California State University, Northridge
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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE FOLKTALES: ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS FOR TEACHING MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION K-3 A graduate project submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of arts in Educational Psychology, Early Childhood Education by Constance Lynn Lint May, 1982 The Graduate Project of Constance Lynn Lint is approved: Bernice Medinnis ~arah Moskovitz H. Brady ~liz,9beth<· Chai~ California State University, Northridge ii A NOTE ABOUT MATERIALS Because I am a kindergarten teacher in a bilingual classroom and act as multicultural representative for my school, I want to compile a useful multicultural resource for teachers that will meet the needs of kindergarten children psychologically and intellectually. Kindergarteners need vocabulary development, moral reasoning, increased attention span, and cultural aware ness. Folktales from different cultures can help in all these areas and are especially appropriate for kindergarten children. The drawings following each folktale are designed to be reproduced. They can be traced on light weight pellon which sticks to the flannel board. Then the pellon can be colored with marking pens. Some duplicating services will reproduce the drawings on nine by twelve inch tag. Then these pictures can be colored, laminated, and mounted on tongue depressors as puppets or backed with sandpaper and used on a flannel board. If many copies are desired, the original drawing will make a duplicating master in a therma-fax machine. This master will duplicate on nine by twelve inch pellon or tag. Although conceived for kindergarteners, these materials can be used for reading, literature study, and social studies in the primary grades, and remedial reading in upper grades. In first grade, the folktales can be taped and the children can read along at a iii listening center. Second and third graders can learn about literature through a comparative study of folktale variants. Also they could write their own endings or an additional adventure for the hero. For upper grade remedial reading, the children can dramatize the folktales to audiences of younger children. iv DEDICATION I dedicate this project to my husband, Charles E. Lint, with his wonderful sense of humor in spite of renal failure, and to all young children. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express appreciation to my committee, Betty Brady for her faith in me, Sarah Moskovich for her patience, and Bernice Medinnis for her enthusiasm. I thank my good friends Robin Movich and Joy Senko, both kindergarten teachers, for their interest, ideas, and encouragement. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page A NOTE ABOUT MATERIALS iii DEDICATION v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi ILLUSTRATIONS xiii ABSTRACT XV 1. RATIONALE 1 Self-Concept 1 Interpersonal Relations 3 Appropriateness of Folktales 8 Conclusion 15 Reference List 16 2. HUMOROUS FOLKTALES 18 The Woman with the Eggs (American) 18 Background 19 Questions 19 Independent Activities 20 Flannel Board Illustrations 22 The Miller, the Boy, and the Donkey 29 Background 31 Questions 31 Independent activities 31 Flannel Board Illustrations 32 The Three Wishes (Greek) 39 Background 41 Questions 41 vii Chapter Page Cooking 41 Independent Activity 42 Tongue Depressor Puppets 43 Lazy Jack (English) 47 Background 50 Questions 50 Independent Activity 50 Flannel Board Illustrations 51 Reference List 59 3. FOOD FOLKTALES 60 Pancake 60 The Funny Little Woman (Japanese) 60 Background 64 Questions 64 Cooking 64 Tongue Depressor Puppets 65 Independent Activity 68 The Gingerbread Boy 69 Background 74 Questions 74 Cooking 74 Independent Activities 75 Flannel Board Characters 76 viii Chapter Page The Pancake (Danish) 86 Background 90 Questions 90 Comparative Study 90 Cooking 91 Flannel Board Characters 92 Journey Cake, Ho! (American) 99 Background 104 Questions 104 Comparative Study 105 Flannel Board Characters 106 Magic 115 The Magic Porridge Pot (English) 115 Background 118 Questions 118 Cooking 119 Tongue Depressor Puppets 120 Strega Nona (Italian) 124 Background 129 Questions 130 Literary Comparisons 130 Cooking 131 Tongue Depressor Puppets 131 ix Chapter Page Gluttony 134 Slip! Slop! Gobble! 134 Background 138 Questions 138 Independent Activity 139 Flannel Board Characters 141 The Fat Cat (Danish) 150 Background 153 Questions 153 Literary Comparison 154 Independent Activity 154 Flannel Board Characters 155 Reference List 165 4. COOPERATION FOLKTALES 166 The Great Big Enormous Turnip (Russian) 166 Background 170 Questions 170 Science Activity 170 Flannel Board Characters 171 Nail Soup (Swedish) 179 Background 184 Questions 184 Cooking. 