Extending Meaning

Contributor: Alison Weiss. Lesson ID: 10779

Fairy tales and other pretend stories are fun to read but did you know they also teach you moral lessons for life? Watch a boy cry wolf and a Lorax, try an online quiz, and write your own moral story!

categories

Literary Studies

subject
Reading
learning style
Auditory, Visual
personality style
Beaver
Grade Level
Primary (K-2)
Lesson Type
Skill Sharpener

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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Do you ever read a fun story like a fairy tale and get the feeling that there is more to the story than what you read?

Most fictional stories — especially fables and fairy tales — teach a moral lesson.

The author never says what the lesson is that the story is trying to teach you. It is like a secret message that you have to figure out on your own!

Examples of moral lessons include:

  • Respect your elders.
  • Be kind to others.
  • Always tell the truth.

Watch this video of the classic fable about The Boy Who Cried Wolf (below):

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Reflect on the story. What did this story teach you? Can you think of what might be the moral of this story? I bet you can come up with a couple of different ideas!

Some morals you might come up with include:

  • Don't lie.
  • Playing tricks on people is mean.
  • Playing tricks on people about serious things will make people not trust you.

Did you come up with morals similar to these? Did you come up with different morals? Share your ideas with your parent or teacher. Ask what he or she thinks the moral of the story is!

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