Read the folktales. Then answer the questions that follow. Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom in the World a folktale from West Africa 1 Anansi the spider knew that he was not wise. He was a sly trickster who could use his wit to fool many different people. But he knew that he did not have much wisdom. 2 Then one day he had a clever thought. If I can get all of the wisdom in the village and put it in a hollow gourd, he thought, I will be very wise indeed. In fact, I will be the wisest of all! 3 So he found a hollow gourd and began to carry out his plan. He went from door to door to collect the village s wisdom. People chuckled at poor Anansi, for they knew that more than any other creature, he needed wisdom. So each person put a bit of wisdom in his gourd and wished him well. 4 Soon the gourd was overflowing with wisdom and could hold no more. Now Anansi needed to find a place to store it. I am certainly the wisest person in the world. But if I don t find a good hiding place for my wisdom, I am sure to lose it. 5 He looked around and spotted a very tall tree. Ah, Anansi said, I will hide my wisdom high in that tree. Then I will never have to worry about someone stealing it from me! 6 Anansi set out to climb the towering tree with the heavy gourd tied to the front of his belly where it would be safe. As he climbed, however, the gourd full of wisdom kept getting in the way. He tried and tried, but he could not climb very high. 233
7 Just then, Anansi s youngest son walked by. What are you doing, Father? asked the little spider. 8 I am climbing this tree with my gourd full of wisdom, Anansi replied. 9 But Father, said the son, wouldn t it be much easier if you tied the gourd behind you instead of in front? 10 Anansi sat there quietly for a very long time. Then he said, Shouldn t you be going home now? 11 After his son left, Anansi moved the gourd so that it was behind him. Then he proceeded up the tree without a problem. When he reached the top, he cried out, I collected so much wisdom that I am the wisest person ever, and still my baby son is wiser than me. Here! Take back your wisdom! 12 He lifted the gourd high over his head and spilled its contents into the wind. The wisdom blew far and wide and settled across the land. And this is how wisdom came back to the world. Anansi and the Lion a folktale from West Africa 1 Anansi the spider caught some fish and cooked them. He put them in a sack to take into the forest, where he could eat them all himself. These will taste delicious, he chuckled. 2 Anansi hadn t gone very far when he met Lion, and Lion asked him, Well, brother Anansi, what have you got there? 3 Oh... just some old bones that I m going to bury in the mountains. 4 Lion walked away, but then he started thinking. I know that Anansi is a great trickster. He probably has something in that sack he doesn t want me to see. I will follow him to see what he s up to. 5 When Anansi got into the woods, he set his sack down, took out one fish, and ate it. He didn t think anyone else was around, so he took out another fish. But just then, Lion came up and said, Well, brother Anansi, those don t look like bones to me. That was a pretty tale you told me. 6 Oh! brother Lion, I am so glad you have come. Never mind what I told you it was only my fun. Come and join me. 234
7 So Lion sat down and began to eat, and before Anansi had eaten one fish, Lion had almost emptied the sack. Anansi said to himself, Greedy fellow, eating up all my fish! 8 What did you say, sir? 9 I said you do not eat fast enough, Anansi replied, for he was afraid of what Lion might do. Soon, all the fish were gone. 10 While Anansi didn t complain, he did want to get back at Lion for eating most of his fish. He had a clever thought. Which of us do you think is the stronger? 11 Lion said, Why, I am, of course. 12 Then Anansi said, We will tie one another to that tree, and we shall see who is the stronger. 13 Now they agreed that Lion should tie Anansi first, and he tied him with some very fine string, and not very tight. Anansi twisted himself two or three times, and the string broke. 14 Then it was Anansi s turn to tie Lion, and he took some very strong rope. Lion said, You must not tie me tight, for I did not tie you tight. 15 And Anansi said, Oh, no, to be sure, I will not! But he tied him as tight as ever he could and then told him to try and get loose. 16 Lion tried and tried, but he could not get loose. 17 Anansi thought, That is what he gets for eating my meal, and now it s time for me to leave. So Anansi took up his empty sack and left Lion behind, tied to the tree. 235
Answer the questions. Mark your answers to questions 1 6 on the Answer Form to the right. 1 Look at the picture in Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom in the World. What does the picture tell you about the way Anansi feels in this part of the story? Answer Form 1 A B C D 2 A B C D 3 A B C D 4 A B C D 5A A B C D 5B A B C D 6 A B C D Number Correct 7 A He is proud because he got what he wanted. B He is excited to see his young son. C He is sad and unhappy because someone might steal from him. D He is frustrated and bothered because he can t go faster. 2 Which word from Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom in the World does the picture help you understand? A B C village hollow gourd D contents 3 Which of the following statements is true about Anansi in both stories? A Anansi thinks he is foolish. B Others think Anansi is foolish. C Anansi thinks he is clever. D Others think Anansi is clever. 236
