Cultural Fiction:
Myths, Legends, Folktales, and
Fables

 Take 9 post-its and a writing utensil.
 On the post-its write what you know about each of the terms.
 You need to write something on the post-it: an example, definition, et cetera... {Avoid IDK, at all costs!}
 Place post-it on the poster.

List of Terms for Gallery Walk
 Nonfiction
 Fiction
 Fable
 Folktale
 Myth
 Moral
 Cultural/Culture
 Dialect
 Legend

What is culture?
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The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.
For example: The Chinese are very careful within their families not to insult, embarrass or shame the children or spouse. Terms like "bad boy" when scolding a child are not used in Chinese families. Instead, they would simply tell the child “no.”
 PAIR SHARE : Turn to a partner and share something about your culture.
( A students tell B students, C students tell D students for ___sec, then switch)

Fiction or Nonfiction?
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Fiction: writing that is made up rather than being true. Fiction is
FAKE!
 It is often based on a writer’s experiences or on historical events, but a writer may add or alter characters, events, and other details.
Nonfiction : writing that deals with real people, things, events, and places.
GROUP : What are some types of nonfiction you can think of?
Compile a list of different types in your group. Be prepared to share your list with the class.

Myths
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A story that explains something about the world and typically involves gods or other supernatural forces.
Myths explain spiritual and physical mysteries.
Almost every culture has creation myths, stories that explain how the world came to exist or how humans were created.
Most myths are very old and were handed down orally before being put into writing.

Legends
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Stories of extraordinary deeds that are handed down from one generation to the next.
They are based to some extent on fact, but are not always entirely accurate.
THINK: Look at the two pictures carefully. Can you identify each of the legends?

Folktales
 Stories about purely fictitious (made-up) characters and situations.
 Most were originally passed on from one generation to another by word of mouth.
 Folktales are not religious, and are usually about ordinary people.
 Folktales are meant to be entertaining, teach a life lesson, or both.

Dialect
 Folktales sometimes contain dialect.
 Dialect is a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people.
 A dialect may have a distinct vocabulary, pronunciation system, and grammar .

Fables
 A brief story or poem that contains a moral.
 A moral is a practical lesson about how to get along in life. Often the moral is stated at the end of the fable.
 Characters are usually animals that behave and speak like humans.
 GROUP: What are some fables that you can recall? In your group, compile a list of fables. Be prepared to share with the whole class.

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Marking the Text
Before Reading: # your paragraphs
Read “ The Wise Old Woman”
While reading:
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 box character names circle any words dealing with title or age
Think Pair Share: Share the marks you made on your paper with your elbow partner
Be prepared to share with the class.
Now go back to the text
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 underline the moral statements that teach us a lesson
Squiggly-line the parts that show this story is a folk-tale
Share with your table what the lesson of this folktale is.
Discuss : What are the characteristics found in The Wise Old Woman that make this piece of literature a “folktale”.

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Quickwrite
STEP 1:
 Pretend you are the wise old woman and explain how you feel about the lord’s decree, about life in hiding, and about coming up with solutions to Lord
Higa’s impossible demands.

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Say, Do, Mean
STEP 2:
 Complete the worksheet (on back) about what the author is saying, doing, and meaning when writing this text.
 Think Pair Share
 Share what you wrote with a partner

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Author’s Purpose Template
STEP 3:
 Identify what the title, author, and author’s purpose is for this folktale and what the author wants us to learn from this piece.
 Share with the class

What are Primary Sources?
 Add the following definition to the back of your foldable notes.
 Primary sources provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation.
 They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented.
 Often these sources are created at the time when the events or conditions are occurring, but primary sources can also include autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories recorded later.

FLOGGING
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– to beat with a whip, stick, etc especially as a punishment.

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Informational Text – Slave Overseers
Before Reading: # your paragraphs
Define Flogging and Primary Sources
During Reading: Mark the text:
 Circle dates
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Underline complete sentences that contain statistical data (numbers)
Box unfamiliar words
Highlight examples of mistreatment of slaves
Post-It Activity
 On a post-it note write two facts that shocked you
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Think Pair Share with someone at your table
Be prepared to share with the class
Ticket out the door: Explain what an overseer is, using complete sentences.

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Marking the Text
Before Reading: # your paragraphs
 Read “ The People Could Fly :
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Box dialect
Circle any words related to title
Underline characteristics of folktales
 Share marks with a table partner
 Be prepared to discuss which things you marked with the class
 Venn Diagram: Compare “The Wise Old Woman” and “The
People Could Fly” and identify 3 similarities and 3 differences for each.

Cats and Dogs
Compare/Contrast Essay Example
(handout)
 Read “ Cats and Dogs ” Sample Essay:
 highlight thesis statement
 underline topic sentences and concluding sentences
 squiggly line under the attention grabber
 circle transitions
 # the similarities and differences in each body paragraph
 Share with a table partner your markings
 Be prepared to discuss with the class

Compare/Contrast Body Paragraphs
 Graphic Organizer:
 Take the information from your Venn Diagram and complete the Body paragraphs for Similarities and Differences on your
Compare/Contrast Graphic Organizer.
 Make sure to provide examples or evidence from the text.
 Make sure to write a topic sentence for each.

