Illustration of two smiling turtles and one holding sheet of paper
Art by Gal Weizman
Play,

Two Turtle Tales

Folktales from two Native tribes

By Retold by Joseph Bruchac | Art by Gal Weizman
From the October/November 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will identify the character traits of the character Turtle in two short plays based on Native American folktales.

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose
    These plays each feature the character Turtle, who uses cleverness to win a race..
  • Structure
    There are two plays. Each play has four chronological scenes. There is also a short introductory note by the author that explains where each play comes from.
  • Language
    The language is mostly simple and conversational. Phonetic spellings for kwai, Abenaki, and Haudenosaunee are included.
  • Knowledge Demands
    No prior knowledge is required. Although the character Turtle appears in both plays, they have separate settings.
Featured Skill: Character,
Other Key Skills: theme, vocabulary, cause and effect, supporting details, plot, main idea, character traits, how a character changes, point of view, supporting an opinion, opinion writing, explanatory writing
Standards
  • Common Core
    RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.3, RL.3.4, RL.3.7, W.3.1, W.3.2 SL.3.1, SL.3.2, L.3.4, L.3.6, RF.4
  • TEKS Grade 3
    1a, 1c, 3a, 3b, 4, 6a, 6c, 6i, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7f, 7g, 8a, 8b, 8c, 9a, 9c, 10a, 10b, 12b, 12c

Presentation View
See Student View
Think and Read: Character Traits

As you read, think about what character trait helps Turtle win in each play.

Courtesy Joseph Bruchac

Kwai (kwaye), which means “Hello” in Abenaki (ah-buh-NAH-kee)

My name is Joe, and I’m a storyteller from the Abenaki tribe. I’m about to share two folktales: 

  • Turtle’s Race With Bear, from the Abenaki tribe.
  • Turtle’s Race With Beaver, from the Haudenosaunee (hoh-den-uh-SHOH-nee) tribe.

Stories are one of the oldest ways people from both tribes entertain and teach children. Many tales are about animals. Often they are small animals that defeat bigger and stronger creatures. For both Native nations, one of the most popular main characters is the clever one called Turtle. 

As you act out the plays, think about what lessons you can learn from Turtle in each story. 

Peace,

Joe Bruchac

Turtle's Race With Bear

Can a little turtle beat a big bear?

Characters

Choose the character you will play.

Narrators 1, 2, 3 (N1, N2, N3)

Bear 

Turtle

Owl

Rabbit

Beaver 

Fox

Wolf

All Animals: to be read by the whole class

Scene 1

N1: Bear was walking around boasting.

Bear: I’m the biggest animal. I’m the strongest animal. I’m the fastest animal. I’m the best animal! 

N2: Then a small voice spoke up.

Turtle: You are not the best animal. 

N3: Bear looked down.

N1: A little turtle looked up at him.

Bear: How can you say that? You’re tiny—and the slowest of all.

Turtle: I challenge you to a race.

Bear: I’ll race you. When I win, I’ll stomp on you and crack your shell.

Turtle: I’m going to win.

Bear: We’ll see. Where shall we race?

Turtle: At the big round pond. I’ll swim along the edge. You’ll run around it.

Bear: I agree.

Scene 2

N2: Turtle and Bear went to the big round pond. It was covered in ice.

Bear: How can we race here?

Turtle: I can swim under the ice.

Bear: You’re trying to deceive me. I can’t see through that ice. You’ll just pretend to swim around and come back out again. I won’t fall for that trick! 

Turtle: I’ll make holes around the pond first. Whenever I get to one, I’ll stick my head out.

Bear: I agree.

N3: Turtle made the holes that night.

N1: The next morning, Bear arrived.

N2: Other animals were there too.

Owl: Hoo-hoo will win?

Rabbit: We rabbits want Turtle to win. 

Beaver: I’m rooting for Turtle.

Fox: I, Fox, think Bear is going to win. 

Wolf: Grr, Fox is right.

All Animals: Get set, go!

Scene 3

N3: Turtle flopped into the first hole and disappeared.

N1: Bear began to walk. He was sure Turtle would be slow.

N2: Suddenly, Turtle’s head popped up from the next hole in the ice.

Turtle: Here I am, Bear! Catch up with me.

Bear: She’s faster than I thought.

N3: Bear began to run.

N1: Turtle’s head popped up from the next hole.

Turtle: Here I am, Bear! Catch up with me.

Owl: Hoo-hoo is winning?

Rabbit: Turtle is!

Beaver: Go, Turtle!

N2: Bear ran faster.

Fox: Bear may catch up! 

N3: Turtle’s head popped up from the next hole.

Turtle: Here I am, Bear! Catch up with me.

Wolf: Grr, or maybe not. 

N1: Turtle’s head popped up farther and farther ahead.

