Objective:
The students will define fable and identify the beginning, middle, and end of a story.

Materials

• Any version of The Tortoise and the Hare.  This may be found in a book or at one of the following web sites: Story Arts or DLTK-Kids.

• Fable worksheet

Procedure

1. Introduce the term fable.  Ask the students if they know what fable means.  Listen to responses and work together to define fable as "a short story, often with animals as the characters, which teaches a lesson."

2. Read the chosen version of The Tortoise and the Hare.  Ask the students if the story meets their definition of fable.  Discuss the characters and the lesson learned.

3. Pass out the Fable Worksheet and have the students complete the sheet individually or as a class, depending on ability.

Other Lesson Ideas

1. Have a lesson on syllables, using the word rab/bit as a starting point.

2. Compare 2 characters from series of books who are rabbits.  Peter from Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter and Max from Max and Ruby by Rosemary Wells work well.

3. Compare and contrast The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and Emma Bean by Jean Van Leeuwen.