MYTHS, LEGENDS AND FOLKTALES

Presented by: 7th grade Reading

FOLKLORE Folklore is a general term that describes the

stories, traditions, sayings, and customs of a culture or a society.

LEGEND is a traditional story believed to be based on

actual people and events. These stories, which typically celebrate heroic individuals or significant achievements, tend to express the values of a culture.

FABLE a is a brief story that teaches a lesson or

moral, usually through animal characters that take on human qualities.

FAIRY TALE a is a story that involves fantasy elements

such as witches, goblins, and elves. These stories often involve princes and princesses and today are generally told to entertain children.

FOLK TALE is an anonymous traditional story passed on

orally from one generation to another.

MYTH a is a story from the past involving gods or

heroes. These stories often explain beliefs, customs, or mysterious natural phenomena or identify acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

TALL TALE a is a highly exaggerated and often

humorous story about folk heroes in local settings. The characters in these stories might be real, but their actions are greatly exaggerated.

GROUP ASSIGNMENT: STEP 1 Brainstorm all the different stories we know

that fit the definition of Fables Tall tales Legends Myths Fairy tales Folk Tale

STEP 2: In your assigned group, choose one story

that the entire group knows well. Prepare for a brief presentation where you

tell the story and display three drawings that show important points of the story.

Explain why your story is either a fable, legend, tall tale, myth, fairy tale or folk tale. (look at your definitions)

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Why is storytelling an important aspect of a

culture or society? Why do these stories exist? Why are they still

known? Are there modern examples of folk literature,

or are these stories only in the past?