Compare/Contrast - Introduction
 Graphic Organizer: Now that you have organized your body paragraphs, you can write your introduction paragraph. Start with a thesis statement.
 In your thesis statement, state the titles and that they share and differ in their characteristics or events.
 Now you can write an attention grabber (2QBAD)

2QBAD – Attention Grabber
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Compare/Contrast
Conclusion Paragraph
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Compare/Contrast
Rough Draft
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Using your graphic organizer, write a four-paragraph compare/contrast essay
Do not use “I” statements.
Explain your information.
Use evidence from the text to support your explanations.
Write in complete sentences.

Compare/Contrast
Editing/Revision
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Using your peer editing/revision checklist, swap your paper with a partner and complete the checklist.
Once you are done, return the checklist and paper to the author and get yours back.
Make necessary revisions to your paper.

Compare/Contrast
Final Draft
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Write your final draft using pen.
Make sure to re-read your paper and that it is error free (perfect!) before turning it into the assignment box.
When turning in, make sure to include all your work, including your graphic organizer, editing/revision checklist, and rough draft and final copy!

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Brer Possum’s Dilemma
Read “Brer Possum’s Dilemma p. 597: OUTLOUD as a class
What dialect words and phrases occur on page 598?
Look at paragraph on page 598 and listen to me as I re-state it in correct, Standard English. What is lost in the change?
Quickwrite : How would Brer Possum’s speech read in Standard English? Refer to page 597 and re-write the first two paragraphs using Standard English.
 For example, instead of mornin’, you would change it to morning.
Turn to page 601: Re-write the stated moral (the last 2 lines) in Standard English and explain its meaning.
Share your re-writes with your table. Now share with the whole class.
Discuss: What is lost in the change to Standard English? Why did the author choose to write the fable in the dialect that was chosen?
Ticket out the door: Was this _____________ (folktale, fable, myth, legend) meant to entertain, teach a life lesson, or both? Explain your position.

“The Dog and the Wolf” and “The
Puppy”
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Read “ The Dog and the Wolf ” and “The Puppy” on p. 522:
What is the theme?
Quickwrite: What theme do the fable from ancient Greece and the story from modern-day Russia have in common?

Informational Text The True Story of the
Paul Bunyan Legend
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Before Reading: # your paragraphs
While Reading: Mark the Text
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Circle dates and places
Box unfamiliar vocabulary
Underline changes that indicate Paul Bunyan is becoming a legend

Paul Bunyan Giant of the Forest
 Before Reading: # your paragraphs
 While Reading: Mark the Text
 Circle places
 Box unfamiliar vocabulary
 Underline hyperboles
 Ticket out the door

Myth of Prometheus
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 Circle names of Gods/Titans
 Box unfamiliar vocabulary
 Underline characteristics of a myth
(explanations of how things were created)

Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus
 Before Reading: # your paragraphs
 While Reading: Mark the Text
 Box unfamiliar vocabulary
 Squiggly line words of emotions and use emoticons in the margins
 Answer the analysis questions using complete sentences.
 Define your boxed vocabulary words on a separate piece of paper.

The Flight of Daedalus
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Before you read, # your paragraphs!
Read the myth silently.
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Mark the Text for the following items:
Circle characters ONCE.
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Box unfamiliar vocabulary.
Underline key events and number them in chronological order.
Be prepared to share your markings with the class.
Complete analysis and comprehension questions. Use literacy handbook for parts of a plot.

End of Unit Literary Analysis Essay
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Write a 5 paragraph literary analysis essay in which you examine whether folktales, legends, myths, and fables are meant to entertain, teach a life lesson, or both. Explain your position citing evidence from literary and informational text. Your essay will be evaluated on the traits of Ideas,
Organization, Voice, and Conventions.
Graphic Organizer ( Prewriting/Brainstorming/Outline ).
Write rough draft in pencil.
Use the Literacy Handbook Checklist for editing/revising of rough draft.
Write final copy in pen (blue or black ink).

Comic Strip Activity
 You will analyze one of the folklore stories we have studied in this unit, and you will summarize it by creating a comic strip.
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Choose a story and outline the plot. Put the most important events in chronological order.
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Decide what your characters will look like. Stick figure people are okay, but make sure they are wearing clothes, please!
Your comic strip must be at least eight (8) frames long (not including the title frame).
Your comic must have a title frame (1 st frame) with your name as the illustrator.
Your comic must be colored with words at the BOTTOM of the frames, and have dialogue WITHIN the frames.
Have fun and make it as colorful/creative as possible. Neatness does count!

End of Unit Assessment
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Vocabulary (cloze) Assessment: study your notes!
Excerpts Assessment: Applying types of cultural fiction.
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Reading Assessment :
“The Wolf and the Fox”
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“How Much Land Does a Man Need”
Complete analysis and comprehension questions for both stories.