American Literature
Period 1
Monday, 29 August 2011
1. Daily Journal
2. Trickster Tales
3. Vocabulary List 4
Unit Objectives Focus for Today
 Explore the key idea of villains
 Analyze characteristics of a trickster tale
 Build vocabulary and spelling skills
Daily Journal #5
Start new DJ set on a new page! Make sure you have DJ #, Date, Prompt, and Response.
 List as many different types of villains you can
think of that appeared in books, movies, TV, etc.
 Which ones are mischievous? Which are evil?
 Write a short essay (minimum 3 paragraphs:
intro, body, conclusion) analyzing “Villains”.
Answer the following:
 What is a villain?
 Which villains are more compelling than the hero?
Why? Which traits specifically contribute to their
appeal?
 I will call on you to share answers after. Make sure you explained your answer.
Add to Notes
 Trickster Tales- a type of folk tale that features an
animal or human character who typically engages in
deceit, violence, and magic.
 Often trickster tales are mythic, explaining how
some aspect of human nature or the natural world
came to be.
 Trickster characters take many forms:
1. Native American oral tradition: coyote or raven
2. African tales: hare or spider
3. Japan: fox
 No matter form trickster usually exhibits
contradictory qualities (may be creative and
destructive or wise and childish)
Literature Books pg 42
 Silently read page 42 to learn about the woman who retold the
trickster tale we are about to read,“Coyote and the Buffalo”.
Why did Mourning Dove (Christine Quintasket) become a novelist?
2. How does Mourning Dove’s writings help preserve her tribe’s
culture?
3. Predict what you think the story will be about.
1.

Read “Coyote and the Buffalo” on page 44.
Make a chart that lists the traits and behavior of the Coyote and of any
other tricksters you notice in the story.
Coyote’s Traits and Behaviors
Other Tricksters and their Traits
and Behaviors
Coyote is “foolish and greedy”, it is his
fault there are no buffalo in Swahnetk’-qhu country.
1.
“Coyote and the Buffalo” QUIZ
 Put your Lit Books away.
 Clear your desks of everything but a pen/cil and
your notes.
 On the same paper as your notes (you will
probably need another piece of paper too)
complete the essay questions.
 Number them.
QUIZ:
 Answer the following essay questions. Use examples from the text to
support your answers.
5 paragraphs:
Trickster tales, like other forms of folk literature, offer readers insight
into a society’s way of life. What information about the following
aspects of Okanogan culture did you glean from this tale?
1.
a.
b.
c.
Traits or qualities the Okanogan admired as well as those they disapproved of
The traditional role of women in Okanogan society
Okanogan rituals and religious beliefs
3 paragraphs:
1.
Trickster tales endure, in part simply because they are fun to read. But
they also often serve to teach a lesson or moral. What does “Coyote
and the Buffalo” teach or explain. Support your answer with specific
examples from the text.
Vocabulary List 4
 Write the definitions for each of the vocabulary
words on List 4.
 Test on Friday!