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Basic 4 · Ghanaian Language · Story Telling

Retelling a Folktale in Three Scenes

In this topic you will retell a folktale of about three scenes and identify its parts.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

  • Identify the beginning, middle and end of a folktale
  • Retell a folktale in three scenes
  • State the lesson of the folktale

What you already know

  • Dramatising stories (Basic 3)

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand
Oral Reading
Sub-strand
Story Telling
Indicator
B4.1.4.1.1 – Retell a folktale of about three scenes

Introduction

Folktales are often told in scenes. A scene is a part of the story that happens in one place and time.

1. A Folktale: Why the Tortoise Has a Cracked Shell

Three scenes
SceneWhat happens
1. The invitationThe birds were invited to a feast in the sky. Tortoise begged them for feathers so he could fly too.
2. The feastTortoise named himself "All of you". When food came, he said, "This is for All of you," and ate it all. The angry birds took back their feathers.
3. The fallTortoise had to jump down to earth. He landed on hard ground and his shell cracked.
A tortoise with borrowed feathers eating at a feast in the sky while birds watch angrily
Figure 1: The tortoise at the feast Draw one scene of the folktale.Illustration: Sirbus

2. The Lesson

Greed and trickery bring trouble. Do not cheat those who help you.

3. Retelling Tips

  1. Start with the characters and setting.
  2. Tell each scene in order.
  3. Use your own words and expression.
  4. End with the lesson.

New words

folktale
A traditional story passed down by word of mouth.
scene
A part of a story in one place and time.
character
A person or animal in a story.
setting
Where and when a story happens.
greed
Wanting more than your share.
trickery
Cheating people with clever lies.

Summary

  • Folktales can be told in scenes.
  • The tortoise tricked the birds and fell, cracking his shell.
  • The lesson is that greed and trickery bring trouble.
  • We retell folktales in order with expression.

Class activity: Three-Scene Retelling

  1. Use the character picture cards.
  2. Each member retells one scene in your Ghanaian language.
  3. Act out the folktale with props.

You need: Ghanaian-language folktale picture book, Character picture cards, Calabash, Kente cloth props

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. A part of a story in one place and time is a…

    • A. Scene
    • B. Moral
    • C. Title
    • D. Line
    Show answer
    Answer: SceneThat is a scene.

  2. 2. What name did the tortoise give himself?

    • A. All of you
    • B. King
    • C. Friend
    • D. Bird
    Show answer
    Answer: All of youHe used it to trick the birds.

  3. 3. Why did the tortoise's shell crack?

    • A. He fell on hard ground
    • B. He was old
    • C. He ate stones
    • D. It rained
    Show answer
    Answer: He fell on hard groundHe had to jump down.

  4. 4. The birds lent the tortoise feathers.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TrueSo he could fly.

  5. 5. The tortoise shared the food fairly.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: FalseHe ate it all.

  6. 6. Wanting more than your share is ______.

    Show answer
    Answer: greedThe tortoise was greedy.

  7. 7. Retell scene 2 in one sentence.

    Show answer
    Answer: The tortoise called himself "All of you" and ate all the food.Scene 2 is the feast.

  8. 8. What lesson can pupils learn from the folktale?

    Show answer
    Answer: Do not cheat or be greedy, especially towards those who help you.Greed brings trouble.

Homework

  1. Retell the folktale in three scenes to a family member.