​Chinese in the Mississippi Delta​​

• Pre-Reading Activity
• Discussion Questions
• Activity 1 (Maps)​
• Activity 2 (Folktales)
• Activity 3 (Storyboards)​

Activity 2: Forming Folktales

learning objectives

Students will be able to:

• Interpret an African folktale and related vocabulary
  
• Identify connections between the characters in the Br'er Rabbit folktale and Sugar
  
• Consider the personal and cultural significance of folktales

Jump to Vocabulary List (bottom)

Activity Instructions:
​Step 1 (5 min)
Present the section of slides for Activity 2 (slides 19-23). Invite students to recall what they read about Br'er Rabbit in Sugar. Facilitate a brief classroom discussion on the following questions:

1. ​What do you remember about Mister Beale's stories about Br'er Rabbit and Hyena?
2. Folktales are stories that are passed down, usually through telling them orally (out loud). Have you heard any folktales?

Step 2 (10 min)
Read the folktale, "Brer Rabbit Falls Down the Well," translated by S.E. Schlosser. Students can take turns reading in a round or popcorn style, or the instructor can read aloud.

Step 3 (20 min)
Instruct students to use context clues in the text to brainstorm the meaning of each of the vocabulary words below. Then, review the vocabulary definitions (slides 22-23). Reread the folktale to further consolidate the vocabulary.

Step 4 (5 min)
Facilitate a classroom discussion on the following questions:

1. What words would you use to describe Br'er Rabbit?
2. What similarities do you notice between the Br'er Rabbit characters and the characters in Sugar?
3. Why do you think people from all over the world tell folktales?

Homework:
Instruct students to write their own folktale story about Br'er Rabbit as a take-home assignment.

 

Vocabulary List:
Folktale: a story that is passed down, usually through telling it orally (out loud)
Tote: to carry something heavy
Brush: small trees and shrubs
Debris: loose pieces of natural materials, such as rocks, leaves, and twigs
Briar: prickly shrubs
Infected: affected with a virus or disease
Well: a deep hole filled with drinking water
Plummet: to quickly fall or drop straight down
Rascal: a naughty person
Puzzled: confused
Perk up: to get more energy, to become more cheerful
Score: a large amount of something
Muddy: to make something dirty

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