Fables are folktales that teach a lesson or have a moral.  Animals often speak and act like people in a fable.  Aesop's Fables are among the most well-known fables.

Lesson 1:  Aesop's Fables
    Aesop is one of the most well-known writers of fables.  Not much is known about Aesop, except that he was a Greek slave who lived in the 6th century B.C.  Historians believe he lived in the Greek city of Samos.  He was owned by two different masters, Xanthus and Jadmon.  Jadmon later freed him as a reward for his learning and wit.  After he became free he traveled around Greece and told his fables in the cities of Corinth, Athens, and Delphi.  He was killed in Delphi after he made the people mad because he would not give them money that had been sent to them.  Aesop believed they were being too greedy and sent the money back to the one who had sent it.  A statue was erected in his honor in Athens.  Aesop wrote 655 fables in his lifetime.  One of his most famous fables is The Tortoise and the Hare.
(Information from http://www.paralumun.com/fablesaesop.htm)

Activity: I hope you were paying attention, because now it is time to take the Life of Aesop Quiz.  Show your teacher your score before quitting the program.

Lesson 2:  More of Aesop's Fables

1.  Read the following Aesop Fables.
2.  Choose the moral of each fable and write it on your paper.
3.  Match the moral to the fable.

The Ant and the Dove	The Ants and the Grasshopper	The Tortoise and the Hare
The Fox and the Goat		The Thief and the Coat

Lesson 3: 

1.  Read some fables from Aesop for Children and Arnold Lobel's Fables.
2.  Students will write their own fable with a moral and share them with the class.
3.  Look at the Fable Links at the bottom of the page if time allows.

Fable Links:
University of Massachusetts -  different illustrations
Aesop's Fables by Snaith Primary School
Talking Fables