A Tall Tale's Big Ideas

Subject Area(s):

• K-12: Language Arts
• Working With Others
• Thinking and Reasoning
• Grades K-4 History
• Behavioral Studies

Grade Level(s):

• 3rd-4th Grade

Description:

In this lesson, third grade students will listen to the reading of selected tall tales. Tall tales were often told orally around a campfire in America's pioneering days of the 1800s. The humorous stories were meant to boost the spirits of the settlers as they faced an inhospitable land. The stories were sometimes, but not always, based on real people and places. The students will explore how exaggeration and hyperbole contribute to the humor of these tall tales, and are an essential element to the genre.



This teacher-librarian taught lesson is presented in conjunction with the classroom teacher's social studies lessons on America's frontier days, and language arts lessons on writing in a select genre style.

Goals & Objectives:

Instructional Goals:

Third graders will be exposed to the tall tale genre and its unique characteristics.

Third graders will be able to successfully identify the use of exaggeration in the tall tale genre.

Third graders will listen, analyze, and evaluate for information.

Third graders will be able to use new knowledge to write their own tall tale.

Learning Objectives: 

When listening to the reading of a tall tale, the students will be able to identify at least three examples of exaggeration within the story.

When asked, the students will be able to able to produce orally or through writing an example of exaggeration.

Students will work cooperatively in small groups to create a short tall tale incorporating more than one example of exaggeration.

Student groups will present an illustrated tall tale, incorporating exaggeration, to the class.

Motivational Goals:

Generate interest in reading literature in the tall tale genre.

Reinforce students’ appreciation of the connection between themselves and literature.

Promote the value of literary devices to the overall success of a story, such as the role of hyperbole in the tall tale genre.

Encourage students’ confidence in their ability to interpret, analyze, synthesize and evaluate the tall tale genre.

Materials:

See attached lesson plan in supporting files

Procedures:

See attached lesson plan in supporting files

Assessment:

See attached lesson plan in supporting files

Supporting Files:

• Tall_Tale_Lesson_Plan.doc
  A tall tale lesson plan for third or fourth graders.
• Elements_of_a_Tall_Tale.doc
  Graphic organizer to accompany tall tale lesson plan.
• tall_tale_mad_lib_revised.doc
  Activity sheet to accompany tall tale lesson plan.

Standards:

National Information Literacy Standards (K-12)

Evaluates information critically and competently.

• Determines accuracy, relevance and comprehensiveness.

Uses information accurately and creatively

• Integrates new information into one's own knowledge.
• Applies information in critical thinking and problem solving.
• Produces and communicates information and ideas in appropriate formats

Pursues information related to personal interests.

• Designs, develops, and evaluates information products and solutions related to personal interests.

Participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

• Collaborates with others, both in person and through technologies, to identify information problems and to seek their solutions.
• Subject: Grades K-4 History

National Content Standards (K-12)

Topic 4 - The History of Peoples of Many Cultures Around the World

• Understands the folklore and other cultural contributions from various regions of the United States and how they helped to form a national heritage
• Understands selected attributes and historical developments of societies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe History Grades K-4 History
• Subject: K-12: Language Arts

Reading

• Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts

Listening and Speaking

• Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes
• Subject: Behavioral Studies
• Understands various meanings of social group, general implications of group membership, and different ways that groups function
• Subject: Working With Others
• Contributes to the overall effort of a group