This story is from the book 'A World Full of Animal Stories' which is written by Angela McAllister.
Swallows hold a special place in our hearts and when they return in the spring from their long migration it always lifts our spirits to see them darting through the skies.
In this story we discover how humans and swallows have always been friends and how the swallow saved humans from a life of being predated on by the snake....oh and you may also discover why mosquitos also make that buzzing sound too.
Activities to consider following this story:
1- At the beginning of the story four animals complain to the Great Spirit- only Human is offered help. Bear, Squirrel and Blackbird aren't given help but still feel unhappy. What could have been done to help these animals? Can you write a short story for each considering:
What did the Great Spirit do to offer help to the bear who is exhausted from hunting?
What did the Great Spirit do to offer help to the squirrel who was tired of living in the tops of trees?
What did the great spirit do to offer help to the blackbird who no longer wanted to build nests?
2. Swallows rely entirely on flying insects, one way to encourage more flying insect is by creating a micro-pond- follow this link and make your own micro pond
3. The swallow forked tale is important in this story and noticing this is one of the easiest ways to to identify the swallow. Understand the shapes of a swallows tale in more detail by trying this art project and making your own swallow paper chain
#storytelling #natureconnection #stories #learningthroughstories #outdooreducation #swallows #birds #rspb