Long ago, the people who settled in undeveloped areas in america first told tall tales. Captain tommy offered john henry money and a new suit to make him want to win the contest against the steam drill. The tale of john henry has been used as a symbol in many cultural movements, including labor movements and the civil rights movement. Tall tale was released in theatres on march 24, 1995. The descriptions in the story are exaggerated much greater than in real life. Todays tall tale is interesting because for a very long time, no one knew if the character john henry was a real person. This book explores the origins of the legend of this great man and how he won a contest against a steampowered drill. Some famous tall tale heroes are johnny appleseed, pecos bill, paul ppt presentation summary.
According to some historians, this tall tale is based on an actual event. The tall tale is essentially an oral form of entertainment. 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. A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Tall tales are stories that get told many times over the years and the truth gets stretched. The unit includes a twopage tale, plus activities to describe attributes of tall tales, write about a talent, make a flip book, and create an eyewitness. The story can serve as an engaging introduction to the classic man vs. He had a beautiful deep voice, and played an instrument called a banjo. While hes coloring, you might want to tell him a tall tale or two. John henry had been a slave until emancipation, but now he had discovered his calling and was working for the chesapeake and ohio railroad. An entire crew of freed slaves has been promised land if they can finish by deadline, but theyre exhausted and unable to continue. The pictures were big and detailed and of course, the preschoolers loved the trains. The real john henry probably died in a tunnel collapse, historians say.
John henry tower tumbler tina sally ann thunder ann whirlwind little henry narrator policeman setting. John henry is one of the most famous american tall tales. John, though, has the strength of ten men, and revitalizes all of them. John henry a mighty steeldriving african american calamity jane a tough wild. You may want to read excerpts from a book or website about john henry. Ask if students know the definition of a tall tale. John chaprmn was born in leominster, massachusetts, in 1775. Tall tales day a daylong residency by author rick sowash, master of the tall tale general background on tall tales and rick sowash. That means that tall tales were not written down at first and that everyone could tell the story a little bit differently. This unit focuses on second grade core knowledge tall tales such as johnny appleseed, paul bunyan, casey jones, pecos bill, and john henry. John henry and the 20 pound hammers a tall tale of west virginia june 30, 20 by amy friedman and meredith johnson.
This unit focuses on second grade core knowledge tall tales such as johnny appleseed, paul. No one knows for sure if there ever was a real john henry. The students will gain an understanding of specific and figurative language an. 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. Tall tales contain exaggeration, adventure, and outlandish characters. This includes a short story, graphic organizer, and quiz. Couldnt fing it again till the disney shorts movie. Venn diagram compare and contrast two main characters from two tall tales john henry and slue foot sue traditional assessments. After helping his family, and realizing he can help them no more, he sets out to find a job. There was no one who could match him, though many tried.
Personal tall tale activity exaggeration activity personal tall tale rubric tall tales story map worksheet similiarities worksheet tall tales tchart the tale of john henry john henry comprehension questions tall tales wheel activity resource. She has been described as a female counterpart of the john henry character, another. Even though a tall tale isnt true, the story should be. Guide students to understand that a tall tale is a story that has some fact, but the truth can be exaggerated. John henry pushed himself too hard in the story and died at the end of the selection. Scripts for young readers john henry primary concepts. There are disputes as to where the legend originates. There is some research that shows john henry could have been a former emancipated slave born between the 1850s and 1860s.
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. John henry grew up in a world that did not let children stay children for long. Pecos bill rides a tornado tall tale characteristics activities and quiz this is a one day activity that uses a pecos bill tall tale to help students identify the characteristics of tall tales. Nov 15, 2011 this feature is not available right now. Known from a tall tale, dating back to the early 19th century. John henry is the story of a railroad worker who was larger than life. Hear the story of this amazing man in this short readaloud. According to some historians, this tall tale is based on an actual event involving an africanamerican steel driver. In this short story series, i have rewritten the public domain versions of the stories to make then grade appropriate for upper elementary students. A tall tale passage about john henry is included in this lesson.
