Why teach fractured fairy tales

You can download the plug-in from the technical support page. Student Objectives. Students will brainstorm common elements of fairy tales. Session One. Begin this session by talking about fairy tales. Invite students to share names of fairy tales that they know. As they say the name of a fairy tale, ask them to indicate what makes it a fairy tale. For example, a student may say that the Three Little Pigs is a fairy tale because of the occurrence of threes.

Record the comments and the rationale on the board or on chart paper. Look over the list and ask students to remove any titles that are not fairy tales by applying the collected rationales. For example, if a student volunteers "Jack and Jill" because it took place a long time ago, encourage students to apply the collected criteria to determine that the poem is not a fairy tale because there is no fantasy or make-believe in the story and it is a nursery rhyme.

After students share the fairy tales they are familiar with, ask them to think about what is similar among the tales. Record these traits on the board. If the students are having a difficult time brainstorming, share with them Common Elements of Fairy Tales. Allow time for an open discussion while students think about fairy tales and the elements that are most frequently associated with specific tales. Provide students with multiple copies of fairy tales to browse and read individually, in pairs, or in groups.

For the rest of this session, monitor the students as they read and discuss the fairy tales. When students are done with the browsing session, bring the class back together and ask them to add any new fairy tales characteristics to the brainstormed list.

Take an informal class vote to see what the favorite fairy tale of the class is. If it obvious that students are familiar with the fairy tale, move on to the next step. If you think a number of students are unfamiliar with the tale, go ahead and read it to the class. Record their observations on the board or on chart paper. Gather students at a computer or use an LCD projector to introduce them to the Story Map interactive, demonstrating all of its components. Using the class-selected favorite fairy tale and the Story Map interactive, complete a character map, conflict map, resolution map, and setting map.

If needed, teach a minilesson on each element as you demonstrate, or provide students with definitions and examples. Print out and post the completed maps to use as examples for the students. Session Two. Review the common elements of fairy tales, titles, and specific stories the class explored. Conduct a follow-up discussion of the story map created in the previous session, and indicate that students will use a story map in the next part of this project.

Explain the project to the students, sharing these instructions: Choose a fairy tale. Choose one of the element from the Story Map character, conflict, resolution, or setting , and change it. Rewrite the fairy tale, incorporating the changed element. Share a definition of fractured fairy tale with the students, and connect the definition to the rewritten fairy tales that students will write.

So the students have a better understanding of the project, share a fractured fairy tale from The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith or another fractured fairy tale. Discuss how the fractured fairy tale is similar to and different from classic fairy tales. Individually or in pairs, complete a Venn Diagram , recording the similarities and differences between traditional fairy tales and fractured fairy tales. Choose one of the elements from the story map to demonstrate the process, using the class-selected fairy tale.

Resolution: Goldilocks ran away. The new resolution could be that she writes a letter of apology and replaces the missing and broken items. Setting: The tale could take place in the big city instead of in the forest.

Share the rubric with the students so they know what is expected of them as they rewrite their fairy tale. Answer any questions the students may have about the project. Ask the students to choose a fairy tale before the next session that they will be rewriting. They frequently include a forest or castle in a fairy tale.

The plot usually involves some kind of problem, the problem is eventually solved, and the good people live happily ever after. Then students have to make the following decisions: Which fairy tale will they "fracture? Who will be the good character? From whose point of view will the story be told? Where will the story take place? What problem will have to be solved? You might write the questions on the chalkboard so students can refer to them as they write.

Assessment How many fairy tale elements did students include in the fairy tales they wrote? You might ask them to include a specific number of characteristics in their stories. In that case, students earn 1 to 10 points for each element or writing skill listed below, based on the success with which they incorporated that element into their stories: Is the story properly set? Does the tale begin with the words Once upon a time or Long, long ago? Is a problem incorporated into the plot?

Are there good and evil characters? Is the problem believably solved? Do the good characters live happily ever after? Does the story include at least three paragraphs? Is the writing neat and properly indented? Did the writer do a good job of fracturing? Is spelling and punctuation correct? Submit a Lesson Plan. Trending Report Card Comments It's report card time and you face the prospect of writing constructive, insightful, and original comments on a couple dozen report cards or more.

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Recognize positive attitudes and achievements with personalized student award certificates! Give Feedback. Fractured Fairy Tales. Launch the tool! About this Interactive. Related Resources. Students write a brief summary of one of Andersen's stories, and then read the original story and compare the two versions of the tale with the Venn Diagram tool. Grades 3 - Students explore varying points of view, one of Van Allsburg's common themes, by rewriting a traditional story.

Grades 7 - Students compare different versions of the fairy tale Cinderella and then rewrite a lesser-known Grimm story and explain the changes they made. Grades 4 - Students examine the painting that inspired Sondheim's Pulitzer-prize winning musical and then create a story of their own based on image they choose.