Traveling the World with Folktales and NonfictionBy Denise B. Geier

Even adults are not as iarniliar with geography asthey could be. Television hosts have spotlightedthat fact with questions to the man on the streetthat resulted in humorous responses. The recenctelevision program Are You Smarter than a FifihGrader illustrated adults' lack of knowledge ofworld geography. National Geographic EducationFoundations Roper Report (2006) indicatedthat six in 10 Americans aged 18-24 could notlocate Iraq on a wotid map, despite a war thathas been covered nightly on the news since thefirst U.S. invasion in March 2003. Additionally,75 percent could not locate Indonesia on a worldmap despite extensive television coverage of theDecember 2004 tsunami.

Stories are a great way to acquaint young learnerswith geographic locations. A plethora of choicesis available in the folktale genre, so librarians andteachers will have little difficulty locating a variety.Folktales provide an accessible and child friendlyapproach for engaging students. In addition, whenconnections are made between stories, bets, andother meaningful classroom activities, retentionis greater. Add a map and some support fromnonfiction trade books, the Internet, and even theencyclopedia, and young students will be able todazzle adults with their geography knowledge.

INTEGRATING THE CURRICULUM ANDADDRESSING THE STANDARDSSince lolktales are so versatile, teachers canintegrate language arts with social studieswhile providing a conduit to foreign languages,technology, the arts, and even mathematics.Folktales also ixilflll the need to address theNational Committee of Social Studies standardsregarding cultural and global connections.Folktales are .stories that appeal to children as theyoften incorporate humorous elements, fairy talequalities, and human and animal characteristics.Although folktales appear to be simple in style,diey incorporate chants, interesting vocabulary,and other elements of storytelling.

THE FOLKTALES PROJECT: A MELDINGOF FICTION AND NONFICTIONThis project uses folktales as read-alouds. In thisway, the oral tradition of the genre remains alive.Folktales have both conflict and aaion and immersereaders into the plot, often within the first fewsentences. They immediately capture attention.Combined widi their universal themes such xsverstis evil, love conquering all, and intelligence

trumping strength, folktales appeal to youn^ters.

Before commencing the project, purchasing alarge world map and displaying it in the libraryor classroom is a necessity. It is best if the map isused for only one year, so locations can be markedon the map as folktales are presented and activitiescorrelating to them are incorporated into it.

Plan a goal for the project to introduce onefolktale per week. With a school year ofapproximately 40 weeks, students will learn thelocation and some facts about 40 countries andwill have the benefit of being able to connect theinfotmation with a folktale. Following the readingof the folktale, learners will explore some factsand information about the country itself usingtrade books that focus on introducing countriesand cultures. Integrating technology by visitingWeb sites such as National Geographic andGoogle Earth can add much to make the lessonrelevant and visually appealing.

It is imperative that teachers disctiss the folktalegenre with students prior to embarking on aunit or yearlong program that will focus on thesestories. As part of the discussion, teachers shouldemphasize that folktales do not convey facts. Thiswill help to ensure that students do not see thetn asrepresentative of todays culture in those countries.

CONNECTIONSWhen possible, connecting the folktales to thearts and world languages provides opportunitiesto engage learners through the multipleintelligences. Asking students to illtistrate storiesor some aspect of the country's facts, askingthem to dramatize the folktale, or to presentit using puppets will result in engaging alllearners. Teachers may also find ways for familiesto share their cultures through the variety offolktales selected. Integrating music from folktalecountries is another method of connecting tothe multiple intelligences of the students in theclassroom. Games always interest young children,so choosing a game to coordinate with the studyof any country would be a good method for totalclassroom participation.

LANGUAGE ARTSPresenting folktales as rcad-alouds is only oneoption. Using them as a reading theater activityprovides another choice. Since Readers Theateractivities build fluency, this activity can addressmultiple instructional goaJs. Ieachers might also

consider asking students to present a skit later inthe week, based on the folktale introduced earlier.This option provides an opportunity for smallgroup work, integrates writing, and serves as anoutlet for creativity. This small group work canserve as a flexible group during guided readingperiods or as a suggestion for what the otherstudents do while the teacher is working with asmall group.

MATHEMATICS CONNECTIONSAt the start of the unit, the home locationshould be marked on the map with a star.Math might be integrated into the lesson byhaving students determine the number of milesbetween the home location and the folktalelocation. Depending on the grade level wherethe project is conducted, longitude and latitudeof the folktale country also can become partof the lesson. Upper elementary students alsocould be engaged in writing questions that askothers to identify target countries based on morecreative descriptions such as which countryis X degrees below the equator or y degreeseast of the international dateline. Additionally,bringing in the nonfiction pieces opens a venuefor introducing learners to the currency of thecountry, converting dollars into that currtrticy,and other such mathematical connections.

CREATIVE AND REAL WORLDCONNECTIONSTeachers might consider the heritage of theirstudents as they select the folktales and countrieshighlighted. This might open the door toengaging families to share customs, artifacts,clothing, or language wich students. My ownexperience with this brought some Ecuadorianparents into a classroom to share some beautifulclothing, dolls, and pictures of their country. Thc-ywere parents who might otherwise never havevisited the school, so the project served more thanone purpose.

Considering a pen pal project with one or moreof the countries addressed throughout the yearalso would be enriching for students. With theability to connect through the Internet, teachersare able to locate schools that may be interested instich a project.

