• To understand and be able to identify the genre of the Fairy Tale in literature.
• To identify the elements of fairy tales.
• To use this particular genre to create original stories.
• To learn how culture influences writing
• To learn to question and explore interests. See, "I-Search Reports" an inquiry based student centered research and writing process: http://webpages.charter.net/cybrary/I-Search.html
• To work cooperatively to produce a project that teaches others.

• http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/units/cinderella/ - An excellent site with possible activities and lesson plans devised by teachers for grade 1-3. Also includes resource links.
• http://teachingheart.net/cinderellaunit.html - Numerous links to different lesson plans, all centered on Cinderella. Links to other variants of Cinderella. Links to resources, including the texts from Cinderella stories from around the world.
• http://www.maxopus.com/works/cinderel.htm - A site which details the resources needed for "Cinderella: A Pantomime Opera in 2 Acts for Young Performers", with libretto and scripts available for sale.
• http://salem.k12.va.us/south/cinderella/ - Links to original Cinderella versions by second graders, book lists for Cinderella stories, and activities / lesson plans for the classroom. Also includes more web resources.
• http://www.nysatl.nysed.gov/standards.html - New York Learning Standards
• http://www.state.nj.us/njded/frameworks/ - New Jersey Learning Standards

• Cinderella - Seizing The Chance for Change by Wendy Paris (pdf)

1. Discuss what the children know about different fairy tales and chart answers. (SAMPLE CHART)
2. For several days, select different fairy tales to read aloud.
   
   • http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/ all of the fairy tales
   • http://www.grimmfairytales.com/en/main the Grimm's website
   • http://www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/ fairy tales from around the world
   • http://hca.gilead.org.il/ Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tales
3. Make fairy tales available for independent reading. Try not to use Cinderella at this time.

   Continue to add to the chart that the students developed.
   

   • Special beginning and/or ending words - Once upon a time...and they lived happily ever after.
   • Royalty and/or a castle usually present
   • Magic happens
   • Things often happen in "threes" or "sevens"
   • Happy Ending

1. Discuss the fairy tales read in class making sure the characteristics on the charts are present. (We call this our "Fairy Tale Test")
   
   1. Fill in first 2 rows with 2 of the fairy tales read during preparation (SAMPLE CHART)
2. Read a traditional version of the fairy tale Cinderella.
   
   1. Fill in 3^rd row of chart. (SAMPLE CHART)
3. After reading these
   
   1. Teach a mini lesson to show students how to write a "fractured" fairy tale using events and characters from one of the fairy tales.
      
      • Mini-lessons are short five to ten minute focused lessons. In this case they would be about: how authors write books; specific strategies students can use to create meaning: and how to think critically about books. The teacher may read a book or a part of a book that illustrates the topic of the mini-lesson and encourage students to consider that topic as they read that day. Mini-lessons may be given to whole group, small group, or individual students.
      • Fractured fairy tales alter an original fairy tale by adding an unexpected twist or contemporary spin.
   2. Invite the children to try writing a "fractured" fairy tale during writers' workshop (Use 4th row of chart for prewriting) (SAMPLE CHART)
   3. Have independent work time
   4. Class Share
4. Read aloud: The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith Cinderella's Rat, by Susan Meddaugh.
   
   1. Teach a mini lesson and show how to write a short story from another character's point of view, as in Cinderella's Rat.
   2. Invite the children to try it during writers' workshop
   3. Have independent Work Time
   4. Class Share
5. Continue these activities during Writers' Workshop until published pieces are completed

   (Writing Rubric is constructed by class http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.html - A categorized, annotated list of over 2500 sites to help educators, teachers, and parents enhance instruction and support the curriculum.)

   Note: Mini lessons come from the needs of the students and are divided into craft lessons, structure lessons, editing lessons, language etc.

6. Read aloud the version of Cinderella (SYNOPSIS) provided by City Opera and discuss.
   
   1. Fill in the fifth row of the chart (SAMPLE CHART)
7. Readers' Workshop: http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/english/rdr_wkshop.htm-Present versions of the Fairytale from around the world. (These are not read-alouds).
   
   1. The children select the version they would like to read and form a Literature Circle of from 2-6 children.
   2. Post a large World Map and the names of each group member are written in the country the version is from. The jobs for children in the Literature Circles have come from the attribute chart and are modeled and practiced during my read alouds
   3. The children continue reading and discussing their version of Cinderella with their Literacy Circle.
   4. Once they finish reading the group will fill in sixth row of the chart. (SAMPLE CHART)
8. Readers' and Writer's Workshop Periods
   
   1. Discuss a list of possible projects during a mini lesson. Possible projects:
      
      • Readers Theater (why this portion of the story was selected)
      • Character Puppets that describe themselves
      • Diorama (Setting)...
      • Dear "Abby" letters
   2. Construct a rubric for the products
   3. Each group decides on the product they will be working on (they are free to come up with their own ideas and I have to approve it.) The groups work together on a project that will teach the other children about the version they read. They have one week to produce their product.
   4. A date is chosen and invitations are sent home (designed and written by the groups)
9. The projects are presented during "Globe Trotting Day". Parents are invited to bring in dishes representative of cultures around the world.
10. What Have We Discovered? (Conclusions) This follows the day after the presentation of products.
11. Groups grade themselves and write their reactions to this project

Writers' Workshop:

Writing Workshop was first developed by Graves (1983) and structured the teaching of writing into five categories: (1) brainstorming, (2) drafting, (3) revising, (4) editing, and (5) publishing. Graves defined six key points inherent to the curriculum: (1) organize the classroom for writing by conducting group meetings; (2) inundate children with literature; (3) take the time to write while the children write in order to set the tone for a positive writing atmosphere; (4) conduct conferences with children at various stages of the writing process to empower the learner with skills to revise for meaning and edit for mechanics; (5) keep the mechanics of writing (usage, punctuation, and handwriting) separate from the construction of the content of writing; and (6) observe, assess, and record how your students develop as writers, through journaling and creation of record-keeping portfolios (collections of students' works). Graves (1983) derived these six parts to clarify the enacting of the process-oriented writing curriculum in his Writing Workshop curriculum model

1. What do you want to know more about? (I-Search Report)
   http://webpages.charter.net/cybrary/I-Search.html
   http://www.mygamelist.com/i_search_reports.htm
   
   1. Mini lesson-writing a question.
   2. Independent work time Each child will pose a question (the question cannot be answered with a yes or no answer)
   3. Share questions and ideas
2. This theme can be integrated into the math activities also.
   
   1. Students can be divided into groups and given a variety of enlarged paper pumpkins (various sizes).
      
      • Each group estimates their pumpkin's measurements. The students then use a metric tape or rulers to find the exact measurements. They can use metric measures and standard rulers.

1. Conferencing with individual students
   
   • Writers' Workshop
   • Readers' Workshop
   • Use rubrics to evaluate writing "Published Pieces"
2. Conferencing with groups
3. "Listen in" taking notes
4. Use class rubrics to evaluate final projects

• Does where you live effect your artistic work?
• How is a composer like an author?
• How does music help paint a picture in the audiences mind?
• What could you compare the lyrics of a song to? Why? How?
• What could you compare the music of a song to? Why? How?