Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Activity Guide
by
Kathleen Pelley

© 2016 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 1

 Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

One of the many things I love about good stories is that they can provide a space in our hectic
busy lives to simply PAUSE and PONDER some truth, some beauty, or some new way of looking at
the world.
Each month I will invite you to join me as I PAUSE and PONDER upon the story I have just read.

Finn McCool and the Great Fish

Written by Eve Bunting
Illustrated by Zachary Pullen

PAUSE and PONDER …

Why I love this story?
It is an Irish tale about a giant, and like all Irish people, I have a particular fondness for stories
about giants. And it is a story that shows the link between goodness and wisdom—two traits that
are so often lacking in our world today. In our fast paced digital culture, we tend to value the
facts and figures that are just a Google click away, rather than the much harder earned wisdom
that comes from experience reflected upon. This is a perfect tale to read aloud as a St. Patrick’s
Day celebration, for these gifts of goodness and wisdom were exactly what St. Patrick taught the
Irish people to love—no wonder it is called the Land of Saints and Scholar.

Souvenirs from the story

A satisfied nod as we see how our tender-hearted hero manages to earn the gift of wisdom.

Emotional/Universal Truth
What is an emotional truth?
Any editor will tell you that a common weakness of many picture book manuscripts is that they
are “too trite.” In other words, they will not withstand multiple readings, because they are too
one-dimensional and lack a universal, emotional truth. It is NOT a lesson, a moral, or a message!
Rather it is a simple truth, woven seamlessly throughout the story—some truth about love, hope,
pain, joy, or home that a child can understand and connect with. I like to think of it as that whiff of
wonder, that bolt of beauty that lingers with you, long after the last page is turned or the final
word uttered.
© 2016 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 2
 Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Why should this universal truth matter so much to the read-aloud quality of a picture book?

“The storytellers go back and back, to a clearing in the forest where a great fire
burns, and the old shamans dance and sing, for our heritage of stories began in fire,
magic, the spirit world. And that is where it is held, today.” —Doris Lessing

Truth connects us to one another, to our ancestors, and to the world around us. Good books and
stories are all about connections. When we read a story aloud to a child—a story that truly
touches us at the very core of our being with its beauty and its truth, then, we will naturally
breathe our own life and love into those words as we read them aloud. (Notice how life and spirit,
breath and voice are all connected). In turn, those words will seep into the little listener’s heart,
making her or him feel brave or bold, calm or kind, happy or hopeful.
“Adult books maintain lives; children’s books change lives.” —Yolen

The “truth” of this story:

Goodness and wisdom are inextricably linked!

What souvenir and what “truth,” I wonder, will you and your children take from this story?

The following discussion questions and activities are designed for use either with a parent and a
child, or with a teacher and her class or a small group. Most of the discussion questions are suited
for children ages 5–9, but could be adapted for use with younger and older children too.

— Kathleen Pelley
Children’s Author, Storyteller, and Speaker
www.kathleenpelley.com

© 2016 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 3

 Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Discussion Questions

1. How did Finn use his strength to help the villagers?

2. What name did the villagers call Finn?

3. How do you think he felt about that?

4. Why did Finn want the old man to give him the gift of wisdom?

5. If someone gave you the gift of wisdom, how would you use it?

6. What did the old man tell Finn he had to do to gain the gift of wisdom?

7. Why could Finn not do what the old man told him to do?

8. Do you think you would have done it? Discuss.

9. How did Finn gain the gift of wisdom after all?

10. How do you think the old man and the salmon were related? Explain.

11. What do you think would be hard about being Finn?

12. What would be good about being Finn?

13. What wise person do you know?

14. What good person do you know?

15. Are wise people always good? Are good people always wise? Discuss.

© 2016 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 4

 Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Jumbled Words Activity

Unscramble the letters to form the correct word in the sentences below

1. The Baker brought fresh ________bread. (odas)

2. Bridie Mulligan brought a barrow load of _______. (ruft)

3. People wanted to __________the secret of wisdom from the old man. (deewlhe)

4. The villagers called Finn a _________ head. (punrit)

5. Finn went to the River _________ to catch the salmon. (yenob)

6. Finn saved his people from the ___________ longships. (kiginv)

© 2016 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 5

 Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Critical Thinking
Using the circles below make a list of all the good things about being a giant like
Finn under the heading PROS.

Then make a list of all the bad things about being a giant like Finn under CONS.

Then see if you can think of any things that may be both good and bad depending
on the cirucmstances—for example—being bigger than everyone else meant that
Finn could help his friends, but it also prevented him from going inside their
houses.

Compare your lists with others in your class—make a display around the wall
alongside your drawing of Finn McCool.

PROS CONS

© 2016 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 6

 Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Test Your Irish Knowledge

Divide students into pairs. Set a timer and have students write down as many
words as they can inside the shamrock that are related to Ireland.
Examples: leprechaun, pot of gold, giants, St. Patrick, green, fiddles, pipes…

Groups come together and compare and see who has the most words.

© 2016 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 7

 Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Saint Patrick’s Day Quiz

After students have done some research about Ireland, you could divide them into
two teams and give them this quiz orally.

1. What is the national emblem of Ireland?

2. Why?

3. Describe the flag of Ireland.

4. Name a famous Irish dish.

5. Name an Irish saint (not Saint Patrick).

6. Where was Saint Patrick born?

7. Name a famous Irish writer.

8. Name a famous Irish musical instrument.

9. What is the Book of Kells?

10. Where is it kept?

11. What is the Celtic cross?

12. What is the Irish language?

13. Recite an Irish blessing.

14. Why is Ireland known as the Land of Saints and Scholars?

15. Give two other names for Ireland.

© 2016 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 8

 Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Answer Key
Discussion Questions
1. He helped the men bring in their hay before the rain came.

2. Turnip head

3. No right answer

4. He wanted to help his friends, answer their questions and speak for Ireland.

5. No right answer

6. Catch the salmon from the river, cook it and eat it.

7. He did not want to kill the salmon.

8. No right answer

9. He sucked the blood of the salmon from his cut thumb.

10–15. No right answer

Jumbled words

1. soda
2. turf
3. wheedle
4. turnip
5. Boyne
6. Viking

© 2016 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 9

 Kathleen Pelley Storytelling Activity Guide

Answer Key (cont.)

Saint Patrick’s Day Quiz

1. Shamrock
2. Because that is what St. Patrick used to teach the people about God.
3.

4. Irish stew, trifle, corned beef and cabbage (or various other answers)
5. Saint Brigid, Saint Ciaran, Saint Columba, Saint Kevin (or various other answers)
6. Scotland
7. James Joyce, Frank McCourt, Oscar Wilde (or various other answers)
8. Harp or fiddle or penny whistle
9. An illuminated Gospel manuscript
10. Trinity College, Dublin
11. A cross with a circle around it that St Patrick introduced after he brought
Christianity to Ireland, because the Irish people honored the circle.
12. Gaelic
13. Any of blessing that student can recite
14. During the dark ages, Irish monks and scribes kept learning and literacy alive by
copying manuscripts, while rest of Europe languished.
15. The Emerald Isle or Eire

© 2016 Kathleen Pelley KathleenPelleyStorytelling.com Page 10