Lesson Plan: Dive Into Fairytales. Use Fairytales and Folktales to promote higher level thinking and reading.

Lesson Plan: Dive Into Fairytales.  Use Fairytales and Folktales to promote higher level thinking and reading.
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Dive In to Fairytales and Folktales

  • Review the common elements of fairytales from the last lesson. Discuss setting, characters (good and bad), plot, animals with human like traits, mnemonic devices, set descriptions and tricksters. Briefly discuss examples from the story. This is the time to engage the students to make the connection between the elements and the real stories. They will be writing their own versions and will need to be familiar with these elements to make it a part of their stories.

  • Direct the class’s attention to the display of books (fairytales, folktales and legends). Discuss stories they are familiar with and ones they aren’t.

  • Discuss various versions of the same stories. Ask who is familiar with other versions, are the characters the same, etc.

  • Select fairytales and folktales that have other versions. Good ones are: The 3 Little Pigs, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, The Stinky Cheeseman. Ask the librarian or do a web search for more ideas.

Group Component

Making this a cooperative learning activity increases student participation.

  • Break the class into groups. You can choose groups on day one. However, I suggest reading a few books as a class and then breaking into groups to continue the reading.
  • Have groups read the books and record the setting, characters, plot, animals, mnemonic devices, set descriptions and tricksters in each story.
  • Have students find and record the authors. If time permits have them research the original authors of the fairytales they read or have them do this for homework.
  • At the end of class discuss elements as a whole group.
  • Vote for favorite stories, authors and discuss why they are their favorites.
  • Feel free to bring in a video collection of fairy tales and instruct students to compare and contrast what they know about the fairly tale and what the television director has chosen to provide.

This post is part of the series: Fairytales, Folktales and Legends

This is a six part lesson plan that explores fairytales, folktales and legends. Students learn the differences between all, where and why they originated and finally create their own tales and corresponding skit or puppet show.

  1. Fairytales and Folktales Lesson Plan: Exploring Imagination
  2. Lesson Plan: Dive In to Fairytales and Folktales
  3. Book Report Project Ideas: Discovering Fairytales with a Twist
  4. Creating Fairytales with this Fun Lesson Plan
  5. The Story Comes Alive: Creating a Skit or Puppet Show
  6. Creative Book Reports: Let the Show Begin!