South Korea: Folktales, Curriculum, and More

Yolgok Buddha
Joseon Dynasty, 1684

This year the Winter Olympics take place in PyeongChang, South Korea. Below you will find tidbits about their place in the world, their stories, and some crafts and curriculum to bring the Olympics, and the people of this country to your classroom. Let’s hit the slopes!

- South Korea, or the Republic of Korea, is in East Asia. It   occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, below North Korea.

- Korea is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world.

- There are five Royal Palaces in Seoul, built by the Joseon kings who ruled for 500 years from 1392.

- Kimchi, the nation’s favourite dish, is made with fermented vegetables such as cabbage. It is served to accompany most meals and is said to help prevent bird flu.

- Korean babies are one year old on the day that they are born, then add another year on New Year’s Day.

- The Korean alphabet is called Hangul. It has 10 vowels and 14 consonants and is easy to learn for young children.

- Korean schools use robots to teach English! They have a computer screen which shows the face of a teacher, who can be sitting in another country whilst helping children to learn!

- The Korean martial art taekwondo is the national sport. Unsurprisingly Koreans have won the most Olympic gold medals.
From: https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/south-korea

STORIES

The Devoted Daughter – Korea

http://asianfolktales.unescoapceiu.org/folktales/read/korea_1.htm

The Fairy and the Woodcutter

http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=120797

KBS World Radio: Korean Folktales – Nineteen pages filled with stories!

http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/program/program_koreastory_detail.htm?lang=e&No=1240&current_page=1

Korean Folk Tales: Imps, Ghosts and Fairies by James S. Gale, 1913. Visit with Ten Thousand Devils, The Awful Little Goblin, and more mysterious creatures from Korea.
http://chestofbooks.com/fairy-tale/Korean/

The Story Spirits

http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/060.html

The Sun and the Moon
http://asianfolktales.unescoapceiu.org/folktales/read/korea_2.htm

The Tiger’s Whisker  http://www.eagle.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/The%20tiger%27s%20whisker%20korean%20folktale.pdf

The ski resort known as Yongpyong (Dragon Valley) is home to the snow sports for the Olympic Games in 2018 so of course I must share some dragon tales!

Dragons: Mythical Mystical, Magical Creatures
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2011/05/dragons-mythical-mystical-magical.html

BOOKS

15 Great Korean Folktales for Kids
https://www.pragmaticmom.com/2017/06/korean-folk-tales/

CHILDREN’S CRAFTS/ACTIVITIES

Graphing the Winter Olympics Bulletin Board

https://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/ideas/1005/graphing-the-winter-olympics/

  

Kidssoup – Pyeongchang South Korea Olympic Games Kids Activities and Game

https://www.kidssoup.com/craft-and-resource/pyeongchang-south-korea-olympic-games-kids-activities-and-game

Korean Board Game - Yut-Nori 

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2010/03/crafts-around-the-world-korea.html

Layers of Learning: South Korea for Kids

https://layers-of-learning.com/south-korea-for-kids/

Olympic Paper Chain Countdown – I LOVE this idea. Perfect for home or the classroom.

http://www.housingaforest.com/olympic-paper-chain-countdown/

Olympic Ring Bottle Cap Sorter – Great way to help toddlers with colors, sorting and sizes.

http://www.housingaforest.com/olympic-ring-bottle-cap-color-sort/

Read Write Think – Classroom Resources and Activities: Winter Olympics

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/winter-olympics-begin-today-31068.htm

Traditional Sam Taeguk Fan

http://www.incultureparent.com/2011/04/korean-craft-make-a-traditional-sam-taeguk-fan/

SOMETHING EXTRA

26 Korean Foods Everyone Need to Try

https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelleno/foods-every-korean-loves?utm_term=.cs3ybxJ92o#.eoZ1VnJOKk

Festival, Celebrations and Holidays

http://www.korea.net/AboutKorea/Korean-Life/Festivals

Korea’s Fairy Tale Village is a Truly Magical Place That You Have to Visit

https://www.tripzilla.com/10-alternative-things-bali/30745

Traditional Origami Paper Folding in Korea

https://www.thespruce.com/traditional-origami-paper-folding-in-korea-2540682

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace 2018 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Stor e Telling: October November December 2015: Fairytales

The Princess Imprisioned in
the Summerhouse

by

H. J. Ford, 1892

This year is almost over and I just barely making it under the wire with the last 2015 Stor e Telling column from the National Storytelling Magazine. Next month, when we ring in 2017, I will begin sharing my columns from 2016. Until then, I hope you enjoy the stories below and find one, two, or maybe more to add to your storytelling repertoire.

