Literature: Didactic, Entertaining and Archaic Features of Non-African Folktales for JSS 3

Class: JSS 3
Term: First Term
Week: 3
Age: 14-15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Literature
Previous Lesson: Grammar/Structure: Adverbials of Condition and Contrast
Topic: Literature: Didactic, Entertaining and Archaic Features of Non-African Folktales
Subject Matter: Didactic, entertaining and archaic features of non-African folktales

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• State and explain didactic, entertaining, and archaic features of non-African folktales.
• Describe key features, themes, and moral lessons found in selected non-African folktales.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the cultural value of non-African folktales.
• Show interest in reading and discussing different types of folktales.

Psychomotor Domain

• Identify specific examples of didactic, entertaining, and archaic elements within a given folktale.
• Discuss and articulate the themes and moral lessons of a folktale.

Social Domain

• Collaborate with peers in discussing folktale features.
• Share interpretations of folktale themes and morals respectfully.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2014 Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable English Language textbook for JSS 3
• FCT ERC/NAPPS Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Copies of selected non-African folktales (e.g., Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Little Mermaid)
• Whiteboard and markers or chalkboard and chalk
• Pictures or illustrations depicting scenes from non-African folktales

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps students understand the universal appeal and cultural significance of folktales beyond their immediate environment. By examining didactic, entertaining, and archaic features, students develop critical literary analysis skills and appreciate how stories transmit values, provide enjoyment, and reflect historical contexts. This understanding enhances their appreciation for literature and broadens their worldview.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have a basic understanding of what folktales are and some familiarity with common African folktales and their general characteristics.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Didactic, Entertaining and Archaic Features of Non-African Folktales

General Features of Non-African Folktales

Non-African folktales are traditional stories passed down through generations in cultures outside of Africa. They often share common characteristics with folktales from other regions but also have unique elements reflecting their origin. These stories serve various purposes, including teaching lessons, entertaining audiences, and preserving cultural heritage.

Didactic Features

Didactic features refer to elements within a folktale that are intended to teach a moral lesson or impart wisdom. These stories often guide behaviour, instill values, and explain consequences.

Examples of didactic features and lessons:

1. Moral Lessons: Many tales teach about kindness, honesty, perseverance, or the dangers of greed and envy. For instance, “Cinderella” teaches the importance of kindness and inner beauty, and that good deeds are eventually rewarded.
2. Ethical Guidance: They often present clear distinctions between right and wrong, showing how characters are rewarded for virtue and punished for vice.
3. Social Norms: Folktales can reinforce societal expectations and cultural values, guiding young people on how to behave within their community.

Entertaining Features

Entertaining features are elements that captivate the audience, provide enjoyment, and hold their attention. These aspects make the stories engaging and memorable.

Examples of entertaining features:

1. Fantasy and Magic: Many non-African folktales include magical creatures (fairies, dragons, giants), enchanted objects (magic beans, glass slippers), and supernatural events. “Jack and the Beanstalk” features magic beans and a giant.
2. Adventure and Quests: Characters often embark on journeys, face challenges, and overcome obstacles, creating suspense and excitement.
3. Humour: Some tales use witty dialogue, funny situations, or exaggerated characters to make the audience laugh.
4. Dramatic Conflict: The struggle between good and evil, or between protagonists and antagonists, creates tension and keeps the audience invested in the outcome.

Archaic Features

Archaic features refer to elements that reflect older times, customs, language, or beliefs that are no longer common in modern society. They give a sense of historical depth to the stories.

Examples of archaic features:

1. Language: Use of old-fashioned phrases like “Once upon a time,” “hark,” “thou,” or “prithee.”
2. Setting: Stories are often set in medieval castles, enchanted forests, or simple villages, reflecting pre-industrial societies.
3. Social Structures: References to kings, queens, princes, princesses, knights, and peasants, highlighting historical class systems.
4. Customs and Beliefs: Depiction of old traditions, superstitions, or ways of life that are no longer practiced. For example, the idea of a royal ball to find a bride in “Cinderella” reflects older courtship customs.

Themes in Non-African Folktales

Themes are the central ideas or messages that run through a story. Common themes in non-African folktales include:

1. Good versus Evil: The eternal struggle between virtuous characters and wicked ones, often with good triumphing in the end.
2. Transformation: Characters undergoing significant changes, either physically (e.g., a frog turning into a prince) or in their character (e.g., a humble person becoming a hero).
3. Love and Betrayal: Stories exploring romantic love, familial bonds, and instances of deceit or disloyalty.
4. Justice and Retribution: The idea that characters receive what they deserve, whether reward for virtue or punishment for wrongdoing.
5. Perseverance and Courage: Characters facing difficult challenges and overcoming them through determination and bravery.

