Learners explore character traits and life lessons through folktales from various American cultures. The stories illustrate the impact of "paying a debt forward" rather than "paying it back."
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Wealth may be measured in something other than money. We may feel wealthy if we have a loving family or good health. Community wealth may be in relationships, respectful leaders, and good places to visit.
Through four folktales from different parts of the world and wisdom traditions, learners explore how to make decisions in difficult situations. They define discernment and wisdom and give examples of each in real-life situations.
These Australian folktales compare selfish and unselfish behaviors and tell the origin story of our permanent responsibility as caretaker of the land.
Learners analyze characters in five European folktales, particularly female characters. They analyze what small acts of kindness contribute to both the giver and receiver.
Indian Tale: A man and wife receive a visitor one rainy night. He praises them for welcoming him, and, little by little, teaches them how to share what they have. Miserliness is a habit that can be unlearned.
The featured folktales explore themes of helping people make judgments of integrity in different situations.
A Mexican Tale: A lazy man helps a man with a runaway horse and in return he is amply rewarded.
Sometimes you have to give up what you truly love to get what you really want. That can be a hard lesson when you have almost nothing. This lesson looks at who has the responsibility to be generous and what changes can come about because of one’s generosity.