Exploring

Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales

A Teacher’s Resource Guide

A project of Arts for a Complete Education/Florida Alliance for Arts Education

(ACE/FAAE)

Copyright, State of Florida, Department of Education, � 2004

Authorization for reproduction is hereby granted to the state system of public education as defined in section 228.04(1), Florida Statutes. No authorization is granted for distribution or reproduction outside the state system of public education without prior approval in writing. The views in this document do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Department of Education.

Acknowledgements Exploring Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales: A Teacher Resource Guide A project of Arts for a Complete Education/Florida Alliance for Arts Education. The lessons were written and edited by: Project Director Susan Rosoff, Curator of Education, Orlando Museum of Art, and Assistant Professor of Art, University of Central Florida Consultant Kristin G. Congdon, author of Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales and Professor of Film and Philosophy, University of Central Florida Curriculum Writing Team Daniel Farmer, Language Arts and Theatre, Gateway High School, Osceola County Linda Oliverio, Language Arts Learning Resource Specialist, Osceola County Jennifer Zable, Performing and Fine Arts Resource Specialist, Osceola County Editor Carol Rutan, Orlando Florida Department of Education Specialist June Hinckley, Music and Fine Arts Curriculum Specialist, Florida Department of Education Arts for a Complete Education/Florida Alliance for Arts Education Liaison Mary Palmer, University of Central Florida The Alligator and the Eagle, Why the Rabbit Is Wild Today, Acrefoot Johnson, The Turkey Maiden, The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay,’ The Cucarachita Martinez, My First Job, and Diddy-Wah-Diddy are reprinted from Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales, text by Kristin G. Congdon, illustrations by Kitty Kitson Petterson (University Press of Mississippi, 2001). Reprinted with permission of University Press of Mississippi. University Press web site: http://www.upress.state.ms.us. Maria Redmon translated The Turkey Maiden and The Cucarachita Martinez. Illustrations by the late Kitty Kitson Petterson are reprinted with permission of Rick Petterson. The audiotape of The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay,’ performed by Liliane Nérette Louis, was provided from the archives of the Florida Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation. The recording of Will McLean’s Acrefoot Johnson is used with permission of Wakulla Music, BMI.

OVERVIEW: NOTES TO THE TEACHER

Connect with Florida Arts The purpose of this program is to link arts education with community arts resources, especially those resources that have statewide significance. This curriculum explores Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales, a unique collection of folktales telling of the diverse people, places, and events from different time periods in Florida. The tales were collected by Kristin G. Congdon and illustrated by the late Kitty Kitson Petterson. These illustrations were donated by Rick Petterson to the State of Florida, Museum of Florida History. In June 2004, the first exhibition of all the illustrations took place in the R. A. Gray Building in Tallahassee. This launched a statewide tour that will make the illustrations available to Floridians through the Museum’s Traveling Exhibits Program (TREX). Further information on this opportunity is available at http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/museum. Through Arts for a Complete Education/Florida Alliance for Arts Education, expert teachers developed materials designed to encourage Floridians to examine some of these traditional stories and to create some stories of their own. The curriculum materials provide lessons in visual arts, language arts, and theatre arts. These lessons are meant to stir student interest in, and expand their knowledge about, traditional Florida folklore. Eight stories and illustrations provide an ideal instructional “hook” to motivate students. Petterson’s illustrations provide a vivid visual depiction of the tales. Her illustrations summarize important aspects of the stories, give us historically accurate pictures, and help us understand the varied cultural influences that have made Florida. The stories, which come from diverse sources, connect us with the past, help us reflect on the present, and inspire us to think about the future. We hope that you will enjoy exploring Florida tales, both past and present.

Description of the Contents

• Introduction to Folktales: This section explains the functions of folktales. Specific information about these folktales provides background on the source of the stories, which come from African-American, Afro-Caribbean, Cracker, Hispanic, Seminole, and other sources.

• Instructional Materials: While geared for fifth-grade classes, lessons can be modified by teachers and parents to ensure grade-level appropriateness. In order to meet Florida’s curricular requirements, Sunshine State Standards accompany each lesson. Teachers from different subject areas may work together over several class meetings to create interdisciplinary learning experiences. Projects also may be done by art and theater clubs or after-school groups.

• Lessons: In addition to interdisciplinary experiences, lessons can be used effectively in single subject areas, including visual arts, language arts, and theatre arts. Short lesson ideas that teachers or parents might enjoy developing in their own style follow strands in the Sunshine State Standards.

• Stories and Illustrations: Eight stories and illustrations from the book are reprinted in their entirety. The stories may be copied for classroom use.

• Audio: Included is a recording of Liliane Nérette Louis, from Miami, telling The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay,’ a story she heard growing up in Haiti. A music soundtrack of “Acrefoot Johnson,” created and performed by Will McLean, is also available. Both are available on the ACE/FAAE website (www.faae.org).

Introduction to Folktales

What are Folktales? This curriculum focuses on eight traditional Florida tales from Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales:

Acrefoot Johnson The Alligator and the Eagle The Cucarachita Martinez Diddy-Wah-Diddy My First Job The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay’ The Turkey Maiden Why the Rabbit Is Wild Today

Loosely speaking, all eight stories can be referred to as folktales, meaning that they are traditional narratives. A folktale is most often thought of as fiction, though elements of truth may be found in the story. These tales may also be full of fantasy, exaggeration, humor, and adventure. Folktales are one category of expressive culture that folklorists study. Folklore is an area of academic study that focuses on the aesthetics of everyday life. Folklorists divide stories into types of stories, depending on their characteristics. Several kinds of story types are included in this curriculum. While some of the eight stories clearly fit into a specific story type, others may have characteristics of several story types. Story types included in this curriculum are: Fables: A tale in which the main characters are animals that exhibit human characteristics, such as speaking. In these stories, often humorous and popular with children, there is generally a lesson to be learned. An example of a fable is The Alligator and the Eagle. Students will be familiar with stories about animals that talk, like Peter Rabbit and The Tortoise and the Hare. Legends: Historical narratives about extraordinary characters. They almost seem real because the stories are often localized and the characters perform recognizable daily activities with supernatural power. Acrefoot Johnson is an example of this kind of legend. Students can easily name legendary characters like Spiderman, Superman, or Catwoman who have been adapted to film. Myths: Important stories that tell us how to understand the unknown. They describe such things as how the world began and why things are they way they are. Stories about how the world was created and how people came to populate it are basic myths, common to all cultural groups. These stories usually include something about supernatural beings. While this curriculum doesn’t focus on any major myths, teachers may want to work with students on the definition and understanding of what a myth is. In the vernacular, it is often thought to be a lie, whereas, from a folkloric perspective, myths can explain the greatest truths. Tall tales: Humorous, exaggerated stories often associated with the North American frontier. Perhaps the most common tall tale explains the size of a fish that either was caught or got away. Tall tales are really fun to illustrate, because they allow the imagination to run wild.

While this curriculum focuses on folktales, it encourages all kinds of creative storytelling. It includes stories about family history, special events, and fantasy tales that stretch the imagination. Stories can be written, performed, and illustrated. These eight folktales are exciting places to begin learning about new ideas while developing new skills. Because storytelling is such a rich activity, it functions in many different ways. Functions of Storytelling Florida is a wonderful place to tell tales because its landscape and people conjure up all kinds of rich images. It is full of sunshine, forests, swamps, and beaches, as well as tourists, outlaws, mosquitoes, alligators, and all kinds of people, including Crackers, Latin Americans, African-Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Asians, Native Americans, and others from all over the world. It is a place where people come to be entertained, relax, retire, or begin a new life. Any one of these purposes for travel can be used to form the beginning of a good story. Like people in every other state, Floridians tell tales when family and friends get together. Holidays are especially good times to tell tales. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July can elicit stories about past celebratory times. Some people say that television and computers have interrupted our storytelling activities, whereas others say they simply change the ways in which storytelling is passed on and enjoyed. Most people would agree that telling stories is an important part of the human experience. Storytelling performs many functions, including: Entertainment: First and foremost, stories function to entertain. Storytelling, at least to some degree, comes naturally to almost everyone. Some people are better storytellers than others, and these people are usually the ones who make a gathering special. Storytellers can make someone laugh by telling a tall tale, and they can deflect someone’s attention from a stressful day. Relaying History: When families and friends gather for holidays, weddings, funerals, births, baptisms, and other celebrations and religious rites of passage, conversations often meander to tales about funny and unexpected experiences, a particularly unusual marriage, or a colorful relative. By telling these stories, older adults pass on family history to younger generations. These tales may be wild and exaggerated, but they establish a connective thread among people over time. In these tales, youth often learn about more generalized times in history, such as the Great Depression, World War II, or the Vietnam War, in ways that history books don’t convey. Students begin to understand how important events or times influence and change people they know. Sometimes tales are relayed among members of the same occupational group. Florida’s cattle ranchers, for instance, might tell tales about Bone Mizell, a wild and generous cowboy, while postal carriers might enjoy passing on stories about Acrefoot Johnson, the barefoot mailman. Competition: Storytelling can be competitive, like a game. One storyteller can, for example, illustrate how large a fish was that got away, provoking the listener to “top” that tale by explaining how an even bigger fish escaped from him or her. These kinds of informal competitions often take place in front of audiences who keep the (generally) friendly rivalry going by responding with pleasure. Using One’s Imagination: Storytellers paint pictures in their minds and convey their images to others through words. If the story is a traditional folktale, passed from one person to another numerous times, the teller changes or tweaks the story to fit a particular way of understanding. It is always changed or embellished. Telling stories provides us with an opportunity to be creative. We have the opportunity to create any kind of world or any kind of characters we like. The Cucarachita Martinez is wildly

