Introduction to Folktales and Reader's Theatre

The Galapagos Islands had no aboriginal inhabitants, yet they were very affected by the presence of humans that accidentally or purposefully came to the islands. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries pirates used this as an ideal spot for carrying out their raids on ships that sailed from the west coast of South America. Ecuador annexed the islands in 1832, leading to a handful of inhabitants that were banished there for political crimes. In 1835, Charles Darwin visited the islands, which helped him to gather evidence for his Origin of Species. Also in the nineteenth century, whalers and fur sealers exploited the islands.

Consequently, it is important to study the culture of Ecuador and other countries in South America, because they did have such an impact on the Galapagos Islands after they were discovered. In addition, through understanding the culture of the countries in this hemisphere, we can better comprehend some of the conservation and political issues that still exist today.

To support this notion, we chose the idea of studying folktales as a great source for beginning to learn about an unfamiliar culture. We found books of folktales from various countries in South America, placing a special emphasis on Ecuador. Even though the folktales come from different countries, they are very similar and often stem from the same original idea. (*Please note the attached bibliography of the sources that we found).

In order to make the folktales have even more of an impact on the students, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to use Reader's Theatre. Reader's Theatre gives students a chance to dramatize a story by adapting the story into a play-like script which students can use as guide. We thought it to be appropriate for the middle school level, because the students are given the opportunity to socialize and work together on this project. Folktales are concise stories and can be adapted easily to use for Reader's Theatre. Just follow these preparation steps:

• Choosing Folktales: Choose folktales that you feel would be beneficial for students to learn about culture. Make sure that there are distinct characters, rich language, dialogue, and the material is at the appropriate level. The number of folktales you choose will be determined by how many characters are in each folktale; every student should have the opportunity to play a role.
  
  
• Scripting a Story: Take the folktales you have chosen, and adapt each one into a play script. The dialogue of each character remains the same as in the story, just omit the narrative form, the "she said, etc." Make enough copies of a folktale for each member of the group to have a script. This way each person in the group can highlight their character's part.

Other Notes

• Hand out the presentation rubric to the groups right away so they know what you are expecting.
  
  
• Bring extra prop materials that you feel would be beneficial for the students in their mini-dramas.
  
  
• The students might come across Spanish words or phrases during their reading. These words can be discussed in class: their meaning and pronunciation. The words can then be added to the class Spanish Dictionary.

Go to Bringing Folktales to Life

Bibliography

Ada, A.F. (1995). Half-Chicken. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc.

The folktale has a Spanish origin, and has been told in many Latin American countries. This version takes place is Mexico. It's a great story with an important message. We also really like the fact that it is in Spanish and English.

Ada, A.F. (1993). The Rooster Who Went to his Uncle's Wedding. New York: G.P. Putman's Sons.

The version of this folktale is from Cuba. We really liked it because it has very lively characters. Everything is animated from sheep, to grass to the sun. It would be great as a drama.

Brusca, M.C., and Wilson, T. (1992). The Blacksmith and the Devils. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc.

This folktale is a version taken from Argentina. It is a great story with fun characters. It does get on the long side. Some of the parts could easily be condensed when scripting the story.

Henius, F. (1944). Stories from the Americas. USA: Charles Scribner's Sons.

This book is very old, but the folktales are still really good, and the messages are applicable to our modern society. There is a folktale specifically from Ecuador entitled "The Five Eggs." This story is a bit strange, but it does give a good glimpse into the life of the poor class.

Newmann, S.P. (1962). Folk Tales of Latin America. New York: Bobbs-Merrill Company.

This book is quite old, but we thought it had some really good folktales in it, that demonstrated the culture of the Southern Hemisphere. There is a folktale specifically from Ecuador entitled "The Spirit of Chimborazo." It would be excellent to use for Reader's Theatre in a Middle School.

Weiss, J.S. (1985). Young Brer Rabbit. Owing Mills, Maryland: Stemmer House Publishers, Inc.

This book contains interesting trickster tales from the Americas. The tales demonstrate how the people viewed animals. We especially liked a tale from Colombia entitled "Brer Lion and Sis Turtle." We thought it tied in well with the unit because the turtle is one of the characters. Also, Columbia is right next to Ecuador.