Special Feature Lesson:

Aesop's Fables

Overview:
Children study Aesop's fables to learn more about how animals play a symbolic role in human culture.

Curriculum Focus:
• language arts

Materials:

Books or Internet sources featuring Aesop's fables
(such as http://www.AesopFables.com/)

Activity:
Read More About out loud to the class. Ask students to explain what the meaning is behind the story. Ask them to describe the animal characters. Do turtles and beavers act this way in real life? Introduce children to Aesop and explain how he liked to write stories about animals that taught basic life lessons, or morals. Read several of Aesop's fables and discuss the morals of these stories as a class. Be sure to talk about why each animal might have been chosen as a character in the story.

Extension Idea:
Ask students to bring in an animal toy from home. Allow students to take turns showing their toys to the class. As each toy is displayed, ask students to write one word that the animal brings to mind. Compare students' answers and discuss any patterns that result. Relate the activity back to Puddler and the fact that people tend to share basic feelings about many animals.