imaginative in that it allows animals and insects to speak and court, and The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay’ creatively finds a way to tame a mean caretaker. Explaining Why Things Are the Way They Are: Children and adults often ask questions about why our world is constructed the way it is. Perhaps we want to know why animals make the kinds of sounds they do, why Florida’s landscape is flat, or why people don’t have tails. Stories can explain all these things and much more. Because humans are inquisitive, stories are often constructed to answer our questions. Sometimes they convey scientific truths, but they may provide us with a wild and imaginative answer that makes us laugh. These kinds of tales sometimes form the foundation for our most basic beliefs. Why the Rabbit Is Wild Today is a good example of a tale that functions to explain the world. Teaching a Lesson: Many stories have morals. All of us have been in a position to ask questions about why we can’t go somewhere or do something. Perhaps someone wants to convince us that we should engage in a particular kind of activity. Many stories function to teach us about dangerous people and places, how to be kind and unselfish, not to tell lies, or how to solve a difficult problem. Learning basic social skills and decision-making processes is often modeled in folktales. Acrefoot Johnson teaches perseverance and respect for tradition, while The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay’ conveys the message that meanness does not win out in the end. Giving Hope: Sometimes, when times are tough, people tell stories that give hope. For instance, during the Depression, hungry people invented a place called Diddy-Wah-Diddy that had unlimited food. It was the “land of milk and honey” or the “promised land.” During slavery, tales were often told about outwitting the white slave owner. Often called Big John tales, they gave the slave a way to maintain dignity and power, and to dream about liberation. Local Color Different versions of many of the stories in this curriculum can be found in states other than Florida. When a tale is adapted to Florida, it changes to reflect what is called “local color.” Since Florida is such a diverse state, local color can be established in many ways. A tale can reflect a given Florida environment; perhaps a swamp or a tourist site. It can even name the place where someone lived. Acrefoot Johnson lived in a place called Nocatee in Southwest Florida, and My First Job takes place in St. Petersburg. Sometimes tales are associated with particular ethnic groups, and the way in which they are told reflects a specific heritage. The Turkey Maiden is a Spanish tale told in Ybor City in the 1930s. Why the Rabbit Is Wild Today is a trickster tale told by the Seminoles that depicts their understanding of human and animal relationships. Southwest Native Americans might tell a similar tale, but their story would feature Coyote instead of Rabbit, while Northwest Coast Native Americans might tell the tale with Raven. Stories adapt to landscapes and cultures. Florida’s stories are influenced and defined by many groups, a diverse landscape, and its own particular history. Below are some defining aspects of Florida’s local color that relate to the stories in this curriculum: African-Americans: Black Americans whose ancestors came from Africa. Afro-Caribbeans: Black people with roots in the Caribbean islands. Beeboy: Someone who tends to honeybees. Producing honey is prevalent in Florida.

Crackers: Generally associated with people of Anglo or Celtic heritage, these are independent, self-sufficient people who usually live in Florida’s small towns and rural areas. It is thought to have come from the cracking of the whip used by cowherders. Cubans: People with roots in the Caribbean island of Cuba. Many Cubans in Florida came here to escape political oppression in their homeland. Most of Florida’s Cubans live in the Miami area. Cucarachita: A female cockroach, which is a character in many Spanish and Cuban tales. Some variations of this tale include an ant instead of a cockroach. Folk Speech: A way of talking that is unique to a certain cultural group. These specialized expressions may be used by people associated by ethnicity, region, generation, occupation, religion, or recreational choice, among others. The Great Depression: Beginning with the stock market crash of 1929, the collapse of the United States’ economy. Over five thousand banks and numerous businesses closed. By 1933, perhaps one-fourth to one-third of the labor market was unemployed. Haitians: People from the Caribbean island of Haiti. There are many Haitians living in Florida, particularly in the Miami area. Their tales are richly reflective of their culture and heritage. Hurston, Zora Neale (1891-1960): A well-known Florida native, inspired by her African-American heritage, who collected folklore throughout the southern United States (focusing on Florida), and in Harlem, the West Indies, and Haiti. Kric! Krac!: A phrase used to begin a Haitian tale. The teller says ”Kric!” and the audience responds with “Krac!.” It signals that the teller and audience are ready to begin the tale. Library of Congress: The United States’ national library, which archives many folktales. In the 1970s, the American Folklife Center was founded, which is now part of the Library of Congress. The Promised Land: A place where life will not have hardships, where food is plentiful, and the living is easy. Rabbit: A trickster character in Seminole tales. He is known to be unreliable and very clever. Seminoles: A Native American tribe, mostly living in Florida. Many Seminoles have roots in the Creek nation, which came south during the early 18th century. As independent individuals, they moved farther south to avoid domination by the Creeks and white settlers. Runaway slaves from southern plantations also joined the Seminole nation. Tellers: Short for storytellers. Works Progress Administration: Started in 1935 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, it remains the largest government-sponsored cultural program ever developed. It put forty thousand unemployed artists to work, including writers and folklorists like Zora Neale Hurston. Many stories were collected as a result of this program. Ybor City: A part of Tampa, where many diverse groups of people have lived. For many years, it was especially associated with Cuban and Spanish culture.

SUBJECT AREA LESSON PLANS

VISUAL ARTS

VISUAL ARTS: Illustrating A Moment In Time Recommended tale: Why the Rabbit Is Wild Today VA.A.1.2.1; VA.A.1.2.3; VA.B.1.2.1; VA.B.1.2.2; VA.B.1.2.4 Objectives: The students will: • Identify the role of a book

illustrator. • Identify and use the

techniques that an illustrator could use to depict scenes from a story.

Materials: • Classroom copies of Why The

Rabbit Is Wild Today (story and illustration)

• Paper • Pencil • Eraser • Thin felt-tip pen • Internet or library access for

research purposes Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students can identify, and are

familiar with, books having more than one illustration for the story.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Discuss the role Kitty Kitson Petterson had as a

book illustrator. What do illustrators need to do to prepare? With an illustration that needs to be historically accurate, where would an illustrator go to get information?

2. Read Why the Rabbit Is Wild Today, a Seminole folktale. Look at Petterson's illustration for the story. Think about: What types of things had to be historically accurate to represent the Seminoles accurately? What setting did she choose to use? What did she do to convey the personality of the characters? How did she depict the mood of the story?

3. Discuss why the artist illustrated this "moment in time" in the story. Why is it an important moment in the story? Where is the paragraph that this illustration depicts? What other paragraphs might the artist have chosen to illustrate?

4. List the details the artist included in the drawing. Did she take these details directly from the story, did she infer them, or did she create them?

5. Become an illustrator. Think about what four other scenes from the story could be illustrated to help tell the story. Research these parts of the story so that the drawings of these scenes will accurately depict Seminole life like Petterson did.

6. Think about how to convey the setting, mood, and personality of the characters. Remember that the images should accurately portray Seminole life. Think about which details from the story to include, or what details might be discovered and added while doing research.

7. Make preliminary black-and-white sketches until the illustrations effectively convey essential parts of the story.

8. Fold a piece of paper in half to create a simple four-page book (one on front, two inside, one on back).

9. Use this book to illustrate the final black-and-white drawings for the four scenes chosen from the story.

Indicators of Success: • Understanding the role of a book illustrator and

the processes successful illustrators use • Depiction of four different scenes from Why the

Rabbit Is Wild Today • Inclusion of detail as it is told in the story • Inclusion of detail not included in the story Follow-Up Activities: • Find illustrations that depict historically

accurate images in other tales included in Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales (such as Cape Sable Cats, Quevedo on French Soil, or The Fig Tree).

• Read other Seminole tales, such as The Alligator and the Eagle (included in this curriculum) and Stolen Fire.

• Read a Northwest Indian story about Raven and compare it to Why the Rabbit Is Wild Today. Discuss how Rabbit and the Raven are the same and different. Draw an illustration that introduces Rabbit and Raven to each other.

VISUAL ARTS: Perfect World Collage Recommended tale: Diddy-Wah-Diddy VA.A.1.2.1; VA.A.1.2.4; VA.B.1.2.2 Objective: The students will: • Create a collage that represents

a personal idea of a perfect world.

Materials: • Classroom copies of Diddy-

Wah-Diddy (story only) • Paper • Magazines to cut up • Scissors • Glue • Miscellaneous items, selected

by students Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students understand the basic

concepts of collage.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Read Diddy-Wah-Diddy, an African-American

folktale. Discuss the meaning of the word idyllic and the idea of living in an idyllic place. Talk about what made this an idyllic place. Why, in bad economic times, would a story like this be told?

