A World of Stories 7 th Grade Language Arts

 Let’s Practice!  On the next slide you will find information on Folk Tales. Use this information to fill in the row of boxes on your graphic organizer that correspond with Folk Tale.

 A story that has been passed down over the years by word of mouth and the original author is usually unknown.  Fables, tall tales, fairy tales, legends or myths.  Example: Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves  Example: African Folk Tale of how the Cheetah got its spots  Interesting fact or fun way to remember: Any folk can tell a folk tale.

When you arrived in class you were given a card that has a number on one side and a color on the other. Your number is your home group. Go there now.

 Define the following: Tall Tale, Fable, Legend, Myth and Fairytale.  When shown examples, the student will identify the example as a Tall Tale, Fable, Legend, Myth or Fairytale.

Your color is your expert group. You should now go find your expert group and begin to research your type of story using the websites provided. Complete your designated section of the graphic organizer.

 Move quickly and quietly to your groups.  Do not let your voice exceed the confines of your table.

Take turns sharing your new found knowledge with your group members.

The following slides have examples of the five story types. On your own sheet of paper, write down the type of story you believe is being told.

The fable of the Cat and the Fox One day a cat and a fox were having a conversation. The fox, who was a conceited creature, boasted how clever she was. 'Why, I know at least a hundred tricks to get away from our mutual enemies, the dogs,' she said. 'I know only one trick to get away from dogs,' said the cat. 'You should teach me some of yours!' 'Well, maybe some day, when I have the time, I may teach you a few of the simpler ones,' replied the fox airily. Just then they heard the barking of a pack of dogs in the distance. The barking grew louder and louder - the dogs were coming in their direction! At once the cat ran to the nearest tree and climbed into its branches, well out of reach of any dog. 'This is the trick I told you about, the only one I know,' she called down to the fox. 'Which one of your hundred tricks are you going to use?' The fox sat silently under the tree, wondering which trick she should use. Before she could make up her mind, the dogs arrived. They fell upon the fox and tore her to pieces. Moral: A single plan that is proven to work is better than a hundred plans that you are not sure of.

The Goddess Demeter had an only daughter, Persephone, the maiden of the Spring. She lost her and in her terrible grief she withheld her gifts from the earth, which turned into a frozen desert. The green and flowering land was icebound and lifeless because Persephone had disappeared. The lord of the dark underworld, the king of the multitudinous dead, carried her off when, enticed by the wondrous bloom of the narcissus, she strayed too far from her companions…… …she must lose Persephone for four months every year and see her young loveliness go down to the world of the dead. But she was kind; the Good Goddess,” men always called her. She was sorry for the desolation she had brought about. She made the fields once more rich with abundant fruit and the whole world bright with flowers and green leaves…

The Tall Tale of Paul Bunyan’s birth  Now I hear tell that Paul Bunyan was born in Bangor, Maine. It took five giant storks to deliver Paul to his parents. His first bed was a lumber wagon pulled by a team of horses. His father had to drive the wagon up to the top of Maine and back whenever he wanted to rock the baby to sleep.  As a newborn, Paul Bunyan could hollar so loud he scared all the fish out of the rivers and streams. All the local frogs started wearing earmuffs so they wouldn't go deaf when Paul screamed for his breakfast. His parents had to milk two dozen cows morning and night to keep his milk bottle full and his mother had to feed him ten barrels of porrige every two hours to keep his stomach from rumbling and knocking the house down.

Fairytales Sleeping Beauty Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Peter Pan

The Arthurian Legends and The Legend of Robin Hood

 Define the following: Tall Tale, Fable, Legend, Myth and Fairytale.  When shown examples, the student will identify the example as a Tall Tale, Fable, Myth, Fairytale or Legend.