Fables Objective: Students will be able to retell a fable. Student will be able to tell the moral of the story. Vocabulary: fable moral jealous elect grand trap hunters trick Highness wisdom Materials: props for each fable that you choose (crown, crutch, sunglasses, sun, cloud, etc.) Session One: (45 minutes) 1. Sing: Camp Song and their choice of song learned during camp 2. TPR: Show emotional responses 3. Introduce lesson * Some stories are meant to teach you a lesson, besides being fun to read. * A fable is a story in which animals speak and act like human beings. * The story is intended to enforce a useful truth or moral. * The moral of the story is the lesson the story is trying to teach you. 4. Introduce Vocabulary 5. Introduce Fable: (Teach this the same way you would teach a dialogue) The Fox and the Monkey who was Elected King Narrator: The animals all got together for an evening of fun. Everyone enjoyed the monkey s dancing. Soon it came time to elect a new king, and the kid suggested That the monkey be made king. Class: Let s make the monkey our new king. He is the best dancer of all of us. We would have many grand evening with him as a king. Animals: Yes! Yes! Monkey for king! Monkey for king! Narrator: The monkey became king, but the fox was jealous. He found a piece of meat set out in a trap by hunters. He went to the monkey to trick him into being caught in the trap. Fox: Your Highness, I have found a great treasure that truly belongs to you. Monkey: That sound wonderful. Where is this treasure? Fox: Follow me. I will take you to it. Narrator: When the monkey saw the meat, he rushed into the trap and was caught. He was very angry at the fox for tricking him. Monkey: You tricked me fox! Fox: One who can be so easily tricked does not deserve to be king. Narrator: Thus the fox proved to the animals that: Wisdom is more important than dancing.
Session Two: (45 minutes) 1. Introduce Idiom of the Day: Go to bat for someone: help out and support someone Tom went to bat for his friend. 2. Divide into 3 or 4 groups and assign a fable. * Each group will give out the parts and practice the fable * There will be one American in each group. The lead teacher may need to float between two groups. * Be sure to discuss any word that they may not understand. Do not assume they understand every word. Fable One: (Requires 5 students) Wind: I am stronger than you are! Sun: You are not! Wind: But I am! Sun: You are not! Wind: I will show you that I am stronger. Sun: No, I will show you that I am stronger. The Wind and The Sun Narrator One: Just then a man came walking along the highway. Wind: I can get that man s coat off his back! Sun: And I can get that man s coat off his back too! Wind: Try it! Sun: You try it first. Narrator One: So the north wind blew a hard cold blast. The man was almost blown down. The belt on his coat broke, but he held on to his coat. Narrator Two: Again the north wind blew. But the man only stood still, holding his coat close until the wind stop blowing. Sun: It is my turn now. Narrator: One: So the sun came out and shone down warmly on the man. Man: First it was cold, and now it is hot. I must take off this coat. And here is a cool spot under this tree. I must sit down and rest. Narrator Two: What the wind could not do with its harsh blasts, the sun did with its soft, warm rays.
Fable Two: (Requires 3 students) The Blind Man and the Lame Man Narrator: A blind man was walking along the road with his cane. Soon he came to a ditch in the road. Just then a lame man came hobbling along on a crutch. Blind man: Good friend will you help me along on this road? I am afraid to go alone. Lame man: Help you! How can I help you? I am lame. It is all I can do to get along myself. If my legs were strong I would not have to ask for help. Blind man: I am strong in the legs but I cannot see. Lame man: Oh that makes it different. If you cannot see, it is rather hard for you to walk. Blind man: Yes it is! Lame man: Maybe we can help each other, you are strong in the legs and I am strong in the eyes. If you will carry me on your back, I will see the way for you: Blind man: I agree Narrator: Then away they went, the lame man on the blind man s back. In this way they traveled very well and reached the end of their trip much more quickly than if they had traveled alone. Fable Three: (Requires students) The Ants and the Lazy Grasshopper Narrator: In a great field lived the ants and the grasshoppers. The ants were busy little people. They worked all summer getting grain for the winter. Ants: We shall need it to eat Grasshoppers: I d rather hop in the sun! Ants: But there will be snow in the winter. Then we can get no food! Grasshoppers: But the sun is so nice and warm! Narrator: By and by winter came! Oh! how cold it was! The grasshoppers legs were stiff with cold. And he was so hungry. Grasshoppers: Please give us some grain, dear ants. Ants: We do not have any extra Grasshoppers: But we have none at all! Ants: What were you doing all summer? Why did you not store some grain then? Grasshoppers: Oh, we could not! We danced and hopped and sang all summer long! Ants: Then why not dance and hop and sing all winter, too? Grasshoppers: How greedy ants are! Ants: How lazy grasshoppers are!
