Day 1

In the complete website, printable fables are linked to this page.

Objective: Students will analyze literature to find common elements.

Step One: Read “The Ants and the Grasshopper” (or show the video) and “The Fox and the Crow” aloud or independently.

Step Two: Analyze characters, setting, and plot together. Use questions like these to promote discussion:

Characters

• Who were the characters in “The Ants and the Grasshopper”?
• Who were the characters in “The Fox and the Crow”?
• How many characters did each story have?
• Did the author provide names for the characters?
• What traits did each animal have?
• What can we say, in general, about characters in fables?

Write and display a statement generated by your class about characters in fables. For example: Characters in fables are many times animals with human characteristics.

Setting

• What was the setting of “The Ants and the Grasshopper”?
• What was the setting of “The Fox and the Crow”?
• What can we say, in general, about setting in fables?

Write and display a statement generated by your class about settings in fables. For example: Settings are not specific in fables.

Plot

• Let’s list the events that happened in “The Ants and the Grasshopper.”
• What happened in the beginning, middle, and end?
• Let’s list the events that happened in “The Fox and the Crow.”
• What happened in the beginning, middle, and end?
• What can we say, in general, about plots of fables?

Write and display a statement generated by your class about plots of fables. For example: The beginning of a fable briefly introduces the characters and setting, the middle tells a brief story, and the end wraps up the story and provides a lesson.

Step Three: Analyze style and purpose together. Use questions like these to promote discussion:

Style

• Are fables written as poetry, prose, or drama?
• How do you know?
• How long are fables?
• Would you say that a fable’s purpose is to inform, persuade, or entertain?

Write and display a statement generated by your class about style and purpose of fables. For example: Fables are short pieces of prose, written in paragraphs and sometimes using dialogue. Fables are entertaining, but their main purpose is to teach a lesson, or moral.

Review the results of your analysis. For example:

• Characters in fables are many times animals with human characteristics.
• Settings are not specific in fables.
• The beginning of a fable briefly introduces the characters and setting, the middle tells a brief story, and the end wraps up the story and provides a lesson.
• Fables are short pieces of prose, written in paragraphs and sometimes using dialogue.
• Fables are entertaining, but their main purpose is to teach a lesson, or moral.