Introduction: Folktales are one of the many things the world's people have in common with each other. For many cultures, stories are often much more than entertainment; they are a way of getting a group of people to discuss important issues and they are a way of passing historical events from one generation to the next. Folktales reveal a great deal about the place in which they originate.

Grade Level: Adaptable for grades K-12

Connection to National Geography Standards: The geographically informed person knows and understands:

#4 The physical and human characteristics of places

#6 How culture and experience influence peopleís perceptions of places and regions

#10 The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of earth's cultural mosaics

Objectives: Students will be able to:

• identify physical and human characteristics of a place.
• explain how culture influences the way people think
• describe common factors of various regions
• illustrate elements of a culture through artwork

Materials:

• A copy of the story, The Most Wonderful Gift
• Heavy paper plate
• Scissors
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrushes (one for each student)
• String
• Pocket Mirror (may substitute with thick aluminum foil)
• Cement glue

Introducing the Lesson: Discuss with students how we can learn things about a place from a story. What are the people like? What are their customs? What is the environment like? What are the political systems? Use examples from common stories.

Procedure:

• Tell the story (or read), The Most Wonderful Gift.
• After telling the story have a class discussion on elements of the story. Where does it take place? What are the physical and human characteristics? What does this place "look" like? What are the resources available to people in the story? How do people interact with each other?
• Inform students that mirrors figure in many tales from around the world. Students can make their own special mirror decorated with Arabic designs.
• Give each student a paper plate.
  • Students should trim the edges of their plates with scissors to create a decorative border.
  • Students may then paint the front of the plate with white paint as a base coat. When the paint dries, they should draw "Arabic" designs in pencil. Next, students paint over their designs.
  • When the paint is dry, students should cut a piece of string about 4" long. Using the cement glue, students attach the string to the back of the plate as a "hanger."
  • Students should center their mirror on the front side of the plate and glue it in place. When the glue has set, hang the mirror!

Assessment: Students' mirrors should illustrate their understanding of Arabic design and they should be able to describe how it is reflective of the geographic theme place.

Resource: Walker, Barbara K. A Treasury of Turkish Folktales for Children. Hamden, CT: Linnet Books, 1992