This leveled script supports differentiation and english language learner strategies with roles set at different reading levels, allowing teachers to involve all students, regardless of their current reading level. Some classic tall tale heroes andsheroes are paul bunyan, johnnyappleseed, davy crockett, sallyann thunder ann whirlwindcrockett, john henry, pecos bill,and sluefoot sue. John was no ordinary baby though, as he was born with a hammer in his hand. John henry married another steeldriver, a woman named polly ann. Tall tale printable minibooks scholastic teachables. Careful examination of an african american tall tale heroic myth based on the popular black folk ballad, john henry. The boy picked up a small piece of steel and a workmans tool, a. 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 has a race against the clock to save sally ann thunder ann whirlwind before a train gets her first. John henry resembles a true american legend, whose extreme strength and personality has been told in stories all throughout the world.
Careful examination of an african american tall tale heroic myth. These worksheets also present a great opportunity to tackle the subject of fact versus fiction and the difference between truth and exaggeration. John henry, he would spend his days drilling holes by hitting thick steel spikes into rocks with his faithful shaker crouching close to the hole, turning the drill after each mighty blow. Listen and read along using this flash application and mp3 file. Annie christmas or flatboat annie is a character in the folklore and tall tales of louisiana, described as a 7 foot tall, supernaturally strong africanamerican woman keelboat captain. John henry becomes a hero by zach stafford cast of characters. A student will read the story of john henry to the class.
This unit is designed to allow students to understand what characteristics make up a tall tale while practicing essential reading skills such. Are you looking for an engaging way to teach your or graders folktales common core standard and tall tale stories paired with non fiction passages are perfect. The main character in todays tall tale is named john henry. Construction of the big bend tunnel on the chesapeake and the ohio railroad ela close reading planning tool grade level. Introduce your young learner to the tall tale with these wacky coloring pages.
Readers will be introduced to john henry, who grew up as a slave and went on to be known as the. Jan 19, 2014 this pin was discovered by kayla woodke. Pecos bill read aloud stories and tall tales for kids homeschool read alouds duration. Teen titans go tall tale of john henry cartoon network.
Think and write about the values reflected in these tall tales. Help your child learn the difference between fact and fiction with this fun reading sheet. He heard somethin about railroad work needing to be done. A pdf file containing the text of my talk in leeds, al, on september 15, 2007, can be. John henry w as indeed a mighty man, as it states in the story. In the virginia story, the legendary steel driver was john william henry. Tall tale, narrative that depicts the wild adventures of extravagantly exaggerated folk heroes. He is a subject of legend and song, who was most likely born in alabama or west virginia. Together, they battle the same villains daniel is facing in his real world. Learning about tall tales will introduce students to the setting of the american frontier and some. The day he was born, a rainbow arched from one end of the sky to the. Students will complete a sheet listing their sources and what they found. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link.
Disneys john henry part 2 my fathers world you tube playlist the legend of john henry as retold by disney. John henry now, the special english program, american stories. On the trail of the real john henry history news network. When he was just a boy, he had to do the work of a fullgrown man. Have students discuss what they know about the building of the railroads in the u. John henry embodies all the good qualities of every man who ever sweated and risked his life working on the railroad. Students can complete activities to practice identifying metaphors and similes, and even create one of their own. Study john henry with your students, while teaching your class about metaphors and similes.
A tall tale is a story about a person who is larger than life. John henry a readers theatre tall tale the lucas lodge. Tall tale fiction 725 words, level m grade 2, lexile 530l. Choose from 500 different sets of john henry vocab flashcards on quizlet. The day he was born, a rainbow arched from one end of the sky to the apple tree outside his house. Aug 15, 2009 act out the story of john henry, a powerful and legendary railroad builder in this engaging readers theater script.
The contest that culminates the tale is said to have taken place in the 1870s. Some famous tall tale heroes are johnny appleseed, pecos bill, paul bunyan, davy crockett, sally ann thunder ann whirlwind crockett, mike fink, john henry, and. The most prominent rhetorical device lester employs in his tale is the use of hyperbole to over exaggerate the great accomplishments of the esteemed legend john henry. Tall tale fiction, 725 words, level m grade 2, lexile 530l. Learn john henry vocab with free interactive flashcards. While rewriting, i also updated some of the antiquated langua. Hell decide which parts of the story seem believable and which parts do not. Jan 28, 2017 this week for our readers theatre play, we practiced the play john henry. Today we tell a traditional american story called a tall tale.
An entire crew of freed slaves has been promised land if they can finish by. Enjoyed by all my children, young and older, a tall tale about john henry. But if john henry won, the boss wouldnt want the machine. However, the story of john henry is much bigger than a single person.
An american legend tells the tale of a child, john henry, who was born on a frightful, windy night. American folk heroes and tall tales core knowledge foundation. Tall tale heroes such as johnny appleseed, sluefoot sue, paul bunyan, john henry, annie oakley, pecos bill, mike fink, davy. Unit assessments include tasks related to dimensions 3 and 4 and blooms taxonomy open response writing describing real people and places in a tall tale. Some place john henry in west virginia, while recent research suggests alabama. Soon, he was the biggest man around and the strongest, too. He grew so fast that sometimes the pants he put on in the morning were too short by nightfall. Julius lesters john henry is a tall tale that tells the story of african american folk hero john henry. This collection includes the famed stories of paul bunyan, pecos bill, stormalong, mike fink, davy crockett, johnny appleseed, john henry, and joe magarac, with evocative illustrations by richard m. Students will love reading about pecos bill, john henry, paul bunyan, j are you looking for an engaging way to teach your 2nd or 3rd graders folktales common core standard rl. A great example of determination, integrity, and honor. 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. Kaitlyn smith nettelhorst elementary school chicago, il 121 views.
What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page. John henry, pecos bill, captain stormalong,davy crockett. One of the most colorful characters in american folklore is the legendary john henry. 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. Play the john henry clip and talk about how the music is influenced by the tall tale. Ever since he was a little boy, hed loved to play with his fathers hammers. Well, the new railroad was moving along right quick, thanks in no little part to the mighty john.
A story about grit, sweat, and most importantly, love. A film from the artisans at whitestone motion pictures. Meet the legendary john henry, a famous character from a classic tall tale. 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.
After a hard days work, people gathered to tell each other funny stories. American tall tales by mary pope osborne john henry by julius lester swamp angel by anne isaacs in this writing activity, kids will spin a tall tale about a conquering hero or heroine on a new frontier the moon. Tall tale fiction, 725 words, level m grade 2, lexile 530l john henry is one of the most famous american tall tales. It was eventually released in its original format as an interstitial on the disney channel, and. Summary john henry, a freed slave, happens across a railroad building project. Some tall tales are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories the fish that got away such as, that fish was so big, why i tell ya, it nearly sank the boat when i pulled it in. Loving2learn offers you a tall tale john henry, to readable online and a learn along video. The tall tale of john henry by david neufeld scholastic.
Everything you need is provided including the stories. 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. This engaging tall tale is followed by a set of problems that help to develop specific math concepts, and relate to the details. John henry, a freed slave, happens across a railroad building project.
The legend of john henry level m 11 12 john henry knew he had to beat the machine. 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 study guide ideas for educators to use before, during and after tall tales day a daylong residency by author rick sowash, master of the tall tale general background on tall tales and rick sowash. Teen titans go tall tale of john henry cartoon network africa 2. Read american tall tales pdf books listen to american tall tales. 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. When johnny the rainbow tree, he fell in lovewith apples. 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.
218 1172 1314 258 278 703 124 1410 776 501 887 1030 1237 1388 1033 872 1449 817 550 1150 1005 1123 1041 1275 708 1019 1461 36 1406 948 1233 496 28 1284 315 1193 175 536 1081 301 1393 979 332 1065 243 1017