Two fables. The Enemies. Three raindrops BLM 48

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1 BLM 48 Two fables The Enemies Two men who were enemies were on a voyage in the same boat, so naturally each tried to separate himself as far as possible from the other. One man stayed in the front, or bow, of the boat, and the other remained in the back, or stern. Without warning, a great storm arose and the boat began to sink. Which end of the boat will sink first? asked the man at the stern. The bow will go down first, replied the captain. That s fine, said the man. Then I can have the satisfaction of watching my enemy drown! But of course his revenge was short, for his end of the boat sank soon afterward, and he too was drowned. Do not rejoice in another s misfortune while you are both in the same boat. Aesop Three raindrops A raindrop was falling out of a cloud, and it said to the raindrop next to it: I m the biggest and best raindrop in the whole sky! You are indeed a fine raindrop, said the second, but you are not nearly so beautifully shaped as I am. And in my opinion it s shape that counts, and I am therefore the best raindrop in the whole sky. The first raindrop replied, Let us settle this matter once and for all. So they asked a third raindrop to decide between them. But the third raindrop said: What nonsense you re both talking! You may be a big raindrop, and you are certainly well shaped, but, as everybody knows, it s purity that really counts, and I am purer than either of you. I am therefore the best raindrop in the whole sky! Well, before either of the raindrops could reply, they all three hit the ground, and became part of a very muddy puddle. by Terry Jones From Fairy Tales (Puffin) 62

2 Teaching notes for Text form: Moral fable Medium: Illustrated book Field: Human weakness Tenor: Storyteller to general audience Mode: Written OTHER RESOURCES A selection of other books of fables. A video recording of storytellers (optional). Draft and publishing paper. INTRODUCING THE UNIT Explain that a fable is a short story that ends with a lesson or moral. Many of the fables we know today are attributed to Aesop, a Greek slave who supposedly lived in Asia Minor about 600 BC. Read Aesop s fable first, then read Terry Jones modern fable. Can students see any similarities in the structure of the fables? WHAT S THE MORAL? Highlight the difference between the concrete story and the symbolic fable. Lead students to understand that the function of the moral is to explain the symbolic meaning of the text. Discuss a well known fable such as The Hare and the Tortoise. Have students discuss it and explain it in their own words. Talk about how it demonstrated the moral, Slow and steady wins the race. When students write their own morals and share them with the class, explain that there is no right or wrong answer as each person takes a personal message. WHAT A PERFORMANCE! If necessary revise the structure of narrative texts. If possible view recordings of story tellers. Once students have rehearsed the story telling have them tell the story to a group of friends or to another class. Encourage students to discuss and review their own work looking for strengths and areas that can be improved. POINT OF VIEW Talk about the concept of first and third person narrative. Have students identify the narrator in other books and stories they have read, and in their own writing. Encourage students to share their first person narratives with the class. CHANGE THE CHARACTERS Have groups discuss ideas for cartoons that have the same moral and problems as one of the fables, but different characters (for example two students in trouble with the teacher). Students will then need to sequence and link important aspects of the story in a cartoon. After students have drawn a cartoon they can tell a story about it to a partner. WRITE A FABLE If necessary revise the structure of a narrative. Encourage students to use other fables as a model for their own writing. Published fables could be compiled into a class book. FOLLOW-UP/EXTENSION Invite groups to act out the two fables. Encourage students to emphasise the human weaknesses which the fables highlight. 63

3 BLM 49 Name Date What s the moral? What is a moral? Explain it in your own words. Read the moral at the end of The Enemies. In your own words, write what you think it means. Sometimes the moral is not stated at the end of a fable. It s up to the reader or listener to figure it out. Write a moral for Three Raindrops. Use your best handwriting! How does each story prove the moral? Talk about it with a partner, then write your opinion on the lines. 64 NA 3.5 NSW 2.5 Reads a wide range of written and visual texts and interprets and discusses relationships between ideas, information and events. NA 3.6 NSW 2.7 Identifies simple symbolic meaning and stereotypes in texts and discusses how writers create worlds through language which achieves a wide range of purposes.

4 Name Date BLM 50 What a performance! Imagine that you are Aesop about to tell the story The Enemies. Complete the table and use it to help you learn and remember the story. Main characters Orientation or setting Complication or problem Main events or actions Resolution Coda or moral Rehearse the story, and then tell it to a group of friends. How did you go? Review your storytelling. Strengths Areas to work on NA 3.2 NSW 2.3 Recognises that certain types of spoken texts are associated with particular audiences and purposes. NA 3.10 NSW 2.13 Recognises and discusses how own texts are adjusted to relate to different readers, how they develop the subject matter for particular purposes and audiences. 65

5 BLM 51 Name Date Point of view Stories are usually told by a narrator. The narrator in both these fables is an outsider not involved in the action. This is called third person. Choose one of the fables and rewrite it in first person that s from the point of view of someone involved in the action of the story. 66 NA 3.11 NSW Able to produce a clear text using correct sentence structure, most grammatical features and punctuation conventions of the text type. NA 3.12b NSW 2.11 Consistently makes informed attempts at spelling. NSW 2.12 Writes using consistent shape, size, slope and formation. Demonstrates basic desktop skills on the computer.

6 Name Date BLM 52 Change the characters Draw a cartoon that has the same moral and problem as Three Raindrops or The Enemies, but uses different characters. Tell a partner a story about your cartoon. NA 3.7 NSW 2.8 Identifies, discusses and uses the grammatical features and the structures of a range of text types to create meaning. 67

7 BLM 53 Name Date Write a fable Now it s your turn to write a fable. Use the table to plan your fable before drafting, editing and publishing on separate paper. My Fable Plan The moral my fable will prove My fable characters The setting of my fable The problem in my fable The series of events in my fable The resolution of my fable 68 NA 3.12b NSW 2.11 Consistently makes informed attempts at spelling. NA 3.10 NSW 2.13 Recognises and discusses how own texts are adjusted to relate to different readers, how they develop the subject matter for particular purposes and audiences.