The People of Twelve Thousand Winters Author: Trinka Hakes Noble Illustrator: Jim Madsen Guide written by Jillian Hume This guide may be reproduced for use with this express written consent of Sleeping Bear Press Published by: Sleeping Bear Press 315 E. Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 200 Ann Arbor, MI 48108 800‐487‐2323 www.sleepingbearpress.com Comprehension Questions
While reading the story The People of Twelve Thousand Winters, answer the questions below. Be
sure to use complete sentences.
1. What did the wayhuhweehuhlahs tell the boy’s mother at the naming ceremony?
2. What does Walking Turtle mean when he says he is “only ten winters”?
3. Why does Walking Turtle carry Little Talk on his back?
4. When are Walking Turtle’s feet the happiest?
5. What are some of the activities involved in warrior school?
6. Why might the Lenni Lenape people call the Milky Way the Great White Path?
7. Who is the narrator of The People of Twelve Thousand Winters? (Who is telling the story?)
8. Why is Soaring Hawk so well respected in his village?
9. Why is Soaring Hawk’s face painted part red and part black?
10. Why does Walking Turtle’s mind race when they are perched on a big overhanging rock
above the village?
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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
After reading The People of Twelve Thousand Winters, use the Science, Mathematics,
Engineering, and Technology design process to create a three-dimensional wigwam. The Lenni
Lenape Indians did not live in teepees. They lived in wigwams or longhouses. They made the
frame of their longhouses out of trees and then covered it with bark. The hole in the roof
allowed smoke from the fire to escape. Their doorways were curtains of animal skins.
Ask: What can you use, and how can you create a three-dimensional wigwam using recyclable
materials from around your house and/or classroom?
Imagine: What do you already know? What materials could you use? Do any research that you
may need to do to complete the project. What are the possibilities? What needs to be determined
before you start building?
Plan: Draw a design. Gather materials. Assign team member roles.
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Facts About the Book
Before or after reading The People of Twelve Thousand Winters use the cover of the book to
answer questions 1-3.
1. The author is the person who writes the words in a book. Who is the author of The People of
Twelve Thousand Winters?
2. The illustrator is the person who creates the pictures in a book. Who is the illustrator of The
People of Twelve Thousand Winters?
3. The People of Twelve Thousand Winters is part of a series called Tales of the World. From
what country does this tale originate?
The copyright page is the page that is usually at the front of a book and includes
information about the book publisher, publishing date, and other important information
about the book. Use the copyright page to answer the following questions.
4. Who did Trinka Hakes Noble (T.H.N.) dedicate the book to?
5. Who did Jim Madsen dedicate the book to?
6. In what year were both the text and illustrations copywritten?
7. In what city and state is Sleeping Bear Press, the publishing company that published The
People of Twelve Thousand Winters located?
8. On the copyright page, it also lists the Web page for the publishing company. What is the
publishing company’s Web site? The publishing company’s Web site also links to
www.discovertheworldbooks.com in which you can find games, maps, recipes, and more!
9. The People of Twelve Thousand Winters was printed and bound (put together) in what
country?
10. The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is like a phone number or address for
books. Each book has its own ISBN number. It is usually 13 numbers long. What is the ISBN
number for The People of Twelve Thousand Winters?
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Sequencing
During or after reading The People of Twelve Thousand Winters, put the following events in the
order that they occurred in the story. Number them 1-10, with 1 being the first, and 10 being the
last event that occurred.
_______Little Talk and Walking Turtle slip out of the Big House into the night air. They climb
the hill above their village and perch on a big overhanging rock.
_______ Father tells Walking Turtle that in one winter he will go to warrior school.
_______ All of the women and children go into the forest to gather hickory nuts, black walnuts,
chestnuts, and acorns during the Time of the Falling Leaves.
_______The first snowfall of winter lightly covers the bark lodges.
_______At my naming ceremony the wayhuhweehuhlahs, the giver of names, told Half Moon
Dancer, “He shall carry his people on his back, as steady and sure as a hard-shelled
turtle that walks over land toward water. He shall be Walking Turtle Boy.”
_______ White Antler tells the people that they must be ever grateful to Kishelemukong for this
vast land beyond their mountains.
_______Walking Turtle sitw on the hill above their village, looking at the blue wood smoke drift
up into the late summer dusk.
_______ Little Talk tells Walking Turtle that he must go to Warrior School.
_______ The Turtle Clan, Turkey Clan, and Wolf Clan gather in the Big House for their Giving
Thanks Ceremony.
_______ Walking Turtle watches the participants at warrior school plunge into the icy water and
swim beyond the river bend and back.
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Word Work
Below are words in the story The People of Twelve Thousand Winters that you may not know.
