1-2-3 Come Do More Aesop's Fables Activities With Me

 Last week I blogged about Aesop's "The Tortoise & the Hare" fable. This week I just finished a storytelling slider and wheel craftivities for "The Wind & the Sun". 

My students really enjoy this simple and short genre, which makes the fables perfect for practicing a variety of standards, particularly sequencing and retelling a story. 

“The Wind and the Sun” is the 2nd in my Aesop's Fables series, so if you have a favorite that you’d like me to design a story wheel or slider for, you can drop me an e-mail at: dianehen@teachwithme.com

I think that the slider is easier for little ones. However; I've also done the wheels with my Young Fives with great success. 

My kiddos enjoy both, and like making them so much, that they often ask "Do we get to make a storytelling craft with this book?"

Because Aesop’s fables are very short, the wheels have just 4 “pie sections”, making this a simple enough craftivity for preschool children as well;  while teachers of kindergarten and 1st grade students, can prqctice and review fractions, particularly quarters.

There are full color patterns to use for an independent center, as well as a sample to share, plus black & white patterns, so students can make their own. I like giving both options, so that teachers have a choice, as they know what's best for their students' abilities.

When everyone is done, practice telling “The Wind and the Sun” using the manipulative.
Simply turn the wheel or pull the slider strip, then call on a child to explain what’s happening in that graphic.

Afterwards, have students pick a partner and take turns retelling the fable to each other. Sometimes we do this with our older, reading buddies.
This is a quick, easy & fun way to check comprehension as a whole group.

For writing practice, and a different way to check comprehension, have students complete the “Here’s What Happened” writing prompt worksheet, then color it.

There’s also a “What’s the Moral of the Story” worksheet as well. These comprehension checks come in both packets. I switch things up, by using different clip art.

As a real time saver for teachers, I’ve included colorful answer keys for both worksheets, which can also be used as a whole group discussion with younger kiddos.

To further check comprehension, and reinforce the “sequencing a story” standard, I’ve also included a “color, cut & glue” sequencing worksheet.

This too, comes in color as well as black & white, so that you can do the activity independently with older students, as well as a whole group lesson with little ones.

Since Mother's Day is fast approaching, today's FREEBIE is a sweet, Mother's Day cupcake card that flips up.  Click on the link to grab the pattern today.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. 

Last week here in Michigan, we had an ice storm mixed with snow (What?!), while this week we seemed to have skipped spring and bounced into summer, with temperatures in the high 70's and even a few days in the 80's! 

So it's off to go play in my garden to get it ready for planting next week, that if Mother Nature cooperates.

Wishing you a zippidy-doo-dah day, with plenty of sunshine.

"Your mind is like a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds.  You can grow flowers, or you can grow weeds." -Unknown

27 pages. Tell the Aesop's Fable of the Wind and the Sun with these story cards. A great addition to March is Reading Month. Also includes a graphing extension and "smile" with simile discussion activity.

I love using Aesop’s Fables to teach life lessons to my students.  The last week of March when we are studying wind I tell them the story of the Wind and the Sun.  I explain to them that these stories have a moral or lesson that they should learn and we discuss what that might be when I finish telling it. 

Since these fables are very short they make fun interactive stories where all of your students can get involved.  It’s not quite a Reader’s Theatre but a great introduction to that type of activity.  I’ve made some clipart cards that you can hold up while you tell the story or you can pass them out to your students to hold up at the appropriate time while you're telling it.

After you've told the story reenact it by having some of your students play the part of the wind, while some of them play the part of the sun.  Instruct the wind children to pretend to be really conceited and boisterous, puffing themselves up and blowing really hard making lots of wind noise. 

If you want the wind noise to sound realistic, help them out by downloading the sound of the wind and then playing it.  Microsoft has a variety of wind sounds that are perfect for this. Click on the link.  Wind sounds.

You’ll also need to assign students to play the part of the people that are affected by the wind and sun.  Pass out some hats so that they can toss them off when the wind blows; they’ll also need to put on their jackets or a sweater so that they can clutch them tightly when the wind students are blowing extra hard.

They can then take them off and wipe their brows and act all hot and sweaty when the sun people shine on them.  Designate a swimming area so that they can all jump in the “pond” to go swimming when the sun people reach their highest heat level.

 They can then get out of the pool and lay on the “beach” as the sun students shine over them.  The wind people can then say in unison: “Sun you have won our bet; you are the strongest!” 

During snack time I show several Aesop Fable videos.  My set stars Bill Cosby.  Click on the links to several YouTube videos of this tale. There are quite a few, but I thought these 3 were the best.  Video one.  Video two.  Video three.

Click on the link to view/print the pictures and my version of the story to go with them.  The Wind and the Sun Aesop Fable cards. Enjoy.