If you would like to receive the freshest links as each new publication is published give yourself a holiday gift and become a member of the National Storytelling Network; the magazine is free with your membership.

“Fairy tales have positive uses in education...They convey knowledge of the world, shrewd lessons of virtue and vice, of common sense and sense of humour…they foster sympathy with nature…They cultivate the Imagination…” - Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing

The theme of this issue was fairytales and I offered stories sprinkled with a bit of fairy tale magic.

The Book of Dragons by Edith Nesbit, 1899. Stop by and visit with the Ice Dragon, travel to the Island of the Nine Whirlpools, then continue on to meet other intriguing creatures.

http://tinyurl.com/pgs3r59

Hauff’s Fairytales – Eleven tales including Fatima’s Rescue, The Story of the False Prince and more.
http://tinyurl.com/ohrjl5w

Old Fashioned Fairy Tales by Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing, 1841-1885. Eighteen tales including The Magician’s Gift, The Cobbler and the Ghost, and The Magic Jar.

http://tinyurl.com/oxm9xo2

November 13 is World Kindness Day. Below are a few folktales and additional resources.

The Ape, the Snake and the Lion - Africa

http://tinyurl.com/nky7avl

The Crystal Heart - Vietnam

http://tinyurl.com/qaxcooh

The Jester - Jewish

http://tinyurl.com/q3kvbca

Native Languages.org – Four Native American legends about kindness to animals.

http://tinyurl.com/oya5bp5  

The Princess Mouse - Finland

http://tinyurl.com/o2y4qss 

The Shield of Kindness - Ethiopia

http://tinyurl.com/nz2tkf6

Toads and Diamonds - France

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/lfb/bl/blfb28.htm

Wisdom Commons – Seven stories of kindness from around the world.

http://tinyurl.com/p7ymwqw

Coffee Cups and Crayons -Acts of Kindness Books for Kids

http://tinyurl.com/peaa976

Four Scientifically Proven Ways to Teach Kindness – Lovely to note that the second way they specify is to ‘use folktales.’

http://tinyurl.com/pdxe4z7

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Fairy Tale of the Month – Since 2010 storyteller Charles Kiernan has been reflecting and discussing a wide variety of fairy tales. He encourages his readers to offer their thoughts and add to the discussion.
https://chaztales.wordpress.com/

Here’s to Fairy Tales and Happily Ever After!  A blog I wrote in January of 2015. The first half contains fun for the little ones, finger plays, etc., and the second half offers hundreds of public domain folktales to ensure that we live “Happily ever after!

http://tinyurl.com/njzdpfw

Simla Village or, Folk tales from the Himalayas - Twenty-four tales collected by Alice Elizabeth Dracott, published in 1906.
http://tinyurl.com/otuyysx

Autumn brings us fresh, crisp apples. Below are a few folktales to help you take a bite out of the season!

The Golden Bird -From the Brothers Grimm
http://tinyurl.com/7yg3oxn

The Laughing Apple and the Weeping Apple - Turkey

http://tinyurl.com/omkubrb

Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard by Eleanor Farjeon. 1921
http://tinyurl.com/lf3xvb

The Silver Plate and the Transparent Apple - Russia

http://tinyurl.com/pcvr8aw

The Tale of the Three Apples - From the Arabian Nights
http://tinyurl.com/mjne76

It’s Harvest Time! Apple and Pumpkin Fun for the Wee Ones – Fingerplays, songs and more to make your lapsit program shine.

http://tinyurl.com/nrluwpj

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace 2016 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Dragons - Mythical, Mystical, Magical Creatures!

Dragon King’s Daughter
(Gohonzon #22, Eight Great Dragon Kings)

"Come not between the dragon and his wrath." ~ Shakespeare, King Lear

Dragons have filled our myths, legends, history and imaginations for centuries. The Scandinavians described swimming dragons and the Vikings placed dragons on the front of their ships to scare off the sea monsters. Their are myths containing dragons date back to 4000 B.C.

Marco Polo wrote of his travels to the province of Karajan and reported on huge serpents, which at the fore part have two short legs, each with three claws.

