Fractured Fairy Tales
by Karen  Williams, karen.williams@cpsb.org

Content Area(s)
Art
English/Language Arts

Grade Level(s)
3, 4, 5, 

Overview
The students will use creative thinking skills to "fracture" a well known fairy tale.

Software
Inspiration
Sketchy

Technology
Computer, MS Word, Thinking Map Templates, Art supplies and any other materials available in the Gifted Resource room.

Objectives
Objectives: TLW
•Create a fractured fairy tale using familiar characters, plots and settings from traditional fairy tales
•Identify the components of a fractured fairy tale
•Understand the meaning of satire, irony, and parody
•Use Inspiration software to organize thoughts
•Create a slide show using “Sketchy” for Palms

Procedures
Background:

The first two little pigs in the “Three Little Pigs” made some serious mistakes constructing their homes. Consider these questions about the “fairy tale” – What if the 3rd little pig had refused to bail them out in order to teach them a lesson? Would they have had to reserve a room at the Swine Inn? Would they have organized a Piggy Posse to run the wolf out of town? Or would they have ended up as “ham Jam”? Who knows – but you can definitely change the color and feeling of the story. When you change some of the characteristics of the fairy tale in this manner – you have “fractured” it.

Tell the students:

You will be having the opportunity to fracture a fairy tale of your choice. These tales are designed to be humorous by changing the story in an unexpected way – like altering a character, adding modern language and events, changing the setting, etc. This called PARODY. When you make fun of the situation or the characters involved – you are creating SATIRE. What if you broke the wand in Cinderella – that would be called IRONY - because the wand is crucial to the outcome of the story.

Read: “The Stinky Cheese Man” by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith to the class. After reading – conduct a discussion with the class to identify the changes – good and bad characters, problems changed, setting changes, new or borrowed characters, etc

Procedure:

1. Using a “double bubble” Thinking Map with the whole class – illustrate the similarities and differences that might occur when “fracturing” – fractured fairy tale vs. fairy tale. Make sure they include the 6 main elements of a fairy tale:

• Nice, “good characters”
• “Bad” characters
• Problem-task-job
• Source or person of magic
• Solution/reward

Once this is finished – leave the completed “map” posted so that other ideas may be added on the “fractured” side.

2. Students will choose a well known fairy tale and read carefully.

3. Using Inspiration Palm software – create a map showing the main elements of the story, details, character description, setting description, etc. Once they have finished – they will beam to teacher for review. The maps will be printed for review by peers. Peers will add suggestions/revisions in writing to the reviewed map. This can be done on an index cards or forms provided for that purpose.

4. Students will review suggestions/revisions and using the writing process to draft, revise, edit, and publish – they will create their original tale. Note: Once the draft is complete – students will type in MS Word, save to their folders, and print one copy. The copy will be turned into the teacher for review. Teacher will make comments and indicate errors, etc.

Teacher will distribute copies of stories for peer revisions. The story will be returned to the author for consideration, make changes, and create final draft.

5. Students will be given a copy of someone else’s fractured fairy tale (final draft) to create a “Sketchy” using Palms. Share with peer and class.

6. Students will choose an original product to accompany their story. Some suggestions are as follows:
•Write stories in script form and act out using the class as the characters
•Students may write in a picture book form
•Students may create a puppet show of all the tales and present to a lower grade.

Evaluation:

•Completion of written final draft
•Presentation of Sketchy
•Presentation of “original product”


Materials:
•Palms with Inspiration Software, Sketchy
•Any materials available in the Gifted Resource Classroom
•Computers with MS Word

Other Supporting Material

Submitted on: 1/11/2006 11:50:31 AM