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Legends
Grade Appropriate: K - 2 Objectives:
National Standards Connections: This lesson plans meets the following learning standards as organized by the Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory (see Links for Web address). Language Arts (K - 2): Applies reading skills and strategies to a variety of familiar literary passages and texts (e.g. fairy tales, folktales, fables, myths, legends). History (K - 2): Knows regional folk heroes, stories, or songs that have contributed to the development of the cultural history of the U.S. (e.g. Pecos Bill, Brer Rabbit, Paul Bunyan, Rip Van Winkle, Ichabod Crane). Suggested Time Allowance: three 45-minute sessions Background for Teachers: (See About WI
and Links for more information) Washington Irving is perhaps best known for writing The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. Both stories have been told and reinterpreted in various formats including children's books, cartoons, television shows, videos, and puppet shows. The characters in these stories have become part of American folklore and have contributed to the cultural history of the United States. In these stories, Irving created characters with whom many Americans are familiar such as the sad Ichabod Crane or the good-natured Rip Van Winkle whose wife wouldn't stop pestering him. Furthermore, they both take place in specific areas in New York State and include actual historical events and experiences. The following lesson plan suggests ways to engage students in thinking about the significance of legends and how they convey cultural information.
Vocabulary: (Complete List)legend: Activities / Procedures:
1. Discussion: 2. Reading Exercise: Washington Irving is perhaps best known for creating the popular American legends Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (see References for suggested books). In them, he created characters whom many Americans are familiar, such as the sad Ichabod Crane or the good-natured Rip Van Winkle whose wife wouldn't stop pestering him. Depending on your students' reading ability, choose to either have your students read aloud a version of one of Irving's legends or ask your students to sit in a circle and read the legend to them. Suggested questions: How does the legend make you feel? Scared? Angry? Happy? What does the legend tell you about America? Which characters in the legend were the most important? Most familiar? Why would this legend be of interest to many people? 3. Reading Exercise: Most cultures have legends that are passed on from generation to generation. You can find in your local library books of legends created by other cultures such as
American Indian, Irish, Jewish, Hungarian, and Italian. Select three or four to read with your students. Discuss similarities and differences. Ask your students to talk about what they can learn about the specific
cultures through their legends. Assessment: Through their involvement in several discussions, students will demonstrate their understanding of the significance of legends. They will apply their reading and listening skills to various legends. Criteria for assessment include:
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