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Lesson Plan: Folktale Unit with The Story of a Pumpkin by Hari

Tiwari, illustrated by Dal Rai
Lesson Topic: Intro to folktale unit
rade Le!el: "#$, can be adapted to %eet standards
&sti%ated Ti%e: ' class period
(b)ecti!es: To learn what a folktale is. To read and discuss folktales as part of K-5 literature
standards. To learn vocabulary and themes around a genre, and to recount stories from different
cultures to determine themes and central messages. To engage in collaborative discussions.
W!" #tandard $% The language of &anguage "rts, folklore story elements and type of genre.
'( )ommon )ore #tandards% K-5 *eading #tandards% #tories, &iterature, *ange of Te+t Types%
,olklore-*& Key deas and !etails, )raft and #tructure-#&% )omprehension and )ollaboration,
.resentation of Knowledge and deas



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Prior *nowled+e ,ssu%ed: /roup discussion and participation strategies, formats, and rules
0)ommon )ore #peaking and &istening #tandards1, some knowledge of personal folktales
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-aterials needed: "ny kind of props to set the scene for discussion, paper and writing tools to
write class definition of folktales. #ample folktale books to pass around.
-odifications: 2se a Think-.air-#hare or Three )olumn )hart if students need more time or
support. 0Think-.air-#hare% ask a 3uestion, ask students to think 3uietly for 4 minute5 pair with a
buddy to discuss5 share as a group.1
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,+enda: 6pening-/rabber% (ave class sit around in a circle on the floor, maybe even with a
fake campfire. #ay% .retend you are in a life with no tv, no computers, no technology, and maybe
4
.o%e: Relate ele%ents to fa!orite folktales and know co%%on the%es/
-ost: 0a%e folktales and know so%e ele%ents of specific folktales/
,ll: *now definition of folktale and folktale ele%ents/
even no books. 7ou have three brothers and four sisters and you all have to do chores all day
long. magine what your life might be like, and how you would pass the time. (ow would your
parents teach you stories or lessons8 09asically, set the scene for the following 3uestions.1
.rocedure%
4. Talk about what a folktale is and why they were written.
$. 9rainstorm about what you think a folktale is. Write ideas on the big paper to come
up with class definition.
:. Why do you think people wrote these stories8
;. Were they first written down or were they told by mouth8
5. When do you think they were told8
<. Why do you think they were so popular at that time8
=. !id they have technology8
>. !o these stories seem to be real stories8 !o you think they could really happen8
?. What folktales do you know8 When did you hear them and who told them8 What do
they seem to have in common8 0.ass around samples of different folktales to promote
comparisons and discussion.1
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1losure: Write class definition of folktale drawing on discussion and also provide the
following%
The ,olktale
" folktale is a story that is passed down through generations by word of mouth. #torytellers
recount folktales, adding their own personal touches to entertain listeners and to teach a moral or
lesson. @yths, tall tales, legends, fables, and fairy tales are all folktales. 9elow are descriptions
of some common elements they share.
#etting% The setting is where the story takes place. t can be a place that e+ists or an imaginary
place.
)haracters and conflict% )haracters in folktales can be people or talking animals who sometimes
have e+aggerated or magical abilities. The conflicts are usually everyday problems that regular
people might have.
#tyle% The style of a folktale is informal and conversational.
Theme% The theme of a folktale, or the folktaleAs moral, is a lesson about human nature from
which listeners or readers can learn.
Follow#Up: *eading of specific folktales
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$
,ssess%ent -ethod2s3: .articipation and class definition, completion of charts if used,
knowledge of other folktales 0teacher 3uestions, discussion, application in group activities.1
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Intelli+ences ,ddressed:7our lesson should have three or more of these addressed in each
lesson in order to meet all learning styles%
Bisual
"uditory
&inguistic
nterpersonal
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:
Lesson Topic: Folktale # The .tory of a Pu%pkin
rade Le!el: 1an be adapted for "#$
&sti%ated Ti%e: " class periods
(b)ecti!es: #tudents will complete a graphic organiCer to demonstrate understanding of folktale
elements. #tudents will make predictions throughout the story. #tudents will determine themes
and elements of The Story of a Pumpkin. #tudents will work collaboratively in small and large
groups.
.tandards: W!" #tandard $% The language of &anguage "rts, folklore story elements and type
of genre.
'( )ommon )ore #tandards% K-5 *eading #tandards% #tories, &iterature, *ange of Te+t Types%
,olklore-*& Key deas and !etails, )raft and #tructure-#&% )omprehension and )ollaboration,
.resentation of Knowledge and deas




