Activities for "The Tortoise & the Hare" an Aesop Fable

1-2-3 Come Do Some Aesop's Fables Craftivities With Me

Do you read fables as part of your genre studies? I do.
They are a simple & quick way to cover a variety of standards and my students really enjoy them.

Since my fairy tale “flip ups”, “sliders” and “wheel” craftivities have been such fun for students & easy for teachers to implement, I decided to use the same format for a collection of Aesop’s Fables.

“The Tortoise & the Hare” story, is the first in a series, so if there's a favorite fable you'd like an activity for, you can e-mail me. (dianehen@teachwithme.com)

First up, as a super-fun way to retell "The Tortoise & the Hare" is a "Flip-the-Face" craftivity.

Children have two options: They can choose to make a turtle or a rabbit.

The "flip-up booklet" is only 4-pages long, which keeps things simple even for young children.
All four pages are on a one-page pattern, making printing a breeze.

Students color, cut & collate the pages, then staple them to the base and glue on the cover.

I purposely did not number the pages, so that you can easily check & assess comprehension.

For writing practice, older students can use the back of the page to jot down what’s taking place.
I’ve also included a blank page pattern, should you want your students to illustrate their own booklets.

As a writing prompt, there’s an optional page that asks: “What is the moral of the story?” The "slider" & wheel craftivities have this on a worksheet, which students complete & color.

So teachers can quickly and easily make an example to share, I’ve included full color versions, as well as black & white patterns for students.

This flip up, as well as the "slider" & storytelling wheel, all come with a different “Here’s What Happened” worksheet, which provides further writing practice, and another means to check comprehension.

When everyone is done with whatever craftivity you've made, sequence the story as a whole group, by calling on children to explain what’s happening for that graphic.

Afterwards, have students pick a partner and take turns retelling the fable to each other, then encourage them to share their booklet with their families, to once again reinforce these standards.

Completed "flip-ups" make a cute bulletin board too.

Next up is "The Tortoise & the Hare" slider craft, which will also help your students retell the story in the proper order.

As with the "flip up", there are 2 outside slider options to choose from: a turtle or the rabbit.

Students color the story elements on the “slider strip” then cut and glue it together.

As they pull on the end of this strip, the various pictures go through the “window” on the animal’s belly, so that children can take turns retelling the story to a partner or reading buddy, then take their craftivity home to share with their family, once again practicing these standards.

I introduce the lesson by reading the fable, then share my completed "slider craft” with my students.

After I read the story, we retell the tale together using the picture prompts on my slider.

I have them guess which story element they think comes next, before I pull the picture through the “window”.

My students now know what’s expected of them, and are very excited to transition to making an Aesop’s fable slider of their own.

This packet also has several worksheets to further reinforce sequencing, practice writing and as an easy & additional means to assess comprehension.

Finally, another way to practice retelling "The Tortoise & the Hare" is with a storytelling wheel.

There are 3 different wheel options. The first one is a bunny’s backside, complete with a cotton ball tail.

This would be the turtle’s view of the rabbit as he dashes ahead in the race. You don't have to add the feet, but I think it adds to the cuteness, and just takes a few minutes more.

The next option is a turtle topper.

The turtle peeks out at the top of the wheel that he's holding.

For more of a contrast, I printed the wheel pattern on green construction paper. You could use a variety of colors and give children a choice.

Finally, the third pattern is the easiest, as it's just a simple circle wheel, which children color and cut out; making it perfect for little ones with limited cutting ability or if you're in a time crunch.

Because Aesop's fables are very short, the wheels have just 4 “pie sections”, making this a simple enough craftivity for preschool children.

Likewise, because the graphic circle is divided into fourths, be sure and take that teachable moment to review fractions, with kinders & first graders.

My students easily wrap their heads around whole & half, but have a bit of difficulty getting quarters, which is one of the reasons I limited the graphics to 4, so that I could immerse them in yet another example.

When everyone is done, practice telling “The Tortoise & the Hare” using the manipulative by simply turning the wheel. Call on a child to explain what’s happening in that graphic.

This packet also has the additional writing prompt worksheets.

Because Mother's Day is just around the corner, the featured FREEBIE for today, is a sweet butterfly craft that's made by tracing a child's foot with their shoe on.