Turtle: Here I am, Bear! Catch up with me.

N2: Bear wasn’t halfway around the pond when Turtle crossed the finish line.

N3: The animals cheered.

All Animals: Turtle! Turtle! Turtle! Turtle!

N1: Bear was so tired he didn’t finish the race.

N2: He crawled to his den, and then he slept all winter.

Scene 4

N3: Clever Turtle waited until all the other animals left.

N1: Then she tapped on the ice. Tap! Tap! Tap!

N2: Turtles popped up from every hole. They all looked alike.

Turtle: My friends and relatives, thank you. This is a victory for anyone who's ever been called slow.

Turtle's Race With Beaver

A turtle races to save her pond from a beaver. Who will win?

Characters

Choose the character you will play.

Narrators 1, 2, 3 (N1, N2, N3)

Turtle

Bullfrog

Salamander

All Animals: to be read by the whole class

Beaver 

Mud Turtle

Scene 1

N1: Long ago, there was a turtle who lived in a pond with her friends.

Turtle: I’m Turtle. Isn’t our pond great?

Bullfrog: Ribbit! It sure is. I’m Bullfrog.

Salamander: Splash! I agree. I’m Salamander.

All Animals: We love our little pond!

Turtle: These rocks are perfect to lie on and get some sun. 

Bullfrog: These trees give us shade when we’re hot.

Salamander: And this water cools us down.

Bullfrog: Speaking of cool, it’s getting cold.

Salamander: Feel that wind blowing?

Bullfrog: Winter’s coming.

Turtle: Time for me to dive down into the mud and sleep all winter.

Scene 2

N2: So Turtle did just that. She dove to the bottom of the pond.

N3: Ice covered the pond. Snow covered the land.

N1: Turtle slept until spring. Then she began to swim up.

Turtle: Why is it taking so long? Has the pond gotten deeper?

N2: When she reached the surface, the pond looked much different. 

Turtle: Bullfrog, where did our rocks go?

Bullfrog: They’re underwater.

Turtle: Salamander, where did our trees go?

Salamander: See that pile of logs and mud? 

N3: Turtle turned and saw a dam.

Turtle: Who made that?

N1: SLAP!

N2: An animal with big teeth swam toward her. 

Turtle: Who are you? 

Beaver: I’m Beaver.

Turtle: What have you done to our pond?

Beaver: This is my pond. I cut those trees and made that dam.

Turtle: Our pond is big enough to share.

Beaver: No! You have to leave my pond. If you don’t, I’ll bite your head off.

Bullfrog: Yikes! 

Salamander: His teeth are so big, I bet he could do it!

Turtle: I don’t want to fight. Let’s race to the other side of the pond. The loser has to leave.

Beaver: I agree.

Scene 3

N3: Turtle’s friends gathered in the pond to watch the race.

Bullfrog: I’m worried Beaver is going to win.

Salamander: He’s much bigger than Turtle.

N1: But Turtle had a plan.

Bullfrog: On your mark,

Salamander: Get set,

All Animals: GO!

N2: Beaver and Turtle took off across the pond.

N3: Turtle was losing.

N1: Then she stuck out her long neck and bit onto Beaver’s tail.

Bullfrog: Look what clever Turtle did! 

N2: Beaver carried Turtle behind him across the pond. 

Salamander: Turtle is still behind though! 

N3: They neared the other side of the pond.

N1: Turtle bit harder!

Beaver: EEE-YOW!

N2: Beaver flapped his tail into the air.

N3: Turtle let go and soared over Beaver’s head.

Turtle: WHEE!

N1: Turtle landed on the other side!

Scene 4

All Animals: Yay! Turtle won! 

Turtle: We have our pond back! 

Bullfrog: Thanks, Turtle!

Salamander: Where is Beaver going?

N2: Beaver swam and swam until he came to another pond.

Mud Turtle: Hello, my name is Mud Turtle. Do you want to live in this pond with me?

Beaver: Yes, please! I’m ready to share.

N3: And so everyone lived happily ever after. 

Think and Write

How does Turtle win in each play? Answer in a well-organized paragraph. 

video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Audio ()
Activities (7)
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Audio ()
Activities (7) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Can't Miss Teaching Extras

Explore the meaning of kindness in “The Elephants and the Mice,” an ancient Indian fable about how small animals can do big things—like Turtle! 

Continue the conversation about teamwork in “The Horse and the Donkey.” Then click the Resources tab for a worksheet on identifying the moral of the story.  

Teach your students how to not act like Bear and Beaver with the fiction story “How Bad Could It Be?” Then watch an interview with the author to dive even deeper into the moral of the story. 