2. Make a list of stories that tell about a perfect place. Think about why, throughout generations, there are stories about a perfect world.

3. Imagine creating a perfect world. What would it contain?

4. Look through magazines and cut out pictures of things that would be found in a perfect world. Cut out a variety of images.

5. Use these pictures to create a collage of your perfect world, using overlapping collage techniques. Cover the entire sheet of paper with pictures. Think about scale, balance, and composition in creating the design for the collage.

6. Add miscellaneous items (photos, small toys, ticket stubs, etc.) that would help to embellish the collage and represent a perfect world.

7. Tell the story of the perfect world collage to other students. Include the reasons why certain items were selected for the collage. Why are these items significant? How might others feel in this perfect world?

Indicators of Success: • Completion of collage • Telling the story of what kind of perfect world

the collage represents Follow-Up Activities: • Compare the “perfect worlds” that the collages

illustrate. Were any of the perfect worlds the same? Why, or why not? Were there common elements in some of the stories? What were they?

• Make photocopies of each collage. Randomly pass out the copies so each student has one. Students should make changes to the new copy, carefully deciding how to change the world they have been given. Discuss the

changes with the original artist. • Write a story about the perfect school. What

would make it just right? Use descriptive phrases in the story, so that when others read it, they can get a good picture in their heads about what the author thinks the perfect school would be like.

• Write a tale about a perfect world.

VISUAL ARTS: Combining Illustrations Recommended tales: The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay’ and Diddy-Wah-Diddy VA.A.1.2.1; VA.A.1.2.3; VA.B.1.2.1; VA.B.1.2.2; VA.B.1.2.4; VA.C.1.2.1; VA.D.1.2.1 Objectives: The students will: • Identify common themes in

two illustrations. • Combine common elements

from the two illustrations to create a new story, and draw an illustration for the new story.

Materials: • Classroom copies of The Little

Boy and the ‘Ayayay’ and Diddy-Wah-Diddy (illustrations only)

• Paper • Pencil • Drawing materials Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students can describe works

of art. • Students have compared and

contrasted artwork from a variety of sources.

• Students are familiar with the elements of art and principles of design.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Analyze Kitty Kitson Petterson’s illustrations of

The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay’ and Diddy-Wah-Diddy, and identify similarities between the two illustrations.

2. Discuss what common themes or things appear in the two illustrations that could be used to make one new story.

3. Outline the idea for a new story on paper. Play with a few scenarios. Select one idea and explain why it is the best of all the options.

4. Create a new drawing based on the idea for a new story. Think about what is needed to clearly represent the new story. Make a list of the details to include that will give a clear idea of the story.

5. Think about how to illustrate the setting for the story and communicate the personalities of the characters. Consider how to organize the composition, and how to effectively use the elements of art and principles of design in creating the new illustration.

Indicators of Success: • Identification of a common theme in the

drawings • Creation of a new illustration combining

elements from each story Follow-Up Activities: • Write a new story to go along with the new

illustration.

VISUAL ARTS: Illustrate With A Monoprint Recommended tale: My First Job VA.A.1.2.1; VA.A.1.2.4; VA.B.1.2.1; VA.D.1.2.1 Objectives: The students will: • Create a series of monoprints. • Identify the similarity between

monoprints and storytelling. Materials: • Classroom copies of My First

Job (story only) • Paper • Paint • Brushes • Plexiglas or smooth, non-

porous paper Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students will have heard or

told a story.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Discuss what the experience is like when they

hear a good story. Compare the way they tell their parents about something that happened at school to the way they tell the same incident to their friends or siblings. How is the story likely to vary? When a story is told multiple times, even though the subject is the same, the details and the way the teller expresses parts of the story may have variations.

2. Define “monoprint.” Discuss how an artist’s print or photograph, which can be printed many times, is different from a monoprint that is printed only once. If the students made three different monoprints of the same subject, what do they think would happen?

3. Paint an illustration for My First Job on Plexiglas. Use thick, wet paint and quick strokes.

4. Take a piece of paper and place it on the painted Plexiglas, putting pressure on it with their hands.

5. Peel off the paper, working quickly before the paint dries. This is now the completed print.

6. Repaint on the original Plexiglas, making at least two more prints.

7. Discuss and compare the prints. The students may prefer one more than the others. Why? How is making a monoprint similar to telling a story?

8. Discuss and compare the spontaneity and uniqueness of each monoprint to a story a teller might tell several times. What makes the viewer or listener so appreciative of these art forms?

Indicators of Success: • Creation of at least three monoprints • Ability to see a difference in each monoprint

and to compare this process to storytelling Follow-Up Activities: • Have students divide into groups and take turns

retelling the story of My First Job. How are the stories the same? How are they different?

VISUAL ARTS: Up Close And Personal (Using Foreground And Background Techniques) Recommended tale: Acrefoot Johnson

VA.A.1.2.1; VA.A.1.2.3; VA.B.1.2.2; VA.B.1.2.4 Objective: The students will: • Identify techniques to create

foreground and background. Materials: • Classroom copies of Acrefoot

Johnson, Diddy-Wah-Diddy, and Why The Rabbit Is Wild Today (story and illustration)

• Drawing media • Paper • Eraser Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students can identify

foreground and background in various works of art.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Read the story of Acrefoot Johnson and look at

Kitty Kitson Petterson's illustration of it. 2. Discuss why Petterson chose to illustrate the

story this way. Identify the characters she includes. Analyze what she did to illustrate the important aspects of the story. Identify characters that are in the foreground and the background, and comment on how the placement of the characters contributes to our understanding of the tale.

3. Discuss the techniques the artist used to make objects and people look farther away or closer to the viewer, such as: the location of an object on the page, size of the object, and amount of detail.

4. Listen to the teacher read a new tale, such as Diddy-Wah-Diddy or Why the Rabbit is Wild Today. Identify the important aspects of the story. List important things to put in the foreground and in the background.

5. Illustrate the new story using the list, and create a foreground and background. Use the same techniques that Petterson did.

6. Compare the new illustrations with the illustrations Petterson created for the two tales. Discuss how they are the same or different.

Indicators of Success: • Ability to identify the foreground and background

in an illustration by Petterson • Use of foreground and background in a drawing Follow-Up Activities: • Switch the things that were in the foreground in

the students’ illustrations to the background. Write a new tale about the things that are now emphasized in the illustration.

• Create a diorama of one of the tales using a flat paper for the background and three-dimensional papers or objects for the foreground.

• Look at the illustration for the ghost story The Woman Who Fed Her Husband A Leg Which She Dug Up From A Cemetery (if ghost stories are not an issue at your school). This is an excellent illustration that could also be used as the basis for this lesson.

VISUAL ARTS: Draw What You Feel (A Lesson On Drawing Texture) Recommended tale: The Alligator and the Eagle VA.A.1.2.1; VA.A.1.2.3; VA.A.1.2.4; VA.B.1.2.1; VA.B.1.2.2; VA.B.1.2.4 Objectives: The students will: • Identify techniques to create

texture with line. • Practice creating different

types of textures found on animals.

Materials: • Classroom copies of The

Alligator and the Eagle (illustration only)

• Folktale book, such as Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales

• Photographs, magazine clippings, and pictures from books of Florida animals

• Paper • Pencil • Eraser • Thin felt-tip pen Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students can identify and

research Florida wildlife. • Students can understand a

basic definition of texture. • Students can understand

basic concepts of crosshatching (see crosshatching lesson plan, "Value" in Art).

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Observe and discuss Kitty Kitson Petterson's

use of texture in the illustration for The Alligator and the Eagle. Note how repetition, direction, density, and type (straight, curved, etc.) of line are used to create texture.

2. Research other tales and fables to see what animals are included. (Animals included in Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales are buzzards, turkeys, rabbits, cats, dogs, horses, cows, donkeys, a gopher turtle, buffalo, fox, panther, bear, and mouse.) Learn which of these animals can be found in Florida.

3. Find photographs of the animals that were researched. Describe the texture of the animals’ fur, feathers, etc.

4. Sketch (lightly with pencil), on drawing paper, two different animals with varying textures.

5. Use a pen to experiment with various ways to draw the texture of the animals that were chosen. Draw only the texture without trying to create a drawing of the animal. Attempt to emulate the fur or skin of the animal with repetition, direction, density, and type of line.

6. Repeat these lines to create texture on the animals in the drawings.

Indicators of Success: • Use of line to make the animal more textural • Creation of more than one texture Follow-Up Activities: • Research artists, such as Audubon. How does

his technique to create texture differ (contrast and compare) from Petterson's?

• Looks at illustrations in other books. How do book illustrations in which the artist uses texture compare to those that do not?

VISUAL ARTS: "Value" In Art Recommended tale: The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay’ VA.A.1.2.1; VA.A.1.2.3; VA.A.1.2.4; VA.B.1.2.1; VA.B.1.2.2; VA.B.1.2.4 Objectives: The students will: • Identify gradual versus

immediate changes in value. • Identify and use the technique

of creating value through cross-hatching.

