Elements of Fables and Folktales

The children have read several fables and folktales and are working hard to identify the important elements of each.  They have also read many versions of the same fable and have compared the similarities and differences between them. They understand that a fable has a moral, or lesson that is taught through the words, thoughts or actions of the animals who are personified. In most cases the moral is not clearly stated, but the children need to make an inference or "read between the lines" to fully understand the lesson. We will continue with this unit for the next few weeks, and focus on how the moral of a fable connects to the children's lives.