Arrow to the sun: a Pueblo Indian tale by Gerald McDermott. New York: The Viking Press, 1974.

            ISBN: 0670133698

            Annotation: the story of a boy who is the son of the sun, how he is made fun of by others because he doesn’t have a father and how he finds his father and proves himself.

            Media: art was done in gouache and ink, printed in mead mate.

            Rating: 4Q/3P

            Literary device:  metaphor

  Armando Rivera 7-05-09

 

Arrow to the sun: A Pueblo Indian tale, by Gerald McDermott. New York: Viking, 1974.

ISBN: 978-0670133697

Annotation: McDermott’s vivid, blocky paintings add energy, interest, and a completely unique look to his retelling of this traditional tale.

Curricular Use: 5^th-6^th grade; World Culture, Folklore and Myths

Illustrations: gouache, ink

4Q/4P

DM 6/13/09

 

 

Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale by Gerald McDermott. New York: Viking Press, 1974.

 

ISBN: 0670133698

 

 

 

This folktale explains how the sun’s rays reached the earth, and how the little boy who was born from this interaction came to be loved rather than shunned by his community.

 

 

 

Curriculum Connections: Elementary School, subject: Folktale/Native American Culture

 

 

 

Media: gouache and ink

 

 

 

Rating: 4Q/4P

 

 

 

Lesson Plan: Folk Tales

Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale by Gerald McDermott. New York: Viking Press, 1974.

 

ISBN: 0670133698

 

 

 

Cuckoo: A Mexican Folktale, by Lois Ehlert. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1997.

 

ISBN: 015200274X

 

 

 

Tale of Rabbit and Coyote, The by Tony Johnston and Tomie dePaola, ill. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1994.

 

ISBN: 0399222588

 

 

 

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema and Leo and Diane Dillon, ill. New York: Dial, 2004.

 

ISBN: 0-590-10294-X

 

 

 

Grades: Elementary School

 

 

 

Time: nine classes of about an hour each in length

 

 

 

Supplies: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, Cuckoo, The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote, Arrow to the Sun, writing and drawing paper, watercolors and colored pencils and markers, hole punch and yarn for book-binding

 

 

 

Overview: This lesson plan is for a folktale immersion, beginning with four days readings of the above international folktales followed by a two-day writing session, a two-day illustration session, and a one-day culminating session in which each student’s folktale will be made into a book.

 

 

 

Reading/Discussion Questions: After reading each book, ask the students what answer the fairytale gives for the accompanying questions (ie: Why do mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears today?, How did the cuckoo lose her brightly colored feathers?, and Why do coyotes now howl at the moon?). Also discuss with students the storytelling techniques (the pacing, the side characters, the repetition) used in these folktales.

 

 

 

Activity:

 

1. On the third and final day’s reading, brainstorm with students about other ideas for folktales. Come up with a list of animals and plants and their corresponding unique characteristics. Ask the students to imagine how these qualities may have come about. Some examples might be—Why do dogs try to eat flies? Why do dogs wag their tales when they’re happy, and cats when they’re angry? After you’ve got a good-sized list going on the board, have them sit down and write short 2-to-3-paragraph folktales.  

    

2. On the final day of this lesson plan, have the students divide their text to go along with separate page illustrations.

    

3. Punch holes in the students’ pages, and thread yarn through the holes to make a folktale book.

    

 

 

 

 Posted by LA 4/4/8