4 Which statement is true about the setting in both stories? A A tree is an important part of the setting. B A village is an important part of the setting. C The mountains are an important part of the setting. D The sky is an important part of the setting. 5 Answer Parts A and B below. Part A What happens in the first picture from Anansi and the Lion? A Anansi offers to share his fish with Lion. B Anansi tells Lion he is carrying a bag of bones. C Anansi has a contest of strength with Lion. D Anansi gets upset when Lion eats most of the fish. Part B Which sentence from the story best supports the answer to Part A? A Oh! brother Lion, I am so glad you have come. B C While Anansi didn t complain, he did want to get back at Lion for eating most of his fish. When Anansi got into the woods, he set his sack down, took out one fish, and ate it. D Lion tried and tried, but he could not get loose. 237
6 Based on the text and the second picture in Anansi and the Lion, which word describes the mood at the end of the story? A B C pleased frightened amazed D bored 7 A trickster is a type of character that likes to play tricks on others. Why is Anansi called a trickster in both stories? Use details from both stories to support your answer. Write your answer in complete sentences. 238
Performance Task Extended Response 8 In both stories, which characters are greedy? What do they want? Do they finally get what they want? Use details from each story to support your answer. In your answer, be sure to tell which characters are greedy in each story tell what the greedy characters want in each story tell whether or not the greedy characters finally get what they want use details from both stories in your answer Check your writing for correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation. Use the space below to plan your essay. 239
Write your essay on the lines below. 240
(Student Book pages 233 240) Scoring Guide And Answer AnALySIS Literature Passage Answer Analysis 1 A B C 2 A B D 3 A B D 4 B C D 5A A B C 5B A C D 6 B C D 1 Choice D is correct. The picture shows that Anansi feels bothered and frustrated in this part of the story. He is clearly annoyed that the gourd is keeping him from easily climbing high up in the tree. Choice A is incorrect because the picture does not show that Anansi feels proud in this part of the story. Even though Anansi did get the wisdom that he wanted, he can t climb the tree. Choice B is incorrect because the picture does not show that Anansi feels excited in this part of the story. Although Anansi may be pleased to see his young son, he is mostly frustrated because he can t climb the tree with the big gourd in front of him. Choice C is incorrect because the picture does not show that Anansi is sad or unhappy in this part of the story. Even though Anansi is climbing the tree to hide his wisdom so that no one will steal it, he is not feeling sadness. (RL.3.7; DOK 2) 2 Choice C is correct because the picture shows a gourd hanging in front of Anansi s belly. The picture helps readers understand what a gourd looks like and how Anansi uses it to carry something up the tree. Choice A is incorrect because the picture does not show the village from which Anansi took the wisdom. There are no details that help readers know more about the word village. Choice B is incorrect because the picture does not show whether the gourd is hollow or not. There are no details that help readers understand the meaning of hollow. Choice D is incorrect because it is not clear from the picture what the gourd holds. There are no details in the picture that help readers understand the meaning of contents. (RL.3.7; DOK 2) 3 Choice C is correct. Anansi thinks he is clever in both stories. In Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom in the World, Anansi had a clever thought. In Anansi and the Lion, Anansi finally figures out a way to trick the Lion and gets back at him for eating most of the fish. Choice A is incorrect because Anansi does not think he is foolish in either story. Choice B is incorrect because only the people in Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom in the World think Anansi is foolish because he lacks wisdom. The Lion in Anansi and the Lion does not think Anansi is foolish but respects the fact that Anansi is a great trickster. Choice D is incorrect because only the Lion in Anansi and the Lion seems to think Anansi is clever. In Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom in the World, the villagers and Anansi s son do not think Anansi is particularly clever. Anansi s son tries to help his father figure out how to climb the tree while carrying the gourd. (RL.3.9; DOK 3) 4 Choice A is correct because a tree is an important part of the setting in both stories. In Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom in the World, Anansi tries to climb a tall tree to hide the wisdom. In Anansi and the Lion, both Anansi and Lion are tied to a tree, and Anansi leaves Lion tied to the tree at the end of the story. Choice B is incorrect because Anansi takes wisdom from people in the village in the first story, but there is no village mentioned in the setting of the second story. Choice C is incorrect because Anansi tells Lion in Anansi and the Lion that he plans to bury some bones in the mountains, but this is not an important part of the setting. Also, there are no mountains mentioned in Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom in the World. Choice D is incorrect because the sky is not an important part of the setting in either story; both stories take place mostly on the ground. (RL.3.7; DOK 3) (continued) 218