Moral Lessons in Non-African Folktales

Moral lessons are the practical teachings or principles of right conduct that the stories convey. These lessons are often explicitly stated or clearly implied by the outcome of the narrative.

Examples of moral lessons from common non-African folktales:

1. “Cinderella” (European): Teaches that kindness, patience, and humility are rewarded, and that inner goodness can overcome adversity.
2. “Jack and the Beanstalk” (English): Teaches about courage, resourcefulness, and the consequences of greed, but also the rewards of bravery.
3. “The Little Mermaid” (Danish): Teaches about sacrifice, the pain of unrequited love, and the longing for an immortal soul.
4. “Hansel and Gretel” (German): Warns against strangers and teaches the importance of cleverness and sibling loyalty in overcoming danger.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Guided Reading, Explanation, Question and Answer, Group Work, Storytelling

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Recalling/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and reviews their previous knowledge of folktales, asking them to mention some African folktales they know and their general characteristics.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond by mentioning African folktales and sharing what they remember about them.

Learning Point: Recalling folktale types

Step 2: Introduction to Non-African Folktales and General Features

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the concept of non-African folktales, explaining that they are traditional stories from cultures outside Africa. The teacher then guides students to read or discuss a brief summary of a well-known non-African folktale (e.g., Cinderella) and prompts them to identify any general features they notice.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, read the summary, and discuss initial observations about the folktale.

Learning Point: General features of non-African folktales

Step 3: Exploring Didactic Features

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Analysis

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what didactic features are (elements that teach a lesson) and guides students to identify didactic elements in the selected non-African folktale(s). The teacher asks questions like, “What lesson does this story teach?” or “What values are promoted here?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and discuss the moral lessons and values presented in the folktales.

Learning Point: Understanding didactic features

Step 4: Exploring Entertaining Features

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Illustrating/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what entertaining features are (elements that make the story enjoyable) and guides students to identify these elements. The teacher might ask, “What parts of the story made it exciting or interesting?” or “Are there any magical elements?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and discuss the exciting, magical, or humorous aspects of the folktales.

Learning Point: Identifying entertaining features

Step 5: Exploring Archaic Features

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Contextualising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what archaic features are (elements reflecting older times, language, or customs) and guides students to identify them in the folktale(s). The teacher points out old-fashioned language, settings, or social structures.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and discuss the old-fashioned language, settings, or customs present in the stories.

Learning Point: Recognising archaic features

Step 6: Discussing Themes and Moral Lessons

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Synthesising/Summarising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads a discussion on the overall themes and specific moral lessons conveyed by the non-African folktales discussed. The teacher encourages students to compare and contrast the lessons learned from different tales.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils discuss and articulate the main themes and moral lessons, drawing comparisons between tales.

Learning Point: Themes and morals in folktales

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. Mention two didactic features of non-African folktales.
2. Give an example of an entertaining feature from “Jack and the Beanstalk.”
3. What does “archaic” mean in the context of folktales?
4. State one moral lesson from “Cinderella.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Assessing folktale features

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on didactic, entertaining, and archaic features of non-African folktales, along with their themes and moral lessons, into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarises the main points of the lesson, reiterating the importance of understanding the didactic, entertaining, and archaic features of non-African folktales as a way to appreciate their cultural value and the lessons they convey.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and ask any final questions.

Learning Point: Summarising folktale characteristics

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Read a non-African folktale of your choice (e.g., “Little Red Riding Hood,” “The Three Little Pigs,” or “Rapunzel”) and answer the following questions in your notebook:

1. Briefly summarise the folktale.
2. Identify and explain one didactic feature present in the story.
3. Identify and explain one entertaining feature present in the story.
4. Identify and explain one archaic feature present in the story.
5. What is the main moral lesson of the folktale you read?

Lesson Keywords

• Folktale – A traditional story passed down orally through generations.
• Non-African – Originating from cultures outside the continent of Africa.
• Didactic – Intended to teach a moral lesson or impart wisdom.
• Entertaining – Providing amusement or enjoyment.
• Archaic – Relating to or characteristic of an earlier period, often old-fashioned.
• Theme – A central idea or underlying message in a story.
• Moral Lesson – A teaching or principle of right conduct conveyed by a story.

Differentiation

For students who may struggle, provide simpler versions of folktales or pre-highlight key features to guide their identification. For advanced learners, encourage them to compare and contrast the features of non-African folktales with African folktales they know, or to explore how these features have evolved over time.

Suggested Lesson Videos

Search YouTube for: features of non-african folktales JSS3