Compare and contrast orally the characteristics of tall tales. Guide students to understand that a tall tale is a story that has some fact, but the truth can be exaggerated. Careful examination of an african american tall taleheroic myth. John henry tall tale meet the legendary john henry, a famous character from a classic tall tale. John henry was the most powerful looking baby people had ever seen. Aug 28, 2012 some classic tall tale heroes andsheroes are paul bunyan, johnnyappleseed, davy crockett, sallyann thunder ann whirlwindcrockett, john henry, pecos bill,and sluefoot sue. Pecos bill read aloud stories and tall tales for kids. We learned about tall tales in traditional literature and in the story of john henry in history class, so this was a great addition to those lessons.
According to some historians, this tall tale is based on an actual event. The ballad of john henry traditional on august 28, 1830, the driver of a horsedrawn carriage challenged the tom thumb, the first americanbuilt steam locomotive, to a race on the newly formed baltimore and ohio railroad. Students will explore the elements of american folktales, especially tall tales, learning how they are passed on from generation to generation, how they use exaggeration, and how they convey a message or make a point. He was born a slave in the 1840s but was freed after the war. The day he was born, a rainbow arched from one end of the sky to the.
The tall tale of john henry by david neufeld scholastic. The bestknown tall tale about john henry begins with a challenge. Going alone to a lake to try to decide what to do, he falls asleep on a boat and wakes to find himself in the wild west, in the company of such tall tale legends as pecos bill, paul bunyan, john henry, and calamity jane. Tall tale fiction, 725 words, level m grade 2, lexile 530l. John henry, he would spend his days drilling holes by hitting thick steel spikes.
Tall tales text author level location tall tales 4 th grade set connects geography into a close reading lesson mike fink paul bunyan stormalong sally ann thunder ann febold feboldson varied varied reading a. The descriptions in the story are exaggerated much greater than in real life. In this tall tale, a former slave and giant of a man named john henry beats a steampowered drill through a rock mountain. Loving2learn offers you a tall tale john henry, to readable online and a learn along video. Fifth grade lesson tall tale treasury betterlesson. Fairy tales and tall tales core knowledge foundation. This unit is designed to allow students to understand what characteristics make up a tall tale while practicing. When folks say, remember the alamo, they honor davy crockett, the reallife hero.
A tall tale passage about john henry is included in this lesson. Weve got giant mosquitoes, pecos bill, paul bunyan, brer rabbit, and folklore stories that will make you laugh so hard youll bust a gusset. These worksheets also present a great opportunity to tackle the subject of fact versus fiction and the difference between truth and exaggeration. John henry coloring page tall tales activities, tall.
After a hard days work, people gathered to tell each other funny stories. Click on a worksheet in the set below to see more info or download the pdf. Writers and artists see in john henry a symbol of mans foredoomed struggle against the machine. However, the story of john henry is much bigger than a single person.
Unlike most tall tales, john henry was said to be the most likely to have been a real man, and many people are lead to believe that his famous race against the machine really did happen. Julius lesters story of john henry begins with his birth and immediate growth to a size so large that his head and shoulders busted through the roof which was over the porch of his familys home in 1870s west virginia. Some of the coloring page names are clip art us folklore john henry i, heroes4us john henry american folklore heroes4us, john henry for kids 2019, john henry newman clipart clipground, tall tales paul bunyan paul bunyan tall tales and, saladogt folk tales tall tales, pj masks pdf to for kids 2018, wild. When johnny the rainbow tree, he fell in lovewith apples. The pictures were big and detailed and of course, the preschoolers loved the trains. Read a john henry tall tale and answer the multiple choice questions, then read a true story about john henry with short answer comprehension questions.
John henry now, the special english program, american stories. The students will gain an understanding of specific and figurative language an. They take the ordinary and over time and retelling make it fantastic. But if john henry won, the boss wouldnt want the machine. He grew to stand 6 feet tall, 200 pounds a giant in that day. John henry is one of the most famous american tall tales. Readers will be introduced to john henry, who grew up as a slave and went on to be known as the. Some classic tall tale heroes andsheroes are paul bunyan, johnnyappleseed, davy crockett, sallyann thunder ann whirlwindcrockett, john henry, pecos bill,and sluefoot sue.
A pdf file containing the text of my talk in leeds, al, on september 15, 2007, can be downloaded from the www site of the alabama folklife association. Teach your kid about the tales that populate this playful subgenre as well as how to weave a yarn of their own with these writing and reading comprehension worksheets. The story of john henry tells a story bigger than history, and its a story that tells us about the everyday concerns of the people who told it. He had an immense appetite, and an even greater capacity for work. American folk heroes and tall tales core knowledge foundation. Introduce your young learner to the tall tale with these wacky coloring pages. The man that invented the steam drill thought he was mighty fine but john henry made 15 ft. John chaprmn was born in leominster, massachusetts, in 1775. One of the first things paul and babe did for the new men was dig some large holes that they filled with water. Tall tales are exaggerated stories of reallife events. According to some historians, this tall tale is based on an actual event involving an africanamerican steel driver. John henry coloring page tall tales activities, tall tales. There are numerous charts and graphs available for comparing the tall tales to one another and i included tales similar in genre for additional comparisons.