Materials: • Classroom copies of The Little

Boy and the ‘Ayayay’ (illustration only)

• Paper • Pencil • Eraser • Thin felt-tip pen Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students understand the basic

concept of "value" in art. • Students understand what

causes changes in value. • Students can identify changes

of value in a piece of artwork

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Review the meaning of “value” (changes from light to

dark) in a work of art. 2. Look at Kitty Kitson Petterson's illustration for The

Little Boy and the Ayayay’ and understand how she uses value. Identify areas where there are changes in value.

3. Discuss which objects in the cabinet have immediate changes of value and which have gradual changes. Identify what causes the differences in the way the value changes.

4. Discuss the manner in which Petterson uses lines. (She uses a technique called cross-hatching to create the dark background of the cabinet wall.) Identify where the lines are close together to create a dark value, and where they are further apart to create a light value.

5. Look at items in a bookcase or on a shelf in the classroom. Draw one of these items two times, once with a gradual change of value, and once with an immediate change.

6. Sketch out, using a pen on another piece of paper, the interior of a bookcase or cupboard using cross-hatching to show changes in value. The value will be darkest where there are shadows, and lightest where light shines on the bookcase.

Indicators of Success: • Showed value changes in artwork • Showed value changes through cross-hatching • Showed value changes that are gradual • Showed value changes that are immediate Follow-Up Activities: • Identify other examples of cross-hatching in

Petterson’s illustrations. • Look in art history books for artists who used cross-

hatching in their artwork. Find some from long ago and some that are contemporary. Identify the type of medium these artists used.

SUBJECT AREA LESSON PLANS

LANGUAGE ARTS

LANGUAGE ARTS: Let’s Grab Hold Of This Tale! Recommended tale: Acrefoot Johnson LA.A.1.2.1; LA.A.1.2.2; LA.A.1.2.4; LA.A.2.2.5; LA.B.2.2.1; LA.B.2.2.3; LA.C.1.2.1; LA.C.3.2.2; LA.C.3.2.5; LA.D.1.2.1; LA.D.1.2.2; LA.E.1.2.1; LA.E.1.2.4; LA.E.2.2.2; LA.E.2.2.3; LA.E.2.2.4 Objectives: The students will: • Predict what happens in a tale

by looking at the illustration and story title.

• Analyze sentences for meaning using the Think-Pair-Share strategy.

• Find examples of exaggeration in the tale.

• Paraphrase specific sentences from the story.

• Write a reflective paper about a personal experience that relates to the folktale.

Materials: • Classroom copies of Acrefoot

Johnson (story and illustration) • Classroom copies of

“Paraphrasing Sentences from Acrefoot Johnson” Student Worksheet

• Paper • Pencil Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students recognize that the time

and place in which a story is written affects the language used in the story.

• Students recognize the use of exaggeration.

• Students understand that connecting personal experience to what they read makes a story easier to comprehend.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Take off their shoes and socks and wiggle their

toes. Look at the bottoms of their feet and guess how many miles they think they have walked since they were born. (It is all right if the numbers are ridiculous.)

2. Estimate how many miles they think they have walked barefoot. (You may wish to help them understand the length of a mile in terms of local landmarks with which they are familiar, or the number of times it would take to walk a mile in your hallway.)

3. Put their shoes back on and discuss: How many in the class have letter carriers who walk from mailbox to mailbox? How many have letter carriers who walk barefoot from mailbox to mailbox?

4. Make predictions about the story by looking at the title and illustration.

5. Discuss the use of exaggeration in folktales and give examples from fairy tales or movies.

6. Listen carefully for examples of exaggeration in Acrefoot Johnson, the story of a barefoot letter carrier, while the teacher reads it aloud. Like detectives, look for clues, other than just the date, to determine when the story might have taken place.

7. Use the Think-Pair-Share strategy to analyze specific sentences and phrases selected from the story (such as "Ziba was right proud of that rig," or "Ziba decided to take Acrefoot down a notch or two.") and discuss their meanings in small groups. Share discussions with the class.

8. Use the “Paraphrasing Sentences from Acrefoot Johnson” Student Worksheet.

9. Write a three-paragraph reflection (introduction, body, and conclusion) on the folktale by connecting it with their own experiences. Examples: Students might write about their letter carrier, a sixty-five mile trip, a particular place in Florida, a job they like to do barefoot, or a race.

10. Use language that is specific to today in order to place the story in contemporary times.

Indicators of Success: • Logical predictions of action in the folktale • Analysis of sentences • Paraphrased sentences • Written reflections and connections Follow-Up Activities: • Visualize the setting in the story and illustrate a

different part of the setting (such as the post office).

• Rewrite the story in a modern setting. • Compare a modern superhero with Acrefoot

Johnson. • Write song lyrics that paraphrase the original

story, and then listen to the recording of “Acrefoot Johnson” as it was created and performed by Will McLean (available at www.faae.org).

STUDENT WORKSHEET NAME_____________________________________________ CLASS ___________

PARAPHRASING SENTENCES FROM ACREFOOT JOHNSON

Each of the sentences below is quoted directly from the Florida folktale, Acrefoot Johnson. Paraphrase each of the sentences, writing the new ones underneath the original. Use your own words, but construct sentences that have the same meaning as the original one. 1. [Acrefoot] wore a size fourteen shoe—when he wore shoes at all, which was seldom! 2. The story goes that one day Acrefoot was getting ready to set out from the Fort Meade post office, when Ziba King came by. 3. Feeling in a benevolent mood, Ziba called, “Hey there, Acrefoot! Just got this new rig, and I’ll be glad to give you a lift to Fort Ogden.” 4. Finally, [Acrefoot] said, “It is a fine rig, Judge, and I’d like a rain check on your offer, but I’m in a kind of hurry today,” and he turned and headed down that dirt road. 5. The judge was sure that even if Acrefoot took the shortest route possible—just like the crow flies—even if Acrefoot went through creeks, palmettos, pine woods, brambles, whatever, with his new rig, this would be one race that Acrefoot would lose. 6. That fine new horse of his was in a lather and the buggy was covered with grime, but Ziba had a big grin on his face because he knew he had won. 7. [Acrefoot] looked over at Ziba and said, “What took you so long?” These sentences from Acrefoot Johnson are reprinted from Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales, text by Kristin G. Congdon, illustrations by Kitty Kitson Petterson (University Press of Mississippi, 2001). Reprinted with permission of University Press of Mississippi. Press Website: http://www.upress.state.ms.us

LANGUAGE ARTS: I Can Tell One, Too! Writing A Folktale Recommended tale: My First Job LA.A.2.2.1; LA.A.2.2.2; LA.A.2.2.5; LA.B.1.2.1; LA.B.1.2.2; LA.B.1.2.3; LA.B.2.2.3; LA.B.2.2.5; LA.C.1.2.1; LA.D.2.2.1; LA.E.1.2.1; LA.E.1.2.4; LA.E.2.2.1; LA.E.2.2.2; LA.E.2.2.3; LA.E.2.2.5 VA.B.1.2.1

Objectives: The students will: � Identify the use of repetition and

exaggeration in both oral and written stories, and discuss their effects on the tales.

� Study the sequence in a story and use the storyboards as prewriting tools.

� Write a tall tale. Materials: � Classroom copies of My First Job

(story only) � Classroom copies of “Storyboard

Boxes” Student Worksheet � Paper � Pencil or pen Prior Knowledge & Experiences: � Students can recognize the use of

exaggeration and humor in an oral and written story.

� Students have story-writing experience.

� Students recall jobs they do at home and school, and their parents’ work-related stories.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Listen to the teacher "seriously" tell the class what

happened on his or her first day as a teacher. The teacher will begin honestly and gradually exaggerate and repeat elements, adding humor, until the story is completely unbelievable.

2. Discuss the effects of exaggeration and repetition in the teacher’s story.

3. Read the story My First Job silently along with the teacher. (Students may interject by reading selected lines chorally with the teacher, and will always read the line, "They taste just like chicken.")

4. Make a storyboard for the sequence of the story. Write the sequence of events after the teacher demonstrates the process on the board by using boxes.

5. Think about a personal story that can be transformed into a tall tale, beginning with “My first _____.” Illustrate the story before writing it. Include details in the illustration that will be in the written version of the story.

6. Use the “Storyboard Boxes” Student Worksheet as a pre-writing activity to organize the sequence of the “My first ____” tale.

7. Write the tale, using both the illustration and storyboard as guides. Use exaggeration and repetitious lines for effect.

8. Complete the writing process with peer editing and rewriting.

9. Share the stories with the class. Indicators of Success: � Completion of storyboard � Final written and illustrated tall tale Follow-Up Activities: � Make the stories into a class book. � Draw illustrations for the new stories, using Kitty Kitson

Petterson’s illustrations as a model. � Use the student stories for Reader’s Theatre (see

lesson titled “Retelling the Tale, a Lesson in Reader's Theatre and Increasing Student's Fluency” in the Language Arts section of this curriculum guide).

� Write a song about a “beeboy” to add to the class book of stories. Perform the song for the class.

