TRICKSTER TALES

STANDARD-COMMUNICATION

VITAL RESULTS-LISTENING 1.13

VITAL RESULTS-WRITING

1.9 In written narrative, students organize and relate a series of events, fictional or actual, in a coherent whole.

  1. Recount in sequence several parts of an experience or event
  2. Use dialogue and /or other strategies appropriate to narration; and
  3. Select details consistent with the intent of the story, omitting extraneous details.

Fields of Knowledge-Diverse Literary Traditions

Fields of Knowledge-Concepts of Culture

Day 1

Materials: Charts and graphic organizers created in the unit

Enlarged version of a story map

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Identifying elements of a trickster tale

  1. Review the elements of trickster tales with the class. Display completed charts and graphic organizers that have been used for each text.
  1. Explain that we have read many trickster tales and that it is their turn to write a trickster tale of their own. The teacher models the process by creating an original story map of a trickster tale that takes place in Japan. Complete the following sections: character(s), traits, setting, and problem.
  1. Students are asked to start thinking about a trickster tale that they will write.

Day 2

  1. Using the enlarged story map, the teacher models the next steps in creating the story. These include: the problem, the trick and the steps of the trick.
  1. In partnerships, students begin to discuss ideas for a trickster tale. Partners are encouraged to talk about whether the idea for the tale is interesting, funny and sounds like a trickster tale. The teacher confers with each partnership to determine if the students are developing their stories appropriately.

Day 3

Materials: Charts with Japanese cultural elements

Story maps for each student

  1. Review the list of the Japanese cultural elements that the class has recorded during the reading of Japanese folktales. Begin to put these elements into categories beginning with character and setting. Explain that we can use these elements to add to our stories.
  1. Provide a story map for each students and ask them to record the character and setting for his/her story.

Day 4

Materials: Charts with Japanese cultural elements

  1. The teacher confers with each student to determine if the story map has been successfully completed.

Day 5

Materials: Charts with Japanese cultural elements

Enlarged story map

Student story maps

  1. The teacher reviews the steps of the trick from the story that has been modeled.
  2. Students record the steps of the trick in their folktale on the story maps.

Days 6 & 7

  1. The teacher confers with individual students to monitor the completion of this section of the story map.

Day 8

Materials: Charts with Japanese cultural elements

Enlarged story map

Student story map

  1. The teacher reviews the solution and the ending of the model story.
  2. Students record these parts of their folktale on their story maps.

Day 9 & 10

Materials: Chart paper

Enlarged story map

Charts with Japanese cultural elements

1. Explain that the model story map has to be expanded into a narrative and demonstrate how this is done:

  • Beginning the story like the trickster tales we have read
  • Descriptions of setting
  • Descriptions of characters
  • Including details or descriptions of Japanese culture
  • Dialogue using Japanese words
  • Not revealing the tricks all at one time by mixing them throughout the story
  • Funny parts or interesting parts

Begin modeling the actual writing by referring to the chart of cultural elements, story map and “thinking aloud” about the writing. Have children suggest ideas and incorporate them into the narrative.

  1. Students begin to write their own trickster tales with the setting and the characters.

Days 11-15

  1. The teacher continues to model the trickster tale writing as the students write sections of their folktales.

2. The teacher confers with students using the “Checklist for the

Trickster Tale”.

Days 16-20

  1. The rubric for the trickster tale is presented to the class on an overhead. A student who is willing volunteers to read his/her work and have the class fill in the checklist and rubric.
  1. All students complete the work and score the rubric. The teacher confers with each student and the rubric is discussed.
  1. There is an opportunity for students to share their stories and celebrate the work in this unit.