Pre-Reading Activities

Use your imagination to match the pre-reading activity to the folktale in a way that respects the setting and invites students into the culture. 

Factual Information

Information Gaps divide of up the factual information and then asks students to have a conversation to exchange the information. I am very clear about the purpose of this activity is interpersonal speaking information exchange. I invite students to keep their paper secret.  For novice and intermediate speakers, I include sentence frames.

• Infogap Template
• Polynesian Animals Infogap in English
• Polynesian Animals Infogap in French
• Mexican Animals Infogap in Spanish
• Who Lives in the Galapagos in Spanish
• Passport Example
• Which Aztec God would you take on a Picnic? in Spanish

Comparing Settings

• Venn Diagram Template

Activating Prior Knowledge

Once students are in middle or high school, it can be helpful to surface prior knowledge. To take a quick temperature, I use the Mentimeter. Students can also do this on paper or in their electronic notebook.

• Personal Opinion
• Anticipation Guide
• Sample Anticipation Guide - the Frog and the Drought  in French
• Sample Anticipation Guide - Bouki and Rabbit in French
• KWLH Chart
• Sample Powerpoint - Louisiana

See also Countering Unhelpful Stereotypes in a separate post.