How the Turtle Got His Tail

 

(time 3:17)

Big Ideas:

Educators are encouraged to focus on four dominant themes throughout their planning and study of the story How the Turtle Got His Tail. The themes integral to the story are 1) decision-making; 2) self-regulation; 3) sportsmanship; and 4) setting goals. The following are suggestions and information that will assist educators in meeting their learning objectives for their students.

Backgrounder:

Teachers are encouraged to read the summaries and reflections found in the book Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way that reference and relate to this story. Several important topics and concepts are mentioned, such as:

• Borrowing from European stories, modifying, adapting;

• Egotism and competition – a different perspective from ‘I’m the best’;

• Sinixt children engaged in having fun by learning life skills;

• The Stick game, the power of song;

• Honour and pride;

• Competition – teamwork, a collective fulfillment;

• Responsibility, equity, and survival;

• Developing one’s gift, meeting expectations, contributing;

• Relevant artwork.

Language:
Sinixt: spəpelinaʔ (spe-pa-lee-na) – rabbit

English: An introduction to some of the following words and phrases may be needed for younger students prior to, or after, listening to the story:

in private; home stretch; foolish; swiftly; halfway stake; plodding; startled; insisted; easily overtook.

The Story:

This story is about a race between two ‘unequal’ partners. It lends itself well to different forms of creative presentation. Consider ideas such as puppet plays, student plays, shadow theatre, and readers’ theatre. Some ideas or details to draw from the story:

• Who are the main characters in the story? What adjectives would you use to describe each of them? (See Character Study below.)

• Rabbit had Bear’s tail and Frog’s tail in his possession at the beginning of the race. By the end of the story, Rabbit had three tails in his possession. Explain.

• Which character do you think was more foolish, the over-confident Rabbit, or Turtle for taking on such a formidable opponent? Would you consider Rabbit as lazy or indolent? As part of the discussion, have students consider the strengths and weaknesses of each.

• Explain the following well-known sayings and idioms in relation to the story:

• Slow but steady wins the race.

• More haste, less speed. More hurry, less speed. (- possibly due to avoidable mistakes from lack of attention to detail)

• Good natural abilities can be ruined by idleness.

• S/He who laughs last, laughs best.

• That’s a hare-brained idea. (not practical, showing little sense, rash, etc.)

• Never give up.

• It is important to keep moving forward.

• Introduce or review Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare. Compare/contrast the two stories. (Aesop’s fable about the race is one of his most famous fables. It involves Hare [Rabbit] boasting about his speed, challenging anyone to race him [Hare thinks it’s a joke.], Tortoise accepting the challenge, and Hare taking a nap during the race as a gesture to mock Tortoise.)

Character Study

Turtle and Rabbit are the two main characters in the story. What can we learn about each character? Some ideas are listed here:

Rabbit:

• braggart, insensitive, conceited, impetuous

• over-confident, egotistical, arrogant

• speedy, well-coordinated – Swift Jumper

• competitive, careless

• honest – honours the deals he makes

• mocks and ridicules others

• able to feel shame

Turtle:

• persistent, focused, patient, logical

• critical thinker – critically assessed merits of each tail (Bear’s tail - too long and bushy; Rabbit’s tail - too thick and fine, water and mud would make it too heavy; Frog’s tail - matches Turtle’s colour, was no fur or hair on it, just the right size)

• slow mover – Slow Walker

• not easily embarrassed or intimidated

• goal-oriented, self-regulates

• not greedy…didn’t want to keep all three tails

• doesn’t wallow in self-pity

• respectful – addressed Rabbit as ‘my friend’

Creative Writing

Introduce or review Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each of the main characters from the character study. Rework Aesop’s fable to include an interesting or surprising twist. Set up a creative writing assignment that involves an alternative ending to the story by focusing on a strength or weakness. For example:

• Include in the race a river or body of water that must be crossed to get to the finish line which would clearly put Turtle at an advantage.

