Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring American Tall Tales

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students explore elements of American folktales and tall tales. In this literature instructional activity, students read examples of American folktales and tall tales and prepare a monologue or news report to present to the class based...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folktale Unit: Pecos Bill

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students experience a shared reading of Steven Kellogg's, Pecos Bill, while learning the associated vocabulary. They examine similarities and differences in folktales and discuss what a hero is. Finally, journal about their favorite part...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shadow Puppetry in South India

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read a variety of literature from India, including folktales and fables. They then select a scene or story to script, work together to design and craft shadow puppets of characters and scenery, narrate a story, manipulate the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Out and About: King Arthur

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Pupils explore the legend of King Arthur. For this folklore lesson, students visit King Arthur's Great Halls, King Arthur's Labyrinth, and Glastonbury Abbey online or in person to discover details about the legendary tales.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Groundhog Day

For Students 1st - 5th
In this Groundhog Day worksheet, students read through a description of Groundhog Day which explains when Groundhog Day is, what it is and what folklore means. There is a picture of a groundhog on the page.
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Larger Than Life Figures

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students prepare for and respond to literature selections. This package includes six lessons about larger than life figures from the American Literature series, each covering a different reading selection. Pre-reading and response...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ivan the Fool: Lesson 3

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read and analyze the Eastern European folktale of 'Ivan the Fool.' They discuss the term 'quest,' identify quests in their own lives, and in small groups design a board game that illustrates the czar's quest to find good wives...
Printables
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Classroom Jr.

Leprechaun Story Starter

For Teachers 1st - 4th Standards
The idea that there are little, bearded men protecting pots of gold fills every child's imagination with endless possibilities. This fun writing prompt taps into the creativity of young learners as they write about the day they caught a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Developing Cultural Awareness through Mexican Folktales

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the culture of Mexico through folktales. They identify cultural differences and similarities through the reading of folktales. Students create pocket books related to Mexican folklore. They read and discuss literary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Haitian Folktales

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders identify parts of Haitian culture through folktales. They compare and contrast a Haitian folktale with an African American folktale. They read "Bye-Bye" a Haitian folktale. They create and write their own folktale. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folktales (African American, Chinese, Japanese and Korean)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers participate in a variety of activities that are concerned with comparing different cultures through the literary genre of folktales. The stories are used to stimulate student interest and provide a context for how a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rooster's Night Out

For Teachers 1st
First graders complete interdisciplinary activities associated with a folktale from Cuba. In this Cuban folktale lesson, 1st graders read the Rooster's Night Out, before completing comprehension worksheets, make recipes, and...
Lesson Plan
University of Northern Iowa

Additional Folklife Information

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Use a packet packed with ideas for how to celebrate the traditions of your country, state, community, and pupils's families. Suggestions for how to draw on oral and material traditions, customs, beliefs, music, and stories all find...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Just Plain Fancy

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Just Plain Fancy. For this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer questions,...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Folklore Festivities: Exploring Short Stories

For Teachers 3rd
Students explore the stories of "William Tell, The Husband Who Was to Mind the House, The Little Match Girl, and Three Words of Wisdomare" in the five lessons of this unit. The understanding of folktales is highlighted in this unit.
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Little Red Hen Activity Card

For Students Pre-K - K
In this reading instructional activity, students respond to the book The Little Red Hen by completing an activity at home with their parents. Students cut out the characters on the page and staple them to a straw. Students say the parts...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folktales around the World (Middle, Reading/Writing)

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students analyze, synthesize, and use the elements of various US cultural folk tales to describe the elements of fiction in general and in folk tales specifically.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stories of Hope: Dragonfly and Mosquito

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students identify and interpret the value of the dragonfly as a predator of the mosquito. They create their own folktales using the dragonfly or a creature of their choice to solve the malaria problem or another issue. Students also...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing African, American, and European Folktales

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Pupils listen to John Steptoe's story, "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters," and then identify similarities and differences between an African, a Native American, and a European folktale.
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

China: Land Beyond the Wall

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
An excellent series of five lessons on China awaits you and your young geographers. In these lessons, learners engage in hands-on activities, watch streamed video, access websites, and complete activities in cooperative groups in order...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Write with Writers

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Write and work with authors on the Scholastic Website to promote the recognition of various genres.  Young writers will participate in activities based on the type of writing such as biography, descriptive, folktales, mystery, news,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Weave of Woods

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Focus on vocabulary, comprehension, and analysis while reading A Weave of Woods, a colorful picture book by Robert D. San Souci. Young learners use worksheets to preview, predict, practice paraphrasing, and make comparisons. The...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Juan Verdades

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Cement comprehension skills using the strategies in this activity. After reading the story, Juan Verdades by Joe Hays, learners use context clues to answer questions, identify main ideas and details, and sequence events.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Use of Myths in Science

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine folk tales to determine the basis for scientific myths. They demonstrate through the discussion of the folk tales that the perception of the world has changed as new information is gained. They write their own folk...