185 Tongue Depressor Puppets 187 X Chapter Page The Riddle of the Drum (Mexican) 189 Background 196 Questions 196 Independent Activity 196 Flannel Board Characters 197 Anansi the Spider: a Tale from Ashanti (African) 207 Background 209 Questions 209 Literary Comparison 209 Fingerplay 210 Independent Activities 210 Story Characters 213 A Bundle of Sticks (Persian) 216 Background 218 Questions 219 Independent Activity 219 Flannel Board Characters 220 Reference List 230 5. INDEPENDENCE-CLEVERNESS FOLKTALES 231 How Tepozton Killed the Giant (Mexican) 231 Background 235 Questions 235 Independent Activity 236 Science 236 xi Chapter Page Flannel Board Characters 237 The Monkey and the Crocodile (Indian) 241 Background 246 Questions 246 Cooking 246 Puppets 247 The Fence (Mexican) 251 Background 254 Questions 255 Literary Comparison 255 Cooking· 255 Independent Activity 258 Tongue Depressor Puppets 265 Reference List 268 xii ILLUSTRATIONS Page The Woman with the Eggs Independent Activity - Hatching Chick 21 Flannel Board Illustrations 22-28 The Miller, the Boy, and the Donkey Flannel Board Illustrations 32-38 The Three Wishes Tongue Depressor Puppets 43-46 Lazy Jack Flannel Board Illustrations 51-58 The Funny Little Woman Tongue Depressor Puppets 65-67 Independent Activity - Mask 68 The Gingerbread Boy Independent Activity 77 Flannel Board Characters 78-85 The Pancake Flannel Board Characters 92-98 Journey Cake, Ho! Flannel Board Characters 106-114 The Magic Porridge Pot Tongue Depressor Puppets 120-123 Strega Nona Tongue Depressor Puppets 131-133 Slip! Slop! Gobble! Independent Activity - Strip Cat's Head 140 xiii Page Flannel Board Characters 141-149 The Fat Cat Flannel Board Characters 155-164 The Great Big Enormous Turnip Flannel Board Characters 171-178 Nail Soup Tongue Depressor Puppets 187-188 The Riddle of the Drum Flannel Board Characters 197-206 Anansi the Spider: a Tale from the Ashanti Story Characters 213-215 A Bundle of Sticks Flannel Board Characters 220-229 How Tepozton Killed the Giant Flannel Board Characters 237-240 The Monkey and the Crocodile Puppets 247-250 The Fence Independent Activity - Five Senses Book 259-264 Tongue Depressor Puppets 265-267 xiv ABSTRACT FOLKTALES: ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS FOR TEACHING MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION K-3 by Constance Lynn Lint Authorities agree that using multicultural folktales with young children can improve their self-concept, strengthen their cultural identity, and aid their moral development. Literature is one of the main ways culture is transmitted. Knowledge of his cultural heritage can improve a child's self-concept. Research shows that children who feel good about themselves are more successful in school. Secondly, use of literature can develop self awareness, aid interpersonal relationships, clarify values and hence foster moral development. The universal feelings and experiences in folktales can help children learn about themselves and others and their values. Folktales are especially appropriate for young children. They are charmingly brief and to the point. Children are attracted by the picturesque language. The XV all good or all bad characters, the simple plot and the promise of a happy resolution are at the child's level of understanding. Folktales teach the values of the represented culture and encourage moral development. Folktales promise that all difficult obstacles will be overcome and that the virtuous will be rewarded. They satisfy the child's fantasy of security, achievement and love. Folktales are best told orally in the storyteller tradition. Included in this project are twenty folktales from different countries. These folktales are organized around themes. There are illustrations for teachers to reproduce and use on a flannel board, questions to ask, literary comparisons, art ideas and science ideas. xvi Chapter 1 RATIONALE The rationale for this project has three main points: 1. Children's knowledge of their cultural heritage can improve their self-concept. 2. Literature can develop self-awareness, transmit culture, aid in interpersonal relationships, clarify values, and hence foster moral development. 3. In the realm of literature, folktales are especially meaningful and satisfying for children. SELF-CONCEPT Before a child can learn, he or she must have a healthy sense of self and the development of a positive self-image requires an appreciation of one's individuality and pride of home and family. (Arenas, 1978, p. 5) In spite of the diverse cultural groups in the United States, our predominant orientation is Anglo-American. Television with its Ango-American viewpoint reaches and teaches all ages and all socio-economic levels of our society. Our nation is composed of many cultures; citizens want the right to be Americans while maintaining their cultural diversity. (Arenas, 1978) In short, the goal of most Americans today is that of a pluralistic rather than an assimilationist society. Literature