COLLABORATIONThis projea is ideal for collaboration betweenlibrarian and classroom teachers, and can include

3 4 LiSRARY MEDIA CONNFCTIOW May/June 2009

other specialists such as the art, music, and even

the physical education teacher As new folktales

are explored, games can be played that ate

representative of the target culture. Technology

teachers will find limitless ways to connect this

project with hands-on exploration.

ASSESSING LEARNINGPeriodically teachers can assess learning by

distributing blank maps and asking students to

locate folktale countries on the map. They might

also ask students to write some facts about each

of the countries, dramatize some aspect ot the

country, or write student-created stories that take

place within a selected country. This project also

opens the door for individual reporting about

a coLintr)', an activity that could involve more

in-depth research.

At the end of the year, students will be familiar

with about 40 countries, their cultures, and at

least one folktale from each country. They will

leave your classroom as one of the four stutients

who will be able to find Iraq on a world map and

identify Indonesia!

SOME SUGGESTED FOLKTALES TO GETYOU STARTED:Amazon Region

McOermott, Gerald./¿¿«ri the Tortoise. A Trickster

Tale from the Amazon. San Diego, California:

Harcourt, 2001. ISBN: 978-0-13-200496-5.

Providing a beautiful explanation of how theAmazon birds got their colors, this story can

;il.so provide a connection to learning about the

rainforest's birds.

v tPQUR BEAK SONrrArctic

Dabcovich. Lydia. The

Poliir Bear Son: An ¡nuitTale. New York: ClarionBooks. 1997. ISBN:

978-0-.395'97367-l.

An author's note providing information about the

limit follows this beautiful story of bow an oldwoman raised a polar bear cub.

Bali

MacDonald, Margaret Read. Go to Sleep, Gecko!

A Balinese Folktale. Little Rock, Arkansas: August

House Littlcl-olk, 2006. ISBN: 978-0-87483-780-3.

Tolerance and the cycle of life are illustrated in

lilis tale.

China

Casey, Dawn. The Great Race:

The Story of the Chinese Zodiac.

Cambridge, Massachusetts:Barefoot Books, 2006. ISBN:

978-1-905236-77-0.

This unforgettable storj' about the13 animals racing to he first in the calendar will

make the Chinese zodiac come alive for students.

Cuba

Deedy, Carmen Agra. Martina the Beautiful

Cockroach. Atlanta, Georgia: Peachtree Publishers,

2007. ISBN: 978-1-56145-399-3.

Spanish words are integrated into this humorous

tale about how a grandmother's advice proves to

be valuable.

Haiti

MacDonald. Amy. Please, Malese! A Trickster Tale

from Haiti. New York: Fatrar. Straus & Giroux.

2002. ISBN: 978-0-374-36000-9.

Lazy Malese finds a way to trick his neighbors

into providing him with a plush lifestyle.

Japan

Norfolk, Bobby. Billy Brown and the Belly ButtonBeastie: ¡nspired hy a Japanese Folktale. Little Rock.Arkansas: August House LittlcFolk, 20Ü8. ISBN:978-0-87483-831-2.

Based on a Japanese folktale, Billy Brown neglects

bis mother's warning to stay covered while

sleeping and when he wakes up, he finds his belly

button gone. Billy tricks the Belly Button Beastie

into returning it.

Palestine

MacDonald, MargaretRead. Tunjur! Tunjur!Tunjur! A PalestinianFolktale. Tarrytown, NewYork: Marshall CavendishChildren's Books. 2006.ISBN: 978-0-7614-5225-6.

The difference between right and wrong comesthrough loud and clear with this story about the"lunjur, the Arabic word for cooking pot.

Panama

MacDonald, Margaret

Read. Conejito: A Folktale

from ¡•'anama. Little Rock,

Arkansas: August HouseLittleFolk, 2006. ISBN:978-0-87483-779-7.

Spanish words arc integrated into this humoroustale where a little rabbit outwits some bullies witha littie help from bis aunt.

Russia

I'olatco, Patricia. Bahushka

Baba Yaga. New York:

Philomel Books, 1993, ISBN:978-0-399-22531-4.

Judging others based on onesown experiences as oppo.si;d to

other's stories is the theme (hatis illustrated in this charming story.

SUGGESTED NONFICTIONTRADE BOOKSMost school and public libraries contain sets of

country books appropriate tor young readers.Some examples are listed below.

Countries: Faces and Places tset/series]. Child's

World. (Grades 3-6).

Set of 15 books.

Countries of the World [set/series]. Bridgestone

Books (Capstone Pres.s). (Grades K-3)

Set of 40 hooks.

GAMES AROUND THE WORLDErtbach, Arlcnc. Sidewalk Games around the World.

Minneapolis. Minne.sota: Millbrook Press. 1997.

ISBN: 978-0-7613-0178-3.

Ripoll, Oriol. Play with Us: 100 Games from

aromidthe World. Chicago: Chicago Review Press,

Distributed hy Independent Publishers Gtoup,2002. ISBN: 978-1-55652-594-0.

Sierra, Judy. Children's Traditional Games: Games

from 137 Countries and Cultures. Westport, CT:

Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995. ISBN:

978-0-89774-967-1.

INTERNET SITESAsk Asia: www.askasia.org/

Time for Kids: Faraway Places at Your Fingertips:www.timeforkids.com/TFK/bh/gopIaces/

Kids Culture Center: www.kidsculturecenter.com/

Kids Web Japan: http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/

National Geographic Kids:htip://kids.nacionalgcographic.com/ ••

Denise B. Geier, Ed.D.,a former eiementary principal

and curriculum director, isan educational consultant

in New Jersey

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