Name: Period: Date:

“The World on the Turtle’s Back”

What is a creation myth?

After reading, and this section is open book:

Read each of the following questions. Then choose the letter of the best answer.

1. Why does the man go to the Great Tree at thebeginning of the myth?

A. His wife wants some flowers.

B. He wants to make his wife happy.

C. The tree has been growing forever.

D. He wants to escape the Sky-World.

2. When the woman falls from the Sky-World,the birds’ actions show that animals

A. are as strong as the gods

B. encourage the gods

C. depend on the gods

D. care about the gods

3. The Great Tree is important in the Iroquois’creation myth because the tree’s roots

A. provide the earth’s plants

B. show the way to the sea

C. hold the Sky-World together

D. are home to the earth’s birds

4. What does this creation myth explain aboutthe Iroquois dance rituals?

A. Iroquois dance to worship the moon.

B. People dance in the same direction as thesun.

C. The muskrat created the first dance.

D. Only twins are allowed in the dance.

5. The arrows that the man brings to the girlrepresent

A. the twins

B. ocean waves

C. fish and birds

D. a dance ritual

6. The right-handed twin is angry because theleft-handed twin

A. is his mother’s favorite

B. creates more animals

C. kills their mother

D. is a better archer

7. What does the left-handed twin want themountain lion to do?

A. fight the bear

B. attack the brother

C. scare the grandmother

D. eat the deer

8. The twins’ creations in this myth tell you thatIroquois culture

A. believes in a balance in nature

B. bases its rituals on deer meat

C. respects the porcupine the most

D. wishes more medicines were made

9. The right-handed twin takes control of

A. his brother’s life

B. all poisonous plants

C. the earth’s animals

D. the daylight realm

10. When is the left-handed twin most likelypresent?

A. during planting

B. after sports

C. at harvest

D. during war

Short Response Answer the following questions based on your knowledge of the myth.

11. What might be the purpose of the selection?

12. Why does the left-handed twin create animals that will eat the animals that the

right-handed twin creates?

13. How do you connect the themes of this story with your own concepts of good and evil? Explain in a well-thought out paragraph drawing some parallels.