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Exploring Families Through Fairy Tales

Julie Bartlett

   

Academic Setting

This fairy tale unit is designed for 8^th graders at Truman Middle School, located in the southwest part of Albuquerque.  The student population is comprised of students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.  Most of Truman’s student population, 80%, is Hispanic students.  Other cultural groups at this school site include 11% Anglo students, 5% African American students, 3% Native American students, and 1% “other” including Japanese and Kurdish students.  The majority of students have come from Mexico and most visit family there on a regular basis.  Since many of the students are bilingual Spanish speakers, Truman offers a unique dual language program that allows students to take core classes in English and Spanish.   

            Truman continues to be one of the largest middle schools in the district with a peak enrollment of 1, 018 students during the 1999-2000 school year.  With the opening of new school sites, enrollment decreased to around 920 for the 2001-2002 year but projections show an increase in enrollment for the next year.  While most Albuquerque middle schools have around 45% of students who receive free or reduced cost meals, at Truman this number is much higher; with about 80% of the students receiving free or reduced cost meals.  This reflects socioeconomic status of the community in which Truman is located.  76% of the annual household incomes range from between $10,000 - $49,000.   

            Truman continues to work hard to improve student test scores.  Most students’ scores fall below the national average in language arts and social studies.  This unit will work well with students who have difficulty reading and understanding the material.  Fairy tales are stories that most 8^th graders should be able to read and understand.  They will have a chance to interact with classmates for clarification and will be asked to examine the text beyond its literal meaning.  Everyday students will practice listening, reading, and writing skills.

            The fairy tale unit will be part of a language arts/ social studies class.   Truman has a 90-minute block schedule that is ideal for this type of class in which both subjects are fully integrated.  Class sizes average about 25 students per block.  The language arts/social studies class is part of a larger team of students at Truman that involves four teachers working closely with the students. The other teachers teach the subjects of math/science, study skills, and special education.  Whenever possible the team works together to provide support and integration of the curriculum.  This fairy tale unit will be integrated into a larger unit that will explore ethnicity, immigration patterns, culture, and the family. Since students meet with the teacher everyday, there is plenty of time for hands-on activities and discussions and the entire Ethnic Heritage Project should last about four weeks with the fairy tale portion lasting a little over a week.

Goals and Objectives

Many students are turned off by education because they do not see their interests and ideas reflected in the material; this curriculum unit attempts to actively engage the students.  The fairy tale unit will serve to explore the family as part of a larger unit on ethnic heritage.  Students will learn about immigration patterns as part of U.S. History.  In social studies, students will learn why people traveled to America, and in math, charts and graphs will be studied based on migration patterns.  In both classes ethnicity will be discussed and explored.  The social studies teacher could do a number of activities to teach about life in the late 1800’s.  Personal historical articles could be used to show what was happening to individuals during this time period.  Photographs could show the living and working conditions the immigrants experienced.  Small group activities could include such topics as child labor laws, working conditions, and the treatment of minority groups.  Students could be asked how the voyage to America and the American Dream are like fairy tales.  We will then compare families of the past and families of today.  The class will examine different types of contemporary family systems, including families with stepparents and foster children.  Some questions that will be explored while studying United States immigration and families include: 

Why is the United States said to be a melting pot or salad bowl?
            Why would people from other countries want to come to America?
            What is ethnicity?
            What skills or traditions would the new foreigners bring to the new country?
            How were the new immigrants, women, and children treated?
            What were the living situations like?
            What is the American dream?
            What is family? How has it changed over time?

The unit will then continue and expand into an Ethnic Heritage Project.  There will be continued class discussions on immigrant families of the past and modern families.  The unit will continue to be fully integrated into the core subject areas.  In science, genetics will be studied and in language arts, family interviews will be conducted so that students will learn about their personal backgrounds.  Students may gather answers to some of the following questions to examine personal family histories: 

            How long has your family been in the United States?               
         Why did they move to the United States?            
            What countries did your ancestors come from?
            What family traditions do you celebrate?            
            Does your family have any special stories?            
            What item is important to you and your family?            
            What do you know about your ancestors?            
            Is the American dream still alive today?

