Curated OER
Born on a Mountaintop? Davy Crockett, Tall Tales, and History
Young scholars compare and contrast the details from the life of the real David Crockett and the legendary folk hero he later became. They identify the characteristics of a tall tale and follow a rubric to create a tall tale of their own.
Curated OER
Story Stretching: Tall Tales in North America
Students are introduced to tall tales. In this introductory tall tales unit, students explore the tall tales of Casey Jones and Johnny Appleseed. This unit includes many interdisciplinary lessons including graphing skills and geography.
Curated OER
Music and Tall Tales
Students examine how cowboys lives have changed over the years. They also explore what a tall tale is and create their own.
Curated OER
American Folktales and Tall Tales
Students explore the elements of American folktales. They discuss how they are passed on from generation to generation, how they use exaggeration, and how they convey a message or make a point. Students identify common elements of tall...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Mark Twain and American Humor
“The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is famous, in part, because it established a uniquely American form of humor. For this famous story, Mark Twain combines the tall-tale, the dialect story, and satire. Here is a resource...
Curated OER
Japanese Tall Tales
Students read the tale of 'Three Strong Women' looking for facets of culture that create a 'face' of the Japanese people. They create a Venn Diagram comparing Japanese tall tales with factual research about Japanese culture. One side...
Curated OER
American Frontiers
High schoolers study the settlement of the American frontier through literature. In this literature lesson, students read and discuss works by James Fenimore Cooper, Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Willa Cather, and Hamlin Garland. High...
Curated OER
Born on a Mountaintop? Davy Crockett, Tall Tales, and History
Learners name tall tale characters and locations, which are based on actual people and places, and describe how they are used in an exaggerated way. They name characters and events from tall tales, then list literary characteristics of...
Curated OER
Writing Folktales
Students consider the structure of folktales. In this writing skills lesson, students list the attributes of folktales that they read in class. Students then complete handouts based on the elements of the tales as well as types of tales...
Curated OER
Anonymous Patriots: Songs of the Revolution
Give your class a deeper understanding of the context and meaning behind early American song lyrics. By reading the lyrics to "Yankee Doodle" and "Revolutionary Tea," high schoolers will practice analysis by examining the...
Curated OER
Seven Chinese Brothers
Fourth graders identify the characteristics of a tall tale. They read "The Seven Chinese Brothers" and analyze it for these characteristics. Students complete a comprehension worksheet and discuss why "The Seven Chinese Brothers" can be...
Curated OER
American Indians Heritage Series: The Tlingit's
Students study the Native American culture of the Tlingits and discuss relevant information regarding their way of life. Students create their own musical Tlingit rattles using toilet paper rolls and rice. They make and decorate their...
Curated OER
African-American Folktales
Students are introduced to the characteristics of folktales and their purpose. As a class, they listen to a folktale, answer questions about the characters and share which part they enjoyed the best. In groups, they compare and...
Curated OER
Westward Expansion
Students examine how the events that took place during the time of the Westward Expansion affected the pioneers and Native Americans through the seven lessons of this unit. Enhancements in transportation over time are also a part of the...
Curated OER
Native American Cultures
Students investigate the Native American Heritage and explore their customs cultures. They discover characteristics of the Native Americans through the study of their art, artifacts, stories and symbols.
National Endowment for the Humanities
"Old Southwest" Humorists and George Washington Harris
Young scholars discover the work of George Washington Harris and his influence on American humor. For this George Washington Harris lesson, discuss cultural differences in the United States and read Sut Lovongwood stories by George...
Curated OER
Border Legends, Myth, & Folklore
Students examine the narrative forms and tales unique to the U.S.-Mexico border. They discuss the possible sociological meanings of these stories, and then write their own versions to demonstrate that they explain the forms.
Curated OER
Cowboys
Learners analyze cowboy literature. In this United States history and literacy lesson, students listen to a variety of cowboy songs and poetry, view the video "Rediscovering America: The Real American Cowboy," and view related websites....
Curated OER
Theatre: Oral Traditions
Students investigate cultural traditions. In this multi-cultural instructional activity, students discuss various cultures and research their traditions.
Curated OER
Centennial: Have I Got a Story for You
Students identify the clues that folklore provides about Utah's past, and create a piece of folklore for a place or event in or near their community.
S.E. Schlosser
American Folklore: Pecos Bill and Slue Foot Sue
The tall tale of Pecos Bill and Slue-foot Sue are retold by S.E. Schlosser.
Other
Paul Bunyan: The Giant Lumberjack
This online version of the tall tale of Paul Bunyan features illustrations of this American folk hero.
S.E. Schlosser
American Folklore: Pecos Bill Rides a Tornado
This site has the story of Pecos Bill. It explains how he rides a tornado like a bucking bronco and when he fell off the ground sank below sea level and created the Death Valley.
S.E. Schlosser
American Folklore: John Henry: The Steel Driving Man
At this site read about John Henry, the steel-drivin' man who uses two hand-held hammers to dig a tunnel faster than a steam drill!
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