| Unfortunately,
The Young Oxford Book of Folk Tales (ed Kevin Crossley-Holland)
has recently gone out of print. However, a wide range of folk tales
can be used to replace the tales referred to in the book. For teachers
who prefer to work from a specified anthology, the following text
is recommended: Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales (ed Gordon
Jarvie, ISBN 014062206390401). As this is one of the Penguin Popular
Classics series, a class set can be bought very cheaply. In addition
to the four tales used as the basis for classroom activities, the
book contains many other folk tales, including an extended Victorian
fairy tale in 13 chapters, and a short, humorous tale of half a
page.
The table below
shows suggested tales to replace those referred to in the “KS3 English
Kit: Year 7”. The table is followed by additional notes and replacement
resources.
Back
to Top of Page
The
Lonely Giant
Page 4:
Changes to teacher’s notes and resources
Word/Sentence
activity:
The ablest
students should examine the punctuation and setting out of the dialogue
on page 100 of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales.
Page 6:
2. Brides on Trial
Paste the following
discussion and writing tasks over the tasks on the resource sheet.
DISCUSSION
How does the
way each sister eats the cheese help the shepherd’s mother decide
between them?
What does this
tale suggest about a woman’s role in society?
What does Angus
like about Morag?
Why can’t he
ask her to marry him?
What do we
learn about the giantess from her song (page 102)?
If we think
of the tale as symbolic, what is this tale saying about the relationship
between the sexes?
WRITING
Rewrite one
of the folk tales in a different way, e.g.:
- Imagine
there is a fourth sister in Grimms’ tale who believes
in the equality of the sexes. How would she eat the cheese?
- Rewrite
‘The Friendly Giant’ from Morag’s point of view.
- Rewrite
‘The Friendly Giant’ in a modern setting in which the size of
the giant is replaced by a different kind of power, e.g. money,
social class, fame, etc.
Back
to Top of Page
The Laird of Morphie and The Water Kelpie
Page 7:
Changes to teacher’s notes and resources
Word/Sentence
activity:
Students analyse
the paragraphing of the first two pages of the tale (pages 27 and
28).
Introduction:
Shared reading
of ‘The Laird of Morphie and the Water Kelpie’. This story is a
myth which explains why the Laird and his descendants are cursed.
Back
to Top of Page
Tam Lin
Page 11:
Changes to teacher’s notes and resources
Development:
Students use
the Folk Tale Cards to analyse the story of ‘Tam Lin’. A suggested
analysis with notes is given below:
Plot
| Function |
Name |
Example |
| B |
Misfortune |
Tam
Lin is a prisoner of the Queen o' Fairies |
| D
|
The
hero recieves help
|
Janet
agrees to carry out the dangerous rescue |
| F |
The
hero is given something to help him |
Janet’s
love |
| H
|
The
hero and villain fight
|
Here
it is the helper, Janet, who fights the magic of the Queen
o’ Fairies |
| I
|
The
villain is defeated
|
Tam
Lin is saved from the Queen o’ Fairies by Janet’s love |
| Down
Arrow |
The
hero returns |
am
Lin and Janet return to the hall |
| W |
The
hero is rewarded |
They
live in happiness and their son becomes Laird |
People
| C6 |
Hero |
Tam
Lin |
| C3 |
Helper |
Janet |
| C1 |
Villain |
Queen o' Fairies |
Places
| S3 |
Forest |
Carterhaugh
Pinewoods |
| S2 |
Palace |
The Laird’s hall |
Notes
-
Some variations in analysis are possible; for example, Janet could
be seen as the hero(ine).
- Some
plot functions need to be adapted slightly (see H above).
- Several
plot functions do not apply (here, most of SET 2).
- However,
functions that do apply usually follow in sequence.
- Character
functions also need to be applied flexibly (e.g. the villain in
this tale is nothing like the villain depicted on the card!).
- The
two places in this tale represent fairyland (Carterhaugh Pinewoods)
and the human world (the Laird’s hall).
Back
to Top of Page
Thomas Rymer and Why Everyone Should be Able to Tell a Story
Page 18:
Changes to teacher’s notes and resources
Introduction:
Ask students
to pick out words and phrases that characterise traditional story-telling
style, e.g. Long ago..., all at once he spied..., they sped
off swifter than the wind..., etc. (5 minutes).
Ask students
to pick out examples of Scot’s dialect, e.g. lassies, aye, etc.
(5 minutes).
Development:
‘Why Everyone
Should be Able to Tell a Story’ would make an excellent introduction
to the oral story-telling session outlined in the development section
on page 18.
Plenary:
Discuss how
the orally told stories differ from written stories such as ‘Thomas
Rymer’ and particularly the carefully crafted stories in novel form.
Follow-up:
Students could
use the following activity to compare the ballad version of ‘Thomas
Rymer’ with this tale:
Working in
pairs, convert the tale into ballad and then compare it with the
ballad version of Thomas Rymer.
Note:
The ballad ‘Thomas Rymer’ (or Rhymer) can be found in many
poetry anthologies and online.
Back to Top of Page
|