Geographic Alliance of Iowa

COMPARING FOLK TALES
By Anne Hoeper

 

INQUIRY QUESTION:
How do folk tales represent culture?

OBJECTIVE:
Expose students to folk tales from India.
Students will be similarities and difference between Indian and American folktales.
Students will realize that human natures crosses country borders.
Students will be able to hypothesize about culture of India.

STANDARDS:
Standard 10: The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.

THEME:
Place (setting of folktale)

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES:
Verbal/Linguistic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Visual/Spatial

MATERIALS:
The Enchanted Anklet translated and adapted by Lila Mehta ISBN: 0-9692729-0-1
Version of the traditional Cinderella story
Indian folktales

ACTIVITY:

  1. Read or review the traditional Cinderella story
  2. Locate India on a map
  3. Students will read or listen to The Enchanted Anklet
    After Reading and Discussing the Two Stories Do One or More of the Following Activities
  4. Discuss the characters, plot, time, place, and intended audience of The Enchanted Anklet.
  5. Discuss what they learned about India= s culture.
  6. Illustrate two aspects of life such as clothing, architecture (homes), food, musical instruments, types of transportation, animals, etc.
  7. Use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two stories.
    There is a Venn diagram enclosed.
    Another way to represent a Venn Diagram is by placing two hula hoops on the floor. Have the student write their information on index cards that can be placed inside the hula hoops.
  8. Choose three main events - one from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end - and illustrate or write a paragraph describing each event.
  9. Divide a story into sections. Have each person illustrate a section of the story.
  10. Make a list of words that describe each of the characters traits and/or behaviors
  11. Write a Cinderella story that illustrates the culture where you live.
  12. Illustrate the new Indian vocabulary words that were in the story. Put one illustration on a piece of paper. Then trade their pictures with a partner and see if they can match the words to the pictures.
  13. Create a play or skit
  14. Listen to music from India

 

Vocabulary Words from The Enchanted Anklet

Meanings are located in the glossary of The Enchanted Anklet

Illustrations for the vocabulary words may be found at the following web sites. These may be used to introduce the vocabulary and could be put into a PowerPoint presentation.

  1. Aarti lamp
    http://www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk/objectsfromind/religion.htm

  2. Anklets
    http://www.pyramidimports.com/pages/bellydance/ind808.htm

  3. Chundri
    http://www.negia.net/~suraiya/62501-37.jpg

  4. Cobra
    http://www.rangerdj.com/clipart/animals/cobra.jpg
    www.schoolworld.asn.au/species/cobra.html

  5. Conch Shell
    http://www.reefnews.com/reefnews/oceangeo/lookout/conch.jpg

  6. Diwali
    http://www.fourseasonsindiatours.com/fairs-festivals/diwali-dussehra.html

  7. Goddess Durga
    http://www.ifrance.com/mythologiesetlegendes/durga.jpg

  8. Hindu wedding clothes
    http://www.clickwalla.com/article.php?cid=54&aid=70
    http://home.att.net/~tisone/wedding.htm
    http://www.pluralism.org/affiliates/narayanan/Naray15.jpg

  9. Palque

  10. Pomegranate
    http://rescomp.stanford.edu/dorms/stern/serra/pomegranate/

  11. Sari
    http://www.pbmstore.com/gifts_to_india/womenswear/

 

VENN DIAGRAM

A Venn Diagram is a useful graphic organizer to examine similarities and differences of two items. Two overlapping circles are drawn and each circle represents an item. The characteristics unique to each item are written in the portion of the corresponding circle and the characteristics common to both items are recorded in the overlapping section. In this lesson one circle is for the American Cinderella, the other circle is for the Indian Cinderella, and the intersecting portion is for both.

 

India folktale
Both
US folktale