STUDENT WORKSHEET NAME____________________________________________ CLASS____________

1. notes________________ 2. notes:________________ 3. notes:_____________ ______________________ _______________________ _____________________ ______________________ _______________________ _____________________ ______________________ _______________________ _____________________ ______________________ _______________________ _____________________

Storyboard Boxes

LANGUAGE ARTS: Personification Recommended tale: Diddy-Wah-Diddy LA.A.1.2; LA.A.1.4; LA.A.2.2; LA.A.2.5; LA.B.1.1; LA.B.1.2; LA.B.1.3; LA.B.2.5; LA.C.2.1; LA.D.2.2; LA.E.1.5; LA.E.2.2

Objectives: The students will: • Draw predictions from an

illustration before reading the story.

• Define and use the literary term “personification.”

• Use a two-column graphic organizer to analyze patterns of personification.

• Draft and revise an original descriptive story using personification.

Materials: • Classroom copies of Diddy-

Wah-Diddy (story and illustration)

• Paper • Pen Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students know how to write a

descriptive short story and recognize that the time and place in which a story is written affects the language used in the story.

• Students can peer-edit in pairs and use the shared comments to revise a piece of writing.

• Students understand that connecting personal experience to what they read makes a story easier to comprehend.

• Students can analyze story details and identify textual supporting evidence.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Look at the illustration of Diddy-Wah-Diddy

and, using the clues from the picture, answer these predictive questions: What kind of place is Diddy-Wah-Diddy? In what part of the world does the story originate? What are the two men in the foreground doing? How do they feel? What do the students notice about the food? Why would a knife and fork be stuck in it? Would they want to visit a place like this? Why or why not?

2. Read the story. Describe the place: What does it sound like? Why does everyone want to go there? Why is it so hard to find?

3. Learn that the term “personification” applies to giving non-human objects human traits and actions. Divide a sheet of paper into two columns. In the first column, write down all the objects in the story that are non-human, but are given human characteristics. In the second column, list the “human” words the story uses to describe the object (ex. sweet potato pie and “push and shove”).

4. List favorite foods on the back of their paper that they would like to eat if they were in Diddy-Wah-Diddy. Using this list, write a short story describing what they would see if they were to visit Diddy-Wah-Diddy. Personify at least seven of the food items they listed and include them in their story. What non-human items, other than food, would they like to see in Diddy-Wah-Diddy? How might they be personified?

5. Ask another student to peer-edit the draft and revise it before allowing volunteers to read their stories to the class.

Indicators of Success: • Discussion of illustration • Sheet listing personified items and the words

from the text • Short story describing their own ideas of Diddy-

Wah-Diddy

Follow-Up Activities: • Illustrate, dramatize, or explain the new

versions of Diddy-Wah-Diddy. • Create a song that the various types of food

might sing as they marched down the street.

LANGUAGE ARTS: Retelling The Tale, A Lesson In Reader's Theatre And Increasing Student's Fluency Recommended tale: Why The Rabbit Is Wild Today LA.A.1.2.1; LA.A.1.2.2; LA.A.1.2.4; LA.A.2.2.1; LA.A.2.2.2; LA.A.2.2.5; LA.C.1.2.1; LA.C.1.2.2; LA.C.1.2.3; LA.C.1.2.4; LA.C.3.2.1; LA.C.3.2.3; LA.C.3.2.4; LA.C.3.2.5; LA.D.1.2.2; LA.E.1.2.1; LA.E.1.2.4 TH.A.1.2.1; TH.B.1.2.1; TH.C.1.2.1 Objectives: The students will: • Understand that some

folktales include morals. • In pairs and cooperative

groups, retell a story using dramatic reading techniques.

Materials: • Classroom copies of Why The

Rabbit Is Wild Today (story only)

• Classroom copies of “Reader’s Theatre Script” Student Worksheet

Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students use basic oral

reading skills. • Students have passed fourth

grade Florida social studies. • Students successfully work in

cooperative groups and pairs.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Think about a lie they have told or a lie that

someone told them. What were the consequences of this lie?

2. Read Why the Rabbit Is Wild Today, a traditional Seminole folktale, along with the teacher. In this story, the rabbit tells lies. Discuss the consequences of the rabbit’s lies. What is the moral of this story?

3. Discuss the manner in which the animals are portrayed in the story. The author of Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales writes that, in many Native American tales, “There is a special kinship between humans and animals,” and that Seminoles “talk about a time when there was little, if any, distinction between animals and humans.” What evidence can the students find in the story that supports this statement?

4. Write down any new or unusual vocabulary words and define them before reading the story again.

5. Read the story chorally with the teacher, at least twice, using variations such as responsive reading, chants, and expressiveness to keep the students engaged.

6. Practice reading the passage on the “Reader’s Theater Script” Student Worksheet with a partner who is supportive and encouraging.

7. Divide into groups. Read the assigned part from the “Reader’s Theatre Script” Student Worksheet with the group.

8. Take the passage home to practice with parents and other family members. While reading, think about diction.

9. Return to school and read the passage to the class with the original group. Participate with the class in presenting the entire tale.

10. Write a new script for the story, including dialogue, for the parts of the story originally assigned. Combine all the elements and

perform the theatrical version of the story. Stay true to the time period and Seminole beliefs about animals and humans.

Indicators of Success: • Participation in class and group discussions • Supportive and encouraging work in pairs • Class reading presentation Follow-up Activities: • Choose words from the text to add to a word

bank or word wall. • Discuss the character lessons this story teaches

about lying. • Write a new ending to the story explaining what

happens to the rabbit after he leaves the camp.

STUDENT WORKSHEET NAME_________________________________________ CLASS ________________

READER’S THEATRE SCRIPT

Why the Rabbit is Wild Today

Narrator 1: At first the Indians were under the ground, in a big hole. Then they all came out to walk upon the earth. When they came out, they bathed in a little creek. When they got through bathing, they found they had nothing to eat and no fire to cook on.

Narrator 2: One man, who held some knowledge, told them how to make the fire. He

said to take dry, soft bark and twirl a stick between their hands. A spark would then light the bark.

Narrator 3: The first man got some dry punk, which is decaying wood. One man

made the spark while another caught it on the punk. They made a great fire, but they had no food to cook.

Narrator 1: Another man then heard a noise a half a mile or so toward the north. He

thought some animals might be there. So he sent two men to get some little trees, and out of the wood from these trees, he made bows and arrows.

Narrator 2: When they were ready, he sent the boys and men to find something to

eat. They found deer, turkey, and bear and brought them back to camp. They now had plenty of meat they could cook over the fire. But they had nothing else to eat.

Narrator 3: They looked for something else and found swamp cabbage. A man cut it

down and told the people to eat it raw, because they had no pots or kettles. As time went on, they learned to roast the swamp cabbage in the ashes of a fire.

Narrator 1: They talked about how they were learning from each other, how one man

knew how to make fire, and another how to make bows and arrows. Still others could hunt, and some could cook. Then one man said to another,

Man: “What shall we live in?” Narrator 2: They had been sleeping in the grass but wanted more protection from the

sun and rain. So they made themselves a house, like those the Seminole live in now.

Narrator 4: Then a horse and dog talked to one of the men. They talked like people. At that time the rabbit stayed with people, and he told lies all the time, but the dog and horse told the truth.

Narrator 5: One day somebody found out that the rabbit lied. At that time he was

always trying to be something he wasn’t. Narrator 4: He would go away, and when he came back he would say he had seen

things that he had not seen. Narrator 5: He would say he had seen snakes, alligators, turkeys, and turtles. The

people did not know if they should believe this rabbit. So one of the men said to the rabbit,

Man: “If you find a snake, kill him and bring him back to camp. If you find an

alligator, kill him and bring him back to camp as well.” Narrator 4: The rabbit then left the camp and found a snake. He killed it and started

to bring it back to show to the people. Narrator 5: When the rabbit was bringing back the snake he saw an alligator. The

alligator talked too, at that time. So the rabbit said to the alligator, knowing that the alligator could be a pretty dangerous character,

Rabbit: “Somebody wants to see you back at the camp.” Narrator 3: The alligator believed this and went along with the rabbit. When they had

gone about half way, the rabbit tried to kill the alligator. Rabbit beat at the alligator but could not kill him. Pretty soon the alligator got tired of the battle, and he went back to his cave.

Narrator 1: Then the rabbit came home with the snake. Narrator 2: When the man who had challenged the rabbit saw him, he was

impressed. Rabbit had brought a snake, but not an alligator. But at that moment, the man thought he would like a turkey instead. So he said,

Man: “If you see a turkey, kill him and bring him home.” Narrator 3: So the rabbit started out to get a turkey, but figured it would be better to

ask someone else to do the job. So he went to a wildcat and said, Rabbit: “You kill a turkey for me.” Narrator 4: Wildcat went and found a turkey and killed him. Rabbit brought the turkey

back to camp, and told the man that he had killed it. The man believed the rabbit’s story, and the rabbit continued to live with the people and tell his stories.

Narrator 5: One day the rabbit wanted to get married. The man thought that because the rabbit had killed the turkey, he could provide for a family, so he married a girl.