The final projects for the language arts/social studies will be to present a family tree, a personal family item, a family tradition, and an authentic family fairy tale to the class.  In math/science students will share food from family recipes.   Finally, student families will be invited to attend the Ethnic Heritage Day event on the day the final projects are due. 

Context and Background

Historical and Cultural Background

Everyone is familiar with some kind of childhood fairy tale.  Most people believe that these imaginative stories were created with children in mind, but in fact they were not.  Fairy tales have evolved throughout history and are considered by some as the first mass media.  Although the origin of the fairy tale will never be known, the genre has a vast history that can be followed through time.  

In the beginning oral stories, or myths, about gods and humans circulated.  Many of these myths attempted to explain natural forces to soothe fears.  The stories gave a sense of belonging and the hope that miracles involving some kind of magic were possible to make a better world (Hallett 370).  Oral stories were very fluid.  Each storyteller had the ability to change the material.  There was a relationship between the teller and listener.  The storyteller could see the reactions from the audience and change the material to fit a particular group.  This type of storytelling went on for thousands of years. 

Eventually, myths evolved into folk tales.  Folk tales were different from myths. They often reflected the cruel realities of life including rape, poverty, violence, and famine.    Folk tales were created by adults to produce a community identity by reflecting the rituals and customs of a particular group of people. They came to reflect the values of a particular group of people.  Memorization was not the key. The tales were simple and could easily be changed to fit different situations.  Repetition was used for easy recall and the characters didn’t always have names, they were just character types that could be molded.  Like the myths, folk tales could easily be adapted by the storyteller to fit different situations.  For centuries workers relied on telling tales to shorten the long hours of manual tasks. They became part of the common person’s life and gave clues on how to survive the harsh world.  With new inventions like the printing press and the literacy rate growing, folk tales began to take a new form. 

During the end of the 16^th century, the literary fairy tale began to take shape.  Folk tales were the first literary versions of fairy tales and were meant for adults based upon oral traditions using adult themes such as rape and famine.   They were written specifically for the upper classes since this was the only literate and educated group during this time.  Many scribes began to record local folk tales for new books so in the beginning there were no rules for writers to follow.  Gradually, fairy tales began to follow narrative patterns.  Most included a protagonist who faced a prohibition but in some way violated it.  The story then continues as the protagonist assumes a task, encounters a villain, gets assistance from a magical helper, passes at least one test, conquers evil, and ends the journey in bliss with either marriage, money, or both.  Fairy tales took on unique characteristics in the literary form.  The stories suspended a linear time structure and had no specific place. The settings could have take place at anywhere, anytime.  Due to the circular time structure the ending is actually a new beginning. For example, a peasant boy defeats a dragon to save a princess and then begins a new life as king of the land.  A fun aspect of the fairy tale is that logic is also suspended, nothing is predictable and everything is possible.  This continues to be the large appeal of fairy tales today; your imagination must be used to have the story make sense.  Like the protagonist, the readers could see opportunities to change; he/she could become whatever they wanted to be.  As this genre became more widespread, famous writers began to make their mark on the fairy tale tradition. 

            Beginning in 17th century France, fairy tales began to go through a series of transformations.  Actually, the French named this new genre, contes de fees, “fairy tales.”  France was considered one of the most civilized societies of its time; the people craved stories to read.  Because it was the upper classes that could read, books furthered separation between the social classes.  Fairy tale writers had to keep this in mind.  Charles Perrault, during the height of the Enlightenment, is the best- known writer of this time period.  Perrault’s purpose was to provide entertainment for the royal court, of which he was a member (Hallett 14).  His tales were edited versions of folk tales, so they wouldn’t offend the aristocracy. Many of the first recorded fairy tales came from the peasants across France who shared their oral traditions with writers.  Later, wealthy women enjoyed storytelling in their salons.  In this environment they gathered to entertain each other and competed for the best stories through playing games.  Perrault visited many of these salons and listened to the stories.  Other storytellers were nurses or servants who tended to the children of the aristocracy and shared tales to amuse the children.  Many of these children remembered the stories and retold them as adults.  Writers like Perrault were not interested in citing their sources but were trying to record the story. The Enlightenment was a time of new thinking and ways of viewing literature.   Gradually, the stories began to change their purpose and meaning.  Instead of writing exclusively for adults, some writers began to change the stories to suit children.  Fairy tales were adopted to instruct children of the ruling class of proper etiquette. Society dictated which norm and values were important through more refined mores including sex, manners, and dress. The original folk tale elements began to drastically change. Other stories began to criticize existing society and social injustices of the time.  Some of these topics included the treatment of children and women.  The folk tales did not die out during this time period, but were enjoyed by the lower classes that could not read or afford the books. 