5 Part A: Choice D is correct. In this picture, Anansi is frowning, while Lion appears happy with three sets of fish bones before him. Choice A is incorrect because Lion has already eaten the fish. Choice B is incorrect because the bag is empty. Choice C is incorrect because neither animal is shown tied to a tree as in the story. (RL.3.7; DOK 2) Part B: Choice B is correct. Wanting to get back at someone means wanting revenge, which suggests Anansi is upset with Lion. Choice A is incorrect because the picture does not show Anansi looking glad. Choice C is incorrect because Anansi is not alone or eating in the picture. Choice D is incorrect because it does not show Lion tied to a tree. (RL.3.7; DOK 2) 6 Choice A is correct because Anansi feels pleased at the end of the story. He has tricked Lion and gotten back at him for eating most of the fish. Choice B is incorrect because none of the characters is frightened at the end of the story. Even though Lion once frightened Anansi, he is now tied to a tree and can t get loose. Choice C is incorrect because Anansi is not amazed. Instead, he feels confident because he has pulled another trick and gotten away with it. Choice D is incorrect because Anansi is not bored. He has just tricked Lion and gotten even with him, so Anansi feels pleased rather than bored. (RL.3.7; DOK 2) Sample ReSPonses Short Response 7 In both stories, Anansi tries to trick others. In Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom in the World, Anansi believes he is tricking the villagers into giving him all their wisdom. He plans to hide the wisdom so that no one will steal it from him. In Anansi and the Lion, Anansi tries to trick Lion. Anansi lies to Lion about what he is carrying in the bag. Then he lies about the lie. In the end, Anansi leaves Lion tied to the tree, probably because he doesn t trust what Lion would do. (RL.3.9; DOK 4) Performance Task 8 In Anansi Tries to Steal All the Wisdom in the World, Anansi is greedy. He wants all the wisdom for himself. In the end, Anansi discovers that his own son is wiser than he is. Anansi does not feel that he got what he wanted, so he gives the wisdom back to the world. He says, Here! Take back your wisdom! In Anansi and the Lion, Anansi and Lion are both greedy. Anansi is greedy because he wants all the fish for himself. Lion is also greedy because he eats most of Anansi s fish. Lion does get what he wants, but he pays a high price. In the end, Anansi finally gets what he wants because he gets back at Lion for being greedy. He tricks Lion, leaving him tied to a tree. (RL.3.9; DOK 4) 219
Scoring RubricS Short-Response Rubric 2 points The response is accurate, complete, and fulfills all requirements of the task. Text-based support and examples are included. Any information that goes beyond the text is relevant to the task. 1 point The response is partially accurate and fulfills some requirements of the task. Some information may be inaccurate, too general, or confused. Support and examples may be insufficient or not text-based. 0 points The response is inaccurate, poorly organized, or does not respond to the task. Performance Task Rubric 3 points The response Fulfills the requirements of the task May use varied sentence types and some challenging vocabulary Includes relevant and accurate details from the text Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the text Maintains a clear focus Is fluent and may demonstrate a clear sense of engagement or voice Uses correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation in a manner that does not hinder understanding 2 points The response Fulfills some requirements of the task Uses simple sentences, some fragments, and grade-level vocabulary Includes some relevant and accurate details from the text Demonstrates some misunderstandings or gaps in understanding of the text Attempts to maintain a clear focus and organization Is difficult to read, includes some inaccuracies, and demonstrates little or no sense of voice Contains some inaccurate spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation that may hinder understanding 1 point The response Fulfills few requirements of the task Uses sentence fragments and below-grade-level vocabulary Includes no details or irrelevant details to support the response Demonstrates very little understanding of the text Does not establish a clear focus or organization Is difficult to read, contains many inaccuracies, and demonstrates no sense of voice Uses incorrect spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation to an extent that impedes understanding 0 points The response is irrelevant, poorly organized, or illegible. 220