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The Tortoise and the Hare: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Aesop, a storyteller in Greece, told this about 2,600 years ago.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). Hare brags that he is the fastest and laughs at slow Tortoise, so they race. Hare zooms ahead, then lies down for a nap under a tree. Tortoise keeps going step by step, passes him and crosses the line first.
The lesson, in one line. Keep going, and don't show off.
Reading plan. Read it together at the meeting: about 2 minutes aloud, or ahead of time at home.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of The Tortoise and the Hare?
The story's answer: Keep going, and don't show off. Hare is faster but loses because he naps and brags, while Tortoise never stops. - Who wrote The Tortoise and the Hare?
The story's answer: It is a fable credited to Aesop, a storyteller from ancient Greece who lived about 2,600 years ago. - Why does the hare lose the race?
The story's answer: He is so sure he will win that he takes a nap under a tree. When he wakes up, the tortoise is already at the finish line. - What does “slow and steady wins the race” mean?
The story's answer: It means that working at a steady pace without giving up can beat a quick start that is not kept up. This fable is where the saying comes from. - Do you agree with the lesson? Can you think of a time it would not be true?
Listen for: Any answer with a reason is a good one; listen for a real example from their own lives. - Which animal would you rather be in this story, and why?
Listen for: Children often pick the winner; ask what the other animal could have done differently.
Did you know?
- It is one of Aesop's fables, told in Greece about 2,600 years ago.
- The saying “slow and steady wins the race” comes from this story.
- It is also called The Hare and the Tortoise.
Activity: Act it out, then swap the ending
Two readers play the animals and the rest are the narrator. Then play it again where the other animal wins: what is the lesson now?
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- The hare loses because he is too sure of himself, not because he is slow.
Words to teach before you start
- tortoise: slow land turtle
- hare: big wild rabbit
- race: contest of speed
- steady: never stopping
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Tortoise and the Hare book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 2 minutes in all, so plan one meeting of 30 to 45 minutes, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is The Tortoise and the Hare for?
It is written at Peabody level 5, a grade 1 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- The Crow and the Pitcher (level 5)
- Lion and Mouse (level 4)
- The Ant and the Grasshopper (level 7)
- The Boy Who Cried Wolf (level 7)
- The Dog in the Manger (level 7)
- The Fox and the Crow (level 7)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.