Tall Tales

Many Tall Tales originated in the 1800s. People gathered together to tell stories as a form of

entertainment. To make stories more interesting – storytellers exaggerated

details. The more interesting the story, the more it was repeated. Over time these stories developed in to “larger than life”

characters and became part of popular culture. Examples: Paul Bunyon, Johnny Appleseed, Davy Crockett, Pecos

Bill Some are based on real people, many are not.

History of Radio and TV:Putting Things In To Perspective

The first radio commercial broadcasts in the United States in the 1920s

The television set became popular in the American marketplace in 1948-1949, following World War II. 

During the 1950s black and white television broadcasts, color television and remote controls were introduced. 

Where did the Paul Bunyon Tall Tale originate?

The earliest versions of the myth of Paul Bunyan can be traced back to James MacGillivray, newspaper reporter who wrote the first Paul Bunyan article 1906.

He is said to have collected stories from lumberjacks, combined them with his own embellishments, and began sharing the legend in newspaper articles.

William B. Laughead popularized the myth through an advertising campaign, "Introducing Mr. Paul Bunyan of Westwood, California”, for the Red River Lumber Company.

Google Book Search: The Colossus of Roads: Myth and Symbol Along the American Highway By Karal Ann Marling

What is exaggeration? Why do you think people who create ads

create these characters? Can you think of examples of

exaggerations in ads today?

Loggers in the early 1900s

Team of six horses hauling load of logs.

View over a logging camp between Durango, Colorado and Farmington, New Mexico. A train is loaded with stacks of cut timber ready for the lumber mill. Logger shacks, cabins,tents and outhouses are scattered over a broad flat open area.

Image of men sawing wood at the city woodpile in Chicago, Illinois

Saw mill with smokestack, wood buildings, piles of lumber, and men at work in Pemberton, Colorado.

Menominee, Michigan - Logging on the River

United Streaming Videos Lumber Felling and Transport. United

Learning. 2004.unitedstreaming. 14 June 2007http://www.unitedstreaming.com/

Life Skills 101: Media Wise. Slim Goodbody. 2003.unitedstreaming. 14 June 2007<http://www.unitedstreaming.com/>

Tall Tales. AIMS Multimedia. 1990.unitedstreaming. 14 June 2007<http://www.unitedstreaming.com/>

The BunyonsWritten by: Audrey Wood ~ Illustrated by: David Shannon

Image from Amazon.com

List of Places in the BookStates Kentucky Maine Montana Utah Colorado Wyoming California

Places in the United States Mammoth Cave Niagara Falls Bryce Canyon Great Sand Dunes Big Sur Rocky Mountains Continental Divide Old Faithful/Yellowstone

National ParkOther Places Grand Canal

Venice, Italy Mars

Face on Mars

Group Work Divide in to groups and research the 8 places named. You can use an atlas, encyclopedias, or the internet. Answer the following questions:

Name of Landmark: In what state is your landmark located? Taking the most direct route, which states would you have to travel through to get to your

landmark from where you live? Describe your landmark. Be sure that your description is specific enough that someone

could match the picture to your description. Find a picture of your landmark from the website and copy and paste it here. Why would people want to go and see your landmark? List your reasons here. (think like

an advertiser) Describe how your landmark was included in the book, The Bunyons. List at least three more interesting facts you learned about your landmark. You are an ad executive in an advertising firm. Your firm has been hired to create an

advertising campaign to generate interest in tourism to your area. Now that you have your research on your landmark – design a character to be used in your advertising campaign. Your character can be made of any material and can be no less than 5 inches tall and no more than 12 inches tall.

Your group is responsible for putting together one poster. It must include your research information (make sure all questions above are answered on your poster. One copy of the map must be attached. Your advertising character must be included. (may be propped up next to it)

Handout for Group Work

Adapted from a lesson plan online:http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LASSMDTallTalesTheBunyansAndLandmarks35.htm

Map SkillsMap Directions: Find and color all the states included in the story. Identify and color the state in which you live. Be

sure to indicate where your city is. Identify your landmark on the map. Identify the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and

Missouri River.

Handout for Map Skills

Writing activity Each person will write a persuasive

paragraph on why people should visit the assigned landmark. Use the group work to stimulate your thinking.

Sharing Each group will create a visual display that

incorporates the map work, group work and all persuasive writing paragraphs.

Invite other classes to examine the group projects and vote for the place they would most like to visit.

Keys to Good Poster Designhttp://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/fypubs/tot00-2.pdf

Just for Fun Animated Tall Tales -

http://www.animatedtalltales.com/ Between the Lions - http://pbskids.org/cgi-

registry/lions/tales.pl/games

Research Links for Teacher Information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logging http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumberjack http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/

aldridge/logging.html http://www.michiganepic.org/lumbering/

LumberingBriefHistory.html http://www.tvhistory.tv/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio