Tall Tales Writing Ideas for Homeschool High Schoolers

Howdy, Pardner!

Homeschool high school writing is SERIOUS stuff: essays and research papers galore! If we’re not careful, we can snuff all the love of writing out of our teens’ souls by too many serious writing projects without the balance of some fun writing activities.

Each year, homeschool high schoolers need a little fun stuff! Short story writing is a great example of fun stuff and TALL TALES is one of the most fun assignments my homeschool high schoolers have enjoyed.

We’ve shared many hilarious hours in homeschool co-op spinning yarns together. When my teens have written Tall Tales on their own, we’ve laughed together as they shared their stories. And once they got started, they never run out of Tall Tale writing ideas.

Do you have some homeschool high schoolers who need a burst of fun, creativity, and inspiration? Want some Tall Tale writing ideas?

First off, get yourself in the mood in a fun way by listening to this episode of Homeschool Highschool Podcast.

Sabrina, Vicki and Kym talk about their adventures with Tall Tales in their homeschool co-op and group classes.

Start by watching the movie Tall Tale.

It is a wonderful Tall Tale about a young teen who discovers the power of knowing his roots. Starring famous Tall Tale heroes like Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, and John Henry, it is a downright fun, yet meaningful film. Discuss the characters and the Code of the West.

Read some Tall Tales online or have some fun with Mary Pope Osborne’s American Tall Tales.

Get the whole family involved with a read-aloud day.

Discuss the differences in the different Tall Tale heroes.

How does the personality and job description differ in the characters from different regions?

Discuss regional dialects.

Brainstorm a list of sayings typical of the area where you live:

• Do you say: Y’all or Youse?
• Do you drink: Soda or Pop?
• Do you shop at the: Grocery Store or Food Store?

Discuss the kinds of problems the heroes in the Tall Tales solves?

• Whoops bad guys?
• Helps get his friends out of a fix?
• Rescues locals from dangerous critters?
• Fixes environmental issues? 🙂

Discuss the “superpowers” each hero has:

• • Can ride tornadoes
  • Can chop down entire forests in one swoop
  • Can behave himself like a gentleman always
  • Can tell tall tales

Discuss “hyperbole”. Hyperbole is what makes Tall Tales so much fun.

What are some hyperbolic statements or actions in the Tall Tales?

Write a Tall Tale together as a family or in your learning co-op.

Have lots of laughs. It is easy as pie when your homeschool high schooler uses 7Sisters’ Tall Tale Writing Guide.

This no-busywork, adaptable Tall Tale Writing Guide contains step-by-step, self-guided instructions in a short, daily lesson format. There are 26 pages in this downloadable .pdf writing guide.

• Four weeks of lessons
• Day by day lessons, so you do not need to put effort into lesson planning
• Topics that include:
  • character development
  • basic storyline development
  • basic story conversation using dialect
  • rubric for editing and grading
• No-busywork writing format for the inexperienced or under-experienced writing student.
  • There are instructions for students who want or need a more rigorous credit for their homeschool transcript.

Download Tall Tales Writing Guide for your homeschool high schooler! Your teen ain’t had so much fun since the cat had kittens!

For more on Tall Tales, check out these posts:

• How to Create a Unit Study with Tall Tale Writing
• Why to study Tall Tales: The Dire Necessity of Tall Tale Writing

Want more short story writing ideas for your homeschool high schoolers?

• Inexperienced and novice short story writers can start with our popular Family Narrative Writing Guide.
  • This is a guide that helps your teen take a favorite family story and turn it into a real short story. Teens tell us they love the family narrative story!

• After the Family Narrative Writing Guide, we recommend Tall Tales.
  • This guide increases homeschool high schoolers’ creativity and skills.
    • Tall Tales is one of 7Sisters’ most popular writing guides.
• After Tall Tales, we recommend Myth-Fantasy Writing Guide.
  • Once homeschool high schoolers have a little experience, they will LOVE this fun writing curriculum.
  • Even teens who do not enjoy writing short stories, love the myth-fantasy writing curriculum!

Get your teens excited about writing!