Exploring ONE FINE TRADE in the Classroom!

If there wasn't anything to find out,
it would be dull.
Even trying to find out and not finding out is just as interesting as trying to find out and finding out; and I don't know but more so.
—Mark Twain, Eve's Diary

During the spring of 2009, Ashland University (Ohio) College of Education students created lesson plans featuring children’s picture books illustrated by Will Hillenbrand, including ONE FINE TRADE.

Under the direction of their professor, Dr. Mary Rycik, they each selected a book and prepared writing activities which incorporated objectives taken from Ohio’s language arts curriculum. They presented their lessons to students in kindergarten through third grade during their field experience teaching assignments in the Mansfield City School District.

For the lesson plan on ONE FINE TRADE,
applications, and pictures, see here.

Another lesson plan: Anastasia Suen presents a mini-lesson , using an Idea Wheel Graphic Organizer, at Picture Book of the Day: One Fine Trade.

Exploring  Davy  Crockett  in the Classroom!

Affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities, this is the Davy Crockett teacher resource, an extensive and excellent teaching guide that includes several lesson plans, additional resources, and a rubric for assessment: Born on a Mountaintop: Davy Crockett, Tall Tales, and History.

SurLaLune Fairy Tales features 49 annotated fairy tales, including their histories, similar tales across cultures, modern interpretations and 1500 illustrations.

Folktales and Myths of Trees: The tales presented are offered by Spirit of Trees, to be retold and shared anew in the spirit of conservation. Cristy West, Editor and Program Coordinator.

The Myths, Folktales and Fairy Tales Internet project, from Scholastic, compiled contributions from many authors to create this rich resource for learning about and writing in these genres. Several authors often visit live online to discuss their work in these genres and to answer questions from young writers working on creating their own.

Explore the world with stories, folk tales, poems, and letters from Peace Corps Volunteers. Volunteers expand and enrich the lives of students by allowing them to see the world as Peace Corps Volunteers do.

From The Fetzer Institute, in collaboration with the Institute's Generosity of Spirit project team, Learning to Give creates an interesting resource that helps foster awareness of the power of love and forgiveness in the emerging global community. “From earliest childhood we are captivated by the sounds of the human voice telling a story. There is an elemental, magnetic pull to hear the myths, fables and parables that are a part of our varied cultures. We learn early life lessons from these wise folktales with their colorful characters and episodes.”

This CLN Theme Page has links to two types of resources related to the study of Stories, Folklore, and Fairy Tales. Students and teachers find curricular resources (information, content...) that explore this topic. In addition, there are links to instructional materials (lesson plans), which help teachers provide instruction in this theme.

Explore Appalachian folklore on this site! A very good resource that offers General Guidelines for Teaching with Folk Tales, Fairy Tales, Fables, Ballads, compiled by Tina Hanlon, Ferrum College. Study guides offer activities and bibliography for Appalachian folk literature. Includes a wonderful Annotated Index of Appalachian Folktales, with parallel tales from other traditions. The compiler, S.E. Schlosser, is the author of the “Spooky” series by Globe Pequot Press, and created this site as part of a graduate study at Rutgers the State University of New Jersey. Teachers use this site in lesson plans for students of all levels. Stories from the site have also been used in college text books and in Masters level programs.