PBL Example: Students Share Fables, Folktales, and Myths

Whether or not your students know it, they are exposed to fables, folktales, and myths all the time. A lot of the popular movies, TV, and music today tell the stories of ancient fables or famous folktales. It’s no wonder, then, that exploring these stories is a great way to learn about different communities around the world!

Today, we’re celebrating two PenPal Stars who are participating in Fables, Folktales, and Mythology: Nash from Thailand and Georgia from New Zealand!

Nash and Georgia have been sharing familiar fables, folktales, and myths from their communities. For example, Nash shared this folktale from Thailand:

There once was a wise man named Mamad, he never lied. One day, a king ordered Mamad to his palace and asked if it was true that he never lied, Mamad said it's true. Then the king told Mamad to go his summer and to tell the queen they will have a big feast. When Mamad got to the palace he told the queen. "Maybe you should prepare a big feast for lunch. Maybe you should not. Maybe the king will come by noon. Maybe he will not." Then, the queen replied with. "Tell me will he come or not." Then Mamad said. "After I left, I don't know whether the king began his journey to the summer palace or not." The next day the king came to the queen and told her the wise Mamad had lied to her. The queen then told him that Mamad didn't lie and the king realised the wise man won't say things that he can’t know for sure. Moral: Don't assume things before you can prove it.

Georgia found inspiration by learning about a topic that she doesn’t normally think about. She told us, “PenPal Schools is really cool and I enjoy doing it because you get to send your culture to the whole world. I really enjoy the topics because they make me think about topics I don't normally. The Fables and Folktales unit inspired me to write when I don't normally enjoy writing.”

We caught up with Nash and Georgia to learn more about their experience in Fables, Folktales, and Mythology.

What has been your favorite thing about learning with PenPals?
Nash: “I liked reading some of the short fables and folktales. [This project] made me question what other stories are [out] there.”
Georgia: “That you get to communicate with lots of people from around the world and I can share my culture with others. [I learned] that the more you contribute, the more you connect with other people.”

What was the most important lesson you learned in this project?
Georgia: “I like the moral that working slowly and carefully on something can make it great so I will try not to rush my work and make it better when I can.”

What advice do you have about being a great PenPal?
Nash: “Just try it out, it isn't hard and confusing.”
Georgia: “Always read your contributions and make sure you send good thoughtful messages that people can comment on. That way you can share more and more and more with your PenPals.”

Why do you think it's important to learn with other students from around the world?
Georgia: “It gives me a better understanding of other people around the world and how they think.”

Congratulations to Nash and Georgia for being recognized as PenPal Stars! Your students can learn with Nash and Georgia, too, in Fables, Folktales, and Mythology.

Happy PenPal-ing!