I can . . read fables

Last week, we began studying a special type of fiction: fables.  As your second grader can tell you, a fable is a short fiction story that tells a lesson.  This lesson is called a moral.  In most fables, the main characters are animals who behave like humans. Some of the fables that we have watched and read include The Tortoise and the Hare, How the Zebra Got Its Stripes, The Camel and the Pig, The Leopard, Ram and Jackal, The Ant and the Grasshopper,  and The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  After reading fables with their reading partners, the children worked in their Readers' Notebooks to record the title of the fable, the characters and the moral.  Some of the lessons we learned from these fables included:

• Slow and steady wins the race. 
• If you are impatient, you will not get your way.
• It's good to be big and it's also good to be small . . . we all come in different shapes and sizes,
• Tricking your friends can lead to trouble.
• Plan ahead so that you will be prepared.
• Dishonesty can have terrible consequences.

Can you guess which moral matches which fable? Your child can help you out. 

If you'd like to watch some short fables on-line, check out http://www.speakaboos.com/story/the-tortoise-and-the-hare/

And here are some photos of second graders enjoying fables with their reading partners: