Examining World Cultures Through Their Folktales

Created by:

Cassandra Barnett

Title/Role:

Librarian

Organization/School Name:

Fayetteville High School Library

Location:

Arkansas

Grade Level:

11, 12

Type of Lesson:

Lesson in a unit

Type of Schedule:

Flexible

Collaboration Continuum:

Intensive

Content Area:

Language Arts

Content Topic:

Relationship between a culture and its folklore.

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

Skills Indicator(s):

4.1.3 Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.

Dispositions Indicator(s):

3.2.3 Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with others.

Responsibilities Indicator(s):

3.3.7 Respect the principles of intellectual freedom.

Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):

2.4.2 Reflect on systematic process, and assess for completeness of investigation.

Scenario:

A world literature teacher emails the school librarian (SL) asking to plan and schedule her classes into the library for a folktale unit. The unit is highlights the relationship between a culture and its stories. Students read folktales from a particular culture, identify the components of the society through the folktales, and conduct additional research on the culture. Then, with a partner, they write an original folktale that incorporates the characteristics of a folktale and what they have learned about that culture. The teacher feels they need instruction on effective searches using the online databases and choosing the best websites for the information needed. Instruction in the classroom will focus on characteristics of folktales, determining the common components of a culture (morals, values, way of life, etc.), developing questions, and MLA format for the works cited. The SL will focus on the available resources for the project, search strategies for online databases, evaluating websites, and act as a consultant in the research process. The SL suggests that a picture book would be a good product for this type of assignment. She offers to work with the students as they write and illustrate a picture book version of their original folktale.

Overview:

Juniors and seniors in a world literature class examine world cultures through the lens of a culture’s folktales. The essential question is: How do folktales reflect a country’s culture? In particular, the students (1) analyze how folktales convey a society’s morals and values, and (2) apply their knowledge by creating a literary piece in the folktale genre that reflects aspects of the culture.

Final Product:

Students collaborate on the creation of an original folktale that incorporates the values of a particular cultural group and embodies elements of the folktale genre. They share their work with the class as a slide presentation, a picture book, or a play.

Library Lesson:

In a series of lessons, students learn to locate folktales, find information in online databases and websites about a specific cultural group, and create picture books from their original folktales.

Estimated Lesson Time:

120 minutes

Assessment

Product:

Teacher, SL, and students use instructor-created rubrics to assess the folktales and the picture book. Criteria used to examine the quality of the folktales include use of literary elements and motifs, development of story sense, and incorporation of cultural elements. Criteria used to examine the quality of the picture books will include several broad areas such as organization of content, creative interpretation of material, and audience appeal and appropriateness.

Process:

Teacher and SL examine student notes, exit passes, website evaluations, and works cited to determine whether (1) information gathered uses a variety of sources, (2) notes accurately reflect cultural components, (3) websites have been evaluated to meet criteria for acceptable websites, and (4) works cited meet requirements for number and types of sources and correctly follows MLA format.

Student self-questioning:

Do the notes that I took while reading my six folktales accurately reflect the components of my culture? Do the notes that I took during my research on my culture accurately answer my questions? Did I make good choices in the sources of information I used including the websites? Do my citations follow MLA format? Does my final product include the characteristics of a folktale, and include cultural components? How well did I contribute to the creation of the final product? How well did I work with my partner?

Instructional Plan

Resources students will use:

Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)

Interactive Resource (i.e. webpages, multimedia learning objects, chat services)

Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)

Interactive Resource URL:

http://

Resources instructor will use:

Other

Other instructor resources:

Folklore Index; picture books

Instruction/Activities

Direct instruction:

 Folklore Index - read a folktale from a Native American tribe to the class. Discuss what can be learned about the culture and identify the characteristics of a folktale.  Search Strategies for online databases – review the available online databases that will be appropriate for this assignment. Provide students with a handout highlighting search strategy tips (Boolean operators, nesting, limiting, expanding, keyword vs. subject heading, sorting results, etc.).  Evaluation of Websites – introduce the website evaluation rubric and discuss the criteria for choosing an appropriate website.  Characteristics of picture books – using the folktale that was read when introducing the assignment, identify the characteristics of a picture book (abundance of illustrations, importance of illustrations in telling the story, less text, author notes, etc.)

Modeling and guided practice:

 Folklore Index - introduce the library’s folklore index which identifies folktales, their cultural group/native country, and the collection where the folktale can be found.  Search Strategies for online databases – demonstrate the various strategies from the handout on one of the subscription databases to locate articles about the same Native American tribe.  Evaluation of Websites – using the website evaluation rubric, the students as a class rate three websites on the Native American culture group used previously.  Characteristics of picture books – students work with their partner to locate a folktale picture book from their chosen culture. After they have identified the characteristics, they share their findings with the other students at their table.

Independent practice:

 Folklore Index - students locate and read six folktales representing the culture/country they have chosen to investigate.  Search Strategies for online databases – students locate articles on their chosen culture using the demonstrated strategies. The students have the remainder of the class period plus the next day to get their articles.  Evaluation of Websites – students locate websites on their chosen culture and rate the sites using the website evaluation rubric. Based on their ratings, they choose the best two, and take notes to answer their questions.  Characteristics of picture books – based on the information gathered and the folktales that they read about their chosen culture, the students write and illustrate an original folktale in the picture book format.

Have you taught this lesson before:

Yes

AASL/Common Core State Standards Crosswalk

English Language Arts:

CC.11-12.SL.1.b » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.8 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.7 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. (11,12)

CC11-12RS/TS9 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 9. Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible. (11,12)

CC.11-12.SL.1.d » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task. (11,12)

CC11-12RH/SS4 » Reading Standards for History » 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10). (11,12)

CC11-12RH/SS5 » Reading Standards for History » 5. Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.9 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (11,12)

CC.11-12.L.5 » English Language Arts » Vocabulary Acquisition and Use » 5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. (11,12)

CC.11-12.L.5.a » English Language Arts » Vocabulary Acquisition and Use » a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.3 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 3. Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.4 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10). (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.5 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.6 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 6. Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.8 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 8. Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses). (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.9 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 9. Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century foundational U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (including The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.L.10 » English Language Arts » Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity » 10. By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.L.3 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 3. Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed). (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.L.4 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.) (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.L.5 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 5. Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.L.6 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 6. Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement). (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.L.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.) (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.L.9 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 9. Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.9.a » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » a. Apply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics"). (11,12)