Lesson 1: Tall Tales
Goals
Students will be able to differentiate between different genres of literature
Students will be able to identify character, setting and plot
Materials
Parts of story visual/labels
Short story
Data sheet of story information
Warm-up
What’s the difference between fiction and non-fiction?
Activity 1
Review of parts of a story: using inverted mountain, students label chart with the following information: introduction, character, setting, plot, rising actions, climax, falling actions, and resolution
Activity 2
S. identify the above parts using short story handout. S. work in groups and do jigsaw, each group identifying certain parts. Groups report findings out. Information graphed on chart paper by T.
Activity 3
T. hands out information sheet that includes the basics for introduction. Students work together to create a preliminary paragraph using information given. T. gives example on board.
T: I have the following information about a setting:
Where: a large supermarket in Madison, WI
When: December 31, 2008
Who: Johnny Smith, age 29, teacher, tall, skinny, brown hair, brown eyes
What: Shopping for food and beverages
Why: New Year’s Eve party at his house for all his friends
I can use this information to write a short paragraph that introduces the setting and the main character.
T. writes paragraph on the board incorporating the above information.
Johnny Smith is a young teacher. He’s 29 years old and is very tall. He has brown hair and brown eyes and he is very skinny. It’s December 31st, 2008 and Johnny is shopping in a very large supermarket in Madison, WI. He needs to buy food and beverages for a New Year’s Eve party that he is having at his house for all of his friends.
If more practice is needed, T. can give same information sheet to all students and have them help T. write paragraph on the board using information given. Sentence strips work well if more guided practice is needed.
Activity 4:
S. complete paragraph writing activity in pairs using information sheet.
Closer
S. read a sentence from paragraph or briefly summarize the setting for classmates.
HW
Finish paragraph writing activity using information sheet
Lesson 2: Tall Tales
Goals
Students will distinguish between tall tales and folk tales
Students will know and be able to verbalize the elements of a folktale
Students will compare folktales from different countries to locate common elements and themes
Materials
Venn diagrams (individual and class)
Chart paper
Common folktale synopsizes
Folktale diagram
Warm up
What are the important elements of a setting and why is a setting important for a story?
Activity 1
Activate background knowledge: What is a folk tale? Review folk tales read in class and tall tales read in class. If none, then provide the following definition and examples: A folktale is a tale or story that is part of the oral tradition of a people or a place while a tall tale is a story that claims to explain the reason for some natural phenomenon, or sometimes illustrates how skilled/intelligent/powerful the subject of the tale was. A tall tale is fictional and can, however, be based on a real figure in history. Both are fiction and both are originally orally told.
If S. unable to identify characteristics of folk tale or tall tale, then have S. read the definition and identify characteristics of both using highlighters to differentiate between words. Then S. and T. write common characteristics on Venn diagrams
If S. able to give characteristics, then T. writes them on the board using Venn diagram format.
Activity 2
Review types of folktales: fables, fairy tales, trickster tales, and pourquoi stories.
S. then read short summaries of different folktales. S. need to categorize them into the four groups based on information given. S. need to justify their responses with data from the summary. Can be done in groups/pairs.
Activity 3
T. and S. then brainstorm different examples of folktales from around the world. If difficulty brainstorming, S. research online at
for folktales from around the world. S. and T. list examples on board/notebook of types of tales, common themes, lessons or morals presented
Closer
Exit card: How are tall tales and folktales similar? Or What are four types of folktales?
HW
Bring in 1-2 examples of folktales from your country.
Lesson 3: Tall Tales
Goals
Students will know and be able to verbalize the elements of a tall tale
Students will compare tall tales from different countries to locate common elements and themes
Materials
Tall tales from USA
Venn diagrams
Elements of tall tale T-chart
Tall tale checklist
Paul Bunyan Text
Warm up
5 minute journaling: S. list their favorite type of folktale and an example illustrating this type
Activity 1
Partner share: partners share what types of tall tales are found in their country, names, themes, etc. Partners retell to class. Other S. take notes while listening to retell.
Activity 2
Common themes: what are the common themes between tall tales from countries that we’ve heard about? T. and S. identify commonalities; T. writes answers on board. T. chooses two tales from two different countries and compares and contrasts them using Venn diagram to organize information. T. and S. then compare and contrast two other tales from two different countries using Venn diagram. Finally, S. creates own Venn comparing and contrasting differing stories.
Activity 3
Elements of tall tale: T. reads a short tall tale about Paul Bunyan. T. goes over checklist with S. for them to identify the different elements (exaggerations, problems, bigger than life characters, funny, improbable). T. reads another short tall tale about Paul Bunyan. S. use T-chart to identify the characteristics and the examples from the story.
