“The Bear Boy” by Joseph Bruchac

1. . “The Bear Boy”by Joseph Bruchac

2. Anticipation Guide: What is a Pueblo? Pueblorefers to the village-dwelling Native Americans of the southwestern United States. They are made of adobe and contain hundreds of rooms.

3. What is a Medicine Man? This is a medicine man from the Navajo tribe of the southwestern U.S. Medicine Men in Native American cultures are believed to have the magical powers of healing. They are also referred to as “shaman.” Medicine Men understand the connection between the natural world and the spirit world and help to bridge the gap.

4. A canyon is a land form that has a deep valley with steep sides, often with a stream flowing through it. Anticipation Guide What is a canyon?

5. A mesa is a land formation, less extensive than a plateau, having steep walls and a relatively flat top and common in arid and semiarid parts of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Anticipation Guide: What is a mesa?

6. DIRECTIONS Read through Questions 1-11 first. Highlight key words in each question. Then, as you read the story, highlight and make notes where the answers may be in the selection. Circle the correct answers on your answer sheet. Instructor: Stop here! Do not proceed until class is ready to review answers. “The Bear Boy” by Joseph Bruchac

7. In Paragraph # 4, the author introduces the setting and begins to present _________ to create tension in the story. Motivation Analysis Conflict * Connections *C The author makes the reader understand people’s fear of bears by saying that anyone who follows in footprints may be killed. Also, Kuo-Haya is in terrible danger because his father has not warned him. Questions/Answers to # 1

8. 2. Based only on Paragraphs 5 and 6 and background knowledge of bears, what can the reader predict will happen to Kuo-Haya? A. The mother bear will defend her cubs by attacking Kuo-Haya. B. Kuo-Haya will run away from this danger. C. The cubs will attack Kuo-Haya. D. The mother bear will play with Kuo-Haya. * A. If the reader only focuses on the wording in these paragraph, it is obvious the other answer choices can be eliminated. “ . . . A shadow came over them. Kuo-Haya looked up and saw the mother bear standing over them.” Questions/Answers # 2

9. 3. What kind of relationship does Kuo-Haya and his father have at the beginning of the selection? They have a close relationship and spend a lot of time together. They have a mediocre relationship when the father is around, but the father is gone sometimes. * They do not have a close relationship because the father has not taught the son many things. They have a typical, father and son relationship according to Navajo tradition. *C. Kuo-Haya’s father has neglected him. As a result, Kuo-Haya is timid and shy around other boys his age and spends time alone. Questions/Answers # 3

10. 4. What does Kuo-Haya first do when he sees the bear cubs? He runs away to safety. He climbs a tree to watch them. He goes to get some other boys to see them, too. * He approaches the bears and plays with them. *D. The answer to this can be found and should be easily recalled by the reader. Questions/Answers # 4

11. 5. How is Kuo-Haya’s life with the bears different than his life in the village? In the village, Kuo-Haya is only known for intelligence. With the bears, Kuo-Haya learns to be strong. In the village, Kuo-Haya is not neglected by people or animals. With the bears, Kuo-Haya forgets how to speak and write. *B. The mother bear encourages Kuo-Haya, and he feels like he belongs with the bears. In the village, he feels like an outsider. Questions/Answers # 5

12. 6. What advice does the medicine man offer the father? He needs to forget Kuo-Haya as his son because his son has another family. He needs to let Kuo-Haya return home whenever he is ready to do so. He needs to destroy the bears in order to safely bring back Kuo-Haya. * He needs to bring back Kuo-Haya but in a way that will not harm the bears. *D. The reader should be able to recall this answer from the story or go back and reread this part. Questions/Answers # 6

13. 7. How does seeing a bee help the father decide how to get his son back? * It gives the father the idea to use honey as part of his plan to talk to his son. The bee leads the father to his son and the bears. The father can use the beehive to distract the bears and get his son back. The father will provoke the bees to swarm and attack the bears. *A The answer can be recalled after reading, or the reader can go back and double-check if unsure. Questions/Answers # 7

14. 8. Based on the characteristics of “Bear Boy,” what genre is it? Autobiography * Folk tale Essay Myth * B. The reader may use the process of elimination. All other choices are obviously incorrect. “Bear Boy” is a Navajo legend and is also considered a folktale. Questions/Answers # 8

15. 9. Which of the following best states the theme of “Bear Boy?” Nature will always conquer humankind. Friends in nature are greater than family. * Parents have a responsibility to love and to teach their children. Children have a responsibility to listen to their parents at all times. *C The other answers are not relevant to the overall message of the story. Children of any culture learn how to be successful members of society from their parents. Questions/Answers # 9

16. 10. Which of the following events in “Bear Boy” demonstrates the Kuo-Haya is timid? Kuo-Haya reaches the age when he will be initiated into manhood. Kuo-Haya learns from his father how to be a great runner. Kuo-Haya looks down and slips away when other boys wrestle. Kuo-Haya walks into the bear’s cave when his father calls him. * C These actions show that Kuo-Maya lacks the confidence that other boys his age have. Questions/Answers #10

17. 11. The resolution of “The Bear Boy” occurs when The mother bear defends Kuo-Haya and outwits Kuo-Haya’s father Kuo-Haya returns to the village and shows he is no longer timid Kuo-Haya’s father promises that he will always be friends with the bears. Kuo-Haya follows the bear tracks and finds happiness with the bears. *B The resolution of a story always shows how the conflict is resolved at the end. Here, Kuo-Haya’s life has changed by the events in the tale. Question/Answers # 11