, courage, steadfast)
• The storyteller said that Grandmother Spider pulls her web to make the sun and moon rise and fall. What do scientists say causes that to happen?

Vocabulary words: pourquois       how and why story     folk tale      myth      universe nocturnal     possum     opossum    scar           weaving Cherokee

Art Idea:

Crayon Resist: Take a piece of paper and color it in a variety of colors (or use a piece of paper already multi-colored). Color over it with black poster paint or a black crayon. With a toothpick or other sharp object etch designs to see the colors. There is also pre-made paper like this from Oriental Trading..

Language Arts:

Find other versions of how animals got the fire. Make a Venn Diagram to highlight similarities and differences. Example: Contrast