Teaching Kids to Admit a Lie
Tall Tales. Fact or fiction?
When teaching a lesson on the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) my students started to glaze over. Until I started telling this Tall Tale . . .
“I took a trip to Boston and went to see Old Ironsides in person.
There was a lot of construction going on. It was being restored.
As we toured the ship I walked past old pieces of wood
that had been cut out and replaced. Then suddenly,
I looked down and saw one that had a bullet hole in it!
I couldn’t resist. When nobody was looking . . .
I picked it up and slipped it inside my coat.”
“What!”
“No Way!”
“You did not!”
“Don’t believe me? Look at this…”
(I slowly opened my desk drawer, and carefully pulled out an ancient-looking
piece of wood. With a small hole in the middle! )
Needless to say, I had their attention.
I promised to answer questions at the end and went on to teach the lesson.
Storytelling is a teaching superpower that few of us take full advantage of.
I call my favorite variation “Tall tales. Fact or fiction?” I tell my kids on day one that I will be using them a lot.
I also explain the following:
Fiction is different from lying because it's proclaimed up front.
“Some, or all, of this story is fiction.”
It's not malicious. Or hurtful.
It's a fun Tall Tale that you know is at least partly pretend.
And when asked, I immediately state, “That part is made-up.” or, “That part is true.”
But I don’t let them ask until the lesson is complete.
And I tell them to be “Sherlocky” and look for invisible clues to help them guess.
It’s a Huge cliffhanger that keeps them engaged to the end.
This is also a good way for students to practice recanting a lie. Have them make up their own Tall Tale, to remember a concept, then share it with a partner, and finally tell which part is fact, and which part is fiction. Tall Tales are also great for object lesson teaching. Like the Constitution’s barnwood scrap with a hole drilled in it.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a real object is worth a million!
Then toss in a little Teacher Crime and you’ve got an irresistible Engagement Tool with Mystery, Magic, Wonder, and Intrigue.
Involving Students - “Create your own Tall Tale to Remember!”
It Skyrockets Ownership of Content
Use it for a hard to understand lesson and watch comprehension soar.
Practices Admitting Falsehoods and ½ Truths (fiction). (Helps them learn to recant a lie!)
“Ok Greg, what you’re telling me sounds a little like a Tall Tale. . . Is this part made-up? Fiction?
Use in triads, Tag-Team Storytelling style
Collaboration
Teamwork
Creativity
Selflessness (focusing on what makes THE STORY best?) Goal = Best Story
Take the best pieces from each triad to make a whole-class “Best-Seller” .
Competition - Compare this year’s story, to last year’s class story!
Makes your tough lesson Unforgettable !!
I wish you well, my friend!
Steven
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