Fable Four (Requires 4 students) The Turtle and the Rabbit Narrator One: One day a turtle was creeping down the road. A rabbit came hopping along. Rabbit: Good morning, Mr. Turtle. Don t you wish you could run as fast as I can? Turtle: You run fast and I go slowly but I think I can beat you in a race. Rabbit: What! You beat me in a race! I can go ten times as fast as you can. Turtle: So you can but I may still beat you. Will you run a race with me? Rabbit: Yes, but I am foolish to run with a slow turtle like you. Where shall we race? Turtle: Let us go from this big tree to the big tree by the river. We will start when you count to three. Rabbit: One, two, three go! Narrator Two: Away he ran as fast as he could go. Narrator One: He ran a little way, and then he looked back. The turtle was not in sight. Rabbit: I will stop and eat some of these green leaves. Then I will run on to the tree. Narrator One: So he stopped and ate the green leaves. Rabbit: That old turtle is not in sight. I will lie down awhile and rest. Then I will run to the big tree by the river. I will be there long before Mr. Turtle comes. Narrator Two: So the rabbit lay down and soon he was fast asleep. Narrator One: When the rabbit woke up, he looked back. He did not see the turtle. Rabbit: I should go on. Narrator Two: He ran to the big tree by the river. There under the tree sat the turtle! Narrator One: The turtle was slow, but he did not stop until he had reached the end of the race. And that is how he won. Fable Five: (Requires 4 students) The Lion and the Mouse Narrator: A lion lay fast asleep. When he awoke he was hungry. Just then he saw a little mouse in the grass. In a second the lion had caught him. Mouse: Please don t hurt me! I am such a little animal. Please don t eat me. Let me go. Some day I may save your life. Lion: You save my life! What could a little thing like you do for a big lion like me? I will let you go. You are too little. I am so hungry that I could eat a hundred mice like you! Narrator: Away went the little mouse, happy to be free. Another day, the lion again was asleep. Up crept some hunters. Before the lion woke up the hunters had tied him with a tight rope. Hunters: Now we will go and get our guns and shoot the lion. Narrator: The lion growled and roared and kicked, but it did no good. Mouse: Just keep still, my friend. I will free you! Lion: You! Free me! Narrator: The little mouse said nothing, but began to bite the rope with his sharp little teeth. Soon the lion was free. When the hunters came back, they found nothing.
Session Three: (45 minutes) 1. Perform Fables *Have each group perform their fable. It would be great for them to do it in their own words. *After each performance. Ask the class to tell the moral or lesson. Encourage practical application to today. 2. If time remains teach the following Jazz Chant. The Sore Loser By Dean Traylor What this I see? Who has beaten me? You, the tortoise, This simply can't be. I'm the fastest And the flashiest. Between you and me, I'm the greatest! So how is it You have the wit To beat me While I sit? Oh, go cheer I won't shed a tear. You got me, but I'll Grin from ear to ear. Next time, you see. You won't find me Taking a nap Under some tree. I'll run real fast! With one mighty blast, I'll leave you in the dust For victory will be mine at last.
Fables FREE OFFER Vocabulary fable moral jealous elect grand trap hunters trick Highness wisdom The Fox and the Monkey who was Elected King Narrator: The animals all got together for an evening of fun. Everyone enjoyed the monkey s dancing. Soon it came time to elect a new king, and the kid suggested that the monkey be made king. Class: Let s make the monkey our new king. He is the best dancer of all of us. We would have many grand evening with him as a king. Animals: Yes! Yes! Monkey for king! Monkey for king! Narrator: The monkey became king, but the fox was jealous. He found a piece of meat set out in a trap by hunters. He went to the monkey to trick him into being caught in the trap. Fox: Your Highness, I have found a great treasure that truly belongs to you. Monkey: That sound wonderful. Where is this treasure? Fox: Follow me. I will take you to it. Narrator: When the monkey saw the meat, he rushed into the trap and was caught. He was very angry at the fox for tricking him. Monkey: You tricked me fox! Fox: One who can be so easily tricked does not deserve to be king. Narrator: Thus the fox proved to the animals that: Wisdom is more important than dancing.