            France was not the only country to have an interest in fairy tales.   German scholars began collecting fairy tales from various countries, including France.  Once again, most of the sources came from women of various social backgrounds.   The Grimm Brothers, Jacob and Willhelm, are perhaps the most famous for making fairy tales popular in Germany. Germany was very different from France because the people were fragmented and the country didn’t unite until the 19^th century.  The purpose of recording folk tales was more than to just entertain the privileged classes. With their story collection, the brothers wanted to create a national identity for their country.    The Grimms believed that they were performing a national service by preserving the Germanic culture.  There has been much debate over which stories are truly authentic German ones.  Initially, the stories were edited and meant for the upper to middle classes.  The brothers were interested in the cultural and historical aspects of the folk tales rather than using it as children’s literature.  They hoped to unite a divided country through literature.  As in France, fairy tales became very popular not only with adults, but children as well.   Later editions by the Grimm Brothers were tamed down with the child audience in mind.  Grimm fairy tale books are some of the most famous today. 

            With so many immigrants from Europe arriving in America, many of them traveled with their fairy tale books.  Eventually, an American fairy tale tradition began.  This tradition started late and borrowed from the various previous time periods.   Many consider The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum the first American fairy tale.  Others might look to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland as the starting point of the American versions. Later, Walt Disney took this genre and forever changed the fairy tale.   In the early 20^th century, artists began to emphasize the fairy tale through images. Elaborate pictures began to accompany the stories.  Eventually, new inventions once again shaped the form of the fairy tale. Movie houses began to open nationwide. The purpose of the early-animated fairy tales was to make audiences awestruck at the use of technology (Tatar 342).  Jack Zipes believes that Disney was a radical filmmaker who changed our way of viewing fairy tales, and that his revolutionary technical means capitalized on American innocence to reinforce the social and political status quo (Tatar 333).  These tales were specifically made with American children and consumers in mind and the content once again went through revisions.  There was more pressure than ever to edit material to suit the audience because of economics, the need to make a profit.  Watch groups view the material and can cause controversy if the material is not politically correct.  Fairy tales have become part of the American way of life. 

            Today, experts try to determine what effects fairy tales have on children.   Some researchers found that fairy tales are healthy escapes for children.  One point of view has looked psychological studies in young children.  Bruno Bettelheim, a philosopher who works with traumatized children, believes that these stories benefit both parents and children.  He believes that fairy tales are an excellent way to communicate with children who have difficulty expressing themselves.  When children are young, literature carries information best (Hallett 307).  Fairy tales empower children due to their positive endings and children are able to enjoy them as dramatizations of their personal conflicts.  Bettelheim found that children only relate to what they can understand in the stories and tend to block out what does not make sense.  According to Bettelheim, these stories permit the child to come to grips with anxieties as fears are projected onto evil figures in the story (Ehrlich x).   He writes that it is better to be afraid of some dangerous animal or witch than that of something formless that could be anywhere ready to jump out at any moment (Ehrlich xi).  For most children the fear of such creatures is short-lived and has a long-term positive impact.  For a story to enrich a child’s life, it must stimulate imagination, help to develop intellect, clarify emotions, recognize difficulties, and suggest solutions (Tatar 270). Through fairy tales children can see that life is not always good and that struggles are a part of life and can be overcome.  Children realize that their efforts of good will be rewarded while those who are pushing him/her down will be punished (Ehrlich xi).  Fairy tale heroes convince the child that he/she may feel outcast and abandoned but he/she will be given help when it is needed (Hallett 315).  The German poet Schiller wrote, “Deeper meaning resides in the fairy tales told to me in my childhood than in the truth that is taught by life” (Tatar 271).  Other books and studies have also been done on children who have traumatic experiences and many agree with Bettelheim.  The Armless Maiden by Terry Windling is a wonderful collection of stories about childhood survivors.    

