Myths, Legends and Folktales

1. Myths, Legends and Folktales Presented by: 7th grade Reading

2. Folklore • Folklore is a general term that describes the stories, traditions, sayings, and customs of a culture or a society.

3. 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.

4. Fable • a is a brief story that teaches a lesson or moral, usually through animal characters that take on human qualities.

5. 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.

6. Folk Tale • is an anonymous traditional story passed on orally from one generation to another.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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)

11. 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?