What are Pourquoi Tales?

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What are Pourquoi Tales?

• Pourquoi is French
• for why.
• Pourquoi stories
• are the genre of
• Tales/legends that
• explain
• why something
• in the natural world
• is the way it is.

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Characteristics of Pourquoi Tales

• Pourquoi is French for why

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Characteristics of Pourquoi Tales

• Explain why things are the way they are

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Characteristics of Pourquoi Tales

• Usually describe something in nature,
  especially animals

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Characteristics of Pourquoi Tales

• The entire story is fictitious, up until the
  very last sentence

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Characteristics of Pourquoi Tales

• These tales often start in the past, e.g. A
  long, long time ago . . . and end when the
  explanation is complete

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Lets Read a Pourquoi Tale
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WHY THE SUN AND THE MOON LIVE IN THE SKY(A Zuni
Legend of New Mexico)A Read-Aloud Retelling

• A long time ago, there was no day. It was always
  dark and always summer. This was because the
  Kachina, a very powerful people, had stolen the
  Sun and the Moon and locked them away in a box.
  In the dim light, Coyote and Eagle, two friends,
  wandered the desert. Coyote and Eagle had always
  hunted together, but Coyote could not hunt
  anymore because he could not see at night. Coyote
  suggested that they go to find the Sun and Moon
  and make them light up the world. Eagle was
  worried. He reminded Coyote that the Sun and Moon
  were very strong, and it was dangerous to try to
  trick them. In the end, Eagle agreed to help
  Coyote.

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WHY THE SUN AND THE MOON LIVE IN THE SKY
continued

• While the Kachina were sleeping, Coyote and
  Eagle crept into their village, stole the Sun and
  Moon, and headed into the hills. Coyote told
  Eagle that he wanted to open the box containing
  the Sun and the Moon. Eagle said no. They must
  wait until after their travels and open it with
  their eyes closed. Coyote grumbled. He couldn't
  wait to see what was in that box. Finally he grew
  so curious that he threw it open. The light of
  the Sun was so bright it blinded Coyote's eyes.
  The Sun and Moon laughed and flew far away, up
  into the sky where they are today.

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Which of the following characteristics were found
in the pourquoi tale we just read?

• Pour quoi is French for why
• Explain why things are the way they are
• Usually describe something in nature, especially
  animals
• The entire story is fictitious, up until the very
  last sentence
• These tales often start in the past, e.g. A
  long, long time ago . . . and end when the
  explanation is complete

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Pourquoi Tales

• Based on the creation myths/pourquoi tales that
  you have seen/read, what do you consider to be
  the most important elements of this genre?
• Make a list of the most important elements then
  share with your partner to compare ideas.

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From creation myths to Pourquoi tales

• Pourquoi tales are written to explain why things
  are the way they are and usually describe
  something in nature, especially animals. 
  Pourquoi tales are old legends told to explain
  why certain events happened.  These tales often
  start in the past and end when the explanation is
  revealed.

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Pourquoi TalesWritten by Ms. Smith
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Why mosquitoes buzz in peoples ears

• Listen to/watch this
• West African Pourquoi
• Tale.

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• The middle of the story consists of the
  3Dsdescription, dialogue, and detailsas well
  as action.
• Any details that you add should be important to
  help readers/listeners to understand the story
  and move it along. The students stories are,
  after all, modeled on folktales, and folktales
  tend to err on the side of much less detail than
  literary stories.
• Think of the two or three best solutions and pick
  the one that works best.

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Developing characters requires personification.

• Consider
• species
• personality
• appearance
• gender
• name
• age
• job
• important event in the characters past

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Ideas for Pourquoi Tales

• ? Why Owl Has Big Eyes
• ? Why Dogs Howl at the Moon
• ? Why Snake Has No Feet or Hands
• ? Why Geese Fly in the Shape of a V
• ? Why Birds Have Many Colors
• ? Why Roses Have Thorns
• ? Why Pigs Have Curly Tails
• ? Why There are Rainbows
• ? Why There Are Oceans
• ? Why Some Trees Lose Their Leaves and Others are
  Evergreen
• ? How Jellyfish Came to Be
• ? Why the Big Toe is So Much Bigger than the
  Other Toes
• ? Why Porcupine Has Quills

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Start with the end

• To begin your pourquoi tale, you must start at
  the end
• What are you going to explain in your tale?
• How will it come to pass?

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Setting in Pourquoi Tales

• Consider the habitat of the animals in your story
• What cultural elements are represented in these
  tales?
• Research your setting for accuracy