1. WHAT IS A FOLK TALE?
Third Grade

2. WHAT IS A FOLKTALE?
 A folktale is a story which began with oral storytelling
 Passed down through the ages
 Teaches a lesson
 Explains why things are as they are

3. CHARACTERISTICS
 Simple and straightforward
 Includes magic powers
 Characters represent human qualities such as good, evil, wisdom,
foolishness, laziness
 Problems are clear
 Ending usually happy or satisfying
 Good usually rewarded, evil punished

4. TYPES OF FOLKTALES
 Trickster tales
 Fables
 fairytales

5. TRICKSTER TALES
 One character is clever and devious
 Causes problems for another
 Is usually unpunished
 Different cultures have specific tricksters

6. FABLES
 Short stories
 Teach a lesson
 Animal characters with human characteristics
 Stress themes such as: the value of cooperation, looking at problems
from different viewpoints
 Morals are not stated directly
 Listener must find their own moral in the tale

7. FAIRYTALES
 Include a good and bad character
 A hero or heroine
 Magic or fantasy
 Includes predictable beginnings and endings: “Once upon a time”
“happily ever after”
 Problem which is usually over come through kindness, courage,
intelligence

8. T H E F OX A N D T H E S I C K L I O N

9. THE END
 Essential question?
 Can you read a story and tell if it is a folktale?
 What is the message or lesson of the story?