Using the context clues (words and sentences around the words), make a prediction of the
meaning of the word. Then, using a dictionary, write down the definition. Record a synonym for
the word as well.
Word
Prediction
Definition
Ancient
Plunge
Venison
Corn pone
Harmony
Glistens
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Synonym
Math Word Problems
After reading The People of Twelve Thousand Winters, solve the following math word problems.
Be sure to show your work!
1. Mother and Heart Berry are in the forest gathering food for the evening meal. Heart Berry
picks a total of 450 wild grapes, vine berries, and strawberries. If 9 Lenapi people want an equal
amount of berries, how much does each person get?
2. Each batch of Fry Bread makes enough servings for 5 people. If there are 17 people attending
a ceremony, how many batches of Fry Bread need to be prepared if every single person attending
gets one whole serving of Fry Bread? No partial batches will be made. How many servings will
be left over?
3. Walking Turtle started at the three-fire lodge and planned on walking to the Great Salt Sea.
Walking Turtle has walked 1.25 miles on the Minisink Trail. He has 0.75 more miles to walk
until he reaches the Great Salt Sea. How many miles will he have walked to get to the Great Salt
Sea? How many miles will he have gone if he walks from the three-fire lodge to the Great Salt
Sea, and back to the lodge?
4. If 10 boys participate in warrior school each winter, how many boys will have participated
after 5 winters?
5. If Walking Turtle averages 3 miles per hour walking, how long will it take him to walk 1 ½
miles?
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Create a Map
After reading The People of Twelve Thousand Winters, create a map of the area that the Lenni
Lanape people lived in. Use the pictures and descriptions from the book to include things like
Minisink Trail, Passaic River, the forest, their three-fire lodge, and the big overhanging rock. Be
sure to include a scale, compass, and a map key.
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Author Study
Using information from the Author’s Note at the end of The People of Twelve Thousand Winters,
the author biography on the Sleeping Bear Press Web site, and Ms. Noble’s personal Web site,
create a journal entry that she may have written as a child.
http://www.trinkahakesnoble.com/
http://sleepingbearpress.com/authors_illustrators/trinka_noble.htm
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Fry Bread
The Lenape people would often make Fry Bread for feasts and special ceremonies. With the help
of an adult, read the directions carefully so that you can prepare and enjoy Fry Bread.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1-1/3 cups warm water
vegetable oil for frying
Optional: honey, sugar, butter, jelly/jam
1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add the water and knead the dough until soft.
3. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board until 1/4" thick.
4. Cut out 4" rounds.
5. Heat 1"-2" of oil in a saucepan.
6. Fry the bread until puffed.
7. Turn bread when edges are brown on both sides.
Fry bread can be served with honey, dipped into sugar, or spread with butter and jam/jelly.
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Fact and Opinion
After reading The People of Twelve Thousand Winters, determine if the statements below are
fact or opinion. When you have finished, create your own examples of fact and opinion. Give
three examples of fact, and three examples of opinion.
Facts are provable statements or thoughts and feelings. To see if something is a fact, ask
yourself, “Can this statement be proved?
Opinions are someone’s feelings about a topic. To check for opinions, ask yourself, “Does this
tell a thought or feeling?” “Would the statement be true all of the time?” Look for clue words
such as: feel, believe, always, never, none, most, least, best, and worst.
If the statement is a fact, put a check mark in the “fact” column. If the statement is an opinion,
put a check mark in the “opinion” column.
Fact
1. It feels so cold outside.
2. One more winter has come to the Lenni Lenape.
3. I think she looks beautiful.
4. Spring is the most beautiful season of all.
5. There are 12 months in a year.
6.
Opinion
x
7.
x
8.
x
9.
x
10.
x
11.
x
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Family History
Many people living today are descendants of the Lenni Lenape Indians. In the space below, write
about your family history, or create a family tree. If not much is known about your family, create
a tree or write a story about a fictional character that you create. Include traditions, important
events such as births, marriages, and deaths. You may also want to include things such as types
of housing, hobbies, books, etc. from the time period.
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Homophones
After reading The People of Twelve Thousand Winters, complete the homophone chart below.
Homophones are words that are spelled different, pronounced the same, but mean different
things. Complete the sentence by circling the correct homophone.
1. While perched atop the big overhanging rock, Little Talk and Walking Turtle
can (see/sea) the Great White Path.
2. “Walking Turtle,” Father says sternly, “in just (won/one) more winter you will
come here to warrior school.”
3. White Antler spoke (allowed, aloud), “Lenape, first people of the sunrise, listen
well to my words.”
4. Little Talk (knew/new) that Walking Turtle should go to warrior school.
5. The Lenni Lenape people (ate/eight) cornmeal and venison.
6. At (knight/night), when it is time for bed, Little Talk and Walking Turtle sleep
on platforms around the edge of their lodge.
