Online Learning: English 3: The Iroquois Creation Myth: "The World on Turtle's Back"

Based on "The World on Turtle's Back," which statement best describes the Iroquois attitude toward nature and the environment?

The Iroquois revered nature and valued the plants and animals that sustained them.

Based on the text, what conclusions did you draw about what the culture values?

They value their environment and crops because in a way it brings them back together and upholds their community. Crops and the environment, family relationships, and traditional ceremonies are very important to them.

According to "The World on Turtle's Back," which best demonstrates the Iroquois view of women?

Women were respected because they helped create and sustain the world.

The Iroquois perform rituals to honor the twins in "The World on Turtle's Back," illustrating the Iroquoian belief that

the twins are gods and it is important to show them devotion.

The conflict between the right-handed brother and left-handed brother described in "The World on Turtle's Back" shows that the Iroquois most likely believed

there is an eternal battle between good and evil.

According to the passage, what is one purpose of dance rituals in Iroquois culture?

to ensure a good harvest

Read this excerpt from "The World on Turtle's Back. "Without knowing it, the right and left-handed twins built balance into the world. The plant-eating animals created by the right-handed twin balanced out the meat-eating animals created by the left-handed twin. And so the world thrived, and this was good. Which statement best describes the purpose of this excerpt?

to explain how balance came to exist in the natural world

Read this excerpt from "The World on Turtle's Back." The animals thought that perhaps there was dirt at the depths of the ocean, but they had never tried to reach the bottom before. One by one they tried to swim down, but their attempts were futile. Finally, the muskrat disappeared into the cold depth of the ocean. After a lengthy amount of time, he drifted to the surface with a tiny speck of earth in his hand. He appeared to be dead, but the animals prayed and chanted, and finally he stirred. The Earth-Diver was successful in bringing forth the soil to make the earth grow. Which sentences from the excerpt best support the idea that the Iroquois valued sacrifice by one for the good of all?

After a lengthy amount of time, he drifted to the surface with a tiny speck of earth in his hand. He appeared to be dead. . . .

Based on the passage you just read, what conclusion can you draw about the cultural values of the Iroquois? Write a paragraph. In it, provide support and cite evidence.

Based on what I've read, I can infer that the Iroquois value their community, crops, family relationships, and traditions. In the term-10text, crops and traditions are what bring the brothers together. "The righthanded twin accused his brother of murdering their mother, and their quarrels continued until it was time to bury their mother." The twins symbolize the importance of the Iroquois values.

Which element and animal best represents your personality and why?

CHOOSE: water, land, or sky CHOOSE: turtle, wolf, hawk, or any animal

What can a reader infer about Iroquois culture from this passage? Check the three best answers.

Corn, beans, and squash are important to Iroquois culture. Iroquois ceremonial practices include singing and using tobacco. The Iroquois use creation myths to help explain their cultural practices.

Based on the explanation of one of the elements, explain what some values of this culture might be.

Marriage, the environment, intelligence, cows, and bulls are all values of this culture.

In your opinion, why should you read a creation myth from another culture? Choose all the answers that apply.

Select all.

Which sentence from "The World on Turtle's Back" best illustrates why the story is considered a creation myth?

The woman placed the dirt on Turtle's back and performed a ritual to create the earth

Read this excerpt from "The World on Turtle's Back." One day, when the girl had become a woman, a man appeared. No one knows where this man came from. Perhaps he was sent from the Gods above. The girl was so filled with wonder to see this strange man, she lost her senses and fainted. The man yielded two very different arrows, and laid them across the body of the girl in opposite directions, then he disappeared. Which statement best describes the significance of the arrows?

They represent the twins that the woman will bear.

Read this quotation from "The World on Turtle's Back." The woman placed the dirt on Turtle's back and performed a ritual to create the earth. She walked around the dirt in the direction of the sun until the earth grew large enough. Then she planted the roots from the Great Tree and continued her ritual to keep the earth growing. Like the sun she kept moving around the earth, in the same direction the people still do in dance rituals today. The main purpose of this quotation is to

describe the Iroquois belief of how the Earth was created.

The myth attempts to explain

how important crops originated

What natural elements does this creation myth attempt to explain? Check all that apply.

land crops people

Read this excerpt from "The World on Turtle's Back." With the deer antler, the right-handed twin demolished his brother. The left-handed twin died, but he didn't die. He was hurled off the edge of the earth by his brother. In this dark world below the earth, the left-handed twin still lives and reigns. The right-handed twin lives in the Sky-World and he is content with the world he helped to create. The left-handed twin lives in the world below. He, too, is content with the world of men. He delights in the sounds of warfare and suffering. These two beings rule the world and look after the affairs of men. During the day people have rituals to honor the right-handed twin. At night they dance and sing for the left-handed twin. Based on this excerpt, it is reasonable to conclude that

neither twin could die because they were immortal gods.

What elements of creation does this myth explain? Check all that apply.

the ability to think water and land fire, sun, and air people and animals

What does this passage explain about people?

the contrasting sides of human nature

Based on the explanation of the creation of natural elements, what is most likely to be important to the modern Iroquois culture?

the environment