fix the sentence
Sentences from the passage with the capitals and punctuation removed — rewrite each one correctly.
West African Folktales Coloring Page
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Bring traditional West African storytelling to life with this fun printable coloring page. Pair it with our lower elementary reading passage for an engaging world culture lesson!
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Reading activity
Optional · Reading: Lower ElementaryAdd a reading worksheet
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West African Folktales
Long ago, people in West Africa told stories out loud. Families sat together under the evening sky to listen.
These special stories are called folktales. Folktales teach important lessons about life and nature.
Many West African stories feature fun animal characters. Anansi the spider is a very famous character. He is small, but he is very clever.
Anansi loves to play tricks on his friends. Sometimes his tricks work, but sometimes they do not! When his tricks fail, Anansi learns how to be a better friend.
Other animals are in these stories too. You might hear about a slow turtle or a proud elephant. Each animal has a special lesson to share.
Storytellers used loud voices and drum sounds. They made the animals come alive for everyone.
Today, students can read these old stories in class. You can read them out loud with your classmates.
You can pretend to be Anansi or a wise old turtle. Reading stories together helps us learn about other cultures. West African folktales are still loved all around the world today!
Glossary
- folktale: A story passed down from person to person over time, often teaching a lesson.
- clever: Quick to learn, understand, or think of good ideas.
- character: A person or animal in a story.
- culture: The way of life, ideas, and traditions of a group of people.
Comprehension questions
Where did families in West Africa sit to listen to stories long ago?
What do folktales teach people?
What kind of animal is Anansi?
What does Anansi love to play on his friends?
What happens when Anansi's tricks fail?
Which two other animals are mentioned in the passage?
What two things did storytellers use to make the animals come alive?
How can students read these old stories in class today?
Who can students pretend to be when reading these stories?
Why does reading West African folktales together help us?
Printables & worksheets
More ways to practice with this story — every sheet is built from the text itself, answer key included where it counts.
Get all 3 sheets as one workbook
One PDF with a cover, a contents page and every answer key at the back — color the page in, then keep going on paper.
writing prompts
Two writing tasks that build on the passage, with plenty of lines to write on.
Explore World Cultures with Printable Folktale Coloring Pages
Enhance your elementary reading lessons with this free download coloring page featuring West African storytelling traditions and clever animal characters like Anansi the spider. Designed for lower elementary students, this educational resource combines creative coloring with social studies and literacy practice.
Using a coloring page with reading passage helps young learners connect visual art to storytelling traditions across the globe. Teachers and parents can easily incorporate this activity into reading theater, multicultural units, or social-emotional learning discussions about friendship and wise choices both at home and in the classroom.