An Introduction
to
What do you know about tall tales?
Tall Tales
What are
?
• Tall tales are stories of exaggeration, where
the truth is stretched.
• Tall tales were first told on the American
frontier many years ago. By telling stories of
characters who could triumph over
challenges, the pioneers and settlers could
feel stronger themselves.
• Tall tales combine ordinary and exaggerated
events and characters.
What are
?
• Tall tale heroes and
heroines could accomplish
amazing things.
• The humor of tall tales
helped people learn to
laugh in spite of hardship.
• Tall tales are often based
on fact, but the facts are
exaggerated.
• Use of imagination is very
Lightning played a big part in many tall tales,
important in tall tales.
folk tales, and myths. One tale relates how a
very brave man rode a lightning bolt and tamed
it.
Draw this chart in your Reading Notebook…
Ordinary Part of Story
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Exaggerated Part of Story
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•Try to “see” the exaggerated
part in your mind’s eye.
•As I read aloud, use your chart
to jot down notes identifying the
“ordinary” and “exaggerated”
parts of the tale.
Let’s Predict…
•Examine the cover of the book and the
title.
– Who will be the hero of this tall tale?
– What will the setting (time & place) be?
•Now you’re ready to read John Henry’s
tale…
– What do you think this story will be about?
•What exaggerated event might we see
in the story?
Examples of
Examples of exaggerated
descriptive language from
• Fateful – bringing disaster
• Tragedy – a sad or terrible event
• Gadgets – small machines or other tools
• Bellowing – loud, deep roaring
• Softhearted – gentle and kind
• Ration – the daily allowance of food for a
person or animal
• Can anyone tell me
what a “tall tale” is?
• What are some titles of
tall tales you have read?
• Do these tall tales show
use of imagination?
• Why did storytellers tell
tall tales?
A fact gives information that can be proved
true or false.
Example: “Paul Bunyan” is a tall tale.
An opinion expresses a thought or feeling
that cannot be proved true or false. Words
that signal an opinion include: I think, I
believe, probably, and adjectives such as
best or worst.
Example: “Paul Bunyan” is the best tall tale.
The story of Paul Bunyan is an American
tall tale. The main character is a logger named
Paul who meets an enormous ox named Babe.
Babe and Paul have many adventures. People
have been telling this story for many years. I
think it is the greatest tall tale of them all. To
me, it is certainly the funniest.
Knowing the difference between a fact and opinion helps
readers figure out whether at statement is true and can be
proved, or if it is what the author or speaker feels.
• Which do you think would be louder,
bellowing or yelling? Explain.
• Which word means the opposite of mean?
• What kinds of gadgets might you find in a
kitchen?
• Would a fateful day bring you joy or
tragedy?
• If you increased your pet’s daily ration of
food, would it get bigger or smaller?
Explain.
Listen as I read aloud…
Comprehension Questions
•What is this poem about?
•What do the words “and his laugh
rolled through the mountains like
thunder on a summer night” suggest?
•Are the images in this poem realistic or
unrealistic? Explain.
•Would you prefer to listen to a poem
about Paul Bunyan or a tall tale about
his adventures? Explain.
Paul Bunyan is a mythical lumberjack who
had many adventures.
•What was Paul Bunyan
like?
•Where did Paul Bunyan
live?
•What kinds of adventures
did Paul Bunyan have?
“Paul Bunyan and Babe the
Blue Ox” is an example of a
A tall tale is a humorous
story about impossible or
exaggerated happenings.
Look for events that could not
happen in real life &
exaggerations about the
strength and abilities of a hero.
What is the crew’s opinion of Babe
at first? How do you know?
Do you think
the tricks
Babe plays on
the crew are
funny or
mean?
Why?
Why is
Paul able
to add
men to his
crew?
•Author’s craft is what an author
does to make their writing more
interesting.
•This includes use of:
•Figurative language (ex. metaphor,
simile, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, etc.)
