Deidre Lovett, 7th Grade

Lake Cormorant Middle School

Folktales

Folktales are stories passed down orally from generations from generations. The stories are about people lives, struggles with their fears about the world around them. Folktales were made up to explain the wonders of the world.

What is Folktale?

Trickster Tales – where one character is clever and devious. He or she cause problems for the other characters. They usually goes unpunished.

Example: The Trickster Monkey(Listen)

Different Types of Folktales

Short stories that teach a lesson or have a moral. The lesson or moral is never stated, but needs to be inferred by the reader.

Examples: The Boy Who Cried Wolf(Listen)

Fables

Explain WHY something is as it isExplains HOW something came to be

Example: How the Elephant Got his Big Ears

(Listen)

Pourquoi Stories

Stories that include good and bad characters. Good versus Evil

They usually starts off “Once upon a time” and have a hero or heroine included.

The conflicts in the story are resolved through kindness, courage or intelligence.

Example: Elves and the Shoemaker and The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Fairytales

Fear of not being lovedFear of leaving homeGood and EvilRight and WrongHappiness, Kindness, Friendship, Loyalty

Common Elements of a Folktale:THEME

Characters are uncomplicated and change only in their mindset (from the lesson learned) throughout the course of the story.

The hero or heroine is usually young and fair, kind, charitable, honorable, courageous, unselfish, and may possess some sort of special power.

Common Elements of a Folktale:Characterization

Place is usually described easily and briefly, leaving the imagination to fill in the gaps.

Time is fantasy time, such as Once upon a time, or A long time ago

Common Elements of a Folktale:Setting

Folktales are full of action and follow a basic plotline of events, that usually starts quickly to grab the readers attention.

Conflicts are usually resolved with great deeds or acts of human kindness.

Common Elements of a Folktale:PLOT

Descriptions are quick and to the point, but create strong images without a lot of language.

Often there are promises made or promises broken.

Magic is commonly used, to explain the unexplainable.

Sometimes, folktales have repeated phrases.Folktales explain a natural phenomena that

otherwise would have no explanation.

Common Elements of Folktale:Style and Tone

With your shoulder partner, read your folktales. Read them together and locate the elements of the folktale that are evident in you selections and write them on chart paper. Be prepared to share your work with the class.

Shoulder Partner Assignment