1001+Tales

== = = =Storytelling is has for all of time provided us with opportunities to share our ideas, our hopes, our concerns, and our lives with one another. The 1001 Flat World Tales project offers a unique opportunity for our children to tell a story about our world and to share it with others across the globe.=

=Welcome to the //Thousand and One Flat World Tales// Project:=

What is //The 1001 Flat World Tales// Project?
This project takes the traditional language arts "Writing Workshop" into the 21st Century in three easy (but radical) ways: = = = = = =
 * 1) it replaces pencil and paper (or MS Word) drafting, revising, and peer editing with a better (and simpler) writing tool: a wiki;
 * 2) it expands the options for peer response and peer editing beyond the walls of your classroom--and your clock, city, nation, and culture--by enabling peer feedback, editing, and connection with students from around the world;
 * 3) it replaces the "authentic" publishing of the 20th century classroom--hallways, newsletters, literary journals, etc--with authentic publishing in the //1001 Flat World Tales "blook":// a potentially endliess series of stories from students around the world, inter-linked on individual student blogs.

=**//The story so far....//**= An alien race comes to Earth from approximately a million light years away. Why had they come? They had great expectations of humans. They had heard from passerby that humans were "extremely interesting, intelligent, and beautiful creatures." In curiosity, they underwent a dangerous journey to meet them. They had engine problems, they faced food shortages, and suffered fifty years stuck inside a spacecraft---all to meet the humans. They are angry to see that humans are nothing of what they'd expected, and they couldn't find what they were looking for--"interesting" humans. The aliens request all countries via Internet to bring forth storytellers representing their country. The aliens capture these storyteller representatives and hold them hostage in their spacecraft. Each person tells their story showing part of their country's culture. As each storyteller speaks, he/she risks the fate of their life and their country.

--writers: Jessica Y. and Pola S., grade 9, KIS.

=**//The story continues...//**=

Tell the aliens a good tale from earth, or face your country's annihilation.... (excerpt from the 1001 Flat World Tales//):// "Look at them..the human race is so uninteresting. They are stupid, they are ignorant, and most of all, they are hopelessly boring. They are not worthy of this planet called Earth. Let's destroy them, so we can take their land and use the humans for 'human-testing'," Chief Zen suggested. "No, Chief Zen, give them a chance. The human race is famous for storytelling. Let them entertain us before we act too harshly," Zero replied. "Fine, Zero. But if the story doesn't please me--we destroy the storyteller and his/her country," Chief Zen said. "Great idea, Chief. Bring forth your storytellers, humans...."

//Look here to see the Student Assignment Overview.//
=Click here to see our students' stories listed in the third, fourth and fifth grade tables under VES, Spring City, Pennsylvania. =

Information and links are from the Elementary School 1001 Tales Wikispaces, an elementary school component of the 1001 Flat World Tales Project.