“When your why is big enough, you will find your how,” according to motivational speaker Les Brown. Well, kids have known that for ages because that is often their favorite word to repeat in the car, on vacation, in the grocery store — you name it. Today we explored the folk tales called Pourquoi tales, which ask why something was created that way and then answer the how through the fictional story.
We wandered through the beautiful faculty garden to gain inspiration for our tales, which are traditionally written about animals and nature. We encountered a blue heron, cardinals, butterflies, and finches, which inspired our minds and set our pens to paper. We learned that in Pourquoi tales, the characters usually don’t have a specific name because they represent how the entire species became spotted (the leopard) or gained a hump (the camel), etc.
Cuteness flourished throughout the fun and quirky stories. While revising, we focused on figurative language, such as metaphors, similes, and imagery to create vivid and memorable tales.
Lesson Learned: “Pourquoi stories will help you be creative and explain things to your kids.”
Quote of the Day: “I’ve been reading this book on reverse psychology. Do NOT read it.” 😉