bflesson3



		Lesson 3: Writing a Tall Tale

*What's on for today and why?*

	Today students will be bringing in and sharing their autobiographies, watching the beginning of the movie, and then rewriting their autobiographies as a tall tale. The purpose of this activity is to engage the student's with the idea that the facts do not always tell the whole story of a person's life.

*What to do:*

Start the lesson by having students take out their autobiographies and use the first 5-7 minutes of class to have the students share their stories with the person on either side of them. Then start the movie. Today the students will watch the first 15 minutes of the film where they will hear Edward Bloom's story about the day his son was born and his son's recounting the tale his father told him about his, the father's, birth. Group #1 will be responsible for tracking the film elements on the viewing guide.

	After the segment initiate a discussion about the two stories? Were they factual? Were they fabrications? What was the literal story being told in each case? What was the underlying meaning of the story? What is each storyteller's attitude about the story they are telling? Some quotes to consider would be: "This is a Southern story, full of lies and fabrications, but truer for their inclusion" "I am a footnote in that story. I am the context for your great adventure."-Will "In telling the story of my father's life, it's impossible to separate the fact from the fiction, the man from the myth." -Will Use this discussion as a way of introducing the genre of tall tales and explain that these stories are usually not percieved to be true although they are often based on some truth and then exaggerated in order say something about the character. If there is time after the discussion ask the students to begin to rewrite their autobiography as a tall tale.(Writing a Tall Tale Assignment) If they do not finish it in class, which they probably will not have time to do, make this a homework assignment to be finished for class two days later on the third day of viewing the film.. Explain that this is only a first draft and that they will rewrite it again after viewing and discussing some of the other tall tales built into the movie.

*How did it go?*

Did the student's participate in the discussion? Did they understand that Edward Bloom's story about catching the fish could be interpreted as a story about the importance of his son's birth? Did they make a connection between Edward's slippery birth and the difficulty of separating the man from the myths that surrounded him? Did they not groan at the writing assignment?

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