The First Strawberries
retold by Joseph Bruchac
Summary

A husband and wife speak harsh words to each other during a quarrel. When the Sun sees that the wife has left, it intervenes to grow strawberries. This patches up the quarrel in the sweetest and most surprising way.
Background Building/Vocabulary This is a tale from the Cherokee nation. They are an American Indian nation that lives in the Southeast states of Georgia,Tennessee and North Carolina. In long ago times, they grew crops, hunted, fished and gathered berries. (You might ask if they know the name of the native people in Iowa: Meskwaki.) This type of folktale is called a "pourquoi" or "why" tale. These stories are told by groups to explain how something came to be, why some natural event happens or why humans behave as they do. This story tells how the Cherokee explained how strawberries came to be, as well as why it is important to be kind and respectful.
Pillars of Character Discussion Points

Respect, Caring and Responsibility

* Words spoken in anger can cause great damage.
* Being respectful to others leads to stronger relationships.
* Taking responsibility for your actions when you have hurt another person can repair a damaged relationship.

Questions for Discussion 1. Have you ever had a quarrel with a friend or a loved one? How does it feel for both people? How was it resolved?
2. How do people make up when they have disagreed or hurt one another?
3. What caused the problem for the people in the story? What was each person's viewpoint?
4. Why do you think the Sun helped the man?
5. How did strawberries make a difference to the woman?
6. What do strawberries remind the Cherokee people about?
Other Books Bruchac, Joseph, reteller. The Great Ball Game: A Muskogee Story. Dial, 1994.
dePaola, Tomie, reteller. The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1988.
dePaola, Tomie, reteller. The Legend of the Bluebonnet. GP Putnam's Sons, 1983.

Read Aloud Tips

Reading aloud and discussing books is of prime importance for young students as they develop literacy skills. Hearing stories helps students develop comprehension skills, critical thinking skills and understanding of themselves and others. It is also a fine opportunity to discuss the actions and decisions of characters in stories as they encounter life's problems. Students will come to you with a wide variety of lanuage skills and backgrounds experiences. Their experience will be enriched by the way you approach a book, helping them understand new concepts, setting the stage for the story and discussing aspects related to developing good character: the habits that we encourage to become thoughtful and caring citizens. It is always a better experience if you have been able to read the book ahead of time and have some ideas about what to talk about.

Set the stage by building background before reading. • Explore the illustrations. • Wonder together. • Have a good conversation. • Enjoy the story together. • Let the student take the lead. • Ask about the student's experiences and share your own. • Develop an atmosphere that is safe for sharing ideas.

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