Narrator 1: But, after the rabbit got married, he didn’t bring any food at all. Narrator 2: The people found out that the rabbit did not kill the turkey, Narrator 3: so they drove the rabbit away from the camp. All: And that is why the rabbit is wild today. Why The Rabbit Is Wild Today is reprinted from Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales, text by Kristin G. Congdon, illustrations by Kitty Kitson Petterson (University Press of Mississippi, 2001). Reprinted with permission of University Press of Mississippi. Press Website: http://www.upress.state.ms.us

LANGUAGE ARTS: What Did They Say? Lessons In Writing Dialogue Recommended tale: The Cucarachita Martinez LA.A.1.2.1; LA.A.2.2.2; LA.A.2.2.5; LA.B.1.2.1; LA.B.1.2.2; LA.B.1.2.3; LA.B.2.2.1; LA.B.2.2.3; LA.C.1.2.1; LA.D.2.2.1; LA.D.1.2.2; LA.E.1.2.4 TH.B.1.2.1; TH.A.1.2.1

Objectives: The students will: • Read, analyze, interpret, and

write dialogue in pairs using correct grammatical conventions.

Materials: • Classroom copies of The

Cucarachita Martinez (story only) • Classroom copies of “What’s in a

Dialogue?” Student Worksheet

• Paper • Pencil or pen Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students recognize and are

familiar with dialogue in print. • Students understand that

dialogue is conversation. • Students understand that

dialogue reflects the culture and setting of a story.

• Knowledge of correct punctuation for dialogue.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Read The Cucarachita Martinez, a folktale that

comes from Spain to Florida and is also common in Cuba. Identify the places in the story where a narrator speaks and where dialogue, or conversation, occurs. Identify what helped them recognize the sections of dialogue.

2. Respond to this line for a four-minute free-write: As two cats approached Cucarachita Martinez, one turned to the other and said.... Do not worry about grammar or punctuation; just write whatever comes out on the paper after the prompt. The teacher will write dialogue in response to this prompt at the same time the students write. This can be done on paper or on an overhead.

3. Listen to and look at what the teacher wrote. Note that the teacher wrote dialogue. Review how to punctuate dialogue correctly.

4. Share their free-write dialogue with the class on a voluntary basis. Discuss what the cats said to each other and what their dialogue revealed about the cats.

5. Work with a partner to discuss and complete the “What’s in a Dialogue?” Student Worksheet. Select two different animals (with their partners) and write dialogue between the animals.

Indicators of Success: • Completion of free-write paper • Participation in class discussion • Completion of “What’s in a Dialogue?”

Student Worksheet • Completion of written dialogues Follow-Up Activities: • Students and teacher discuss and correct the

“What’s in a Dialogue?” Student Worksheet. • Students practice the dialogues they wrote and

present them to the class. • Students read The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay,’ and

identify sections of dialogue from the story. • Students research other kinds of stories and find

examples of dialogue.

STUDENT WORKSHEET NAME____________________________________________ CLASS______________

What’s in a Dialogue?

The following dialogue is quoted from the book Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales by Kristin Congdon. It is from the short folktale, The Cucarachita Martinez. The Spanish brought this short tale to Florida; it is well known in Cuba, too. Read the dialogue thoughtfully. Look for what it reveals to you about the characters. With careful eyes, study the punctuation.

Soon Mr. Dog went by Cucarachita Martinez’s door and said: “How beautiful you are, Cucarachita Martinez! Will you marry me?” “Yes,” she said, “but you must tell me what sound you make at night.” Mr. Dog answered, “Well, I say ‘bow-wow, bow-wow.’” “Oh no, you frighten me!” said Cucarachita Martinez. So the dog continued on his way. Later on the Little Mouse Perez passed by and after greeting Cucarachita Martinez said: “How beautiful you are, Cucarachita Martinez! Will you marry me?” “Yes,” she said, “but you must tell me what sound you make at night.” Mr. Mouse answered, “Oh, I say ‘squeak, squeak.’” “Oh, how wonderful!” said Cucarachita Martinez, “I will marry you.” And they were married. Now, answer these questions: 1. What do you learn about Cucarachita Martinez in this short dialogue? 2. Why do you think Cucarachita Martinez chose the mouse instead of the dog? 3. Write one or two words to describe each character from what you have learned in this dialogue. For example, the dog might be described as noisy. 4. Look carefully at the quotation marks when the mouse says squeak and the dog says bow-wow. Why do you think there are single marks around those words? 5. Look at the indentions. What changes every time they indent in the dialogue?

Remember this: The quotation marks begin when the characters START talking. The quotation marks close when the characters STOP talking. The end marks go inside the quotes MOST of the time. When in doubt, put punctuation marks inside the quotes. In order to write good dialogue, listen carefully to what people say around you. 6. Now, copy the last three lines of the dialogue starting with “Yes,” she said. Make sure you have punctuated JUST like they did.

SUBJECT AREA LESSON PLANS

THEATRE ARTS

THEATRE ARTS: The Skills Of Storytelling: Evaluating Oral Presentations Recommended tale: The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay’ TH.A.1.1; TH.D.1.2; TH.D.1.3 LA.C.1.1; LA.C.1.2; LA.C.2.2; LA.C.3.1 Objectives: The students will: • Learn skills and techniques

associated with oral presentations.

• Listen to peers and an audio presentation to analyze speaking techniques.

• Analyze the effectiveness of forms of verbal/non-verbal communication.

• Evaluate an oral presentation. Materials: • Classroom copies of “Debriefing

Questions” Student Worksheet • Recording of Liliane Nérette

Louis telling, The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay’ (available at www.faae.org)

• Paper or blackboard Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students realize that oral

presentations require skill, practice, and courage.

• Students work successfully in cooperative groups and pairs.

• Students engage in procedures for appropriately participating in large group discussions.

• Students recognize that tales are usually shared orally rather than in writing so versions may differ.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Read silently three sentences the teacher writes on

the blackboard. (The sentences may be random or tell a short story; each sentence will contain either an action or a descriptive phrase.)

2. Working in pairs, face a partner and recite the three sentences to each other, one person at a time. First, say the sentences in a normal tone of voice; then loudly; softly; angrily; laughingly; sadly; excitedly; back-to-back; and then pantomime them. Repeat the sentences by putting an “uhm” after each word. Stand on a chair while saying the sentences; then switch with your partner.

3. Combine into groups of four. Complete the “Debriefing Questions” Student Worksheet. Discuss the storytelling in your group and share the group discussion with the class.

4. Listen to Liliane Nérette Louis telling The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay’. With the class, discuss her performance. How did she get the audience’s attention (By saying “Kric! Krac!”)? What did she do well that engaged the listener in the tale? How did her tone, volume, pace, and words help or hinder her story?

Indicators of Success: • Completion of “Debriefing Questions”

Student Worksheet • Performance • Active participation in verbal communication activity • Attentive listening to audiotape of story • Participation in class discussion of story Follow-Up Activities: • Have students write their own stories about what

they would put in a basket to create “Ayayay.” • Allow students to tell or read the same story, adding

their gestures, volume, tone, and words to the story. • Ask students to think of a time when they saw an

injustice. What did they do to correct it? Tell the story of the injustice to a partner or group. The best teller from each group may tell the story to the class.

STUDENT WORKSHEET

NAME____________________________________ Class_________________

Debriefing Questions

Answer the following questions for the student performance:

1. List all the ways you said or acted the three sentences.

2. Which was the easiest method of stating the lines? Which was the hardest? Why? 3. What did it feel like to stand on the chair? What did it feel like to look up at your partner? 4. In what type of story or action might you use loud voices? Soft voices? 5. When do you most notice people using “verbal tics” like “uhm,” “you know,” “like,” and “and…and…and”?

THEATRE ARTS: That Happened To Me, Too! Improvising Folktales Recommended tale: The Turkey Maiden TH.A.1.1; TH.A.2.2; TH.B.1.1; TH.C.1.2; TH.D.1.1; TH.D.1.2; TH.D.1.4; TH.E.1.1; TH.E.1.4

Objectives: The students will: • Improvise a story based on an

object given to them. • Listen to peers and analyze

speaking techniques. • Analyze the effectiveness of

forms of verbal/non-verbal communication.

• Write a story in a group. • Present their written story to the

class using a Reader’s Theatre format.

Materials: • Classroom copies of The Turkey

Maiden (story only) • Four or five identical sets of five

familiar objects each, such as keys, dictionaries/ books, shoes, rocks, and calculators

Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students realize that oral

presentations require skill, practice, and courage

• Students work successfully in cooperative groups and pairs

• Students engage in procedures for appropriately participating in large group discussions

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Read The Turkey Maiden. Identify how the clothes

the girl wore helped her. What other folktales make use of magic clothes? Describe the ways in which the clothes in those tales are used.

2. Participate in an improvisational exercise in which each student imagines they are wearing a tee shirt that might function like the magic clothing in The Turkey Maiden. The teacher will give each student an object that is to be interjected into a story with the student providing the details. Small groups of four or five students will receive the same set of objects (such as a key, dictionary, shoe, rock, and calculator), but each student in a group will have a different object.

3. Assemble group by group at the front of the room. Ask two members of the group to stand in the middle. The first student starts telling a story about an object to the second student, beginning with the phrase, “I was walking down the road one day, wearing my tee shirt, when…” The second student listens, occasionally interjecting a phrase to indicate he is listening (such as “No kidding,” “Really,” “Is that so?”).