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Close Reading

3. SEL Focus

4. Skill Building and Writing

5. Differentiate and Customize

Struggling Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers, Creative Writing

1. Preparing to Read

Set a Purpose for Reading/Preview Text Features

  • Instruct students to study the titles, subtitles, and illustrations on pages 24-25 and 27. Ask them to describe the illustrations and predict what each play will be about. 

  • Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 23 and the Think and Write box on page 29.

Introduce Vocabulary

  • The play includes bolded vocabulary terms in the text but does not include definitions. A Vocabulary Skill Builder online previews the vocabulary terms (boasting, challenge, deceive, den, victory, dam, gathered, and soared). You may also show our Vocabulary Slideshow. 

2. Close Reading

  • Storyworks 3 plays provide a perfect opportunity for students to build fluency.

  • Perform the plays as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the audio Read-Aloud. 

  • Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. (Alternatively, assign all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck.) 

Close-Reading Questions

  • Read Scene 1 of “Turtle’s Race With Bear.” Why does Turtle challenge Bear to a race? Turtle challenges Bear to a race because Bear calls her the slowest animal of all, and she wants to prove that she can win a race against him. (cause and effect)
  • Read Scene 2. How does Turtle convince Bear that she will not trick him during their race? Turtle convinces Bear by telling him she will make holes around the pond first. Whenever Turtle reaches a hole during the race, she will stick out her head so Bear can see her. (supporting details)
  • Read Scene 3. What happens after Turtle disappears into the first hole in the ice? Turtle’s head keeps popping up from each hole in the ice. Bear starts to run, but he can’t catch up with Turtle. (plot)
  • Read Scene 4. How does Turtle prove how clever she is? Turtle asked her friends and relatives to hide under each hole in the ice. Since all the turtles looked the same to Bear, they tricked him into thinking it was Turtle popping up from each hole during the race. (main idea)
  • Read Scene 1 of “Turtle’s Race With Beaver.” Which details explain why the animals love their pond? The animals love their pond because the rocks are perfect for lying on and getting some sun. The trees provide shade, and the water cools down the animals. (supporting details)
  • Read Scene 2. What did Beaver do to the pond? Why? Beaver cut down trees and built a dam in the pond. He did this because he thinks the pond is his and doesn’t want to share it with Turtle and the other animals. (character traits)
  • Read Scene 3. How does Turtle win the race with Beaver? Turtle wins the race by sticking out her neck and biting Beaver’s tail. Beaver then carries Turtle behind him across the pond. Since Turtle is still behind in the race, she bites Beaver’s tail harder. Beaver screams and flaps his tail into the air. Turtle lets go and flies over Beaver’s head to win the race. (plot)
  • Read Scene 4. How does Beaver change by the end of the play? Beaver swims to another pond and agrees to share it with Mud Turtle. Earlier in the play he didn’t want to share the pond with Turtle and the other animals. Now he is ready to share. (how a character changes)

Critical-Thinking Questions

  • What do you learn about Turtle in both of these plays? You learn in both plays that Turtle is a smart and clever animal. In the first play, Turtle tricks Bear by asking her friends and family to help her win the race. In the second play, Turtle holds on to Beaver’s tail and has him do all of the hard work in the race. Both of the plays show that Turtle uses her smart ideas to win. (character traits)
  • In both plays, Turtle wins the race by being smart and tricking another animal. Do you think it was OK for Turtle to trick the other animals? Why or why not? Answers will vary. Sample responses:
    • Yes, I think it was OK for Turtle to trick Bear and Beaver. In the first play, Bear called Turtle tiny and slow. In the second play, Beaver built a dam and took the pond from Turtle and the other animals. He told the animals to leave. In both plays, Turtle was standing up for herself. She showed that being smart is better than being bigger and stronger.
    • No, I don’t think it was OK for Turtle to trick her opponents. In the first play, she lied to Bear to trick him and win the race. In the second play, she bit Beaver’s tail to win the race. It’s not OK to lie or bite, and she didn’t win fair and square. (supporting an opinion)

3. Skill Building and Writing

Featured Skill: Character Traits

  • Distribute or digitally assign the Character Traits Skill Builder.  

  • Ask students to write a response to the Think and Write prompt on page 29.

Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers

Have students describe what’s happening in each illustration in the play. What are Turtle and the other animals doing? How do the illustrations help show how Turtle wins in each play? Ask pairs or individual students to write a caption for each picture and then share their captions with the class.

For Multilingual Learners

Some of the animals may be unfamiliar to multilingual learners. While students read, have them circle all the animal names in each play. Afterward, guide students to find pictures of the animals they can use to create their own animal flashcards.

For Advanced Readers

Have students read a different read-aloud play, based on a Native American myth, from our September 2020 issue. “How Coyote Stole Fire” also features a clever animal character. Ask students to compare and contrast Coyote and Turtle from these plays.

Text-to-Speech