Fable One: (Requires 4 students) Wind: I am stronger than you are! Sun: You are not! Wind: But I am! Sun: You are not! Wind: I will show you that I am stronger. Sun: No, I will show you that I am stronger. The Wind and The Sun Narrator One: Just then a man came walking along the highway. Wind: I can get that man s coat off his back! Sun: And I can get that man s coat off his back too! Wind: Try it! Sun: You try it first. Narrator One: So the north wind blew a hard cold blast. The man was almost blown down. The belt on his coat broke, but he held on to his coat. Narrator Two: Again the north wind blew. But the man only stood still, holding his coat close until the wind stop blowing. Sun: It is my turn now. Narrator: One: So the sun came out and shone down warmly on the man. Man: First it was cold, and now it is hot. I must take off this coat. And here is a cool spot under this tree. I must sit down and rest. Narrator Two: What the wind could not do with its harsh blasts, the sun did with its soft
Fable Two: (Requires 3 students) The Blind Man and the Lame Man Narrator: A blind man was walking along the road with his cane. Soon he came to a ditch in the road. Just then a lame man came hobbling along on a crutch. Blind man: Good friend will you help me along on this road? I am afraid to go alone. Lame man: Help you! How can I help you? I am lame. It is all I can do to get along myself. If my legs were strong I would not have to ask for help. Blind man: I am strong in the legs but I cannot see. Lame man: Oh that makes it different. If you cannot see, it is rather hard for you to walk. Blind man: Yes it is! Lame man: Maybe we can help each other, you are strong in the legs and I am strong in the eyes. If you will carry me on your back, I will see the way for you: Blind man: I agree Narrator: Then away they went, the lame man on the blind man s back. In this way they traveled very well and reached the end of their trip much more quickly than if they had traveled alone. Fable Three: (Requires students) The Ants and the Lazy Grasshopper Narrator: In a great field lived the ants and the grasshoppers. The ants were busy little people. They worked all summer getting grain for the winter. Ants: We shall need it to eat Grasshoppers: I d rather hop in the sun! Ants: But there will be snow in the winter. Then we can get no food! Grasshoppers: But the sun is so nice and warm! Narrator: By and by winter came! Oh! how cold it was! The grasshoppers legs were stiff with cold. And he was so hungry. Grasshoppers: Please give us some grain, dear ants. Ants: We do not have any extra Grasshoppers: But we have none at all! Ants: What were you doing all summer? Why did you not store some grain then? Grasshoppers: Oh, we could not! We danced and hopped and sang all summer long! Ants: Then why not dance and hop and sing all winter, too? Grasshoppers: How greedy ants are! Ants: How lazy grasshoppers are!
Fable Four: (Requires 4 students) The Turtle and the Rabbit Narrator One: One day a turtle was creeping down the road. A rabbit came hopping along. Rabbit: Good morning, Mr. Turtle. Don t you wish you could run as fast as I can? Turtle: You run fast and I go slowly but I think I can beat you in a race. Rabbit: What! You beat me in a race! I can go ten times as fast as you can. Turtle: So you can but I may still beat you. Will you run a race with me? Rabbit: Yes, but I am foolish to run with a slow turtle like you. Where shall we race? Turtle: Let us go from this big tree to the big tree by the river. We will start when you count to three. Rabbit: One, two, three go! Narrator Two: Away he ran as fast as he could go. Narrator One: He ran a little way, and then he looked back. The turtle was not in sight. Rabbit: I will stop and eat some of these green leaves. Then I will run on to the tree. Narrator One: So he stopped and ate the green leaves. Rabbit: That old turtle is not in sight. I will lie down awhile and rest. Then I will run to the big tree by the river. I will be there long before Mr. Turtle comes. Narrator Two: So the rabbit lay down and soon he was fast asleep. Narrator One: When the rabbit woke up, he looked back. He did not see the turtle. Rabbit: I should go on. Narrator Two: He ran to the big tree by the river. There under the tree sat the turtle! Narrator One: The turtle was slow, but he did not stop until he had reached the end of the race. And that is how he won.
Fable Five: (Requires 4 students) The Lion and the Mouse Narrator: A lion lay fast asleep. When he awoke he was hungry. Just then he saw a little mouse in the grass. In a second the lion had caught him. Mouse: Please don t hurt me! I am such a little animal. Please don t eat me. Let me go. Some day I may save your life. Lion: You save my life! What could a little thing like you do for a big lion like me? I will let you go. You are too little. I am so hungry that I could eat a hundred mice like you! Narrator: Away went the little mouse, happy to be free. Another day, the lion again was asleep. Up crept some hunters. Before the lion woke up the hunters had tied him with a tight rope. Hunters: Now we will go and get our guns and shoot the lion. Narrator: The lion growled and roared and kicked, but it did no good. Mouse: Just keep still, my friend. I will free you! Lion: You! Free me! Narrator: The little mouse said nothing, but began to bite the rope with his sharp little teeth. Soon the lion was free. When the hunters came back, they found nothing. Jazz Chant: The Sore Loser By Dean Traylor What this I see? Who has beaten me? You, the tortoise, This simply can't be. I'm the fastest And the flashiest. Between you and me, I'm the greatest! So how is it You have the wit To beat me While I sit? Oh, go cheer I won't shed a tear. You got me, but I'll Grin from ear to ear. Next time, you see. You won't find me Taking a nap Under some tree. I'll run real fast! With one mighty blast, I'll leave you in the dust For victory will be mine at last.