EDUC 205: Children’s Literature and
the Writing Process
Day 8: Folktales
Schedule
• Reading from a children’s book
• Traditional Literature – characteristics
and evaluation
• Observation 1 discussion
Traditional Literature
• Folktales
• Fables
• Myths
• Epics/legends
• Bible Stories
Origin of Folk Literature
• Oral tradition
• Folktales, fairy tales, and fables – simple
stories that reveal human behavior set in
a world of wonder and magic
• Myths – gods and creation
• Epics and legends – heroes
Value of Folk Literature for Children
• Story structure
• Short and fast-moving
• Humorous
• Happy ending
• Justice prevails
• Kindle children’s imaginations
Folktales
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Simple and direct
Repetition
Three as a magic number
Characters
• Good or evil
• Strengths or weaknesses
Folktales
• Motifs
• Magical powers
• Transformations
• Magical Objects
• Wishes
• Trickery
Folktales
• American Tall Tales
• Paul Bunyan
• Johnny Appleseed
• Pecos Bill
• Sally Ann Thunder
• Davy Crockett
Fables
• Aesop
• Brief didactic tales in which usually
animals speak as humans
• Usually 3 characters
• Single incident
• Meant to instruct - moral
Myths
• Explanations of earth, sky, humans
• god  gods  worship
• Relationship of humans to gods
• Creation
• Nature
• Hero
Epics and Legends
• Long narrative or cycle of stories with
single hero
• Cultural or national hero (human)
Bible Stories
• Study of Bible as a great work of
literature
• Myth – human search for and expression
of truth and meaning
• Helps children understand many other
stories, allusions, and situations
Reading Observation
• Title/author of literature book
• Procedure
• What techniques appear most effective?
• Students’ reactions and responses
• To remember
Coming Soon…
• For Tuesday, check out a Cinderella book
from Broadmoor Library; write an
evaluation and be prepared to share all
or part of the book
• On Tuesday, we will sign up for peer
teaching topics