Folktales
Thinking
and Talking Activity
 Introducing
Folktales
(all grade levels)
A folktale is
a narrative that, in its plot, utilizes fictional elements to tell
its story. However, despite its elements of fantasy, a folktale
is actually a symbolic way of presenting the different means by
which human beings cope with the world in which they live. Folktales
concern people -- either royalty or common folk -- or animals who
speak and act like people.
People told folktales
long before there were books, newspapers or televisions. Folktales
were a way to bring news from one village to the next. Parents used
folktales to teach lessons to their children. These stories helped
people learn and understand the customs of their village. Folktales
also explained the wonders of nature, like thunderstorms.
Many cultures have one
clever character who is always getting into trouble. For example,
Native American Indians have Trickster, Cape Verdians have Los Nobos
the wolf, and Africans have Anansi the Spider. (see "Tricksters")
Folktales are told over
and over and they change with each retelling. Each storyteller breathes
a different life into a story. The storyteller is always making
choices; where to begin, where to end, where to add a dash of humor
or a sprinkling of suspense.
Read a variety of folktales
to your class, and have them discuss the meanings. Our suggestions
include: Anansi (Spider) Stories, How the Mosquito Learned to Buzz,
Brer Rabbit stories, Coyote Stories, and any story that suggests
sound or movement. Check out Mufara's Beautiful Daughter
by John Steptoe, When Africa Was Home by Karen Lynn Williams,
A Country Far Away by Nigel Gray, and The Fortune-Tellers
by Lloyd Alexander. Also check out "Folktale
Detective" in the Kid's Room, and our links page for access
to folktales from several parts of the world!
Folk Tales Presentations
(Best for grade 4 and up)
Give the students at
least one period to read more folk tales on their own. After reading
several folk tales, have the students work in small groups and select
the one story they liked the most.
This will be rewritten
by the students in their own words and then illustrated by the students.
(It will be helpful if the students can identify the location where
the story originated so they can later research authentic details
about the specific region for their illustrations.)
In one or two periods
they should be able to divide the story into sections and assign
one or two pages (depending on the size of the group) to each member
of the group. Each student will be responsible for writing the section
of the story for their assigned pages and for creating the illustrations.
How to write your
own folktale
If you wanted to write
a story about your canoe trip with your Mom, it might sound like
this:
Mom and I went canoeing
on Sunday. In the spring the Pascamansett River in Dartmouth, Massachusetts
is full of water and there are even rapids. We stopped and had a
picnic on a hill and I saw lots of birds. When we came to the rapids,
Mom yelled out directions from the stern. I held my breath as we
rushed through rocks and swirling water. In a few minutes, the water
was calm again and Mom was calling out, "Great job, Eva!"
Telling what you did
on your canoe trip is an example of a narrative story.
Now let's take the basic
idea of the canoe trip and write a folktale.
Remember, a folktale
is a simple story with a message or a lesson in it. It's also a
story that lots of people can understand and enjoy.
Here's an example of
a folktale using the idea of the canoe trip:
Two brothers went on
a canoe trip. One brother said, "I'll sit in the stern. But the
other brother said, "I want to sit in the stern." They argued until
finally one brother said "I'm older, so I'll sit in back first.
When we are halfway we will switch and you will sit in the back.
The other brother agreed. When they were exactly halfway down the
river, Wind decided to play tricks and he started blowing across
the river.
Younger brother said,
"It's time to switch now."
Older brother said,
"Brother, it is too windy."
Younger brother said,
"You just want to stay in the stern. We'll switch right now." Younger
Brother got up to switch and the wind blew the canoe over and both
brothers got dunked in the river.
Wind looked down and
said, "I hope you have both learned what can happen when you can't
wait for your turn."
As you can see, there
are many differences between the folktale and other kinds of stories.
How about writing one of your own? Just one request. Make it 2 pages
or less.
Portions of this activity
created by Linda Nevens and used with permission from "All About
Folktales." See their page at http://www.umassd.edu/specialprograms/isn/Newfiles/aboutfolktales.html
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