The Story of the Milky Way
The Story of the Milky Way
Book Title: The Story of the Milky Way
Book Author: Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross
Book Illustrator: Virginia A. Stroud
This book addresses: Cherokee culture
Potentially Tricky Vocabulary:
Cornmeal: a flour-like baking ingredient made from corn
Handspan: the distance across someone’s spread-out hand
Eerie: creepy
Beloved: adored and appreciated
Questions to ask the student before reading:
Do you know what a falktale is?
Have you ever heard any folktales or legends? (examples may include Peter Pan, Johny Appleseed, or any myths they may have heard from school curriculum)
Have you ever heard a Native American folktale? (examples may include Skywoman or Hiawatha from the Houdenosaunee people of the finger lakes)
Historical context to give before reading:
Every culture has its own folktales. Hearing a culture’s folktales can be a super exciting way of learning about that culture! Often, a folktale will either explain something about the world or tell the story of a great hero.
(The questions to ask the student and historical content above are interconnected. The historical context is typically going to be a supplement to what your student might not know. Some students may already be knowledgeable about a subject, others may not know much yet. Pay attention to what your student already knows and share the historical context accordingly.)
While reading:
Enjoy this story with your student! Allow your student to ask questions about things they notice about the village that may be different from their own life, and take the time to look at the illustrations.
After reading:
What was your favorite part of the story?
How did different people help each other in the story?
Follow up activity (time permitting):
Have your student follow this prompt.
Imagine that the mysterious dog has come back - but this time to Geneva! What is it stealing this time? What would you and your friends use to scare it off? Write a paragraph or two with an illustration, OR, create a short comic book with the story.
All definitions were adapted by Karina Connolly from the Merriam Webster online dictionary.