•Sentence variety
•Dialogue
•And many more things…
In the story we’re reading…
• the author uses
exaggeration to
make the tale more
interesting.
•were it not for the hyperbole (exaggeration) in
the tall tale, it would be a normal, boring story.
•think about what the story would be like
without exaggeration…
Focus Skill: Fact & Opinion
•A fact is a statement that can be proved.
•An opinion expresses someone’s thoughts or
feelings.
In imaginative literature, such as stories,
myths, folk tales, and tall tales, facts are
statements that tell what has happened in the
story and can be proved. They do not have to
be true in real life. An opinion is what a
character thinks or believes.
Look at these examples of fact and opinion
from “Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.”
Paul kept on feeding Babe, and pretty soon the animal was up
to full size, measuring forty-two ax handles between the eyes.
This statement is a fact because in the story, it cold be proved by measuring Babe.
When Paul sits down and looks at the Dakotas, he says, “I think
maybe we shoulda stopped a while back.”
This is Paul’s opinion because it’s what he believes. He uses the words: I think.
His opinion may be right, but that doesn’t make it a fact. Even if many people
agree with him, his statement is still an opinion.
How does Paul make the move to Red
River easier?
The loggers cut down
all the trees of the
Dakotas. What
opinion does Paul
state about the
logging and the land?
How do you know this
is an opinion?
How does the crew try
to fight off the giant
mosquitoes? Why
doesn’t this work?
Cognition Questions
• What is the main idea of this selection?
• Based on the passage, what does
chortle mean? (pg. 674)
• What is the main purpose of this
selection?
• Why did the author most likely write
this selection?
• What words best describe Babe? Paul?
• What is the setting of this selection?
Interpretation Questions
• What is the mood/tone of the selection?
• What words best describe how Paul feels
about cutting down trees.
• What does Paul mean when he says, “I
think maybe we shoulda stopped a while
back.” (pg. 678)
• How did the author capture your interest?
• What kind of information did the author
need to know before writing this story?
Critical Stance Questions
• How was Paul different from the other
lumberjacks?
• What do you think was the author’s
opinion of the events in the story?
• Does the author use any similes?
Personification? Irony?
• How would you change the story if you
were the author?
• Does the ending seem believable?
Map Paul’s adventures on this map.
Focus Skill: Fact & Opinion
•A fact is a statement that can be proved.
•An opinion expresses someone’s thoughts or
feelings.
In imaginative literature, such as stories,
myths, folk tales, and tall tales, facts are
statements that tell what has happened in the
story and can be proved. They do not have to
be true in real life. An opinion is what a
character thinks or believes.
One day Millie heard a giant slurping noise. She ran
to the Rattlesnake River. In sixteen and a half seconds,
the riverbed was dry.
Millie set off to find out where all the water had gone. She came upon
Paul Bunyan and Babe, his giant blue ox. She spotted a dribble of blue
water running down Babe’s chin. “That ox ought to be kept in a pen!” she
bellowed. “He’s gone and drunk up the Rattlesnake River!”
1. Is the statement She ran to the
Rattlesnake River a fact or an
opinion?
A. An opinion because it tells what
Millie thinks
B. A fact, because it tells about an
event that happens in the story
C. An opinion, because the story isn’t
true.
D. A fact, because it tells about an
event in real life
2. Which of these statements from the
story expresses an opinion?
A. “That ox ought to be kept in a
pen!”
B. In sixteen and a half seconds, the
riverbed was dry.
C. She came upon Paul Bunyan and
Babe.
D. Millie heard a giant slurping noise.
Focus Skill Activity:
• First, determine what your hero, or heroine, will
be like and give them a worthy name. Draw your
hero/heroine in detail.
• Then, figure out what other tall tale characters
will take part in your story. Describe and draw
them as well.
• After that, choose a setting (time & place). Be
sure your character fits into that setting. Draw &
describe it, too.
• Last, figure out what events will occur in your
tall tale. (Make sure that last event is a
SURPRISE ENDING.)