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Folktales are traditional stories that at the beginning were passed down orally through generations within a culture and were written down years later. The primary reasons for sharing them were to entertain, to explain the creation of the world, and to teach moral lessons, cultural values and social norms. Many authors have attempted to preserve the folktales of their culture by writing them down for future generations.

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Most folktales tend to start their storytelling with a patterned beginning (once upon a time...)

Setting in folktales acts as a backdrop. It does not affect the characters or the plot. Its interpretation relies on the imagination of the audience, so the storyteller does not spend time developing the setting.

Characters in folktales are flat, undeveloped, and stereotypic. These archetypes serve the plot as their description gives the reader a "clear and immediate picture of the character". They stand on opposite extremes, they are either very good or very evil.

The plot of a folktale develops when a conflict is established, and then events follow with the characters' actions in response to these events. Suspense and action have a heavier impact in these tales than character development.

The tale ends abruptly with a quick resolution and a patterned ending: "They lived happily ever after.”

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In folktales, the themes are a reflection of what the culture values. (good overcomes evil, humility, kindness, patience, sympathy, hard work, and courage are invariably rewarded.)

The language used in folktales has to hold the listeners' attention and aid the storyteller's memory of the tale. It tends to be economical, with a minimal amount of description and a heavy reliance on formulaic patterns.

Magic is considered a natural part of everyday life and it is often expected in these tales.

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When students write their own folktales, they will understand the overall structure of this genre. As they plan their folktale, several techniques can be helpful. Students can create a Wordless Picture Book, planning their folktale by illustrating its elements.

Another useful technique for planning is the Plot Cube, this activity can be adapted for narrative text. Mapping a Folktale, it allows them to create their stories before writing. Students should be encouraged to write from a storyteller's perspective, ensure their tale has a theme (such as overcoming adversity, achieving autonomy, or coping with family problems), and set their tale in a specific country from a long time ago.

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Students will now explore other folktales, focusing on categories such as beast tales and cumulative tales. They will use previously discussed questions and activities during their small-group reading sessions.

Activity Overview:

• Selection of Folktales:

Students choose a folktale to read in their small groups.

• Discussion and Strategy Use:

Groups decide which previously modeled questions and instructional activities to use.

They can also create and discuss their own questions.

• Chart Completion:

Students may choose to complete charts or only the most helpful charts.

• Questions for Group Discussion:

Provide questions so that students are able to deepen their understanding of folktales, recognize common motifs and structures, and appreciate the cultural contexts of the stories.

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To extend the Traditional Folktale Unit Invite students to collect stories from their families-including parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles-to share orally with the class.

Students also might enjoy rewriting a folktale into a Readers Theatre script (following sequence could be used to illustrate that folktales are passed down by word of mouth and then are written down.

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Animals: Magic, talking, friendly, helpful, provide services.

Magic: Magical power, transformations man to man/animal/object or animal to man, magical objects.

Trickery: Contest won, escape, falls into a trap, wise and unwise.

Supernatural: Fairy, ogre, giants, elves, marvels.

Test: Udentification, truth, cleverness, endurance.

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Beast tales, wonder tales, and cumulative tales.

Beast tales or animal tales are tales where animals talk and act like humans. Examples are "The Three Little Pigs," "The Little Red Hen," "Puss in Boots".

Cumulative tales build upon one event, with each event repeating until the end. Examples include "The Mitten" retold by Jan Brett or "The Gingerbread Boy" retold by Paul Galdone.

Wonder tales revolve around magical creatures and supernatural powers, with characters like fairy godmothers and handsome princes. Common motifs are trickery and transformations, and the stories end well with evil punished and characters living "happily ever after." Examples include "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," "Beauty and the Beast".

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Pre-Read-Aloud Activities: To begin with folktales, a brainstorm may be useful to see what students know about the genre, you might also fill a chart in the classroom with this information and update it as they become familiar with the topic. Teachers could use activities such as a Mixed-up folktales quiz, or a Folktale by country quiz.

Read-Aloud Activities: Help students develop a deeper understanding of the elements of folktales by modeling the story structure, theme, and the storyteller's style through the read-aloud and by using teaching strategies.