7. The (cent/scent/sent) of the fire could be smelled miles away.
8. Venison is also known as the (meat/meet) from a deer.
9. The (sun/son) rises in the east.
10. Then Father speaks. “Walking Turtle, (here/hear) in warrior school you will
face many tests. You will learn the ways of a great hunter, a proud and brave
warrior. It will (knot/not) be easy.”
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Similes & Metaphors
Below are sentences or phrases from the story The People of Twelve Thousand Winters. In
numbers 1-4 state whether the sentence or phrase is a simile or metaphor. Highlight or circle the
word that tells whether it's a simile or metaphor. In numbers 5-10 rewrite the sentence or phrase
so that it contains either a metaphor or a simile.
1. “He shall carry his people on his back, as steady and sure as a hard-shelled turtle that walks
over land toward water. He shall be Walking Turtle Boy.”
2. Little Talk must have been thinking much too because he began to speak in a voice that almost
sounded like White Antler.
3. All at once, our drums begin to beat. Louder and louder they pound until they become the very
heartbeat of the earth.
4. Heart Berry follows, filling her little pot with wild grapes, vine berries, and the last few wild
strawberries, her namesake. And just like Heart Berry, they are sweet with no thorns.
Rewrite the following sentences to include either a metaphor or a simile.
5. Last summer, in the time of the Green Corn, I had grown strong enough to carry Little Talk all
the way down the Minisink Trail to the Great Salt Sea where Brother Sun rises to greet our
people each morning.
6. It is a chilly night. Mother makes us wear our leggings.
7. I think she looks beautiful.
8. Our drums start to beat. Our people begin to dance.
9. Unnoticed, we slip out of the Big House into the night air.
10. We the people will keep our fires burning.
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Create Your Own Book Cover
After reading The People of Twelve Thousand Winters, create a new cover for the book. Use the
story and what you learned about the Lenni Lenape people to create an appropriate cover for the
book. Include all of the text on the actual book cover, such as title, author, and illustrator.
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Word Scramble
Read The People of Twelve Thousand Winters and then practice spelling pattern
and word families by using the letters below. You may only use each letter once.
Start by making small words, and work your way up to making bigger words. Use
all the letters only once to fill in the blanks at the bottom to figure out the mystery
word.
EMESRENIOC
_______SON_______ __________________ __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ Mystery word: ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
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Answer Key
Page 1 of 2
Comprehension Questions
1)“He shall carry his people on his back, as steady and sure as a hard-shelled turtle that walks
over land toward water. He shall be Walking Turtle Boy.”
2) He has only lived 10 winters. That is how they keep track of their age.
3) He was born with a crooked foot.
4) When they face the east to greet the rising sun.
5) Plunge into icy water, hold their breath and run as far as they can, catch corn pone on the end
of a pointed stick.
6) Answers may vary. Possible answer: stars light the way
7) Walking Turtle
8) He is a fair and honest trader.
9) In honor of Mesingw, the Good Spirit Being of the forest, who keeps watch over all the trees,
plants, and animals.
10) He is thinking about warrior school and Little Talk and White Antler’s words.
Facts About the Book
1. Trinka Hakes Noble
3. America
5. Holly, Mckenzie, Hannah, and Easton
7. Ann Arbor, Michigan
9. China
2. Jim Madsen
4. Joy, David, Lizzie, and Dylan
6. 2012
8. www.sleepingbearpress.com
10. 978-1-58536-529-6
Sequencing
8, 5, 3, 10, 1, 7, 2, 9, 6, 4
Word Work
Word
Ancient
Prediction
Definition
Very old; aged
Synonym
Old-fashioned
Plunge
Leap or dive
Drop
Venison
Meat from a deer used as food
Deer
Corn bread, plain type made with water
Corn bread
Corn pone
Harmony
Glistens
Consistent, orderly
Peace
Reflecting light
Sparkle
Math Word Problems
1) 450 berries divided by 9 people = 50 berries per person 2) 4 batches: 3 batches is 15
servings which is not enough. If 4 batches are made, there will be 3 servings left over. 3) 2
miles to the Great Salt Sea, 4 miles round trip 4) 50 boys 5) 30 minutes or ½ hour
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Answer Key
Page 2 of 2
Fact or Opinion
1) Opinion 2) Fact 3) Opinion 4) Opinion 5) Fact
Homophones
1. see 2. one 3. aloud
10. here, not
4. knew
5. ate
6. night 7. scent 8. meat 9. sun
Similes and Metaphors
1) as steady and sure as a hard-shelled turtle: simile 2) sounded like White Antler: simile
3) become the very heartbeat of the earth: metaphor 4) like Heart Berry, they are sweet with no
thorns: simile
Word Scramble
Mystery Word: ceremonies
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