Create musical myths in this West African tales lesson plan. Middle schoolers read myths from African Myths and Legends as well as West African Trickster Tales. They note when music could be used to enhance the tales, and then write...

Explore positive and negative character traits and universal themes in the story of Cinderella with primary learners. Story elements are reviewed and discussion questions are listed. Learners practice retelling the story and begin a...

High schoolers compare Cameroonian and African-American folktales. In this folktales lesson, students participate in a jigsaw activity that requires them to read "The Owl Never Sleeps as Night," "Why the Lizard Often Nods," "Tappin, the...

For this wolves worksheet, students complete 3 pages of extension activities pertaining to wolves, their endangered status, and fear of wolves in history and literature. This is intended to be an extension after reading The Wolf's Tale...

Students read the tale of 'Three Strong Women' looking for facets of culture that create a 'face' of the Japanese people. They create a Venn Diagram comparing Japanese tall tales with factual research about Japanese culture. One side...

In this African culture learning exercise, students read a selection about the role of tradition on modern Africa and then respond to 7 short answer questions. Students also complete a Venn diagram.

Students examine fractured fairy tales before responding by writing in many different genres including a persuasive essay, a personal narrative, a letter, an advertisement, and a resume'. They create a pop-up book with their written...

Young scholars consider the structure of folktales. In this writing skills lesson, students list the attributes of folktales that they read in class. Young scholars then complete handouts based on the elements of the tales as well as...

Students compare the Native American version of Cinderella to the more popular version they know. They compare legends with fairy tales and explore character traits and discuss the meaning of good character. They write a fairy tale of...

Students explore two Native American legends. In this cultural traditions lesson plan, students read "The Legend of Blue Bonnet," and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush." Students then study basic Native American dance movements prior...

Students identify stereotyping in fairy tales.

Students read and analyze an African version of the Cinderella story. They listen to John Steptoe's story, "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters," locate Africa on a map, compare and contrast the story with Cinderella, and identify fairytale and...

The Olympic Games are indeed a significant and far-reaching cultural component in our international community today, but from where do they originate? Where do our traditions stem from, and how do we choose the sports that constitute...

When slavery took Africans from their land, they were separated from the rich musical and oral traditions native to each country and region. While working as slaves, Africans found they had two places where they could use these musical...

Pages and pages of engaging activities, worksheets, and writing projects on teaching folktales and fables await you! You don't want to miss this incredible resource that not only includes a wide range of topics and graphic...

Ninth graders work together to brainstorm an idea to focus on the similiarties and differences between various cultures. Individually, they interview family members using questions they created based on their topic. They use their...

Fourth graders read numerous examples of fairy tales. Using the text, they identify the organization styles and conventions within them and write their own for a class book. They practice using descriptive language and receive...

Eighth graders listen Steven Kellog's, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Raymond Briggs, Jim and the Beanstalk. They use a Venn diagram to compare the two elements of the two stories. They write and publish an original contemporary fairy tale...

Students read and analyze fairy tales. They discuss the story elements of a fairy tale, compare/contrast various fairy tales, complete an Anticipation Guide, and write an essay comparing the structure of a fairy tale to the structure of...

Fourth graders read a Native American legend local to the Utah region and compare it to a traditional European fairy tale. They use a Venn diagram as a graphic organizer for the comparison.

Students explore language arts by researching fairy tale stereotypes. In this gender roles lesson, students read the stories Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White with their class. Students analyze the female characters...

Pupils examine similarities and differences between cultures. They'll see that literature, reading, and story telling is something all cultures have in common. They should construct Venn diagrams to help them compare and contrast the...

Self reflection is an important skill to reinforce in our children, and it's especially helpful to help them realize who they are in the context of their environment. A collection of lessons about self image and community encourage...

Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" provides middle schoolers with an opportunity to hone their close reading and literary analysis skills. After annotating their copy of the story, writer's craft an essay in which they analyze...