Story Comprehension Questions: Bear Becomes Bearable

After reading the Terry Gardner Four Directions tale called “Bear becomes Bearable,” involve your students in responding to the following comprehension questions either in oral or written form or both.

Click “Bear becomes Bearable” to read a copy of the target story.

Twenty-Seven Story Comprehension Questions

1. At the beginning of this tale, what motivated Bear to suddenly become envious of Wolf and Coyote and Eagle?

Students Respond: It was a hot day. Bear was jealous of Coyote and Wolf because they were able to shed their fur during hot weather. He was jealous of Eagle because she could fly up where it is always cool; plus, he was envious of the fact that she could fan herself with her huge wings.

2. What features did Bear have that he did not like about himself?

Students Respond:

* He can’t run fast.

* He can’t fly.

* He has a blubber body he has to get fat for the winter.

* He sleeps four months of the year.

* He eats berries and most everything no one else would touch.

3. How did Bear decide to make himself feel better?

Students Respond: Ben Bear decided to pretend to be Eagle, Wolf, and Coyote. As a result, he would be able to fly, run, and howl.

4. What did Bear do to try to be like Eagle? What were the results?

Students Respond: Bear climbed ten feet up into a tree. He stood up on a branch. He launched himself into the air. He fell to the ground so hard that the air rushed out of Bear’s stomach. Fortunately, he was not seriously hurt.

5. When Bear realized he could not imitate Eagle, what did he do to try to imitate Coyote? What were the results?

Students Respond: Bear hunched down in a sprinter’s crouch and took off running. The claws on his rear legs dug into the dirt. This caused him to trip, skid, and fall flat on his face. It hurt but not seriously.

6. While Bear was trying to be like his three friends, who was watching? How did they react?

Students Respond: Eagle, Coyote, and Wolf were watching Bear. They tried to stay hidden and not make much noise. Coyote and Wolf were tempted to laugh, but Eagle told them to get hold of themselves so they could all figure out the best way to help Bear feel better.

7. What happened to Bear when he tried to howl like Wolf? What were the results?

Students Respond: Bear tried to howl but ended up roaring instead. This made him cry in despair and question his own identity.

8. How did Eagle, Wolf, and Coyote decide to try to make Bear feel better about himself?

Students Respond: They decided to try to imitate Bear so they could activate his sense of humor to get him laughing instead of crying.

9. What did Eagle do to try to make Bear laugh?

Students Respond: Eagle tried to walk like Bear as she attempted to swing her head from side to side.

10. What did Wolf do to try to make Bear laugh?

Students Respond: Wolf tried to climb a tree and kept falling off the tree.

11. What did Coyote do to try to make Bear laugh?

Students Respond: Coyote found a bee’s nest in a tree. He tried to take some honey from it.

12. What did the Bees do when Coyote tried to take some honey from the tree?

Students Respond: The Bees began to chase him around and around the tree.

13. What did Bear do to help Coyote with the bees?

Students Respond: Bear requested that the bees stop chasing Coyote as he meant no harm.

14. How did the Bees respond to Bear’s request?

Students Respond: After the Bees chased Coyote around the tree three more times, they then agreed to stop.

15. Bear thought that his three friends looked very silly. He asked them why they were trying to copy him. What did they say?

Students Respond: Eagle explained that Bear could not be like them. He needed to be like himself. Plus, she explained that all three of them loved Bear just the way he was.

16. What danger was lurking in the forest?

Students Respond: Two hunters had chased a beautiful Lady Bear up into a tree. They were taking turns shooting at her.

17. What did Eagle do to help?

Students Respond: Eagle dive-bombed the hunters and used her talons to pull off the toupee of one of the men.

18. What did Wolf do to help?

Students Respond: Wolf chased after the two hunters, howling with fangs bared, and her claws extending toward the two men. Wolf took a good chunk of pants material from one of the hunters.

19. What did Coyote do to help?

Students Respond: Coyote chased after the two hunters, yipping with fangs bared, and his claws extending toward the two men. Coyote took a good chunk of pants material from one of the other hunters.

20. What did Ben Bear do to help?

Students Respond: Bear rose to his full twelve feet. He roared and charged the two men from their other side. He also swiped the hat off of one of the hunters.

21. Who else showed up to help?

Students Respond: Several other wolves and coyotes pounded into view.

22. How did the hunters react?

Students Respond: The hunters screamed in terror. They fell to the ground. They began to crawl away as fast as they could. They finally stood back up and ran away fast.

23. How did the animals react when the hunters ran away?

Students Respond: Eagle told them to let them go. Once they were gone, all the animals began rolling on the ground in laughter.

24. What did Ben Bear do regarding the Lady Bear?

Students Respond: Ben Bear let out a gentle roar and helped the trembling Lady Bear out of the tree.

25. What did the Lady Bear do then?

Students Respond: The Lady Bear hugged Ben Bear and thanked him. She also said she would like to be his special friend.

26. How did Ben Bear respond to the Lady Bear’s invitation?

Students Respond: He accepted with a grin. He also said that he was very glad to be a Bear.

27. How did the story end?

Students Respond: Eagle, Wolf, and Coyote cheered for Bear as they stated, “Yeah for you! You are you! You are you! There’s NO ONE else for you to be but YOU – wonderful YOU!”

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OTHER STORIES BY TERRY GARDNER

Four Coyote tales:

1. Coyote meets his master

A. Read-aloud story