Story Elements
Who is the main character of the story?
Yo'ee
What does the word "woven" mean as used in the story?
"Woven" = interlaced or put together by threading strands to make something (like a basket).
What does Yo'ee want to do after watching the children listen to the chief?
She wanted to tell stories to make others happy.
Who taught Yo'ee how to weave baskets?
Her grandmother.
Which sentence from the passage shows that Yo'ee liked to watch her grandmother weave? (students should point to the line in paragraph 5)
Paragraph 5: “Yo'ee loved to watch her grandmother weave baskets.”
Where did Yo'ee and her people live?
On the shores/valley of California; specifically the Chumash people lived on the shores of California, in the valley Aw'hay.
Based on the passage, what are "juncus rushes" and "split reeds"?
Grass-like plants with long, thin stems used to weave baskets (definition given in text).
Why did Yo'ee make a special basket with a blue-feathered rim?
She wanted to tell a story without speaking; the blue rim helped show color being given to the jay — a visual story.
What sounds or voice quality describes the chief’s storytelling? (refer to paragraph 7)
Strong, clear voice that rose and fell like the river’s song.
Which quotation supports the answer that Yo'ee found a new way to tell stories?
Paragraph 21: “You’ve found a way to tell a story without speaking a word... Your story was in the weaving of the basket.”
Name two activities that are important in the Native American culture described in the passage.
Basket weaving and storytelling
What does the word "festival" mean as used in paragraphs 14 and 20?
A gathering where people celebrate a special event
What is one lesson or theme of the story? Choose the best short statement.
Theme: People can express themselves in many different ways
In the creation story the chief told (paragraphs 8–11), which animal’s action helped give humans useful hands?
Lizard pressed his tiny hand into the rock so humans would have useful hands (paragraph 11).
Which part of the passage shows that the children were impressed by Yo'ee’s handiwork? (identify specific sentence from paragraphs 16–19)
Paragraphs 16–19: e.g., paragraph 16 mentions people murmured, impressed; paragraph 20: Everyone cheered.
Describe the sequence of events Yo'ee followed to make baskets (three key steps).
Gather reeds from the river; dry or soak and soften them; wrap and stitch reeds into a coiled base and sew more rows.
In paragraph 15, Yo'ee is described as "clutching her basket." Which phrase from the text helps you understand what "clutching" means?
The phrase “…held up…” or “…stood up, clutching her basket” (paragraph 15) — the surrounding actions show she held the basket tightly.
How does Yo'ee overcome her shyness without speaking, and what does this tell you about different ways people can communicate?
She used the woven basket’s pictures to tell the story; it shows nonverbal expression (weaving = storytelling).
How did Yo'ee prepare the reeds before weaving? List the steps mentioned in the passage.
They pulled bundles from the river, dried some in the sun until brown, soaked others in mud to turn them black at night, set them out to dry, then dipped stiff reeds in water to soften them.
Which two quotations support the inference that Yo'ee's family supported her?
paragraph 13 (“She ran to tell her plan to Grandmother, who thought it was a wonderful idea...”), and paragraph 21 (family hugged her proudly; grandmother’s eyes twinkled).
Explain how the basket’s design (the four sides) tells a full story. Include the order of the images.
Side 1: black/featherless jay; Side 2: jay flying to rim; Side 3: sky dropping blue feathers; Side 4: blue jay — the four sides show the change over time (from sad black jay to blue-feathered jay), telling the whole story in order.
Explain what "weaving a basket" shows about Yo'ee’s cultural skills and how the author uses specific vocabulary to show how she learned them.
Weaving shows learned cultural skill, careful preparation, and storytelling without words; vocabulary like "wrapping," "stitching," "sewed," "dipped," and "soften" shows learned steps and craftsmanship.
Use two quotations from the passage to support the theme that "People can express themselves in many different ways."
paragraph 21 (“You’ve found a way to tell a story without speaking a word... Your story was in the weaving of the basket.”) and paragraph 19 (“On the last side of the basket was the beautiful blue scrub jay...”)
Describe what happened at the Acorn Harvest and what role Yo'ee played in the festival.
The Acorn Harvest was a festival where everyone sang, danced, and ate; Yo'ee brought her special basket and told her story by showing the basket, earning cheers.
Which quotation from paragraph 5 best explains how Grandmother’s hands moved while weaving?
Paragraph 5’s simile: “Her hands moved gracefully, like the wings of a bird.” (shows smooth/confident movement)