If You Swallow a Watermelon Seed...

Here's a creative, tall tale writing assignment that students might enjoy.

Most kids have heard scary, persuasive stories to encourage them not to swallow watermelon seeds, not to walk around outside without shoes, not to eat spoonfuls of sugar. (My mother told me that if I ate too much sugar, worms would grow in my stomach. Scary stuff, but I tested her theory anyway.)

Ask students to make up their own tall tales to save younger kids from their bad habits or to encourage younger kids to do something good. They can begin with starter statements like the following:

• Always wash behind your ears, because if you don’t…
• Don’t sit too close to the TV, because if you do…
• Never swallow a fingernail, because if you do…