Nick's Picks—Selected Resources from TeachingBooks.net
Nick Glass, TeachingBooks.net for Curriculum Connections -- School Library Journal, 10/11/2007
Sharing fairy tales, folktales, and epics with students naturally leads to discussions about human hopes, struggles, and emotions. In this month's column, I’ve highlighted four resources from TeachingBooks.net that will add a multimedia dimension to your introduction of classic stories to K–12 classrooms. Elementary pupils can watch a video of Lauren Child as she talks about “twisting” familiar tales, hear from author Jon Scieszka on the pronunciation of his name, and view the colorful online animated version of Rob Cleveland’s The Clever Monkey (August House, 2006). Secondary school educators will discover a wealth of resources to consult to support their teaching of Beowulf.
Invite Lauren Child into your classroom when you share this film with your students
Lauren Child is the author and illustrator of many popular titles including those featuring the quirky Clarice Bean and the delightful picture-book siblings Charlie and Lola. Child is also the creator of a handful of adapted and reimagined tales, including The Princess and the Pea (Hyperion, 2006) and Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book? (Hyperion, 2003).
Practicum: In this five-minute movie (and accompanying in-depth interview), Lauren Child talks about her books, her art, and why she was inspired to rewrite certain tales. As an extension activity, read other fractured tales with your students, or have them rewrite their favorite stories.
When it comes to fractured fairy tales and fables, Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith’s books are often cited as children’s favorites. In The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (Viking, 1992), the inimitable duo turns some favorite tales upside down, while in Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals for Beastly Fables (Viking, 1998), Scieszka and Lane offer their own take on morals. Click above to hear Scieszka talk about his name. For more from him on “misplaced monikers,” see his firmly tongue-in-cheek article on the topic in The Horn Book Magazine.
Practicum: Before playing this recording, ask your students to guess how the author says his name. A discussion on correct pronunciation and respect for cultures might ensue.
BeowulfChoose from these 11 guides when teaching this classic poem
Beowulf, an Old English epic poem, composed around A.D. 700, tells of the adventures of a warrior (later king) and his heroic battles.
Practicum: This collection of book guides offers advice for the study and discussion of the poem. Some of the guides are flash animated (see the ReadWriteThink link), while others offer historical background, language analyses, and questions to stimulate meaningful conversations.
The Clever Monkey: A Folktale from West Africa
This amusing animated folktale is guaranteed to generate spirited discussions on character
When two cats argue over some cheese, a cunning monkey offers to help them divide it. The Clever Monkey (August House, 2006) is retold by Rob Cleveland, illustrated by Baird Hoffmire, and animated by Story Cove.
Practicum: After viewing this animated online version of this trickster tale, ask your students about their thoughts on the monkey’s behavior and discussions about stubbornness, fairness, and deception are sure to arise. Note: This resource also contains a printable lesson plan that links specific activities to the “Standards for the English Language Arts” sponsored by NCTE and IRA.
Nick Glass is the Founder of TeachingBooks.net. If you have any favorite retellings of folk and fairy tales, he’d love to hear about them. One of his family’s favorites is Berthe Amoss’ Cajun Gingerbread Boy (Hyperion, 1994), a story that has led to many conversations about truth, greed, and trickery. nick@TeachingBooks.net
