Aesop s Fable: The Boy Who Cried Wolf Lesson Objectives: 1. Teaching from the known to the unknown: the students will first learn about a similar true tale in Chinese history. We will then tell Aesop s tale, written about 100 + years later, which is not true. In small group discussion the students will learn to compare and contrast these two tales. 2. The students will recite Aesop s tale as a jazz chant, working on intonation, fluency, pronunciation, and confidence. 3. The students will answer the 5 W s to make sure they understand the tale. 4. The students will act out the tale while a chorus recites the jazz chant. This will increase the students confidence as well as continue working on intonation and fluency. 5. In small groups the students will change the ending and make up their own tale. The students will tell their tales to the class to increase their skills in diction and confidence. 6. The students will learn that to tell a lie is a sin. 7. The students will increase their English vocabulary. 8. The students will learn a new idiom. 9. The students will do drills to encourage correct pronunciation. 10. The students will be encouraged to speak only English, and to enjoy the study. ESL Objectives for the Advanced Student: Pronunciation - result of producing the sounds of speech, including articulation, stress, and intonation, often with reference to the English standard of correctness or acceptability. Pronunciation drills on the following sounds are included: /th/ /l/ /v/ /w/ /short e/ Diction - usually implies a high level of usage; it refers chiefly to the choice of words and their arrangement. This is encouraged when the students make substitutions, vary their tales, or create their own skits. We want to encourage the students to use their English! Vocabulary - learning new words of a foreign language. Includes idiomatic expressions. Fluency - able to speak smoothly, easily, gracefully, and readily. All ESL methods seek to increase fluency. Intonation - the sound pattern of phrases and sentences produced by pitch variation in the voice which distinguishes kinds of sentences of different language cultures. Jazz chants are for the purpose of working on intonation. Confidence levels increase the more students speak in front of their classmates, when the students are encouraged to vary their stories and make substitutions, and through skits.
FIRST HOUR: 45 minutes I. Review: review vocabulary words and idioms from previous day s lesson. Call on the students (Chinese students typically do not volunteer) for definitions. OR, give the definition and call on a student for the word. II. III. IV. Have the students stand and rehearse a jazz chant or sing a song, or do a quick TPR. (This gets the brain ready for new work to learn.) Introduce fables (make believe stories, each with a serious meaning for our lives) Introduce vocabulary. Some pictures may be necessary for some of the words (Law of Common Language). Vocabulary: shepherd frightened wolf fable spoof joke weary ponder wander trick beacon-fire generals kingdom trust rescue ridiculous moral bored lie sin capitol V. Discuss the definition of a lie, and to ask if it is right or wrong. Introduce the concept of sin because it is vocabulary. A discussion at the end of the 3 rd hour will be necessary. VI. Teaching from known to unknown: Introduce Aesop s fable by first telling them the true story of Zhou You Wang. Be careful to note that while this is a true story in their history, 100 years later Aesop would tell a similar story as a fable. A True Chinese Tale King Zhou You Wang - reigned 781-770 B.C. When we look at the Great Wall we notice towers spaced along the wall. Beacon fires were lit in these towers to alert the people that the capitol was under attack by the enemy. The beacon fires summoned the other kings for their help. There was a very stupid king in Chinese history named Zhou You Wang. He had a very beautiful wife named Bao Shi. However, she did not like to smile or laugh. The king thought of many methods to make his beautiful wife smile happily. He finally planned a very ridiculous idea. He would light the beacon-fire. When he did so the kings from the other kingdoms and the generals thought that Zhou You Wang s capitol was in great danger, and they came to help with their armies. When they arrived, they found that it was just a joke. The beautiful wife smiled and laughed, but Zhou You Wang lost trust among the other kings and generals. Then, when real danger came, no one came to rescue him. At last, Zhou You Wang s kingdom was destroyed. VII. VI. Tell them the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf in short form We have chosen not to write this out for you as this is so well know. Lead discussion on same/different; compare and contrast the two stories, one true, one a fable.