Closer
S. share information learned about Paul Bunyan/tall tale elements in 2 minute partner retell.
HW
S. use T chart and tall tale from their country to identify the elements (at least 4)
Lesson 4: Tall Tales
Goals
Student will be able to name the characteristics of a tall tale
Student will be able to identify elements of tall tale in text
Materials
Johnny Appleseed Text from:
Johnny Appleseed: A Tall Tale Retold and Illustrated By Steven Kellogg
Venn diagram
Warm up
3 minute journal: What are the characteristics of a tall tale? (use for informal assessment)
Activity 1
S. read two stories about Johnny Appleseed: a biography and the tall tale.
Johnny Appleseed was a legendary American who planted and supplied apple trees to much of the United States of America. Many people think that Johnny Appleseed was fictional character, but he was a real person.
Johnny was a skilled nurseryman who grew trees and supplied apple seeds to the pioneers in the mid-western USA. Appleseed gave away and sold many trees. He owned many nurseries in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana, where he grew his beloved apple trees. Although he was a very successful man, Appleseed lived a simple life. It is said that as Johnny traveled, he wore his cooking pot on his head as a hat! Johnny Appleseed was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, on September 26, 1774. His real name was John Chapman, but he was called Johnny Appleseed because of his love for growing apple trees.
Johnny died at the age of 70; he is buried in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He had spent 50 years growing apple trees and traveling to spread his precious trees around his country.
Activity 2
S. then identify the similarities and the differences between the two types of readings (fiction vs. non-fiction, exaggeration vs. facts, etc.) and put them on the Venn diagram.
Closer
Evaluation exit card: which story was more interesting and why?
Lesson 5: Tall Tales
Goals
Students will be able to identify rules for formation of the comparative form of adjectives
Students will be able to form the comparative form of adjectives
Students will be able to orally use the comparative form of adjectives
Materials
Classroom objects
Adjective cards
Venn diagram
Warm-up
S. write down 3-5 characteristics of Johnny Appleseed. T. models using herself as a model. Example: funny, short, nice, smart
Activity 1
T. uses adjectives about Johnny Appleseed to use in comparison against T. (T. has included several more adjectives for own description while S. were creating their own list). T. writes down S. response on board in one column and compares it against T. column. T. then writes several sentences using the comparative to compare T. and fictional character. Example: T. is funnier than Johnny Appleseed. Johnny is taller than T. T. makes sure to include examples of adjectives using C-V-C pattern, final –y pattern, adjectives ending in –e and adjectives that don’t follow the above patterns.
T. underlines comparative in the sentence to highlight for S. the different patterns.
Activity 2
T. then asks S. to form rules for the formation of the comparative: 4 forms for regular comparative. S. work together to come up with four rules for formation. T. writes response on board. If responses wrong, T. leads S. to the correct rule formation. T. writes rules on board.
Activity 3
Non-verbal response activity: T. gives several examples of adjectives. S. respond with 1, 2, 3, or 4 fingers in the air depending on the rule needed for the correct formation of comparative adjective.
Activity 4
S. use classroom objects to practice comparison. T. models by choosing two objects and then comparing them. Example: The pencil is longer than the glue stick. T. then states the rule for the formation of the adjective. S. practice with partner choosing classroom objects.
Closer
S. gives example of one of their comparisons before leaving.
Lesson 6: Tall Tales
Goals
Students will retell stories and place events in chronological order
Students will use comparative form to discuss similarities and differences
Materials
Johnny Appleseed text
Sentence strips
Warm up
Review of comparative: T. has several objects lined up on the table. Then T. asks S. a series of questions based on the objects. Example: Which object is bigger than object 1? Which object is skinnier than object 2? Then S. write several comparisons of their own using the objects assembled on the table.
Activity 1
Story retell: T. gives example of events that happened the previous day in T.’s life. T. models using ordinal numbers. Example: First, I woke up. Secondly, I took a shower. Thirdly, I got dressed., etc. T. has S. practice using information from their previous day. S. need to use ordinal numbers and past tense. S. share information with a partner. Partner rewrites information heard from partner. T. calls on several partners to retell yesterday’s events.
Activity 2
S. then retell Johnny Appleseed’s story using ordinal numbers. S. write the information in a paragraph using the following for a starter: Johnny Appleseed led an interesting life.
S. follow conventions of paragraph writing: indent, continuous sentence flow and proper punctuation/capitalization.
Closer
T. asks S. what classes they have certain hours. Example: what class do you have ___ hour?
HW
Finish paragraph if not completed.
