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Tales

Tales – overview

Prep Level: Pre-K and Kinder age

No formal plan. Folk tales and many fairy tales are great afternoon and bedtime reading.

LEVEL 1B

Students listen to classic Fairy tales or American Tall Tales and Fables weekly.

(1) Tales (Weekly)

(N) Read aloud one tale each week from any book(s) of your choice from the following list:

  • English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs
  • American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne
  • The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
  • The Orchard Book of the Unicorn and Other Magical Animals by Margaret Mayo (and other books in the same series)
      • The Orchard Book of the Unicorn is also published under the title Mythical Birds and Beasts from Many Lands.

(2) Fables (Weekly)

(N) * Aesop’s Fables with pictures by Milo Winter.

Two fables weekly. Read aloud and narrate. These lend themselves particularly well to narration by drawing or by acting out the fable.

Level 1A:

(Twice Weekly)

This two year level provides an introduction to Greek and Roman mythology, as well as continued exposure to traditional tales and fairy tales of various cultures. See lesson plans for Level 1A Tales.

(N) * Classic Myths to Read Aloud by William F.Russell

1A Year One:
    • Listening Level 1 (22 stories)
1A Year Two:
    • Listening Level 2 (17 stories)

(N) Stories taken from books of your choice from the following list:

    • English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs Free on Gutenberg
    • Favorite North American Indian Legends and other collections published by Dover Books
    • Old Peter’s Russian Tales by Arthur Ransome
    • The Green Fairy Book and other collections by Andrew Lang
    • Favorite Medieval Tales by Mary Pope Osborne

Level 2

Mythology (Weekly) See lesson plans for Level 2 Mythology

A two year study of the three ancient epics by Homer and Virgil with classic retellings, which will be read in full in high school. This study of mythology corresponds to the study of Ancient Greece and Rome in Level 2 history.

(N) * The Children’s Homer by Padraic Colum

This classic retelling of the Iliad and the Odyssey weaves together the Tale of Troy and the wanderings of Odysseus into a delightful story.

(N) * The Aeneid for Boys and Girls by Alfred J.Church

A retelling of Virgil’s Aeneid.

Year One
  • Term 1: The Children’s Homer – Troy: Chapters 1 to 10
  • Term 2: The Children’s Homer – Troy: Chapters 11 to 20
  • Term 3: The Children’s Homer – Troy: Chapters 21 to 23; Odyssey: Chapters 1 to 7
Year Two
  • Term 1: The Children’s Homer – Odyssey: Chapters 8 to 17
  • Term 2: The Aeneid – The Horse of Wood to The Plots of Juno
  • Term 3: The Aeneid  – The Gathering of the Chiefs to Afterwards

Optional Further Reading: D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths by Edgar and Ingri D’Aulaire

Level 3

See detailed plan for Level 3 & 4 Tales.

Continuing the study of mythology and tales from levels 1 and 2, students read and narrate the tales and myths of various regions and time periods. The following are suggestions; feel free to substitute with the tales of another culture.

Year One
  • Semester 1 (Term 1 and 1/2 Term 2): Norse Mythology
    Nordic Gods and Heroes by Paidric Colum
  • Semester 2 (1/2 Term 2 and Term 3): King Arthur Tales

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green (or Age of Chivalry, Bulfinch)

Year Two
  • Term 1: Tales from India
    Jataka Tales by Ellen Babbit
  • Term 2: Tales form Japan
    Tales of Japan: Traditional Stories of Monsters and Magic by Kotaro Chiba
  • Term 3: Tales from Australia
    Australian Legendary Tales by K. Langloh Parker (Living Book Press)

Level 4

See detailed plan for Level 3 & 4 Tales.

Continuing the study of mythology and folk tales from Levels 1-3, students read and narrate the tales and myths of various regions and time periods. The following are suggestions; feel free to substitute with the tales of another culture. Read and narrate.

  • Semester 1: American Indian Myths and Legends
    The Girl Who Helped Thunder by Joseph Bruchac
  • Semester 2: African American Folktales
    The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by Virginia Hamilton, Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

Level 5-6 (High School)

Great Myths of the World by Padraic Colum

See High School English plans.

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