Northern Howl, A Story of the Pup(Third grade)
HSS 3.2.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.3This lesson exposes students to story-telling traditions of American Indian nations in the northwest California region, which strengthens student reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. This lesson features a short story written and illustrated by Teh-sa’a:n-xwe Cooper when he was 8 years old. The Northern Howl: A Story of the Pup is the first book of a three-books series. This is a book of a wolf pup born into the mysterious lives of wolves in a magical forest. The narrative leads the mystery of the story, from the magical ice bird to the changing colors of his fur. Teh-sa’a:n-xwe tiptoes on the precipice of ancient Indigenous knowledge and the magical dimensions of the world around him. The wolf pup, Vision, moves the reader through a vast array of human, animal, and spiritual emotions and family ties from the time of his birth through the loss of his mother. This lesson encourages children to see the world from a different lens while inspiring them to share stories of their own. Essential Questions: How can we learn by listening to stories? Who are the main characters of the story and what do they represent? What stories do I have to tell?