The current Adaptations unit has a long list of student-learning points, including a general goal of “using the steps of the writing process” to a specific goal of, “understanding the structure of a fairy tale,” which includes the character experiencing wishes, magic, and living happily ever after. Throughout this unit, the students focus on the essential questions: Why is it important to understand what, why, and how a character does things? What elements need to be present in a variation of a classic tale? How do writers create their own versions of a fairy tale? This curriculum unit goes beyond my district’s approach to teaching folk tales and fairy tales by introducing the medium of film as an enriching component. The second-grade literacy curriculum in New Haven Public Schools includes a unit titled Writing Adaptations of Fairy Tales and Folk Tales. Who doesn’t love fairy tales with their dramatic plots, evil characters and good ones, fantastical settings with magical happenings and, of course, the predictable happy ending! Young, and not so young children cheer for the good guys and boo the bad, sit wide-eyed as they wait for the next amazing event, and breathe a sigh of relief as the ultimate “good over evil” prevails. The Snow Queen in Film by Carol Boynton Introduction
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |