Albert Einstein said “imagination is more important than knowledge.” In the first project for grade 3 students this year, we asked students to use both imagination and knowledge. They combined what they know about the world with some extra creativity. In this project, Telling Tales, students created myths - stories that try to explain nature in fun, creative, and imaginative ways.

Curious Questions, Inventive Answers

　The third graders read the story Why Sun and Moon Live in the Sky, in which the characters Sun and Moon built a huge house to invite their friend Water over. But after Water brought all the animals and people in the world with him, there was no more room left for Sun and Moon! So they went up into the sky to enjoy the view instead. We approached this story in two ways. First, we analyzed the text to understand how the author used character traits and plot elements to make the story more entertaining. Then, we discussed how ancient people may have really believed tales like this one. After all, they needed a way to explain the natural world. 

　From there, we worked classify other myths, legends, and folktales that explain things about the natural world. Afterwards, students got excited to brainstorm ideas for writing their own myth! They worked in groups to think of creative and fun stories. They came up with great ideas like Why Flowers Bloom and Where Rainbows Come From. There was a wide range of interests they wanted to include. 

Writing Like a Pro

　While students got excited about writing creative tales, we guided them to use language arts skills to make their writing more focused. They developed clever and creative characters based on their nature themes. These could be talking animals, giants, dragons, gods, and monsters. All of them had distinct personalities and well-developed traits. 

　Finally it was time to write. Using a well-developed plot structure, students told their mythical tales. Characters in myths usually try to solve the problem three times before they succeed, and in the end, the tale explains something about nature. Following guidelines like these, students made their stories similar to real ancient myths while still expressing their creativity.

Working Together to Achieve Goals

　Students brainstorm themes, characters, and the plot structure of their myths in groups, but then they split up to write their own drafts individually. This caused two fun and interesting effects. First, it allowed to write their myths in their own authorial voice. Each student made minor changes to the characters and plot, even if they wrote about the same topic. Second, at the end of the project, group members met again. They had fun comparing their different versions of the same myths. Everything concluded with a dramatic reading of the myths around a (fake) campfire, with character voices and actions, props, and costumes. The project pushed students to develop their narrative writing skills while using creative ideas, teamwork, and having fun!

Telling Tales