Targeted for elementary teachers, drama teachers, and teaching artists, Tangram Tales contains adapted tales from around the world appropriate for grades 2 through 6. Teachers can tell the stories in the classroom as part of a math unit, or have the students use the scripts provided here to perform the stories using tangrams. In the author's tangram story theater process, students are given roles as storytellers, tangram artists, and chorus members to create grade-level story presentations. Other tangram methods, such as individual student tangram tales and student-created tangram tales, are shared as well. The ways in which tangram tales connect language arts and math is demonstrated. The book includes simple black-and-white spot illustrations for each story, showing the tangram figures that depict the story. A reproducible tangram pattern is provided.

Grades 2-6

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Targeted for elementary teachers, librarians, and drama teachers, Handmade Tales offers more than 25 original tales from around the world that use hands as an active way to tell the stories.

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Rascally raccoons, feisty foxes, and artful alligators aren't the only creatures running wild in the bayou. With a peppercorn nose, a boudin mouth, chili-pepper eyes, and no small amount of cayenne pepper, the Cajun cornbread boy sprints through the swamps in shrimp boots and a cast-iron skillet hat, shouting as he dodges a number of perils along his way. When the boy meets an alligator who'd really like to have him for lunch, one of them is in for a truly spicy surprise!

In this flavorful rendition of the classic Gingerbread Man tale, award-winning international storyteller and folksinger Dianne de Las Casas presents a clever story in true Cajun style. Accompanied by Marita Gentry's fresh and fun illustrations, this engaging and beautifully narrated folktale will be an unforgettable and delicious delight to all. Complete with a glossary of Cajun terms and a cornbread recipe, this zesty story will make mouths water as it brings the flavors of the Cajun country to every home....

In Scared Silly: 25 Tales to Tickle and Thrill, Diane de Las Casas shares the methods and processes she uses in her own performances, workshops, and artist residencies, including how to effectively encourage audience participation. A brief section explains the benefits of sharing scary stories and offers expert opinions on the subject.

The 25 stories included here, many of them storytellers' classics, can be used by elementary teachers, librarians, storytellers, and camp counselors. The tales are adapted from around the world and range from suspenseful to comical to thrilling. Each story is annotated with suggestions on how to tell the tale, and each is rated by a "Spook-O-Meter" that illustrates how scary the story is for what audience it's intended.

Grades 1-5.

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When Madame Poulet realizes her friend Monsieur Roach is a no-good lazy bug who is taking advantage of her, it isn't long before Madame Poulet puts an end to her roach problem for good....