Background Knowledge and

Vocabulary

The Tall TaleQuickTime™ and a

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exaggerate amazing tradition

What is a Tall Tale?

• Tall tales are stories written from someone’s imagination. The story can be funny or silly. They are filled with exaggerations, similes, metaphors, and lots of descriptive language. It is always told as if it were true, even though the listeners know that the story could never really happen.

A tall tale is a uniquely American story form that features…

(1) a larger-than-life, or superhuman, main character with a specific task

(2) a problem that is solved in a humorous or outrageous way

(3) exaggerated details that describe things larger than they really are

(4) characters who use everyday language and tone

Tall Tales

• Many tall tales are based on actual people or on a composite of actual people. Exaggeration is the major element in tall tales.

• The settlers loved to exaggerate when they told tales about the huge animals, the incredible weather extremes and the monstrous fish that got away. We can thank the pioneers for making tall tales a tradition.

To make something look or sound better, worse, larger, more common, or more important than is true or usual

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Vocabulary: Exaggerate

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People who go into previously uncharted or unclaimed territory with the purpose of exploring,colonizing or settling it.

Vocabulary: Pioneers

A long-established custom that has been handed down from generation to generation

Vocabulary: Tradition

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Why Tall Tales?• Many settlers originally came west because

someone made optimistic claims. They were told the climate was perfect and that there was plenty of water. They were convinced that crops would spring up overnight. It was said that the soil was so fertile that even footprints would grow!

• In real life, living on the plains was a lot tougher that the settlers had been told. After they found out what life on the plains was really like, they had to face many hard times. It was easier to handle if that person used humor.

Paul Bunyan The Mightiest

Logger of Them All

Vocabulary:announced

chowcornmealgiganticpickaxepioneers

potbelliedterriblethawed

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The Real “Paul Bunyan”• Historians believe the legend of Paul Bunyan is based

on the exploits of Fabian "Joe" Fournier, a French-Canadian logger born in Quebec around 1845.

• The big, strong Fournier moved to Michigan following the Civil War in search of higher wages and was eventually hired by the H. M. Loud Company.

• Sitting around the campfire, future newspaperman James MacGillivray would listen to stories about Fournier, which were embellished with every telling.

• MacGillivray wrote "Round River," a tale about the fictitious lumberjack Paul Bunyan which was published Aug. 10, 1906.

What’s real

• Potbellied Stove• Chow• Cornmeal mush• Pickaxe QuickTime™ and a

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What’s real

• Potbellied Stove• Chow• Cornmeal mush• Pickaxe

What’s real

• Potbellied Stove• Chow• Cornmeal mush• Pickaxe

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John Henrythe Steel

Driving ManVocabulary:

bulgedcascadedflickering

maulmuscular

nitroglycerineprotruded

shakertowered

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The Real John Henry

• John Henry is the most researched folk hero in history.

• Most think the story is based on the Big Bend Tunnel in WV, but evidence points to the Lewis Tunnel in VA.

• Listen to the ballad of John Henry

• From Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend by Scott Nelson, Professor of History, Willam & Mary University

What’s real

• maul

• shaker

• nitroglycerinQuickTime™ and a

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What’s real

• maul

• shaker

• nitroglycerinQuickTime™ and a

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Finding the Real John Henry

• The clue came from the song, “The Ballad of John Henry”

• Song: “They took John Henry to the White House, and they buried him in the sand, and every locomotive comes roarin’ by says there lies a steel drivin’ man.”

Tall Tale Vocabulary Activities

Exaggeration

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How to Exaggerate Vocabulary

• If you’re going to tell tall tales, you better exaggerate your vocabulary as well as your story…

• Don’t say Pecos Bill rode a mad tornado, you’d say he rode a ________ tornado.

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Synonyms

Word: Mad

angry

furious

livid

annoyed

irritated

upset

fuming

incensed

irate

outraged

cross

Word Scales

Word: Mad

angry furious livid annoyed irritated upset

Really mad

A little bit mad

Word Scales

Word: Mad

angry furious livid annoyed

irritated

upset

Really mad

A little bit mad

Word Scales

Word: Mad

angry furious livid

annoyed

irritated

upset

Really mad

A little bit mad

Word Scales

Word: Mad

angry furious livid

annoyed

irritated

upset

Really mad

A little bit mad

Word Scales

Word: Mad

angry

furious livid

annoyed

irritated

upset

Really mad

A little bit mad

Word Scales

Word: Mad

angry

furious

livid

annoyed

irritated

upset

Really mad

A little bit mad

Word Scales

Word: Mad

Really mad

angry

furious

livid

annoyed

irritated

upset

A little bit mad

Synonyms

Word: Big

Massive

Gigantic

Substantial Enormous

Large

Vast

Immense

Word Scales

Word: Big

A little bit big

Really big

massive substantial vast large immense gigantic enormous

Word ScalesWord: Said

Said mildly

Saidboldly

murmured thundered remarked reported announced wailed exclaimed

Word ScalesWord: Bad

A little bit bad

Really bad

displeasing terrible appalling dreadful awful wretched atrocious

Word ScalesWord: Stuck Out

Stuck out a little

protruded bulged swelled projected expanded distended pouched

Stuck out a lot

Paul Bunyan The Mightiest

Logger of Them All

• announced• chow

• cornmeal• gigantic• pickaxe• pioneers

• potbellied• terriblethawed

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John Henrythe Steel

Driving Man

• bulgedcascadedflickering

maulmuscular

nitroglycerine• protruded

shakertowered

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Thank You

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Davy Crockett

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Sally Ann Thunder Ann

Whirlwind

No real Sally Ann• David Crockett (1786-1836) was renowned

as an adventurer, Indian fighter, bear hunter, and congressman.

• He was born in a small cabin in Tennessee, not on a mountaintop. He did not kill a bear when he was only three. He was called David, not Davy.

• Married Mary “Polly” Finley in 1806 and had 3 children.