Why does jealousy rear its ugly head when someone else is in the spotlight? Why are shortcuts so tempting? With so many moral lessons to learn why isn’t moratherapy and culturally sustaining literature used more often for character education and care? Demonstrated is the use of culturally sustaining cautionary tales to facilitate sound moral development among students and maximize learning environments (Pre-K – 5th). Attendants engage in the presentation through theme-based teaching demonstrations (e.g., Autonomy and Moral Fortitude, Everything that Looks Good is Not Good for You, Hoisted by Your Own Petard, Ignoring Sage Advice, Reaping What You Sow, & There Are No Shortcuts) with culturally sustaining cautionary tales (e.g., A Bike like Sergios by Maribeth Boelts, A Spoon for Every Bite by Joe Hayes, Carlos and the Cornfield/Carlos y la Milpa de Maíz by Jan Romeros Stevens, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters-An African Tale by John Steptoe, Mr. Sugar Came to Town/La visita del Sr. Azucar by Harriet Rohmer and Cruz Gomez, Say Something by Peter H. Reynolds, The Empty Pot by Demi, The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo, & Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up by Paula Faris). Stories play an important role in many cultures, weaving words into lessons for daily life (Lilly & Green, 2004). Therefore, children who are naughty by nature of temperament or by choice can benefit from engaging cautionary tales that teach life lessons about morality, responsibility, self-sufficiency, and good will toward others.

Author: Sabrina A. Brinson

Published in: Canada International Conference on Education, 2024

• Date of Conference: 23-25 July, 2024
• DOI: 10.20533/CICE.2024.0066
• Electronic ISBN: 978-1-913572-65-5
• Conference Location: Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada