Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
3.9.A
demonstrate knowledge of distinguishing characteristics of well-known children's literature such as folktales, fables, fairy tales, legends, and myths;
3rd Grade Reading - Traditional Literary Genres Lesson
Traditional Literature
Traditionalliterature is stories that have been passed down over time.
There are different types of traditional literature.
FOLKTALES are fictional stories that were first told aloud, and later written down.
They often show animalsbehavinginhumanways.
They often include magicalobjects and beings.
They are set in an unknowntime in the distant past.
FAIRY TALES are a type of folktale with magical beings like fairies, ogres, and trolls.
They often begin with "Once upon a time" or "Long, long ago."
The conflict is usually goodagainstevil or right against wrong.
They have happyendings.
FABLES are short stories that teach a life lesson, or moral.
The characters are often talkinganimals that behavelikehumans.
The life lesson, or moral of the story, is statedattheend.
LEGENDS are stories based on real people, animals, or events in history.
The settings are real times and places.
Over time, the stories have changed and become exaggerated.
MYTHS are very old stories of gods and goddesses and supernatural creatures.
The stories try to explainhow the world as people knew it came to be.
Myths are connected to the religious beliefs of people who lived long ago.