Writing Activities

Folktale Writer’s Workshop: A Writing With Writers Activity

This four-step program, hosted by acclaimed folktale authors, teaches students how to write a successful folktale they can publish online.

  • Grades: 1–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12

Scholastic’s “Folktale Writer’s Workshop with Alma Flor Ada and Rafe Martin” (grades 1–8) workshop, part of Scholastic’s Writing with Writers series, gives students the unique opportunity to learn folktale writing from the pros. Published folktale authors Alma Flor Ada and Rafe Martin walk students through a four-step program that introduces them to the magical world of folktales, offering tips, challenges, and guidelines to help students write their own folktales. At the end of the workshop, students can publish their writing online. This workshop is also a part of the Myths, Folktales & Fairy Tales project.

Step 1: Folktales
Includes an introduction on the subject, including links to tales written by Alma Flor Ada and Rafe Martin — students can read (and listen to) them to get familiar with this genre of writing.

Step 2: Brainstorming
The folktale experts share their tips to help students get off to a good start, including learning to write by reading as much as you can, and paying attention to the world around you for inspiration.

Step 3: Write Your Folktale
Alma and Rafe both pose challenges to students to help them concentrate on their stories while they write and revise them, such as: decide what message you want your folktale to convey to the reader, plan your plot, consider the story’s problem or conflict, and more.

Step 4: Publish Online
Students have the unique opportunity to publish their completed work to Scholastic.com.

Plus: Students can also read folktales from other students, ages 5 to 15.
 

Learning Objectives

Scholastic's online activities are designed to support the teaching of standards-based skills. While participating in “Folktale Writer’s Workshop with Alma Flor Ada and Rafe Martin,” students become proficient with several of these skills.

  • Identify unique characteristics of different writing genres
  • Follow the writing process for different genres to create original writing
  • Use web technology to post original writing online
  • Demonstrate understanding of different genres by responding to questions
  • Understand how to review and revise their own writing
  • Review and present constructive criticism to peer writing
  • Learn to think critically and objectively about their reading
  • Learn to review and revise their own writing
  • Produce written work to show evidence of knowledge of the different genresRespond to questions about the folktale genre to demonstrate understanding

  • Subjects:
    Narrative Writing, Writing Process
  • Skills:
    Narrative Writing
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