The Story of Blue Elk - By Gerald Hausman - Traditional Literature

 

               One day a boy was born in a village and did not make a sound. On this day, a great elk came to visit him. As the boy grows, he still cannot speak and his closest friend becomes elk who he met on his birth day. At age 12, the boy falls in love with a girl his own age; however, he cannot tell her about how he feels. The elk helps the boy find his voice by turning his horn into a flute. With this flute, the boy talks to the girl he loves and she falls in love with him.

                I would read this book to my students when teaching them about traditional literature. Before reading the book, I would tell them that this book is a Native American tale. After reading the book, I teach the students about Pourquoi tales. The students would research their own Native American tale. They would create a Glogster or PowerPoint and teach the class about their tale and explain why they chose it.