2.  A folktale is a story that was told by generations of storytellers before it was ever written down.  We don’t know the names of all of the storytellers: some were professionals giving entertainment, some were teachers trying to give moral lessons, and some were mothers and fathers just telling stories to their children.

3.  Trickster tale: a story in which a character, often an animal, outsmarts an enemy.  Origin story: a story about the origins, or beginnings, of something in nature.  Fairy tale: a story with magical beings who change the lives of ordinary people.

4.  Tall Tale: a fantasy story about an amazing, larger- than-life person.  Legend: a story about an amazing event or a hero’s amazing accomplishment. Some legends are about people who actually lived, but over the years their reputations grew “larger than life.”  Myth: a story about gods and goddesses and/or heroes and heroines and how they were involved in making things the way they are. Often, they explain spiritual and physical mysteries.

5.  Fable: short, simple tales that teach a moral. Characters are often animals who speak and act like people. Often, fables explain why things are the way they are.  Urban Legend: a tale of the bizarre, spooky, horrible, or hilarious, many of which seem believable. They are a modern form of folktale and are being created all of the time.

6.  They were passed down over many generations.  They still help members of a culture stay connected to one another.

7.  They can be funny, but they can also make you stop and think.  They may bring back good memories. You may have heard some of these stories when you were little.  They can help you understand why people share stories in the first place.

8.  Example of a trickster tale  The stories of Brer Rabbit were first told in Africa and were brought to America by enslaved Africans.  Brer Rabbit is known for outsmarting larger and more powerful animals. In all trickster stories, the trickster uses his smarts to survive in difficult situations.

9.  Example of a tall tale, meaning it is highly imaginative and about the fantastic adventures of folk heroes in realistic local settings  Stories about Paul Bunyan were originally published in Minnesota in 1910 but they were told years earlier in lumber camps around the country. As the stories passed on, Paul’s deeds grew more and more incredible…  Several of these tall tales explain how some of the natural wonders of North America came to be.

10.  The hero  The brave or heroic act  The evil force or monster  The quest or trial

11.  Contributions of African slaves and Native Americans, as well as stories of immigrants from all over the world, provide a wide spectrum of American folklore.  Great fictional heroes are being created even today by the minds of creative, city-dwelling thinkers. Examples: Batman, Superman, and Spiderman