Introduction
You will get the chance to become an author and write your own folktale! Get ready to write!
Don't worry! It's not a three paragraph essay. However, we need to do this because we need to get better at narratives before you leave for the school year!
A folk tale is
a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk,especially one forming part of the oral tradition of the common people.
or
any belief or story passed on traditionally, especially one considered to be false or based on superstition.
Some popular folk tales include:
The Pied Piper
Jack and the Beanstalk
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Hansel and Gretel
Task
Your task is to write your own folktale using the resources provided. Make sure your folktale has a clear beginning, middle, and end!
Include:
dialogue
sensory details
Process
First, think about the folktales you know. What do the folktales have in common? Your folktale needs to have the same general format. If you need help or can't remember, visit the websites provided.
http://www.americanfolklore.net/sindex.html
Second, brainstorm what you want to write about using the story maps provided. Recreate one of these in your notebook.
Third, draft your folktale using your ideas from the story map. Do this in your notebook.
Fourth, when you are done writing your draft, have the editor (your teacher) check your folktale. When the editor gives you the go ahead, you may type your folktale on the computer using Google Docs. If you wish, you may use Clip Art to illustrate your folktale.
Evaluation
You will be evaluated based off of this rubric:
|
Criteria |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Beginning |
No language is used to indicate that the tale or legend is about to begin. |
There is an opening statement, but it does not reflect traditional folk tale or legend format. |
There is a traditional beginning which indicates that this is a traditional folk tale or legend. |
|
Narrative format |
There is no sense of story. |
There is some sense of story, but the story does not flow clearly from beginning to end. |
There is a clear sense of story with transition words to facilitate the understanding of the listener/reader. |
|
Characters with easily identified traits |
The character(s) are listed but not described with detail. |
The characters are described with detail, but the traits are not clearly understood or do not add to the understanding of the story. |
The characters are described with detail and the traits are evident and easily understood to represent key parts of the story. |
|
Ending |
No language is used to indicate that the tale or legend is finished. |
There is some sense of an ending. |
There is a traditional ending which leaves the listener/reader with a clear understanding of the story. |
|
Moral |
There is no reference to a lesson or moral in the tale or legend |
There is some reference to a moral or lesson, but it is not easily understood. |
There is a clear moral or lesson that is easily understood and can be restated by the listener/reader. |
|
Story Elements |
Story contains few of the four story elements (setting, characters, problem, solution) |
Story contains some of the four story elements (setting, characters, problem, solution) |
Story contains all the four story elements (setting, characters, problem, solution) |
|
Conventional form |
Grammatical and/or spelling mistakes interfere with the ability to understand the story |
There are some grammatical and/or spelling mistakes, but they do not interfere with the ability to understand the story. |
The folk tale/legend has been carefully edited and is ready for publication. |
Conclusion
Print your folktale and turn it in to your teacher!
Credits
All images were found on Google©
Teacher Page
The Foxes' Wedding
Once upon a time there was a young white fox, whose name was Tamamo. When he had reached the fitting age, he shaved off his forelock and began to think of taking to himself a beautiful bride. The old fox, his father, resolved to give up his inheritance to his son, and retired into private life; so the young fox, in gratitude for this, laboured hard and earnestly to increase his patrimony. Now it happened that in a famous old family of foxes there was a beautiful young lady-fox, with such lovely fur that the fame of her jewel-like charms was spread far and wide. The young white fox, who had heard of this, was bent on making her his wife, and a meeting was arranged between them. There was not a fault to be found on either side; so the preliminaries were settled, and the wedding presents sent from the bridegroom to the bride's house, with congratulatory speeches from the messenger, which were duly acknowledged by the person deputed to receive the gifts; the bearers, of course, received the customary fee in copper cash.
When the ceremonies had been concluded, an auspicious day was chosen for the bride to go to her husband's house, and she was carried off in solemn procession during a shower of rain, the sun shining all the while.* After the ceremonies of drinking wine had been gone through, the bride changed her dress, and the wedding was concluded, without let or hindrance, amid singing and dancing and merry-making.
The bride and bridegroom lived lovingly together, and a litter of little foxes were born to them, to the great joy of the old grandsire, who treated the little cubs as tenderly as if they had been butterflies or flowers. "They're the very image of their old grandfather," said he, as proud as possible. "As for medicine, bless them, they're so healthy that they'll never need a copper coin's worth!"
As soon as they were old enough, they were carried off to the temple of Inari Sama, the patron saint of foxes, and the old grand-parents prayed that they might be delivered from dogs and all the other ills to which fox flesh is heir.
In this way the white fox by degrees waxed old and prosperous, and his children, year by year, became more and more numerous around him; so that, happy in his family and his business, every recurring spring brought him fresh cause for joy.
* A shower during sunshine is called in Japan "the fox's bride going to her husband's house."