Writing MODERN FABLES

A webquest for 3rd. Year of ESO

pilar Marin Santolaya

INTRODUCTION

Do you remember ever reading or hearing fables?. Who is Aesop?. You have surely heard about the Little Boy Who Cried Wolf or the Fox and the Grapes.

Think back about what you learned from these fables. Did reading the story change the way you acted in certain situations?

A fable is a story with the intention of teaching a lesson about life. You will have to read fables and understand their morals. You will use your creativity to write a modern version of a fable... Would you like your fables to go into a book? LET’S GET STARTED!

TASK

Along this task you will:Along this task you will:

Learn about Aesop life and his timeLearn about Aesop life and his time Read, understand and analyze his fablesRead, understand and analyze his fables Adapt his fables to our times.Adapt his fables to our times.

You will work in pairs to create your fables. Collaborative work is an You will work in pairs to create your fables. Collaborative work is an essential part in the elaboration and success of YOUR BOOK. So, share essential part in the elaboration and success of YOUR BOOK. So, share your ideas and suggestions and be open to those of your colleagues. your ideas and suggestions and be open to those of your colleagues. Good luck and have fun!Good luck and have fun!

Your task will be to write a class book of modern Your task will be to write a class book of modern fables created by YOU. The book will be edited by the fables created by YOU. The book will be edited by the reprography department and will be registered in our reprography department and will be registered in our school library.school library.

PROCESS

Step 1.- Aesop’s life

Step 2.- Understanding Aesop fables

Step 3.-Preparing your work

Step 4.- Writing your fable

Step 1.- Aesop’s life

You will do some research about Aesop using the following links.  You will gather information about Aesop's life, where and when he lived, his family, education, etc,

http://www.2020site.org/aesop/aesop.htmlhttp://www.fairytalescollection.com/Aesop_Fables/Aesop_biography.htmhttp://union.k12.mo.us/clarkvitt/emints/pen/fableWQ/facts.htm

As an example, you can have a look at other biographies by clicking on the following image

Now that you know more about Aesop, you will learn about the time he lived in through this on-line game about life in Ancient Greece. Click on the following image:

Answer the questions in the following worksheet. It will help us write Aesop’s biography

For YOUR BOOK, we will write Aesop’s biography together according to your notes, knowledge and worksheets!

Click on the following images to read the fables and guess the moral among the options given.

The lion’s shareThe tortoise and the hare

The caged bird The selfish horse

Step 2.- Fables

After reading, discuss with your colleague about:

What do these stories have in common?

Why do you think Aesop wrote the stories?

Why do most of the stories have animals as characters?

Who are the characters?

What is the problem and solution of the story?

What is the moral of the fables?

 

 

Now that you are familiar with morals, each pair will choose two of the following Aesop fables to analyze them more deeply.

The Fox and the Grapes The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse The Lion and the Mouse 

The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing  The Hunter and the Woodsman  The Boy Who Cried Wolf 

The Frogs and the Well  The Lion and the Eagle  The Serpent and the Eagle 

While you are reading, complete this table by clicking here.

GREAT!. Now that you have finished reading and analysing some Aesop’s fables, go on to Step 3.

PROCESS

Step 1.- Aesop’s life

Step 2.- Understanding Aesop fables

Step 3.-Preparing your work

Step 4.- Writing your fable

Step 3.- Planning

•Start planning your fable by filling this worksheet

•You can view some students adaptations of Aesop’s fables by clicking on the image

•Your next step is to plan your two fables.

Think about the characters.Use animals as Aesop did.

Think about where your fable will take place (bus, a shopping centre, school, house, supermarket)

Don’t forget to include your moral

Step 4.- Writing your fable

Now you will start writing your fables.

SOME FINAL TIPS

•Give your fables a creative title•Give your characters a name•Write in paragraphs.•Be careful with tenses in the different parts of the fable (you will have to use the past in the beginning and then the present in actions)•Describe your characters and personalities.•Use a variety of verbs, adjectives and adverbs.•Make sure your sentences make sense. •Punctuate your sentences correctly.•Include creative illustrationsRevise your fable at least three times

GREAT WORK AND EFFORT!

Now we will work all together to finish YOUR BOOK by:

Creating and attractive cover for the book (from your suggestions)

Writing a brief Aesop´s biography (from you biography worksheets)

Writing an index with the fable and name of the author. (title of your fables and name of the authors)

AND THEN, DIRECTLY TO THE REPROGRAHY DEPARTMENT

EVALUATION

FABLE 3 2 1Characters The main characters are named and

clearly described in text as well as pictures. The characters are described accurately.

The main characters are named and described. The reader have some idea of what the characters looked like.

The main characters are named. The reader knows very little about the characters.

Setting Many vivid, descriptive words are used to tell when and where the story took place.

Some vivid, descriptive words are used to tell the audience when and where the story took place.

The reader can figure out when and where the story took place, but the author didn't give much detail.

Problem/Conflict It is very easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face and why it is a problem.

It is fairly easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face and why it is a problem.

It is fairly easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face but it is not clear why it is a problem.

Moral The moral is clearly stated and relates directly to the events of the fable.

The moral is easy to understand and it is somewhat related to the events of the fable.

The moral and its relationship to the fable is a little hard to understand.

Total: 12 points

2.- DEVELOPING WORK! 4.- GOOD WORK! 6.- EXCELLENT WORK!

TEXT LEVEL The fable is not bad but not very original.

The organization of the fable is not very good.

The fable is a bit difficult to understand.

The atmosphere of the setting is not really seen.

Original fable but with some mistakes.

Paragraphs are clear and make sense.

The fable is structured and can be understood.

Quite easy to understand.

The atmosphere of the setting is frequently seen.

The fable is imaginative, original and interesting.

Paragraphs are very well defined.

The fable includes relevant and interesting illustrations.

The fable catches the reader’s attention from the beginning.

The atmosphere of the setting is clearly seen.

SENTENCE LEVEL

Mixed tenses not properly used.

Sentences are confusing and difficult to understand.

Punctuation errors which affect understanding.

Most tenses are properly used.

Most sentences make sense throughout the fable.

Punctuation is appropriate and does not affect understanding.

Tenses are well used all along the fable.

Sentences make sense and are well sequenced.

Good use of punctuation which leads to a better understanding of the fable.

WORD LEVEL Repeated words all along the fable.

Poor variety of verbs.

Poor choice of vocabulary.

A lot of spelling mistakes

Most verbs are well chosen

There are some repeated words

There are few spelling mistakes.

Quite good use of adjectives

No spelling mistakes

Excellent and varied use of verbs

Good choice of adjectives and adverbs.

Rich use of vocabulary.

Total:18 points

Finally, fill in the following

SELF-EVALUATION CHART(includes suggestions for improvement)

CONCLUSION

EXCELLENT WORK AUTHORS!!!

You have learned about Aesop, his time and his fables. As you have seen, the morals of his fables are universal and timeless. They can be easily adaptable to our present time.

YOUR BOOK with your fables, will remain in our library for a long time. Perhaps, in twenty years time, one of your children will tell you that they have read your fable at school!

Now have some fun with fables by clicking on the following link

Cartoons: Fun with Fables