Tele-Tall-Tale
Project Summary
Students will enjoy writing about a tall tale that happened to them at school and
then sending it off on an electronic telecommunications network to a distant school.
Students will also enjoy receiving work from partner schools and discovering that other
English-speaking countries use different expressions.
Suggested Grade Level and Audience
7th through 12th
Estimated Time Required
4-6 weeks
Student Learning Objectives
- Students will improve linguistic awareness of colloquial expressions around the world
- Students will compare/contrast local expressions with distant places
- Students will improve word processing and telecommunications skills
- Students will improve in creative writing
Writing Prompt
The Tele-Tall -Tale activity is a telecommunications writing project that takes a class of students' Tall Tales and sends them electronically to a distant audience, preferably an international school. The Tall Tales are then read and the American expressions are substituted using the expressions of the partner school. Changed Tall Tales are then sent back to the original school for reading and publishing.
DIRECTIONS:
Read the following Tall Tale written by an Australian student and substitute the boldfaced expressions with local expressions Exchange with distant audiences on the network and compare/contrast local lingo.
SAMPLE: AUSSIE-AMERICAN TALL TALE FOR COPY CHANGE:
AUSTRALIAN VERSION
G'Day, 'Struth. I had a bad day today. Mum told me to get up early. It was flamming six o'clock so I told her to shut her laughing gear. Then I shoved on my grundies, strides and footy jumper. For breakie went down to the tuck shop and had my weeties and snags. Headed off to the bus stop in the paddock basher, but the bus was late because it hit a roo on the way. Finally got to school and was real bushed. Tucker time and me vegemite sanga was mashed. Couldn't keep it down and chundered everywhere. A stupid Sheila called me drongo so I punched her in the honker. Teacher got me in trouble for it too. I played footy after school and got punched in the conk. By the way, if you want Mick Dundee's autograph, I can get it for you.
CALIFORNIAN VERSION
Hey Dude. Like what's happening? I had like this totally major day. Like, my old lady told me to get up early. It was, like six o'clock. So I put on my Madonna-like hair do, my Guess jeans, and my gnarly makeup. I was so outrageous. For breakfast I had some Frosted Flakes and like these really gross eggs over easy. I decided to jam on to my bus stop, but the bus was totally late. Like, for sure, there was this hole as big as a crater in the road. We passed this geeky-looking guy wearing these weird looking rags on the way. By the time we got to school, it was time for chow. We went down to the cafeteria and ate some mystery meat. We all had a grody time. To sum up my lunch, this wacky airhead called me a geeky-looking baboon, so I gave her a piece of my mind on her majorly ugly-looking face. Teacher got me busted for it too. When the last bell rang, I was totally relieved that school was over. I decided to cruise the mall and see if there were any muscular hunks out for the day. Oh, psych, like I'm so lame. By the way, if you want Madonna's autograph, I can get it for you. Later, dude.