4. Change the storyteller after a few minutes when the teacher signals “change.” The second student starts the story with the words, “That happened to me, too, when…” as a third group member walks up to join the conversation. The second student must tell a similar story to that of the first student, but with a new object. When the teacher indicates it is time to “change” again, the third student begins by saying “That happened to me, too, when…” while the fourth group member joins the conversation. Repeat until each group member finishes telling his or her story.

5. Invite each of the other groups to improvise a story based on the objects the group members have.

6. Continue the group meetings at the conclusion of the storytelling and have groups write a script for their story. Using their improvisation session as a pre-write exercise, groups may use part of the story they told during the improvisation or they may incorporate new elements. Each group’s story must be told in its entirety, though, in fewer than five minutes.

7. Read the newly written story to the entire class using the techniques of Reader’s Theatre. (See the sample Reader’s Theatre lesson in the Language Arts section of this curriculum guide.)

8. Answer the following questions: How did it feel to have to make up a story on the spot using a certain object? Did the students find it hard to tie their stories into the previous story? How different or similar was the story they told versus the story their group wrote? Why did the students make those changes? When all the groups had the same objects; what similarities did the students notice between the stories the first group told versus the stories that the subsequent groups told? How did listening to the first group influence what type of story they told? How might their experience in this exercise help them understand how folktales are created and passed on?

Indicators of Success: • Participation in the group improvisation • Written script for group story • Comments made during group discussion Follow-Up Activities: • As a class, discuss when it is appropriate to “make

up a story” versus tell the facts as accurately as possible.

• Improvise as you retell the story of The Turkey Maiden with the girl now having the following things to use: a skateboard, cell phone, and an I-Pod.

THEATRE ARTS: Tandem Telling Recommended tale: The Alligator and the Eagle TH.A.1.1; TH.A.2.1; TH.A.2.2; TH.A.3.2; TH.B.1.1; TH.C.1.1; TH.C.1.3; TH.D.1.1; TH.D.1.3; TH.E.1.4

Objectives: The students will: • Use the term “tandem.” • Break a story into parts to be told

by two people.” • Creatively incorporate costumes,

props, and/or gestures in their telling.

• Practice and perform a story from memory using tandem telling techniques.

Materials: • Classroom copies of The Alligator

and the Eagle (story only) • Several pairs of highlighters in

different colors Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students understand the format

of a fable. • Students can distinguish the traits

of various characters in a short story.

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Tell a “knock-knock” joke with the teacher. An

example is: Teacher: Knock, knock. Student: Who’s there? Teacher: Abe. Student: Abe who? Teacher: Abe C, D, E, F, G.

Two people telling a story or joke is called “tandem telling.”

2. Read The Alligator and the Eagle or listen to the teacher or various students read it out loud. This is a Seminole tale that traditionally would be told by one person. Stories with two characters may be told using tandem telling techniques. As you read or listen, make note of the various characters in the story.

3. Work in pairs using two different color highlighters to divide the story into parts that each partner alternates reading. Each partner can read the events most associated with a specific character, such as the alligator or birds.

4. Consider using costumes, props, or gestures to tell their story. Create simple costumes or props using everyday objects and available craft supplies, such as signs labeled “Alligator” or “Birds;” a small ball or stone; a newspaper vest with paper feathers or scales glued to it; or a beak or snout made from Styrofoam cups or construction paper. Gestures could include using the hand to form a small beak or the arms to form an alligator snout.

5. Memorize their story by reading the assigned parts to each other at least three times. Then make notes on index cards and use them to tell their story together at least twice. On the third and fourth times, eliminate one or two of the cards until students are able to tell the story without any help. Practice, including gestures or props.

6. Tell the story to the whole class using the tandem method.

7. Listen to the tandem telling done by other students. Write down two things each pair does well and one suggestion for improvement. After each pair has shared, have the entire class evaluate the performances as a whole. Consider: How were the groups different, similar? Which costumes or props

were the most effective? Did the stories sound natural or memorized? What were the best strategies the groups used to learn their stories?

Indicators of Success: • Highlighted story parts • Oral presentations • Student comments on each of the story

presentations • Student comments made during the final group

discussion Follow-Up Activities: • Use tandem telling to share other selected stories

from Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales, such as Quevedo on French Soil, Quevedo Chooses to Die of Old Age, or Cutting a Pumpkin

• Have students evaluate the tandem telling performances using the information found in the “Skills of Storytelling” lesson plan.

• Create fables and practice telling them in tandem. • Write a moral for The Alligator and the Eagle.

SUBJECT AREA LESSON PLANS

INTERDISCIPLINARY

INTERDISCIPLINARY: Traveling Across Florida With Acrefoot Johnson Recommended tale: Acrefoot Johnson LA.B.1.2.1; LA.B.1.2.3; LA.B.2.2.3; LA.B.2.2.4; LA.B.2.2.5; LA.E.2.2.3 MA.A.3.2.2; MA.B.1.2.1; MA.B.1.2.2; MA.B.2.2.1 TH.A.1.2.1; TH.A.3.2.2; TH.B.1.2.1; TH.C.1.2.1; TH.D.1.2.1 VA.A.1.2.1; VA.A.1.2.3; VA.B.1.2.2; VA.B.1.2.4; VA.E.1.2.2 Objectives: The students will: • Demonstrate understanding of

mathematical scale in map drawings.

• Calculate distance and rate using basic mathematical ratios.

• Act out dramatic action and expression in limited space.

• Draw a new illustration of the race between Judge King and Acrefoot Johnson.

• Research the U.S. mail system using library and Internet resources.

• Compose letters using descriptive writing.

Materials: • Classroom copies of Acrefoot

Johnson (story only) • Map of Florida • Rulers • Pen • Pencil • Conversion table • Internet or library access for

research purposes Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students can read maps with

understanding and can use the map’s key and a ruler to calculate distance.

• Students understand how to manipulate ratios and decimals

• Students can compose letters using all the proper conventions

Teaching Procedures: The students will: 1. Read Acrefoot Johnson, noting that he walked

barefoot to deliver the mail. Discuss what it would be like to walk barefoot for long distances.

2. Draw a map of Florida to scale that shows the location of major cities and specifically the distance between Fort Meade and Fort Ogden.

3. Determine how many square feet are in an acre and how many feet are in a mile. How many miles are between Ft. Meade and Ft. Ogden? People generally walk at a speed of three miles per hour. How long would it take a person to walk one mile? At this speed, how long would it take to walk between Ft. Meade and Ft. Ogden? How long would it take you to walk round-trip between these two towns?

4. Act out the scene between the two characters. There is little dialogue, so facial expressions and gestures have to tell the majority of the story. What expressions will the students give the proud judge and Acrefoot Johnson? Think about how to act out running a race without moving great distances on the stage. How can the students indicate two separate places on the stage, Ft. Meade and Ft. Ogden?

5. Research the history of the U.S. mail system. What was the mail system like in 1880 when the story takes place? How much did it cost to mail a letter in 1880? Other than barefoot and on horseback, how else have people delivered the U.S. mail?

6. Study the illustration that accompanies the Acrefoot Johnson story. What artistic techniques are used to show motion? How does the viewer know who the hero is and that he is winning the race? Draw a modern illustration of the race between Judge King and Acrefoot Johnson. What vehicles would the students choose for each? Why? Which artistic techniques would they choose to indicate the “hero” of the story?

7. Draft a letter as if they were standing in the Ft. Ogden post office in 1880 watching Judge King race into town. Write to an aunt who lives in Ft.

Meade. What would they write about? How would they describe the race between Acrefoot Johnson and Judge King? Use as many action verbs as possible.

Indicators of Success: • Map of Florida drawn to scale • Answers to the mathematical distance problems. • Performance of the scene between Judge King and

Acrefoot Johnson • Accurate answers to research questions on the

U.S. mail system • Modern illustration of the race between Judge King

and Acrefoot Johnson • Letter describing the race Follow-Up Activities: • Write a modern version of Acrefoot Johnson. • Compose a song that a traveling storyteller could

sing about Acrefoot Johnson, then listen to the recording of “Acrefoot Johnson” as it was created and performed by Will McLean (available at www.faae.org).

• Write and perform a short monologue that would describe Acrefoot Johnson’s travels across southern Florida.

INTERDISCIPLINARY: Interaction Between Animals Recommended tale: The Alligator and the Eagle VA.A.1.2.1; VA.A.1.2.3; VA.B.1.2.1; VA.B.1.2.2; VA.B.1.2.4 TH.A.1.2.1; TH.B.1.2.1 TH.C.1.2.2; TH.D.1.2.1; TH.E.1.2.2; TH.E.1.2.4; SC.G.1.2.1; SC.G.1.2.5 Objectives: The students will: • Understand and observe ways

that animals interact with one another.

Materials: • Classroom copies of The Alligator

and the Eagle (illustration only) • Photographs of animals (from

books, magazines, or other print material)

• Paper • Pencil • Eraser • Thin felt-tip pen • Internet or library access for

research purposes Prior Knowledge & Experiences: • Students are familiar with how to

research animal behavior and habitats

Teaching Procedures: The students will: In small groups: 1. Observe and discuss Kitty Kitson Petterson's

illustration for The Alligator and the Eagle. Note how the animals interact with one another. How does the illustration capture the action in the story?

