Storyteller Adds Literature and History for Hartland Students

Many words. One world.

That was the theme for World Language Week at and .

Meant to imply the importance of literacy and learning about other cultures, World Language Week has been filled with a variety of events, including last week's visit from Judy Gail Krasnow, a storyteller and self-proclaimed troubador who shared tales Wednesday in French, German and Spanish.

"Folk tales come from all over the world," Krasnow said. "And storytelling was the earliest form of human entertainment."

She began her program with a tale of a troubador who traveled the countryside sharing entertainment with people everywhere.

She then travelled through France and told the story of Péquelé, a French acrobat sent to live with his grandmother when the plague attacked his country. When his grandmother dies, he befriends a monk who invites him to the monastery. Singing Danse' Moine, juggling, and walking on his hands, Péquelé brings joy and laughter to the monastery.

Moving on to Germany, Krasnow spoke of our freedoms in the United States and how they should never be taken for granted. She sang Die Gedanken Sind Frei (the thoughts are free) and then told the Grimm fairytale Die Drei Spinner (the three spinners).

Finally, she recounted the story of  Dolores Huerta, the daughter of migrant workers who co-founded the United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez. Krasnow sang De Colores, a traditional Spanish folk song which is also the unofficial anthem of the UFWA.

She also told the story of La Mariposa, a beautiful butterfly who is searching for an el esposo (husband).

The foreign language students at Ore Creek enjoyed Krasnow's performance.

"She did a great job," said Joel Fryer, 13, son of Karen and Joseph Fryer of Hartland.

Fryer, who is studying Spanish said he recognized almost all of the Spanish words Krasnow used in De Colores and La Mariposa.

"There's a lot of Spanish influence in America and I believe (knowing Spanish) will help me in the future," Fryer said.

World Language Week was organized by the foreign language teachers at the two schools. Pam Iden, German teacher at both schools said that about 800 high school and 250 middle school students participate in the foreign language program. 

This was the sixth year for World Language Week, but the first year at this scale.

Events were not limited to French, German or Spanish, and students were given passports and invited to attend any number of events to earn 100 points towards their grade.

Points opportunities included watching the Italian movie Il Postino (The Postman), attending a banquet with food offerings from many different countries, visiting a photo exhibit about Haiti by a University of Michigan graduate student, or seeing an African DJ from Nigeria perform who also attends Michigan State University.

"Our idea was to give the kids an opportunity this week to see things they might not otherwise be exposed to," Iden said.