Tall+Tale+~+Extras


 * Tale Tale Extras~ Definitions~ **

** What Are They? ** Tall tales are stories written from someone’s imagination. The story can be funny or silly. They are filled with exaggerations, similes, metaphors, and lots of descriptive language. It is always told as if it were true, even though the listeners know that the story could never really happen. Some of the characters were real heroes and heroines whose stories got exaggerated a lot; others were characters such as cowboys, railroad workers, loggers, sea captains, and firefighters. Tall tales told information that really happened at the time and combined it with a wild tale full of fantasy. In general there were some bad things about tall tales. They were negative towards Native Americans, African Americans, women, and animals. The tales were about people who were trying to conquer the American Wilderness. Most of these tall tales were written back in the 1800's when the pioneers were trying to conquer the wilderness of America. It was a way for the pioneers to make the taming of America a little easier to handle.
 * I included this portion so all the definitions are available with the lesson. **
 * TALL TALES **

**__ Tall Tale ~ definition __** 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 Tall Tales or folk tales have been told through out history. Every culture has its own way of telling how something develops: how the world was created. Tall Tales are stories that are told to the extreme like Paul Bunyan and Pascos Bill. Each of these stories explains why something happens. Paul Bunyan stories mostly in the Northwest. He is supposed to be responsible for making the Grand Canyon while fighting with his huge, blue bull named Babe. He also could cut down a tree with one blow. As you can see this story has been told to the extreme Your imagination is needed while making a Tall Tale. You can tell a story about a man going to his mailbox. You can explain how the man looks as he went to his mailbox. Then add something like, “He was going to his mailbox and suddenly the earth swallows him up, “Then the character can start his adventure. Make sure that you use lots of verbs and adjectives. Your verbs and adjectives would explain how big the hole was that swallowed him up. Did steam come out, lava or did it just gulp him up. These are questions that you should ask yourself while writing. You can use anything even the impossible because when you think about it that what a Tall Tale is based on. You can explain that after he was swallowed up an transported to another world and that world that was ruled by trees that could talk. The trees wanted him to save the tree princess. Now you come to your ending. Make sure that you go out with a Bang. Put a surprise ending. Maybe the man falls in love the princess it's whatever you want. When you end try to leave the reader thinking how ridiculous the situation. As you write your Tall Tale be sure you use the following: an imagination, an open mind, showing writing, and the ridiculous. All these things are necessary while writing your Tall Tale. So pens up and start writing. **lesson idea modified from: http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/stone/staff/lessons/bennett/tales.asp Back to Home