Tales – overview
Prep Level: Pre-K and Kinder age
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)
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- The Orchard Book of the Unicorn is also published under the title Mythical Birds and Beasts from Many Lands.
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(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:
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:
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- Listening Level 1 (22 stories)
1A Year Two:
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- Listening Level 2 (17 stories)
(N) Stories taken from books of your choice from the following list:
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- 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. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green (or Age of Chivalry, Bulfinch) 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.Year One
Nordic Gods and Heroes by Paidric ColumYear Two
Jataka Tales by Ellen Babbit
Tales of Japan: Traditional Stories of Monsters and Magic by Kotaro Chiba
Australian Legendary Tales by K. Langloh Parker (Living Book Press) Level 4
The Girl Who Helped Thunder by Joseph Bruchac
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by Virginia Hamilton, Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
Level 5-6 (High School)
See High School English plans.
