About this book
As You Read
To help students trace the heroine's feelings as the story progresses, invite them to fill in a chalkboard character chart at key points in the story. Encourage students to use the chart as they review or retell the story.
| Situation | What She-Who-Is-Alone Feels |
| drought and famine | hunger, thirst |
| family dies | sadness, loneliness |
| plays with doll | love, comfort |
| shaman gives advice | responsibility, sadness |
She-Who-Is-Alone's sacrifice of her doll affects many children very deeply. As students respond to it, encourage them to discuss what is sad about it, how the girl's action contrasts with the response of the warrior who will not give up his vow and the woman who will not give up her blanket, and how the heroine is rewarded. Invite volunteers to tell about their favorite possession and what circumstances might lead them to give it up. Discuss how a choice that a story character makes sometimes leads to both sadness and joy.
One way to review the story is to guide students to consider what makes it a legend. Draw an idea-web and invite students to fill in the circles with details from the story.
Use the following examples to assist with your web.
LEGEND (center of the web)
Branches of the web:
- Tells about something important to people of a region: rain and food
- Happened a long time ago: long ago in Texas
- Has a hero or heroine: She-Who-Is-Alone
- Has been handed down through the years by a group of people: the Comanche of Texas
- Solves a problem in an unusual way: gives up a doll
- Subjects:Native American History, Charts and Graphs, Compare and Contrast, Plot, Character, Setting, Story Elements, Literature Appreciation, Communities and Ways of Life, Native American
- Skills:Compare and Contrast, Plot, Character and Setting, Charts and Graphs
