Student Page

Must Stories Have A Moral?

The Mission

Miss Guerin needs your help!  My new kindergarteners are reading folktales and they just can’t seem to relate.  The stories might be too old or they just don’t understand morals.  Because my younger students look up to you, I need you to write modern day folktales using timeless morals.  I also need you to present this to my kindergarten class.  You may present this modern day folktale in play form, illustrated form, or song.  Try to make it relative to today’s problems or situations. You will be working in a group to read folktales, choose your favorite moral, write the new story and present it. 

The Process

1.     First you need to get with your groups.  Your librarian, Miss Guerin, will assign the groups. Roles will be assigned randomly.

	The reader will read to the group a series of fables from both books and the Internet.
	The recorder will compose a list of the fables that were read and their morals.
	The storyteller will recall (in their own words) the various stories the group has read.
	The evaluator will host the vote on which moral the group should use for their final project.

All members search for folktales by using the resources given. http://www.umass.edu/aesop/contents.html

*Be sure to check out the modern versions of the classic folktales.

2.     Listen for ideas on how folktales are written as the reader reads folktales.

3.     All members will recite various learned morals to the recorder. The recorder will compile a list of the various morals and their messages or descriptions.

4.     The storyteller will then recite the stories read previously by the reader in their own words.  All members need to start to get an understanding for how folktales are written.

5.     All members should discuss what makes a good folktale and why the morals can still be used today.

6.     All members will complete the crossword puzzle.

7.     The evaluator will then host the vote for choosing one moral as a group to incorporate into a new modern day tale. 

8.     All members will help write the new modern day folktale. The new story should be one that students may relate to. 

9.     After the story is in written form all members will then need to figure out how you are going to present it to the class.  This may be done by having the evaluator host another vote.

10. All members will help create a diorama portraying your paper or draw illustrations in sequence form for your story.

11. Each member will take turns giving a presentation to the class on why your folktale is meaningful in today’s society. Explain why your chose your moral and how this story has meaning to you.  Show your artwork.

12. Each member will read your new story to a younger student.

13. Each member will rate how well you can tell a story based on your audience’s responses.

14. Each member will critique your fellow classmates’ participation using the same rubric that the teacher uses.  Instead of telling me if it was observed, answer the questions according to your own participation.  Example: I listened to my teammates’ ideas.  Then give yourself the correct amount of points.