Lesson 7: Tall Tales
Students will be able to identify and explain the elements of a tall tale
Students will be able to identify and use similes and hyperbole to expand language
Materials
Short tall tale
Tall Tale T chart
Examples of hyperbole and similes
Warm up
Review elements of a tall tale. T. has several elements listed on the board for tall tale and folk tale. S. need to identify the elements belonging only to tall tale. Informal Assessment
Activity 1
T. models making hyperboles by explaining that you take a common object and make it extraordinary or impossible. T. further models by taking two objects and listing several adjectives for them. Example: book—big, long, funny; man—tall, large, smart
Then T. chooses one adjective to focus on. Example: book-big Next T. tries to think of how to take the adjective and make it impossible. T. lists several impossible responses. Example: so big I use the Rocky and the Appalachian mountains to hold the book, so big it takes 100 people to turn the page, so big you can read the title from the moon.
T. then guides S. through the other example for man using tall. S. create their own hyperbole for an object. If S. are stuck, T. can give S. an object to use with adjective.
Activity 2
T. models making similes by explaining that you take a common object and compare it to another object. T. further models by taking two objects and listing several adjectives for them. Example: truck--loud, fast, old; music—pretty, soft, slow Next T. tries to think of other objects that have the same characteristics as the given object. Example: truck—loud, construction noise—loud, lion—loud, Then T. constructs a sentence using like or as with the original object. Example: The truck was loud like the noise of a construction site; or The truck was as loud as a lion’s roar. T. then guides S. through the other example for music using pretty. S. create their own simile for an object. If S. are stuck, T. can give S. an object to use with adjective.
Closer
S. give an example of a hyperbole or simile.
Lesson 8: Tall Tales
Goals
Students will be able to identify rules for formation of the simple past tense
Students will be able to form the simple past tense
Students will be able to orally use the simple past tense in a story retell
Materials
Johnny Appleseed sentence strips from lesson 6
Warm up
Partner share: What did you do last night? S. write down partner response to share with class.
Activity 1
Partners share responses with class. T. writes responses on board. T. then highlights the past tense used from S. T. needs to ensure that all four types of verbs are included on the board: C-V-C pattern verbs, verbs ending in –y, verbs ending in –e and other regular verbs not included in previous three. T. then asks S. to form rules for the formation of the regular simple past tense: 4 forms for simple past. S. work together to come up with four rules for formation. T. writes response on board. If responses wrong, T. leads S. to the correct rule formation. T. writes rules on board.
Activity 2
Non-verbal response activity: T. gives several examples of regular verbs. S. respond with 1, 2, 3, or 4 fingers in the air depending on the rule needed for the correct formation of regular simple past tense.
Activity 3
Add to the story: T. creates a new adventure for Johnny Appleseed using 8 different verbs given by S. T. and S. form the simple past for the verbs and then T. models creating a different story for the fictional character. T. then provides 8 different verbs for S. to use in creation of their own added story for fictional character. S. create past tense on their own. T. story serves as model.
Closer
What new adventure did you write about?
HW
S. finish their story if not completed in class.
Lesson 9: Tall Tales
Goals
Students will be able to locate elements of a tall tale during reading
Students will be able to identify and explain examples of hyperbole
Students will be able to create their own hyperbole and simile based on a story
Students will be able to retell a story using simple past tense
Materials
Paul Bunyan text
Tall Tale T chart
Sentence strips
Warm up
T. gives several examples of hyperboles and S. identify the true meaning and restate meaning in simpler language. Example: I am so hungry I could eat a horse! He uses the oceans for his bathtub.
Activity 1
S. read Paul Bunyan and use the T. chart to write down elements of tall tales and hyperboles in the story. T. and S. discuss findings after reading of story. T. encourages S. to have evidence to support claim of tall tale elements. T. and S. reread passages where S. have identified tall tale elements.
Activity 2
S. retell story to T.; T. uses sentence strips to write down authentic language as it is told. T. then asks S. to identify the past tense verbs written on the sentence strips. S. classify the verbs into regular and irregular. Then S. classify regular verbs into the three rules: add –ed, add –d, drop –y and add –ied, double final consonant and add –ed.
Activity 3
T. then models adding hyperbole to one of the sentence strips. T. creates a hyperbole and a simile that follows the story and adds it to another sentence strip to insert into the retell. S. and T. brainstorm other examples of hyperboles and similes that could be added. T. writes responses down on sentence strips and adds to the retell. S. create own hyperbole and simile based on story.
Closer
Exit card: S. summarizes story in 5 lines or less using simple past tense
Lesson 10: Tall Tales
Goals
Students will be able to compare and contrast two styles of writing and their use of literary devices
Students will be able to create additional stories using the style and information from modeled story