Grade 2 - Early Asian Civilizations

88 Early Asian Civilizations: Supplemental Guide 4A | The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal

Discussing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes

Comprehension Questions

If students have difficulty responding to questions, reread pertinent lines

of the read-aloud and/or refer to specific images. If students give one-

word answers and/or fail to use read-aloud or domain vocabulary in their

responses, acknowledge correct responses by expanding students’

responses using richer and more complex language. Ask students to

answer in complete sentences by having them restate the question in

their responses. Model answers using complete sentences as necessary.

1. Literal What is the title of today’s story? What type of special folktale
   is it?
   
   
   • The title of today’s story is “The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal.” It is
     a trickster tale.
   
   
   
   


2. Evaluative Is today’s trickster tale fiction—a make-believe story, or
   nonfiction—a true story? How do you know?
   
   
   • Today’s trickster tale is fiction because animals and trees cannot really
     talk.
   
   
   
   


3. Inferential Who is the trickster in this tale? Who does the trickster fool
   or trick?
   
   
   • The jackal is the trickster in this tale. The jackal fools the Brahman and
     the tiger.
     Were your predictions about which character would be the trickster
     correct?
   
   
   • Answers may vary.
   
   
   
   


4. Inferential What country is the setting for this trickster tale? How do
   you know?
   
   
   • The setting for this trickster tale is India. I know because this is an Indian
     folktale; there is a Brahman, a Hindu priest, and Hinduism is practiced in
     India; tigers live in India; etc.
   
   
   
   


5. Inferential Why does the Brahman agree to let the tiger free from the
   cage? What does the tiger do in return to the Brahman?
   
   
   • The Brahman agrees to let the tiger free because the Brahman feels
     sorry for the tiger; the Brahman was taught to treat animals like brothers;
     the tiger sobbed and sighed and wept; and the tiger promised not to eat
     him. In return, the tiger wants to eat the Brahman.