Folktales

Samantha Runkle
5th Grade/Language Arts

Common Core Standards:

Text Types and Purposes
W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters;
organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop
experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
c. Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of
events.
d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events
e. precisely.
f.

Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through
investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Lesson Summary:
This lesson is designed to help build students research and writing skills. Following a talk about different kinds
of folklore students will get to write a folktale of their own. Before writing their own paper students will
research folktales. Stories must contain imagined experiences that will help their folktale come to life. The
papers must also show the research they have fond to help them write the paper.
Estimated Duration:
Four 50 minute class periods.

Commentary: The way the students will be hooked or engaged is seeing all the books at the desks that have
to do with folktales. We will then look through some of the books together and talk about the different stories
and the students will be asked what they think folktales or folklore are.

Instructional Procedures:
Day 1: For the first 10 minutes, teacher will talk about folktales and we will look through different kinds of
folktale stories, together. Different stories could be The Wishing Tree or A Tale of Two Sons. For the next ten
minutes, the students will write what they think folktales are or what the word folklore means. For the last
30 minutes we will make an anchor chart talking about the different types of folktales (fairytales, fables,
myths, legends, tall tales). For this we will look at examples of each and add things that we find in the different
stories to the chart. We will then look at the similarities and differences in the things we put on the chart and
talk about them.

Day 2: Teacher will give directions out for writing your own folktale. For the first 10-20 minutes we will go
over the directions and questions will be answered about the assignment, if needed. During this time we will
head to the computer lab to do some research. Once in the lab the students will have 30-40 minutes to research
and print off different folktales that they feel will help them achieve at writing their own. Help will be given, if
needed. During this time students should be able to start a rough draft.
Day 3: Class will begin by students finishing up their rough drafts or going to the computer lab to start typing
final drafts. Teacher will look over rough drafts and approve typing. Also, teacher will be around to help with
any questions that may be asked. This will happen the whole 50 minutes.
Day 4: Class will meet in computer lab. For the first 10-15 minutes, students will finish up final drafts and
print them out. After all students have printed their final drafts, we will head back to the classroom. For the
next 45-50 minutes, students will present their very own folktales. If not all students get to present, we will
finish in the first 20 minutes of the next class.

Pre-Assessment:
Prior to looking through the different folktales. Students will write what they think folklore means then teacher
and students will have a conversation on folklore. After reading what the students wrote, teacher will be able to
assess what they know.
Scoring Guidelines:
Teachers judgment will be used to determine if the students understand the assignment.
During Day 2, the teacher will come back to the research and brainstorming to see how the students are doing.

Post-Assessment:
The students stories will give the teacher an idea of who understands the content.
The students will then receive a reflection. This reflection will have questions about how the research and
writing of the paper went.
Scoring Guidelines:
Their papers will be graded but the reflections will get an idea of how they felt about writing this paper.

Differentiated Instructional Support

Describe how instruction can be differentiated (changed or altered) to meet the needs of gifted or accelerated
students: Instruction could be changed or altered by the students needs.
Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the
material: Struggling students could be to help scaffold the students. The students could get some help with
other students or teachers if they are having trouble with the different parts of the assignments. If these
students are still struggling we can re-visit this content.

Extension
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/folktalewshop_index.htm
This website has really awesome steps to help students write a folktale. This site is just step by step that gives
the students different examples and will help them to brainstorm and research.

Homework Options and Home Connections

Students will be encouraged to use time at home to finish rough drafts or final drafts. If they do not finish them
in class.

Interdisciplinary Connections
During this lesson, history can be used. Some of the different folktales that may be looked at could be a part of
history like; the Greek Gods and other stories. Another content area that can be used during this lesson is
speech. Students will be presenting their own folktales.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers

Smartboard or dry erase board, Pencil, Paper, Folklore books, Computer lab spot

For students

Computer, pencil, paper, research

Key Vocabulary
Folklore, folktales, fairytales, myths, legends, tall tales

Additional Notes
Please give feedback if possible.