______________________________________________________________________________
Prior *nowled+e ,ssu%ed: Dlements of folktales. 2se of graphic organiCers. )ollaboration
and group work and whole class discussion techni3ues.
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-aterials needed: @ap, Story of a Pumpkin and technology to display visually, folktale kit
with elements from the story% pumpkin, cucumber, animals, etc., folktale graphic organiCer.
-odifications: @odeling and completing graphic organiCer as class, group work, visuals,
variety of assessment ideas.
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,+enda: 6pening-/rabber% - 2se an e+ample of a situation that could cause Eealousy in
studentFs lives and talk about what that may cause them to do. (ave you ever been Eealous8
Why8 What did you do8 What did you want to do8
.rocedure%
;
.o%e: Ha!e specific historical knowled+e that relates to this specific tale/
-ost: Find and na%e co%%on the%es between story ele%ents and other
folktales/ -ake predictions based on story, and understand how cultural
ele%ents of the story reflect !alues/
,ll: Place 4hutan on a %ap/ Fill in &le%ents of Folktale +raphic or+ani5er to
de%onstrate knowled+e of ele%ents/
G 4. !iscuss with the students that we are about to read a book that originates in the country of
9hutan.
$. (ave students gather around a map or globe and have students find 9hutan.
:. "sk the students if they have ever been to 9hutan or knew someone who was from there or
G if any of them are from 9hutan. What are some things you know about the country8
;. *ead The Story of a Pumpkin to the class. (ave the story displayed visually on a
screen and stop periodically to make predictions and fill in the Dlements of ,olk Tales
/raphic 6rganiCer.
5. "lternatively, have the students perform a *eadersF Theater. 0#cript available at
http%--storyofapumpkin.wordpress.com1
<. !iscuss%
The setting and picture elements.
What did the woman in the story want more than anything and why8
Why did the farmer and his wife start to call the pumpkin, H#onI8
Why did the pumpkin visit the king8 .redict% What do you think will happen8
What is the relationship of the sisters8 Why do you think the second youngest agreed to marry the
pumpkin8
What happened when the king agreed8
What happened when the husband and wife stayed at the palace8 .redict% What will happen ne+t8
Why did !idi act the way she did and what was her mistake8
What do you think the lesson is8
What do you like best about the story8
=. 9reak students into groups. (ave each group pick an item from the folktale kit and, in
groups, discuss its relevance to the story and to the folktale elements. Dach group will present
to class.
1losure: What were the common themes among the groups8 !oes this remind you of any
folktales you know8
Follow#Up: #tudents will be assessed at the end of the unit and can choose from a variety of
assessments%
!o a country presentation based on cultural elements of the folktale.
Write your own folktale.
)ompare and contrast two folktales and provide some sort of visual representation or
presentation.
"ct out the folktale.
Write an alternate version of the folktale based on another characterFs perspective.
)reate a visual representation through storyboard, comic strip, drawing, painting, or
collage and provide e+planation.
)onvert the folktale into alternate media form.
magine another proEect idea.
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5
,ssess%ent -ethod2s3: 09e creative and vary your assessment methods1
teacher 3uestions
written product
proEects
oral presentation
discussion
application in group activities
.roEect must show that students have met obEectives and have an understanding of folktale
elements and themes.
.articipation in large and small groups.
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Intelli+ences ,ddressed: 7our lesson should have three or more of these addressed in each
lesson in order to meet all learning styles.
visual auditory kinetic
linguistic spatial musical
bodily-kinesthetic interpersonal intrapersonal
naturalist
The lesson itself addresses visual, linguistic, auditory, and interpersonal intelligences. The
proEect may address any of the others.
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6ebsite .ources for Folktale Lesson Plan:
http%--lessons.atoCteacherstuff.com-:;;-folktale-unit-
http%--www.psdr:.org-services-showme_assessment-pdfdocs-:funwith.pdf
http%--sitemaker.umich.edu-heathercondon-files-graphic_organiCer-all_types.pdf
http%--www.glencoe.com-sec-literature-course-course4-unit-folktale.shtml
http%--www.readwritethink.org-classroom-resources-lesson-plans-e+ploring-world-cultures-
through-?4.html8tabJ;Ktabs
,or lists of @ulticultural ,olktales and &iterature%
http%--www.ipl.org-div-pf-entry-;>;?:
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From NH Common Core Reading Standards for Literature K-5
Grade 2 (RL)
Literature: Key Ideas and Details
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text.
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central
message, lesson, or moral.
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
Craft and Structure
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the
story and the ending concludes the action.
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters. Include discussion about speaking
in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate
understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by
different authors or from different cultures.
Grade 3
Key Ideas and Details
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text
as the basis for the answers.
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the
central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their
actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Craft and Structure
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Explain how specific aspects of a texts illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words
in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).
Grade 4
?
Key Ideas and Details
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in
the text (e.g., a characters thoughts, words, or actions).
Craft and Structure
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that
allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and
evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from
different cultures.
Grade 5
Key Ideas and Details
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters
in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic;
summarize the text.
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on
specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
Craft and Structure
Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure
of a particular story, drama, or poem.
Inte+ration of *nowled+e and Ideas
Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text
(e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their
approaches to similar themes and topics.
The Story of a Pumpkin Lesson Plan was compiled by Emily Kerr, University of New Hampshire
- Manchester graduate student and Adult ESOL teacher who served as an intern with the New
Hampshire Humanities Council literacy program, Connections.
The Story of a Pumpkin was created by adult Bhutanese students in ESOL classes in
collaboration with the New Hampshire Humanities Council.
4G
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