Describe how the words from the ballad of john henry tell the story about john henry rl. Known from a tall tale, dating back to the early 19th century. John henry is a symbol of physical strength and endurance, of exploited labor, of the dignity of a human being against the degradations of the machine age, and of racial pride and solidarity. Ask if students know the definition of a tall tale. Meet the legendary john henry, a famous character from a classic. And john henry was the strongest, the most powerful man working the rails. Careful examination of an african american tall tale heroic myth. Tall tale fiction 725 words, level m grade 2, lexile 530l. Students read and discuss american tall tales, including their common characteristics. This engaging tall tale is followed by a set of problems that help to develop specific math concepts, and relate to the details in the tale.
Think and write about the values reflected in these tall tales. Learning about tall tales will introduce students to the setting of the american frontier and some. Pecos bill is a fictional cowboy in stories set during american westward expansion. Together, they battle the same villains daniel is facing in his real world. When folks recount the tall tales of tennessee, they remember davy crockett, the folk legend. Though the story of john henry sounds like the quintessential tall tale, it is certainly based, at least in part, on historical circumstance. John henry resembles a true american legend, whose extreme strength and personality has been told in stories all throughout the world. The legend of john henry level m 11 12 john henry knew he had to beat the machine.
Get to know some of the most famous largerthanlife characters from our traditional oral folklore with this tall tales worksheet. Construction of the big bend tunnel on the chesapeake and the ohio railroad ela close reading planning tool grade level. Mar 18, 2017 julius lesters story of john henry begins with his birth and immediate growth to a size so large that his head and shoulders busted through the roof which was over the porch of his familys home in 1870s west virginia. The tall tale characters studied include john henry, pecos bill. After youve read a few, email us one of your favorite tall tales. There are disputes as to where the legend originates. Students can complete activities to practice identifying metaphors and similes, and even create one of their own. Tall tale printable minibooks scholastic teachables. Color paul bunyan with some bold colors to match his bold personality.
From what we know, john henry was born a slave in the 1840s or 1850s in north carolina or virginia. Some examples of legends in wellknown popular tall tales are paul bunyon, davy crockett, john henry and mike fink. Careful examination of an african american tall tale heroic myth based on the popular black folk ballad, john henry. Scripts for young readers john henry primary concepts. Tall tales are over the top stories with the characteristic language of outrageous claims, usually of physical strength or skill. While hes coloring, you might want to tell him a tall tale or two. Jan 19, 2014 this pin was discovered by kayla woodke. There is some research that shows john henry could have been a former emancipated slave born between the 1850s and 1860s. Readers will be introduced to john henry, who grew up as a slave and went on to be known as the fastest and strongest steel driver on the railroad. At the end of 35 minutes, john henry had drilled two seven foot holes a total of fourteen feet, while the steam drill had only drilled one ninefoot hole. John henry said to his shaker, man that aint nothin but my hammer suckin wind. One of the most colorful characters in american folklore is the legendary john henry. Ask the librarian to pull the tall tales books for your class, and tell the kids to look for their own tall tales books at home.
The arts and crafts of storytelling broward education foundation. Today we tell a traditional american story called a tall tale. It describes his contest with a steam drill, in which john henry crushed more rock than did the machine but died with his hammer in his hand. Tall tale john henry upper elemmiddle 1 of 8 read a john henry tall tale and answer the multiple choice questions, then read a true story about john henry with short answer comprehension questions. No one knows for sure if there ever was a real john henry. The tale of john henry has been used as a symbol in many cultural movements, including labor movements and the civil rights movement. The real john henry probably died in a tunnel collapse, historians say.
In songs and stories, john henry was known as the best and strongest steel driver in the country. You may want to read excerpts from a book or website about john henry. The contest that culminates the tale is said to have taken place in the 1870s. He is a subject of legend and song, who was most likely born in alabama or west virginia. Primary concepts 3 john henry have you ever heard the tale of john henry. Some place john henry in west virginia, while recent research suggests alabama. The locomotive was winning the race until a mechanical malfunction caused it to slow, allowing the horsedrawn car to pull. The more examples even of the same tale the better.
Fiction john henry embodies all the good qualities of every man who ever sweated and risked his life working on the railroad. The shaker said to john henry i think this mountains cavin in. A tall tale is a story about a person who is larger than life. John henry w as indeed a mighty man, as it states in the story. The legend of john henry the legend of john henry the legend of john henry the legend of john henry the legend of john henry. He heard somethin about railroad work needing to be done. Tall tales contain exaggeration, adventure, and outlandish characters. The story can serve as an engaging introduction to the classic man vs. Long ago, the people who settled in undeveloped areas in america first told tall tales. Enjoyed by all my children, young and older, a tall tale about john henry. Whether he was a true historical figure or a fictitious hero carved into the minds of common americans by oral tradition, his story has given inspiration to generations. Showing 12 coloring pages related to john henry the tall tale. The tall tale continues with the saga of how john henry grew big, strong, fast, and fearless. John henry has been a character used in american stories, folk tales and folk songs for.
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