Bringing Folktales to Life

Unit Topic: The Galapagos Islands

Grade Level: Middle School

Basic Concepts: Culture, Folktales, and Dramatizing

Content Areas: Language Arts, Geography, and Foreign Language

Time: One three-hour block of time

Objectives

• Students will gain an understanding of the culture in South America, through the reading of folktales.
  
  
• Students will improve cooperative learning skills, and acting skills.

Activity

Materials:

• Scripted folktales
  
  
• Props that the students could use during the performance
  
  
• Materials for the students to construct props

Discussion: Discuss with the students exactly what a folktale is, and have them give examples of folktales from the United States.

Students can randomly be assigned to groups depending on the folktale, and how many characters are needed. Each group should read the folk tale two or three times. Have the students discuss the folk tale, the characters, and resolution. As a class, address some of the following questions:

1. What country was the folktale taken from? (refer to a map)

2. What was the theme?

3. Was there a moral to be learned?

4. Thinking about the characters and actions in the folktale, what clues does this give us about the culture of that country?

5. Thinking about the ideas behind the folktale, what would you say are some of the important values or beliefs in that culture?

6. Are there any Spanish words or phrases in the folktale?

Following the discussion, hand out the scripts. The groups have the responsibility of deciding characters. After this decision, the group should run through it once. The groups can then take a break from practicing the script, and make props to liven up the mini-drama. They may also want to make a program to introduce themselves and the production. Afterwards, each group should have a dress rehearsal, and then it's time for the real thing!

Extension: The students can perform for other classes in the school.

Assessment: Before the performance, the groups can have a dress rehearsal and give one another feedback. After the performances, the class will have a reflection time. Each group will be able to receive verbal feedback from other groups and the teacher on their performance.

Evaluation: Refer to the performance rubric for expectations. If the groups receive 3s or 4s on their performance, they succeeded.