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29 Writing Fables

Page
140
from
Write Away

Start-Up Activity

Bring in a book of Aesop's Fables, and read a few favorites out loud. Ask students about fables:

Who are the main characters in fables? (Animals)
What comes at the end of a fable? (A moral)
What does a moral do? (It shares an important lesson.)
Why have people told fables for thousands of years? (They help others learn about life.)

Tell student that they will soon become wise storytellers who can help their readers learn about life.

Think About It

“Fact tells us about one man, and fable tells us about a million men.”

—G. K. Chesterton

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 141 from Write Away

Sample Fable

Have volunteers read each paragraph from the model, and then lead a discussion about it:

How do you know that the kid goat is kind and thoughtful? (He does not eat the grass around the gopher hole.)
How has the kid goat helped the gopher? (He keeps him safe from hawks.)
How does the kid goat's kindness help him, in turn? (The gopher hole catches the wolf so that the kid can get away.)
How would you define what a moral is? (It is a life lesson that a story teaches.)

Let students know that their own fables will need to show how a character learns an important lesson about life.

For an additional model, see "A Fable."

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

LAFS.2.RL.1.1

TEKS Standard:

110.4.b.6.B, 110.4.b.8

NE ELA Standard:

LA 2.1.6.i

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Level:

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English Language Arts:

Reading

Page 142 from Write Away

Writing a Fable

Help students think of main characters for their fables, using the instructions on this page and suggestions from page 143.

After students choose a main character, have them think about a problem that character might face. For example, a worm might have the problem of getting stuck on the sidewalk after a rainstorm. Thinking of the problem will help students think of a life lesson. For example, the worm might learn that when fleeing one problem (a flooded tunnel) you should beware of even bigger problems (getting stranded on a sidewalk).

Have students also think of a setting for their fables.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

LAFS.2.W.1.3

TEKS Standard:

110.4.b.11, 110.4.b.12.A

NE ELA Standard:

LA 2.2.2, LA 2.2.2.a, LA 2.2.2.b

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Level:

Grade 2

Mode:

Creative Writing

Form:

Fable

English Language Arts:

Writing Process Prewriting

Page 143 from Write Away

Fable Characters and Lessons

Use the suggestions on this page to spark students' ideas for their fables. However, inspire them not just to pick characters and lessons from the page, but rather to create original ideas. For example, why not write a fable about a platypus or an octopus or even a flu virus? And the lesson learned could be something creative like "Mondays can be all right, after all," or "Don't wear checkered pants with a striped shirt."

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

LAFS.2.W.1.3

TEKS Standard:

110.4.b.11, 110.4.b.12.A

NE ELA Standard:

LA 2.2.2, LA 2.2.2.a, LA 2.2.2.b

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Writing Process Prewriting

Page 144 from Write Away

Write

Use the tips on this page to help students write their fables. They should introduce the main character, establish the setting, and have a problem come up. Then the main character and others should have to face down the problem somehow. In the end, the main character (and the reader) should learn something about life.

State Standard Reference:

LAFS Standard:

LAFS.2.W.1.3

TEKS Standard:

110.4.b.11, 110.4.b.12.A

NE ELA Standard:

LA 2.2.2, LA 2.2.2.a, LA 2.2.2.b

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Mode:

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Writing Process Writing

Page 145 from Write Away

Revise and Edit

Have students share their drafts with partners, using the tips on this page to help them get useful feedback. Then have them revise and edit their work. Provide the checklists to guide students.

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