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=Shaw ~ Final ~ ECOMP 5004 = Intergrating Technology into the Language Arts

** Title ~ Tall Tales ** **Essential Question:** After listening to several //Tall Tales,// can you write and illustrate a tall tale?
 * By ~ Beth Shaw **
 * Subjects ~ Language Arts, Social Studies, and Medial Literacy **
 * Grade Level ~ 4-6 **

** Elements of Tall Tale and research  ** Throughout history people have told and written stories about their heroes. A tall tale is a special kind of hero story because the heroes of tall tales are 'larger than life'. They are bigger or stronger than real people, even when the tall tale is based on a real person. Tall tale heroes solve problems in funny ways that are hard to believe. A ** tall tale ** is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some such stories are [|exaggerations] of actual events, [|fish stories] ('the fish that got away') such as, "that fish was so big, why I tell ya', it nearly sank the boat when I pulled it in!" Other tall tales are completely fictional tales in a familiar setting, such as the [|American Old West] or the beginning of the Industrial Age. Tall tales are often told so as to make the narrator seem to have been a part of the story. They are usually [|humorous] or [|witty]. The line between myth and tall tale is distinguished primarily by age; many myths exaggerate the exploits of their heroes, but in tall tales the exaggeration looms large, to the extent of becoming the whole of the story.
 * Discuss this information with students before beginning the lesson. **

The student will · Identify characteristics of a tall tale · Locate examples of exaggerations in a story · Write a rough draft of an original tall tale · Peer edit rough draft checking for inclusion of exaggerations · Revise rough draft · Plan and draw/illustrate your tall tale · Apply color to illustrations · Become familiar with voice thread, a web 2.0 tool, to create an audio/visual of their tall tale. · Work collaboratively in groups to create voice thread · Share tall tale voice threads on the smart board with the class · Will make a "tall tale" wordle at www.wordle.net · Display final illustrations in the hallway
 * Objectives: **

10. The students that are drawing the illustrations my start at the bottom of the butcher paper. 11. using notebook paper brainstorm things his or her character might do, including exaggerations 12. lay out in numerical order the ideas he or she wants to use in the rough draft 13. plan a beginning, middle, and end of his or her tall tale 14. Examples that follow in this lesson. Shorter versions of the tall tales. Easier to use on the smart board for the entire class to see.
 * Procedures: **
 * 1. ** Listen to tall tales read aloud in class
 * 2. ** Point out examples of exaggerations found in the tall tales stories
 * 3. ** Brainstorm ideas about tall tales
 * 4. ** Divide into groups of 5 or 6 students per group, one writer, everyone research and add ideas
 * 5. ** Have each group work collaboratively to create a tall tale of their own or add to an existing one.
 * 6. ** Allow students to work together to start writing their tall tale
 * 7. ** Students will write a rough draft
 * 8. ** Each group must write out and illustrate their tall tale
 * 9. ** Once the rough draft is complete, have "the writer" of the group start writing out the tall tale on butcher paper.

1. Any books on tall tales 2. //American Tall Tales// by Mary Pope Osborne 3. //John Henry// by Adele de Leeuw 4. //Fin M’Coul// by Tomie dePaola 5. //Big Men, Big Country// by James Bernardin 6. //Cut from the Same Cloth// by Robert D. San Souci 7. //Mike Fink// by Steven Kellogg 8. //Paul Bunyan// by Steven Kellogg 9. //Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett// by S.K. 10. //Pecos Bill// by Steven Kellogg 11. //Swamp Angel// by Anne Issacs 12. //The Bunyans// by Audrey Wood 13. Butcher Paper for each group 14. Colored pencils, markers, crayons for each group The teacher should read the class several tall tale short stories. Ask the students to point out things in the story that could not really happen. Explain that such things are called exaggerations. Discuss the characteristics of tall tales and the history of this type of story. Correlation between hard times faced by many of the pioneer settlers and some of the invented exaggerations which made humorous light of these situations could be pointed out. Weather, climates, animals, and human strength were often the topics that lent themselves to exaggeration in tall tales. Show the class a student example of the type of tall tale project that they will be making. Discuss that there are many interesting occupations or hobbies a character might have and in this tall tale their character may be something that they would not want to be in real life. The may have their character do something they may actually like to do themselves. I always have the students concentrate on making the character out of paper long before they think about writing the story. I have found that this helps them form a bond with their character. Later, they are more inspired to write the story to accompany their wonderful character.
 * Resources/Materials **
 * Motivation: **