''The Golden Windows'' by Laura E. Richards

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Sometimes, the most profound lessons we learn come from stories that are told, such as fables or folk tales.

These are not children's stories, though the characters may appeal to children, and the dialogue and plot are usually straightforward. They are written for people of all ages because everyone needs to learn — or be reminded of — some basic human values.

• Do you remember Aesop's fable "The Ants and the Grasshopper"?

The grasshopper spent all summer playing his music. He laughed at the ants, who spent so much time and effort storing food for the winter.

When winter came, the grasshopper had no food and was hungry. He had to go and ask the ants for help.

From this, we can learn that we must work and think about the future. We shouldn't waste time when other people are working. There's a time for work and a time for play.

• What about Aesop's fable "The North Wind & the Sun"?

The wind and the sun argued over who was stronger. They decided to have a contest to see who could make a man take off his coat.

The wind blew as hard as he possibly could, but the man only pulled the coat more tightly around him. Then the sun shone soft, bright, and warm on the man. He began to get hot, so he took off his coat, and the sun won the contest.

This teaches us that we can win people over more by kindness, warmth, and gentleness than we can by raging and blustering!

• As you read those two summaries of stories, could you picture them in your head?
• What if you saw a video retelling the story? Would that help you to understand or appreciate it more?

Head over to the Got It? section to find out!