Fables

[Guest]

I am sat on my PPA thinking of any ideas that I can do with the story The tortoise and the hare???? anyone?...please x

[Panders]

We use the story as part of a time project. We take a series of pictures of the children throughout the morning to make a time line.

 

We time how long it takes them to do various activities, such as matching numbered cars to numbered spots etc.

 

we are pre-school by the way, after telling the story a couple of times, and we sing a song too - we made a hare and tortoise mask and the children acted out the story through the song:

 

Tortoise sings his song to the tune of see saw margery daw and hare sings his to polly put the kettle on.

 

Tortoise came shuffling along the road

(children tap knees at a slow pace)

As he went he sang to himself

 

Slow, slow, I'm very slow

You won't catch me running or hopping.

I'm so slow, its hard to know

Whether I'm starting or stopping

 

suddenly there was a whoosh and hare came shooting past

 

(children tap knees very quickly)

 

and he was singing a very different song,

 

Hurry, hurry, out my way

I am feeling fast today,

Mustn't stop to talk or play

I'm in a rush.

 

Tortoise took no notice. He just went on nibbling a dandelion leaf and singing his song.

 

(tap and sing Tortoise song)

 

Hare screeched to a halt and stared at tortoise "Your' right" he said "you are slow. Not like me. My middle name's speedy. I'm the fastest animal in the wood.

 

Tortoise stared back munching his leaf, "Oh really?" he said, "That good eh? Well well, well. How about a race then? through the wood past the pond and finish up at the old oak stump.

 

Youre on! said the Hare with a snigger One, two three go! and off he raced.

 

(tap and sing hare song)

 

In no time at all, Hare was far ahead, he thought to himself

I'm so far ahead of that sill old tortoise I think I'll lie under this tree and have a little rest, so he lay dow and fell fast asleep

 

Tortoise kept plodding along at a steady pace, singing his song

 

(tap and sing tortoise song)

 

 

Some time later, he passed the sleeping hare.. Imagine hare's surpise when he woke up to see tortoise far ahead of him. He jumped up and raced after him singing

 

(tap and sing hare song)

 

But he wasn't fast enough. torotise had already reached the old oak stump, chewing contentedly with a great big smile on his face.

 

(taken from Three Singing Pigs - Making music with traditional stories by Kaye Umansky )

 

Don't know if I will get into trouble for putting this on because of copyright, but I have attributed it!!

 

We also measured time, not recommended I suppose, but we do the chocolate button game, I buy giant choccie buttons and the children have to keep them on their tongue without eating them for as long as possible -

Edited February 10, 2010 by Panders

[Guest]

Oh my Panders you have blown me away : ) x

[Panders]

Hope it might be helpful - our children have enjoyed this in the past, but for 3 - 4 year olds who are naturally competitive - getting the tortoise to take their time is a little difficult!!

[Guest]

its not just 4-5 year olds i think their are alot of adults out their who did not learn this story!