A brief slideshow on what a "Tall Tale" is and the what makes up a Tall Tale for a 4th grade language arts class.

1. TALL TALES

2. TALL TALES
• A tall tale is a story that provides enjoyment.
• Tall tales stretch the imagination through
colorful language and exaggerations.

3. WHAT IS A TALL TALE?
• Stories that are passed along by word of
mouth and sometimes written down.
• Tall tales are known as “lying tales”. They are
humorous exaggerations.
• Tall tales are often about the frontier days in
the US. They are an exaggeration of the
hardships of frontier life.

4. • Tall tales may be about
animals, weather, every day events, and
ordinary people.
• Tall tales often feature over-sized people and
exaggerated deeds.

5. ELEMENTS OF A TALL TALE
• The story has many exaggerations.
• The main character has a problem to solve.
• The main character is bigger than life and has
super-human abilities.
• The plot is funny and impossible.
• In the end, the main character solves a
problem or overcomes an obstacle.

6. HOW TO WRITE YOUR OWN TALL TALE
PRE-WRITING

7. CHARACTER
• Who is the hero of your story?
• What special traits or skills does he or she
possess?

8. SETTING
• Where does your story take place?
– What does the place look like?
– How did your hero end up there?

9. PLOT
• What problem does your hero have to solve?
– How does your hero solve the problem or
overcome the obstacle?
– What adventures does your hero have along the
way?

10. CONCLUSION
• How does your story end?
• What happens to your hero?