• What if Turtle could choose the track conditions for the race?

• What if Turtle and Rabbit decided to be friends and form a team to help each other in another race? (Rabbit could run fast with Turtle on his back. Turtle could help Rabbit across a body of water.)

Decision-making

Several incidents occur in the story which involve decision-making. Decisions have consequences.

• Discussion Topic: Students make many decisions and choices throughout their day, including decisions/choices regarding behaviour.

• List some of the problems in the story and the decision made to solve the problem.

• Turtle wants to have a tail. What will he have to do to get one?

• Turtle makes a decision to challenge Rabbit to a race. They are unequal opponents.

• Rabbit decides to accept the challenge. Rabbit likes to win races. He has won many races and prizes.

• Rabbit thinks he is going to win anyway, so he decides to stop and rest several times.

• Turtle decides to focus on the goal, keeps plodding along, and crosses the finish line first.

• Rabbit decides to honour the agreement he made with Turtle.

• Turtle decides which tail to choose. He takes many things into consideration….size, length, colour, thickness, etc.

Punctuation: The Apostrophe

The apostrophe has four main uses found in the English language. The most common are 1) to show possession like teacher’s (or plural teachers’), and 2) to take the place of letters, i.e. in contractions like it’s for it is or it has. But there are two other uses to consider, namely 3) indicating plurals of letters, numbers, and symbols, as in p’s and q’s, and 4) as quotation marks, but mainly for quotes within a quote.

• Set up a grammar lesson on the subject of ‘the apostrophe’ that is age-appropriate.

• Use references in the story to bear’s tail, frog’s tail, rabbit’s tail.

• Stress the following: Apostrophe s (‘s) does not always show possessive form….that’s, what’s, there’s, it’s

Physical Education and Health

(1) Cross-Country Running

The story provides incentive for cross-country running exercises, particularly in the early fall in connection with The Terry Fox Run. There are several websites that offer support and ideas for preparation of lessons, including the story of Terry Fox himself for older students.

(2) Sportsmanship

This story lends itself well to a discussion of sportsmanship, both good and bad. Consider the following ideas as they relate to the story:

• Over-confidence can impact performance.

• Learn from your mistakes. Learn from failure. Understand the reasons for a bad performance. Assess with maturity.

• Does a bad performance on one occasion mean that you’re not good at something?

• Team membership: Preparation and training are important, i.e. nutrition, sleep, exercise, abiding by team restrictions.

• Don’t mock your opponent or think low of them. Remain alert and energetic. (Some incidents re: mockery are mentioned in the story. Does Turtle mock Rabbit for losing?)

• Identify your strengths and use them. Does having different strengths from your opponent make you less or more competent? Is it fair to refer to them as ‘unequal’ partners in a competition?

• Does it ever help achieve success to compare oneself to others?

(3) Importance of Sleep

This is an excellent discussion or research topic. There are many pillars of health; nutrition, exercise, and sleep being three of the main ones. Quality of sleep is essential for several reasons. A good night’s sleep can seriously impact a student’s day. Discussion could include the following:

• Body and mind need to recharge.

• You feel refreshed and more alert after a good night’s sleep.

• Quality sleep supports a healthy body. It improves immune function.

• The brain functions properly with quality sleep. It affects cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance.

• Good sleep improves problem-solving skills and enhances memory performance.

• It can maximize athletic performance.

• Sleep deprivation is harmful. Processing emotional information such as social interactions and social cues is impacted.

• Sleep deprivation is also linked to depression, diabetes, and other health risks.

• When you sleep too much you miss a lot (as Rabbit can attest) and can suffer auto-intoxication from a build-up of carbon dioxide in the system.

Curricular Competency: (developed by the teacher creating the lesson plan in collaboration with the student(s) receiving the knowledge)

Communication:

Creative Thinking:

Critical Thinking:

Positive Personal & Cultural Identity:

Personal Awareness & Responsibility:

Social Responsibility: