Technology-Connected Folklife Lesson Plan: Fables

Title: The Turtle and the Rabbit Run a Race
Grade Levels: K-6

Curriculum Areas:
  • Reading and Writing
  • History
    		•

     

     

    Colorado Content Standards:

    Reading and Writing Standards:

  • STANDARD 1:  Students read and understand a variety of materials.
    • use comprehension skills such as previewing, predicting, inferring, comparing and contrasting, re-reading and self-monitoring, summarizing, identifying the author's purpose, determining the main idea, and applying knowledge of foreshadowing, metaphor, simile, symbolism, and other figures of speech;
    • adjust reading strategies for different purposes such as reading carefully, idea by idea; skimming and scanning; fitting materials into an organizational pattern, such as reading a novel chronologically; finding information to support particular ideas; and finding the sequence of steps in a technical publication;
    • using a full range of strategies to comprehend materials such as directions, nonfiction material, rhymes and poems, and stories. (K-4)
  • STANDARD 2: Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and

    • audiences.

      • write and speak for a variety of purposes such as telling stories, presenting analytical responses to literature, conveying technical information, explaining concepts and procedures, and persuading;
      • organize written and oral presentations using strategies such as lists, outlining, cause/effect relationships, comparison/contrast, problem/solution, and narration;
    • STANDARD 4:
      • make predictions, analyze, draw conclusions, and discriminate between fact and opinion in writing, reading, speaking, listening, and viewing;
      • identify the purpose, perspective, and historical and cultural influences of a speaker, author, or director; and
      • predicting and drawing conclusions about stories; (Grades K-4)
      • making predictions, drawing conclusions, and analyzing what they read, hear, and view; (Grades 5-8)

    History Standards

    • STANDARD 3: Students understand that societies are diverse and have

    changed over time.

      • 3.1 Students know how various societies were affected by contacts

    and exchanges among diverse peoples.

      • describing the history, interactions, and contributions of various groups of people who make up the major culture regions* of the world; (Grades 5-8)
      • 3.2 Students understand the history of social organization* in

    various societies.

     

    Technology Connection:

    ·        Microsoft Word  or other Word Processing Software  

    ·        The Tortoise and the Hare from Living Books CDs  (if available)

    ·       http://www.americanfolklore.net/

    ·       http://www.ocbtracker.com/ladypixel/

    ·       http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/legends.htm

    ·        

    Assessment:

    ·        Venn diagram

     

    Background Information for the Teacher:

    Oral narratives are an essential part of human existence; in fact they preceded written literature. Stories are told to entertain, to maintain information related to cultural beliefs and practices of a cultural group, and to teach values and morals. All cultures have some form of oral narrative; young and old of all cultures recite narratives for various reasons.

    When students explore storytelling they learn the importance of the stories in their lives, the influences the stories have on their cultural orientation, and how narratives can shape their beliefs, behavior and social values.

    The story in this lesson is a fable--animals are the main characters, and there is a moral. The story is also a trickster tale in which one animal outwits another animal that is stronger, larger, and faster.

    Teaching students to collect folklore is by far the best way for them to grasp the concept of what folklore is. A follow-up lesson would teach students to: (1) collect an original story via interview and videotaping (after viewing an interview done correctly, and practicing interviewing in the classroom), and (2) transcribe the interview. The lesson could continue as this one does, with a discussion of whether or not to edit the piece into a polished tale, and an analysis of edited and non-edited versions

    Why Are Folktales Important?
    by Maida Owens, Louisiana Folklife Program

    http://www.lpb.org/programs/swappingstories/introduction.html

    In this world of high technology, one may wonder why something as simple and low tech as storytelling is important. On the surface, folktales may appear to be simply entertainment with no real significance. But the stories told by a group of people offer a window into that culture that reveals its values and worldview. Probably of more significance is the fact that stories offer each one of us an opportunity to participate within our community and connect with other people in meaningful ways.

    Everyday, each one of us tells stories. While, admittedly, some are more talented than others, all of us relate events in our lives, tell jokes, or share legends about local people, beliefs, or events. Each of us knows individuals who excel in their ability to draw a crowd and pull us into the story being told. Some tell animated jokes, while others surprise us with a tall tale that begins in a matter-of-fact style and moves to a fantastic ending. Some of us even share stories passed down within our culture that are not as common as in the past: myths, magic tales, and animal tales. The tales or stories provide opportunities for us to feel connected to others and belong to a group.

    Just as each one of us is a storyteller, each group or community has storytelling traditions. One group may excel at jokes, while another may still have individuals telling magic tales. Sharing tales of haunted houses, supernatural creatures, fooling strangers with tale tales, or teaching lessons with animal tales, such activities reflect the shared values and perspectives of our communities. Our priorities, ethics, and sense of humor are revealed in our stories.

    The traits that mark our stories as unique and set apart from other stories also reveal our cultural differences and help to define the group. Such differences do not have to divide us. But rather, they can help us to appreciate the unique cultural art forms and contributions that diverse groups have to offer the world. Our own stories, like our other distinct cultural traditions and art forms, offer us the opportunity to celebrate our diversity and the boundless expressions of human creativity.

     

    Procedures:

    ·        Introduce lesson with discussion of folklore and oral narratives. Define fable; later post on the Word Wall. Ask students to listen to find out who the trickster was, and what lesson the story teaches.

    ·        Read orally to the whole class, Aesop’s, Fable "The Tortoise and the Hare." Discuss how this story is a fable.

    ·        Orally read “The Race of Toad and Deer” retold by Pat Mora.  Any other fable that is comparable to an Aesop’s Fable can be used.  

    ·        In small groups, discuss ways the stories were alike and different.  The teacher will demonstrate how to draw a Venn diagram using Microsoft Word.  Students will label the two circles and enter the likenesses and differences on the diagram.

    Extension

    Alone or in small groups, students can write their own fable and share it with the class.

     

    Materials:

    ·        Technology resources listed above

    ·        Scan converter for whole group instruction using TV; or projector

    ·        Directions for Venn Diagram

    ·        Venn diagram

    ·        Aesop’s Fables and “The Race of Toad and Deer”