This document discusses using folktales to teach language and culture. It proposes exploring how to create thematic units centered around folktales that teach language concepts while reinforcing cultural understanding. The presenter aims to provide strategies for novice teachers and learners to stay in the target language. Neuroscience research is discussed showing how stories activate more areas of the brain than plain facts alone. Various forms of assessment centered around folktales are proposed, including illustrating stories, acting out tales, discussing characters, and writing original legends.

1. Authentic Folktales to Spark
Communication and Culture
WAFLT 2017
Paris Granville

2. Purpose
Explore how to use
folktales as the focus of
motivating, language-rich
thematic units that teach
and reinforce language
and cultural concepts.
Gain strategies that
empower novice learners
and teachers to remain in
the target language.

3. Who I am Now

4. Who I was

6. Neuroscience of
Storytelling

7. PureInformation
Lightsonlylightsup
languageareasof
brain

8. Colorful
Metaphorslight
up SensoryAreas

9. Retention

10. Hardwired

11. NeuralCoupling

12. Storybecomesthelistener’sown

13. Simple
Story the
Better

14. Stories =Oxytocin

15. Why Folktales

16. Languages
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17. Levels
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18. Culturally Responsive Teaching
Zaretta Hammond
Relationships
Rigo
Relevance
Real
Heightened
Engagement

19. Cultural Appropriation

20. Whatmakes
astory
memorable?

21. Human Spectrogram

22. What country do you identify with?
What was your childhood story?

23. How many years in Education?
What made the story compelling?

24. Compelling
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25. DangerofaSingleStory

26. Invitations

27. Stay
Engaged

28. TakeCareofNeeds

29. Personalize

30. Authentic

31. Creating
Performance-
based
Assessment

32. Interpretive Assessment
Assessment Objective
Read an Aztec myth
you’ve never read
before. Illustrate the
story with six pictures
and copy captions from
the story or create your
own.
Students will
demonstrate
understanding of
authentic myths set in
past Aztec times.

33. Los diosesaztecas se reúnen.

34. Interpretive Assessment
Assessment Objective
Listen to and act out
a simple 10-sentence
Senegalese folktale.
Students show that
the understand a story
when told

35. Interpersonal Assessment
Assessment Objective
Discuss with teacher
to retell an authentic
story
Students will retell an
authentic Cajun
folktale in
conversation with the
teacher/native
speaker/other student

36. Video Clip Retelling Story

37. Interpersonal Assessment
Assessment Objective
Students are able
discuss the character
traits and choices.
They compare them
to people they know.
Discuss the main
characters, main idea,
setting, and important
events found in age-
appropriate, culturally
authentic texts.

38. Video Clip Story Map
Rubric p. 9

39. Presentational Assessment
Assessment Objective
Handcrafted book (or
PowerPoint) to tell how
animals got their
unusual
characteristics.
Students will write
their own legend.

40. Assessment
Ladder
pp. 24-25

41. Designing Learning Experiences

42. The Key to Making Literature Accessible
Pre-Reading
Reading
Post-Reading
Pre-Reading
Reading
Post-Reading

43. Demo Lesson
Context