Records of the Greek historian Herodotus and the Jewish historian Josephus describe flying reptiles in ancient Egypt and Arabia, and in art, dragons appear on ancient pottery in China as late as 202 A.D.

o In some cultures dragons have major spiritual significance.
o In many Asian cultures dragons represented the primal forces of nature, religion and the universe.
o They are associated with wisdom and often said to be wiser than humans.
o They are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers.
o In some cultures they are also said to be capable of human speech

o European dragons are usually depicted as evil.
o Chinese dragons do not have wings but have very long tails. They are benevolent and can take on human form. The Imperial Dragon is the combination of four benevolent spiritual animals, the other three being the phoenix, the unicorn and the tortoise.
o Japanese dragons are water deities associated with rainfall and bodies of water.
o Persians believed a dragon's baby would be the same color as the mother's eyes.
o Scottish dragons have two tails.

Courtesy of :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon
http://www.allaboutcreation.org/dragon-history.htm
http://www.genesispark.com/genpark/history/history.htm

STORIES

The Dragon - Italy
http://www.worldoftales.com/European_folktales/Italian_folktale_22.html

The Dragon and the Prince - Serbia
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/sfs/sfs57.htm

The Dragon and His Grandmother - Germany
https://fairytalez.com/the-devil-and-his-grandmother/ 

The Dragon of Ghent - Belgium
http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/tl/tl08.htm

The Dragon of the North - Estonia
http://www.mythfolklore.net/3043mythfolklore/reading/estonia/pages/06.htm

The Four Dragons - Asia
http://worldoftales.com/Asian_folktales/Asian_Folktale_6.html

How the Dragon Came to Be - China
https://www.pitara.com/fiction-for-kids/folktales/how-the-dragon-came-to-be/

The Lambton Worm - England
http://tinyurl.com/3krfcz7

The Golden Dragon of the Boringue on page 188 and Turk, Turban, Tulip and Dragon, page 166 both in Belgian Fairy Tales by William Elliot Griffis, 1919. To read these tales and download the  book for free go to:
https://archive.org/stream/belgianfairytale00grifiala/belgianfairytale00grifiala_djvu.txt

The Serene Dragon - This incredible site is sure to slay you! Over 544 dragon tales listed by country and region, with origins, and articles; you will be breathing fire in no time at all. Unfortunately, the site is no longer online but you may still access the pages via the Wayback Machine at this link:
https://web.archive.org/web/20050205214117/http://www.theserenedragon.net/home.html

Story-Lovers.com – As always, Jackie Baldwin is ahead of the pack, or in this case, the dragon’s lair. Books, stories and more, all related to those amazing mythical creatures. Note: Our dear Jackie crossed over a few years ago but her incredible work lives on, accessible via the Wayback Machine here: http://web.archive.org/web/20100120170730/http://www.story-lovers.com/listsdragonstories.html

BOOKS

Bookroo – Dragon books for a variety of ages.
https://bookroo.com/explore/books/topics/dragons

CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activity Village – Lots of crafts and printables.
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/dragons_theme.htm

Chinese Dragon Puppet – Makes a great bookmark as well.
http://tinyurl.com/3ysk9ce

Dragon Coloring Pages 
http://www.coloring.ws/dragons1.htm

Survivor Dragon Island – From the California Summer Reading Collaborative Program http://tinyurl.com/6jsnved

CURRICULUM

Adventures with Dragons, Gods and Giants – A grade three unit connected to the Core Curriculum Standards.
https://studylib.net/doc/18517051/fantastic-adventures-with-dragons--gods--and   NEW

Dealing with Dragons
http://www.edhelper.com/books/Dealing_with_Dragons.htm

Komodo Dragons
http://www.edhelper.com/AnimalReadingComprehension_19_1.html

San Diego Zoo - The Lifestyle of the Komodo Dragon - For grades 4 – 6; facts, activities and more on this interesting and ancient creature.

https://sdzwildlifeexplorers.org/animals/komodo-dragon

http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/komodo-dragon

Meet the new Komodo dragons at the San Diego Zoo
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/11/18/komodo-dragons-san-antonio

HISTORY

Draconian.com - The history of dragons in various cultures, short legends about dragons and more.
http://www.draconian.com/whatis/whatis.htm

SONGS AND FINGERPLAYS

Dragon Fingerplays
https://www.barbertonlibrary.org/dragonfingerplays

Dragon Storytime – Songs, fingerplays, and book suggestions from the Jacksonville Public Library
http://jplmainchildrens.blogspot.com/2011/09/dragon-storytime.html

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2011 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.