Tall Tall Tall Tales

We're currently doing a unit called Tall Tall Tall Tales using a free ebook from Rainbow Horizons Publishing. It is written for grades 4-8 and we are really enjoying this study!

We started by discussing what Tall Tales were and reading about Paul Bunyan from Mary Pope Osborne's American Tall Tales. Then, we were given 9 short stories and we were to separate fact from fiction - this wasn't as easy as it sounded!

Next, we discussed some effective writing tools like adjectives, alliteration, exaggeration, simile, and conversation. We read an entertaining story called The Talking Cat and then we did today's assignment: created our own "gross" menu concentration on using adjectives and alliteration. I came up with "Road Kill House" complete with food items like "puffy possum paws" and "smelly skunk burgers."

Alexandra's restaurant was called Gigi's Gummy Guts. She had dishes like "guinea pig noggin juice" and "toilet water" - yum!

A few weeks ago, Ms. Julie at Art Lessons for Kids ran a contest where she would create an art project and lesson plans for someone's topic. I didn't win, but she liked my idea of Tall Tales so much that she went ahead and created both some artwork and some additional lesson plans! We had fun recreating Ms. Julie's picture of Paul Bunyan and Blue. My artwork is at the top of this post and Alexandra's "Blue" is here at the bottom.

A lot of this unit has to do with writing. Next, we'll be working with exaggeration and then similes and conversation. This is a fun, creative writing unit and I recommend it. I know I'll be looking at other units by Rainbow Horizons Publishing.