The many different animals that live in a great Kapok tree in the Brazilian rainforest try to convince a man with an ax of the importance of not cutting down their home.
In this companion volume to Parallel Worlds, Alma Gottlieb explores ideology and social practices among the Beng people of Côte d'Ivoire. Employing symbolic and postmodern perspectives, she highlights the dynamically paired notions of identity and difference, symbolized by the kapok tree planted at the center of every Beng village. "This book merits a number of readings. . . . An experiment in ethnography that future projects might well emulate." —Clarke K. Speed, American Anthropologist "[An] evocative, rich ethnography. . . . Gottlieb does anthropology a real service." —Misty L. Bastian, American Ethnologist "Richly detailed. . . . This book offers a nuanced descriptive analysis which commands authority." —Elizabeth Tonkin, Man "Exemplary. . . . Gottlieb's observations on identity and difference are not confined to rituals or other special occasions; rather she shows that these principles emerge with equal force during daily social life." —Monni Adams, Journal of African Religion "[An] excellent study." —John McCall, Journal of Folklore Research
In this companion volume to Parallel Worlds, Alma Gottlieb explores ideology and social practices among the Beng people of Côte d'Ivoire. Employing symbolic and postmodern perspectives, she highlights the dynamically paired notions of identity and difference, symbolized by the kapok tree planted at the center of every Beng village. "This book merits a number of readings. . . . An experiment in ethnography that future projects might well emulate." —Clarke K. Speed, American Anthropologist "[An] evocative, rich ethnography. . . . Gottlieb does anthropology a real service." —Misty L. Bastian, American Ethnologist "Richly detailed. . . . This book offers a nuanced descriptive analysis which commands authority." —Elizabeth Tonkin, Man "Exemplary. . . . Gottlieb's observations on identity and difference are not confined to rituals or other special occasions; rather she shows that these principles emerge with equal force during daily social life." —Monni Adams, Journal of African Religion "[An] excellent study." —John McCall, Journal of Folklore Research
These activities for The Great Kapok Tree practice key language convention skills. The activities integrate literature with learning about grammar, word choice, and sentence structure. Learning can be fun when it's connected to literature.
Students will enjoy studying the story elements of The Great Kapok Tree through these engaging activities, students create products to share their understanding of the characters, plots, and settings of the book.
Students respond to The Great Kapok Tree through writing. Various writing prompts, which require students to make connections, are provided. Narrative, opinion, and informative/explanatory prompts are included along with themed writing paper.
Looking for ways to add rigor to your students' explorations of rich, complex literature? Students will be engaged as they analyze this story about a man who reconsiders chopping down a tree in the Amazon rainforest after a convincing argument from its animal inhabitants. The Great Kapok Tree: An Instructional Guide for Literature provides engaging activities that incorporate the following research-based literacy skills: close reading tasks; text-based vocabulary practice; cross-curricular activities; text-dependent questions; reader response writing prompts; leveled comprehension questions; story elements comprehension tasks; diverse and relevant assessments. Strengthen your students' literacy skills by implementing this high-interest resource in your classroom!
These vocabulary activities for The Great Kapok Tree incorporate key skills from the Common Core. The activities integrate vocabulary with a study of the text. Includes text-dependent questions, definitions, and text-based sentences.
These post-reading activities for The Great Kapok Tree allow students to share their understanding of the characters, plots, and settings of the book. They have opportunities to write, draw, and perform based on what they've learned.