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A Letter from Many Roots Day

Read a letter about traditions shared in an American community.

Answer Key

Read the letter

Read the letter. Then answer the questions.

A Letter from Many Roots Day

October 14, 1978
Dear Tomas,
Last Saturday, our community center in Minneapolis held Many Roots Day. Families shared customs, foods, languages, and stories. I learned that American communities have many cultures. No single tradition tells the story of everyone in America.

At the Ojibwe table, an Ojibwe family showed a bundle of manoomin, or wild rice. They explained that some Ojibwe families harvest rice from lakes in canoes, as their grandparents did. One person pushes the canoe with a long pole. Another gently knocks the rice into the canoe with two wooden sticks. Long ago, families used birchbark canoes. Today, many use metal canoes, but they still knock the rice by hand. Then they dry and cook the rice. The family said this tradition is important to many Ojibwe communities, though families may practice it in different ways.

At the Cherokee Nation table, a teacher showed the Cherokee syllabary. Sequoyah created this writing system in the 1800s. Children read words from a booklet while an older speaker shared Cherokee words aloud. At the Japanese American table, families shaped mochi, a rice cake that many families make for New Year's celebrations.

Each table had the group's name. I understood why that mattered. Ojibwe, Cherokee, and Japanese American families have different histories and traditions. People can keep a tradition meaningful while using new tools or sharing it in a new place. I hope our class has a day like this someday.
Your friend,
Lena

1.
What is the main idea of Lena's letter?
  • A. Different American groups share traditions that help tell their stories.
  • B. One community center teaches children how to cook rice.
  • C. Most families in Minneapolis celebrate New Year's in the same way.
  • D. Lena's class is planning a trip to three different tables.
2.
How were the three tables different?
  • A. They all showed the same food but used different names.
  • B. They each invited people from a different city.
  • C. They shared different customs, such as harvesting rice, reading words, or making mochi.
  • D. They all taught children to use canoes and wooden poles.
3.
Why did the center put the group's name at each table?
  • A. So visitors would know which table had the most food.
  • B. So visitors could tell whose history and traditions were being shared.
  • C. So every family would choose one tradition to copy.
  • D. So the tables could be arranged from oldest to newest.
4.
Circle the two details that show people were teaching or sharing traditions at Many Roots Day.

Lena wrote the letter to her friend Tomas.Children read Cherokee words from a booklet.A teacher showed the Cherokee syllabary.The letter was dated October 14, 1978.

5.
Which plan would be the most respectful way for a class to learn about the Cherokee Nation?
  • A. Choose one Cherokee craft and say it represents every Native nation.
  • B. Use a made-up story instead of learning about Cherokee people.
  • C. Copy Cherokee words without learning what group uses them.
  • D. Learn about the Cherokee syllabary and name the Cherokee Nation in the display.

Think about the groups

Use details from the letter to compare the cultures and traditions.

6.
A student says, “Every Ojibwe family must harvest wild rice in exactly the same way.” Which response best uses the letter?
  • A. The letter says Ojibwe families may practice the tradition in different ways.
  • B. The letter says Ojibwe families do not have food traditions.
  • C. The letter says all Ojibwe families live beside the same lake.
  • D. The letter says only children can harvest wild rice.
7.
What do the Cherokee Nation table and the Japanese American table have in common?
  • A. Both tables taught people how to travel in a canoe.
  • B. Both tables described traditions connected to wild rice.
  • C. Both tables shared a tradition through words, food, or family activity.
  • D. Both tables showed traditions created by Sequoyah.
8.
Circle the two details that show a tradition can continue while some tools or methods change.

Many Ojibwe families now use metal canoes instead of birchbark canoes.The community center was in Minneapolis.Ojibwe families still knock the rice into the canoe by hand.The letter was written to Tomas.

9.
What can Lena infer about the people at Many Roots Day?
  • A. They believe all American families have one shared tradition.
  • B. They want to share their traditions while keeping each group's identity clear.
  • C. They are trying to replace older traditions with new ones.
  • D. They think only children should learn about culture.
10.
A museum label says, “The Ojibwe and Cherokee have the same culture because both are Native American nations.” Which correction is best?
  • A. The groups have no traditions because they are from the same country.
  • B. The groups are identical because both use written language.
  • C. The groups cannot share any ideas because their histories differ.
  • D. They are distinct nations with their own histories and traditions.
11.
What idea is supported by Ojibwe families using metal canoes but still knocking the rice by hand?
  • A. A tradition can stay important even when some tools change.
  • B. A tradition matters more when it is done outdoors.
  • C. A tradition ends when people move to a different city.
  • D. A tradition belongs to anyone who sees it at a community event.
12.
Circle the two details that show traditions can be shared by more than one generation.

An older speaker shared Cherokee words while children read.The center held Many Roots Day on a Saturday.Ojibwe families connect wild-rice harvesting with earlier generations.Lena hopes her class will have a similar day.

13.
Lena's class wants to create a new display about American cultures. Which choice would best follow the example in her letter?
  • A. Name each group and use reliable information about its own tradition.
  • B. Put all traditions under one label so they look the same.
  • C. Choose one tradition and call it the culture of all Americans.
  • D. Leave out the names of groups so visitors will not compare them.

Write with evidence

Answer in complete thoughts. Use details from Lena's letter.

14.
How are the Ojibwe wild-rice tradition and the Japanese American mochi tradition different? Use one detail about each from the letter.

Some Ojibwe families harvest wild rice from lakes in canoes and then dry and cook it. Japanese American families shape mochi, a rice cake that many families make for New Year's celebrations.

15.
Why is it important to name the group when describing a tradition? Use two details from the letter.

Naming the group shows that Ojibwe, Cherokee, and Japanese American families have different histories and traditions. For example, the Ojibwe table shared wild-rice harvesting, while the Cherokee Nation table shared its syllabary.