2. Imagine what the alligator might say to the birds when he freezes the ball in mid-air. What might the birds say to the alligator? Create a dramatic role-play situation about a conversation between the birds and the alligator.

3. Research two animals (other than alligators and birds) that live together in the same environment. How does each animal behave alone? In what ways do the animals interact? (Do they fight, play, eat the same foods, or sit on the other?)

4. Create a new tale using the two animals that students researched. Using what the students know about their habitats and typical behavior, think about what their animals might say to one another. How would they interact together?

5. Collaborate to develop a story line about how these two animals interact. Using improvisation, role-play the parts of both animals using movements and sounds that are characteristic of the animals students chose.

Individually: 6. Make pencil sketches of the two animals interacting

in the same manner as portrayed in the role-play situation. Because students cannot use their bodies to convey the movement or sounds the animal makes, think about how to convey action in a drawing. How does the animal’s interaction in the drawing make the picture feel more alive? What elements of the animals’ habitats will students need to show so that the story is understood? How did researching the animals and acting out the scene change how they would have otherwise drawn the picture?

7. Using a black felt-tip pen, make a final black- and-white drawing of the two animals interacting.

Indicators of Success: • Research on animal habitats and behavior • Dramatization of animal interaction in role-play

activities • Creation of a drawing that illustrates animals

interacting Follow-Up Activities: • Write a fictional tale describing how two animals

interact. There may be dialogue between the animals, but the manner in which the animals interact should be based on science.

SUGGESTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES BASED ON VISUAL ARTS, THEATRE ARTS, AND LANGUAGE ARTS STRANDS FROM THE

SUNSHINE STATE STANDARDS AND INCORPORATING SUGGESTIONS FOR MUSIC EXPERIENCES

CREATION AND COMMUNICATION Objectives To understand the function of folktales To identify ways artists can research information to assist them in creating their work To use different visual art and theatre processes that are effective in communicating ideas To analyze the artistic processes used by the illustrator LEARNING EXPERIENCES Function of Folktales

• Discuss the function of folktales. What different kinds of purposes do they serve? • Discuss why some stories survive and are told over and over again, while others are

lost. What is it that makes a story last from generation to generation? • Write a folktale with a moral. Why The Rabbit Is Wild Today has a moral about lying and

The Cucarachita Martinez has a moral about not listening to directions. What other ways can you tell a story that makes the point that lying or ignoring instructions has consequences?

Historical Accuracy

• Look at Kitty Kitson Petterson's illustrations for Why The Rabbit Is Wild Today and identify aspects of Seminole culture, such as dress and architecture. Do research to determine how accurately these elements are depicted.

• Research cultures represented in the tales, which include: Seminoles, Crackers, African-Americans, and Haitians. Use books, the Internet, and museums. How else can you gain this information?

• Research how the U.S. mail was delivered in the 1880s. Compare what you find out with how Acrefoot Johnson delivers the mail.

Storytelling

• Have a tall tale-telling contest. The first line of every tale should begin “My first day of school…” Each storyteller should try to tell a story that has more exaggeration than that in the previous story.

• Tell a story about the most wonderful place you can imagine. Diddy-Wah-Diddy was one such wonderful place.

• Tell a story about the most exciting race you ever watched. What kind of race was it? Who was competing? What were the exciting moments of the race? Was there anything surprising that happened? What was the conclusion of the race? After you tell your story, read Acrefoot Johnson. How does it compare to your tale?

• Relate a story about the community in which you live that will give someone a picture of what your city or town is like. Is there a special festival or event that takes place there that is unique? Is your community known for something special? Is there a special place that everyone likes to go?

• Use dialogue to dramatize a story written in the third person, predicting the language, thoughts, and feelings of the characters.

• Tell the story of The Alligator and the Eagle through dance. • Listen to the recording of “Acrefoot Johnson,” created and performed by Will McLean

(available at www.faae.org). Compare and contrast the two ways, printed and sung, in which the story is shared. Discuss the effect of the music (e.g. tempo, instrumental accompaniment, style) on the story.

• Sing songs that tell stories. Ballads such as “Frog Went A’Courtin,” “The Fox,” “Clementine,” “Don Gato,” and “Old Joe Clark” are some songs to consider.

• Work with the music teacher to turn one of the tales into a song. Think about how the repetition of words and phrases could be recurring musical themes in a song.

Analysis of Illustrations

• Discuss why Petterson’s illustrations in Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales are done in black and white. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this technique?

• Look at Petterson's illustrations for Why The Rabbit Is Wild Today and The Cucarachita Martinez for evidence of human-like qualities in animals (called personification). How does the artist create human qualities? What props does Petterson give the animals? Look at the animals’ faces. How are they different from the way a real animal would look? What about the bodies? How are the animals different from cartoons?

• Identify artists other than Petterson who use personification in illustrating a story. Use books in your school library, the Internet, or other sources.

• Assume the role of an art critic and write a column on one of the illustrations in the book. Many good art critics first describe the work, then analyze, interpret, and judge the work.

Making Art

• Animate a variety of foods in a similar way to what Petterson did in Diddy-Wah-Diddy. • Create a drawing of an animal with which you are familiar and make it more human-like.

What props can you give the animal? Will the animal interact with another animal or a human?

• Describe the emotion on the faces of each character in the illustrations for Why The Rabbit Is Wild Today, The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay,’ My First Job, and Diddy-Wah-Diddy. Draw a character that expresses one of these emotions.

• Create an illustration with an interesting setting and characters, and then write a story that explains your illustration.

Applications to Life

• Imagine that you are going to illustrate a book that someone else has written. Make a list of what you will need to do to create good illustrations for the book.

• Imagine that you have the opportunity to videotape a storyteller telling one of the stories in this book. Make a list of what you will need to do to create a good videotape of the storyteller.

WRITING

OBJECTIVE To use varied writing techniques to communicate ideas and information LEARNING EXPERIENCES Communicating Information

• Look at the illustration and title of a tale before reading it. Predict what the story will be about, writing down your ideas. Read the story. After reading the story, compare what you wrote with what actually happened in the story.

• Report on the story as a journalist would, writing a paragraph that answers who was involved, what happened in the story, when, where, and why it happened.

• Create a character map. Select an illustration of a character from any of the tales and write notes around the picture that describe what the character is like. Use the notes to write a descriptive paragraph about the selected character.

• Make a cause-and-effect chart for one of the stories. Take notes from a story using columns with different headings that include cause and effect, main ideas, supporting details, problem/solution, or “What I Learned” and “Connections I Made.”

• Write a tale that explains the origin of something. For example, the Seminole tale, Why The Rabbit Is Wild Today, is called a fable. It explains why the rabbit is wild instead of living with people. Make up a tale that explains why something is the way it is.

• Become a journal partner with another classmate. In a journal, extend the story or write a new ending, and share your thoughts with your partner. Then reply to your partner, writing a new response to the partner’s observations.

Compare and Contrast

• Read Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare and compare it with Acrefoot Johnson. Use a Venn diagram to show similarities and differences.

• Recast any of the tales into a modern-day version that relates to student life while keeping the theme true to the original.

• Change a tale from the third-person perspective to the first-person perspective. For example, a narrator tells the tale of The Alligator and the Eagle. Change the tale so that either the alligator or the eagle tells the story.

Writing Activities

• Rewrite a tale, turning it into a play that can be performed in class. • Change the ending of one of the tales. For example, how would Why The Rabbit Is Wild

Today change if the rabbit told the truth? • Re-write a tale changing the point of view. For example, if you re-wrote Diddy-Wah-

Diddy with women as the central characters, how would the tale change? If The Cucarachita Martinez were told from the point of view of the mouse, what would change?

• Re-write a tale by changing the location of the tale. For example, how would the narrative change if Acrefoot Johnson took place in the Everglades instead of Ft. Ogden? To help you envision the changes, illustrate the setting for the story before you write.

• Research the background, time, and place of a particular tale and write a paper about what you discovered. Document your sources.

• Look at the story from different perspectives by creating a R.A.F.T. (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) and writing from it (see suggestions below).

R.A.F.T. TOPICS TABLE

Tale R. (Role) A. (Audience) F. (Format) T. (Topic) Why The Rabbit Is Wild Today

Wife of the rabbit

Herself Journal Rabbit is not bringing home any food

Th e Alligator and the Eagle

Alligator His mother Letter How he was attacked by an eagle

Acrefoot Johnson

Postal worker

Postal customers

Dialogue Watching Acrefoot Johnson waiting on steps for Ziba King

The Little Boy and the ‘Ayayay’

Old woman who helped the boy get “ayayay”

Merchants in marketplace

Story How mean the aunt was to the little boy

The Cucarachita Martinez

Mr. Dog The family of Little Mouse Perez

Poem

Sadness at the death of Little Mouse Perez

My First Job

Chuck Future employer

Cover letter Job qualifications

Diddy-Wah-Diddy

Cartographer Supervisor Field report Description of place he wants to put on a map