SECOND HOUR: 45 minutes I. Review: Review vocabulary words from first hour. II. III. IV. Using 5 W s (Who, What, When, Where, Why) questions. Review Zhou You Wang s story and the fable. Ask students, What happened next? to see if they understand both stories. Pronunciation Drills: A. The shepherd boy was very, very weary. B. The shepherd boy lived in the fields, and the valleys. C. There is no wolf I lied! D. The boy cried, Wolf, wolf, wolf! E. The moral of this story is to always tell the truth! Introduce the jazz chant. Explain that we are working on fluency, intonation, and rhythm, while building confidence. V. Teaching Jazz Chants: Jazz Chants help non-native speakers get the "feel" of American English. The student learns the stress, rhythm, and intonation patterns by "doing" them. It's a very effective and enjoyable way to learn. A. Steps in teaching a jazz chant: 1. Be sure students know all the key vocabulary. 2. Have the students follow the chant in their Student Workbook. 3. Read the entire chant to the class - slowly 4. Read one line at a time and have students repeat the line until they can say most of the words. 5. Add the rhythm (clapping, marching, slapping their thighs, pounding the table or a drum). Let the class do the rhythm and say it at the same time. B. Note the underlined words. These are the words that are stressed. Jazz chants follow a rhythm or beat. Have them clap on the stressed words to get the rhythm. THIS IS IMPORTANT AS JAZZ CHANTS ARE MEANT TO TEACH THE RHYTHM OF THE LANGUAGE, as well as training the students learning to speak English a little quicker. The Boy Who Cried Wolf Jazz Chant Note the stressed words There once was a shepherd boy Who cared for farmers sheep. He lived out in the fields And for days said not a peep. The shepherd boy grew weary, He was lonely, bored, and pondered... For sheep did not talk back to him They only ate and wandered. He had a great idea! That he thought was very funny. He would cry out, Wolf! Wolf! And the whole town would come running. When the people came to save the sheep, The boy laughed till he cried. Ha! Ha! Said he I played a joke There is no wolf I lied!! Again the boy grew tired and bored. Again he played his trick. The town s people grew tired too, And said he made them sick! One day a wolf came near the sheep, The shepherd boy was frightened. Again he cried out, Wolf! Wolf! But no one came to save him. The wolf ate sheep for lunch that day, Then killed the shepherd boy. He could not play his joke again. The farmers had no joy. The moral of this story Is as plain as this boy s spoof. If you want long life and happiness, Always tell the truth!!
VI. VII. Small Group Work: A. Break students into groups of four by having the students count off by 4 s. B. Assign the entire chant. (If your students are not this advanced, assign each group of four one section of the chant.) C. Have the students practice until they have much of it memorized, using the technique of read and look up as they work their way through the chant. (They are grasping chunks of language and placing these chunks in their minds.) D. Assign the teacher and the assistants to work with various pairs, listening for correct pronunciation, etc. Assign some students to act out the chant and the rest of the students recite it while clapping on the stressed words. THIRD HOUR: 45 minutes I. Introduce Idiom A. Explain that every country has idioms and unless you know some of them, it is often hard to understand what someone is saying. An idiom is a phrase, a few words, that says one thing but means quite another. 1. Write the following Chinese idiom on the black board: yi [ee] jyu [jew] liang [lee-ahng] de [duh] 2. It literally means, one action, two responses. OR Kill two birds with one stone. B. Once the students understand idiom, use the attached picture to demonstrate the new idiom of this lesson: A Wolf in Sheep s Clothing. A wolf in sheep s clothing! someone who appears harmless but is very dangerous! II. III. Working in pairs, have the students make up a different ending to the fable. A. OPTION: Instead of the students working in pairs to make up a different ending, you could have them work on reciting this as a class. You may assign a section to a group, and while reciting, have them use facial expressions to fit the tale they are telling at the moment. One group presented this in the final program. They had memorized their section. They used hand jesters, facial expressions, and even had a student be the sheep, one as the wolf, and one as the boy. The teacher made sure the audience heard the moral of the story. B. Have the students share their endings with the class (diction, working on phraseology, using their English). At the end of this entire lesson, (or at any point) the teacher and assistants lead small groups to discuss the issue of lying. Have they ever told a lie? Discuss moral of the story. See where it leads.
What did you say? He is a wolf in sheep's clothing. What did you mean? Someone who appears harmless but is very dangerous!
The Boy Who Cried Wolf! Vocabulary: shepherd frighten wolf fable spoof joke weary ponder wander trick beacon-fire generals kingdom trust rescue ridiculous moral bored lie sin capitol Idiom: A wolf in sheep s clothing! Someone who appears harmless but is very dangerous! Pronunciation Drills: The shepherd boy was very, very weary. The shepherd boy lived in the fields, and the valleys. There is no wolf I lied! The boy cried, Wolf, wolf, wolf! The moral of this story is to always tell the truth!
Jazz Chant: The Boy Who Cried Wolf (Note the stressed words) There once was a shepherd boy Who cared for farmers sheep. He lived out in the fields And for days said not a peep. The shepherd boy grew weary, He was lonely, bored, and pondered... For sheep did not talk back to him They only ate and wandered. He had a great idea! That he thought was very funny. He would cry out, Wolf! Wolf! And the whole town would come running. When the people came to save the sheep, The boy laughed till he cried. Ha! Ha! Said he I played a joke There is no wolf I lied!! Again the boy grew tired and bored. Again he played his trick. The town s people grew tired too, And said he made them sick! One day a wolf came near the sheep, The shepherd boy was frightened. Again he cried out, Wolf! Wolf! But no one came to save him. The wolf ate sheep for lunch that day, Then killed the shepherd boy. He could not play his joke again. The farmers had no joy. The moral of this story Is as plain as this boy s spoof. If you want long life and happiness, Always tell the truth!!