Today is our first “special day” study of the summer.  Aesop!  The calendar says June 4 is his birthday, but his history doesn’t have that exact information recorded.  Around 620-560 BC was his time.   Below are the links that we’re going to follow as we not only learn about Aesop and read his works,  but as we practice public speaking and communication through story telling.  The project will be to learn an Aesop fable well enough to present it orally.  Retelling is an awesome way to check for reading comprehension and concept understanding as well as being a great communication skill.

A brief biography  http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/profiles/a/aesop.html

Aesop quotes that are as relevant today as they were back in his day  http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/aesop.html

Fables to read with discussion questions and quizzes, activities, and vocabulary glossary http://www.mcwdn.org/fables/fabadult.html

Tips for good story telling  http://www.storyteller.net/articles/296

For an added challenge, I’m going to have the kids retell a lesson they have personally learned by substituting animals as the characters just as Aesop had done.   And of course, we’ll add some art to the lesson.  Illustrations are a fantastic way to enhance a story.  This is my “go to” site for art/drawing instructions when we need a little tutoring, and it seems like they have a good variety of drawing animal instructions if we need it.  http://www.dragoart.com/animals-for-kids-c408-1.htm

This is a 24 video collection of animated Aesop fables, because summer studies should always include a movie inside under the air conditioning during the hot afternoon. 

For the complete listing of Special Days in June click here  Special Days in June, 2018

I plan on participating myself with our Aesop studies. I certainly have a long list of personal lessons learned that could be put into a short story.  After all, he did teach that, “Example is the best precept” and “Better wise from the misfortunes of others than by your own”.

betty jo