Activity 1: What is a Folktale? (grades 1-5)
Introduction:
1) Discussion of the various types of stories students have read and the ways in which these stories differ from each other:  (fiction, non-fiction, adventure, mystery, tall tales, etc.) 
2) Introduce folktales by presenting PowerPoint - An Introduction to Folktales. 
To Power Point Presentation An Introduction to Folktales Grades 1-2 To PowerPoint Presentation: An Introduction to Folktales Grades 3-5
While presenting the PowerPoint, explain that folktales originated as oral story telling and have been passed down from generation to generation. Generally, they were told to relate a message or moral, or to explain things in nature. The characters in folktales can be either animals or people, with animals usually portraying human qualities. Symbolism is often used to represent good or evil. A list of other well known folktales can be made on board or chart paper. (Language Arts Performance Stnd. E3a)

Lesson:
1) Using the  graphic web: Types of Folktales, discuss the different types of folktales (Fables, Fairy tales, Porquoi "Why" stories, and Trickster tales). Some tales overlap more than one of these categories. 
Explain that folktales originated from places all over the world. Visit the site Folktale site from Kids Zone   for a collection of folktales from different cultures. 

2) Introduce the folktale Crocodile and the Ostrich, a Tale from the Akamba of Kenya, retold by Verna Aardema & Illustrated by Marti Sholet. Have students locate Africa on a world map (Geography Stnd # 1)   Go to  http://www.eduplace.com/ss/ssmaps/wrldcont.html for a world map to download. While looking at the cover of the book, ask children to predict what they think the relationship may be between the crocodile and the ostrich. (Language Arts Performance Std E1b) Record ideas on board. 
3) Explain to students that In Africa, stories were told using drama, instruments, and expressive motions. Some words in this story are used to convey a sound and are not real words. These words are called idiophones and are listed at the end of the story, Crocodile and the Ostrich. 
4) Read the story aloud, asking students to listen for the sound words. Reread the story allowing students to join in the chanting of the sound words. 
 

 
ACTIVITY 2: Character Descriptions  (grades 1-5)
Introduction:
1) (grades 2-5) Review adjectives (Language Arts Performance Std E4 )
1) (grade 1) Ask students to tell what they think each character might be like? Kind, mean, smart, helpful, etc. Ask them to think of people they know that have these qualities. 

Lesson:
1) (grades 1-5) In cooperative learning groups of 4 or 5, students decide on one character in the book they would like to portray (crocodile, ostrich, elephant, kudu, baboon). Each student in the group should have a different character. The groups can be allowed to decide how they wish to do this in a fair way. (Applied Learning Stnd A5)
2) (grades 2-5)  create a graphic description of their character and by filling in the character description graphic organizer, using as many different adjectives they can. 
2) (grade 1) use pictures to describe their characters.
3) (grades 1-5) Character guessing game : students read descriptions of their characters to group (or class) asking them to guess who the character is before displaying their mask. 
4)  (grades 1-5) Students create masks of their character.  (Language Arts Performance Stnd. E2b)
 

 
Activity 3: Let's Act it Out (grades K-5)
Introduction:
1) Allow students to put together small booklets of  The Crocodile and the Ostrich. 
or hand out copies of the story.
2) Review how storytellers used emotion, sound words, and expression while telling their stories.

Lesson: 
1) Students to act out the story as they interpret it in their own words.  Remind students to use the sound words and to project their voices while speaking. Let students tell the story in their own words as storytellers did long ago. (Language Arts Stnd E3)

Closure:
1) Each group may perform their act for the class while classmates read along or join in the idiophones. (Language Arts Stnd E2b) 
 

 
Activity 4: Creating a Folktale
Introduction: 
1) Review the elements of a folktale. Under which category would  The Crocodile and the Ostrich.
come? Fable? Trickster Tale? Fairy tale? Why story? (remember, many stories overlap more than one type of folktale.
2) Refer to the graphic web: Types of Folktales
3) Students decide on the type of folktale they will write and where their folktale will originate.

Lesson: 
1) (grades 2-5) Using books, magazines, encyclopedias, and the internet, students research the types of animals native to the country where their folktale will take place.(Applied Learning Std. A3) (Technology Stnd. # 5) (Science Standard S8)
1) (grade 1) Using pictures of animals from different countries, students become familiar with some of the animals that are native to some countries. (Applied Learning Std. A3)
2) (grades 2-5) Using and Writing Organizers for Folktales, students create a folktale of their own. (Language Arts Performance Std. E2)
2) (grade 1) Students fill in pages of My Folktale Book, using pictures and/or words.
(Language Arts Performance Std. E2)
 

 
 
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