            Other studies on how fairy tales affect children show another side.  Some scholars believe that these tales can have a negative influence in how children may perceive themselves.  This view is inspired by the feminist perspectives. Since there are no records of the first oral tales, some believe that writers of these stories changed the material over time to include cultural stereotypes.  Various researchers believe that folk tales were an early contributor to sexual inequality; women were only a beautiful appendage to a superior male (Hallett 209).  Women did not have the same rights as men and looked for ways to express themselves in safe environments.  Women living in Europe who told stories in a salon setting were given an opportunity to talk about topics that were forbidden to them in other situations (Tatar 314).  Later the male recorders, to appease a larger audience, changed the stories. The stories were changed to fit the male-dominated society.  Karen Rowe, for instance, believes that fairy tales reinforce cultural stereotypes of women.  In most stories the woman is waiting to be rescued by Mr. Right and all power is given to the man.  Some fairy tales suggest that a culture’s survival depends on a woman’s acceptance of such roles as motherhood and domesticity (Hallett 327).   The female protagonists in fairy tales always care for others before themselves.  This is the type of wife that a man wanted to find for himself.  Angela Carter, keeping in mind the feminist viewpoint, has rewritten many classic tales.  She returns tales to their original status, for literate adults, by focusing on the real world not a romantic dream world (Hallett 210).  Many authors today continue to reshape fairy tales to make the characters role modes for everyone, especially young, impressionable girls.   

            Fairy tales have changed tremendously over time from oral folk tales to commentary on feminism.  Every culture has some version of the fairy tale that children are familiar with.  Cinderella is a good example of cultural diversity.  She is called Yeh-hsien in China, Cendrillion in Italy, Aschenputtle in Germany, and Catskin in England but all the stories are basically the same. Most people give little attention to the fairy tale but with their widespread and enduring popularity, they must address some significant social function (Tatar xi).  Today there are thousands of storybooks that offer the magical escape that the folk tales did many years ago.  Children’s books are in high demand partly due to the recently developed image of childhood.   

Development of Childhood 

The concept of childhood has not always existed.  Before the 16^th century children were treated similar to adults as soon as they were past the diaper stage.  Children from wealthy backgrounds were thrust into society, sometimes even taking a crown as a ruling monarch.  Children from poor families were expected to work to help provide for the family.  Mortality rates were extremely high and most children died young.   Children were wed at a very young age, sometimes at the tender age of 10.  As a result, close parental bonds were often not formed because the parent never knew when the child could be gone.  During this time children were not separated from the adult sphere.  They observed and shared everything including clothing, housing, games, and work.   Many childhood portraits of the time period show the children not as young and innocent, but as miniature adults. With the Industrial Revolution and the emergence of the middle class, the family structure changed.  There was a decrease in infant mortality and life expectancy for children almost doubled.  Children began to live longer and more emotional connections with parents developed.  Family relations began to change.  Roles became more defined as fathers began leaving the home to work and the women became more restricted to the home.  The nuclear family became common and separate living quarters were established in homes to separate the adults and children.  Inside the home was a feeling of comfort while outside was a fierce field of competition.     Children were freed from working as schools began to open.  Finally, there was time for childhood. 

            Different time periods throughout history created their own versions of what childhood should be.  During the social awareness of the Enlightenment, the concept of child was changed forever.  Children were seen as distinct, precious creatures that needed to be protected.  Young ones needed to be educated and trained in strict obedience with the belief that education brought out the good in children.  They needed to learn self-control and how to suppress their desires.  Even children’s clothing changed, as it became a symbol of the separation between the world of children and the world of the adult (Tatar 319).  Children’s own games and toys such as the rocking horse also evolved.   In the eyes of the Enlightened educators, imagination was not necessarily a good thing and needed to be monitored.  As a result, reading material was carefully selected by adults to teach children proper ways of behavior. 

            Another historical time that shaped the concept of childhood was the Romantic period.  During the Romantic period of the early 1800’s children were thought to be closer to God because they were innocent and blessed by Him. The young needed protection by adults from all the evil in the world.  Unlike earlier times, a child’s imagination was a wonderful, positive thing.  Children could have fun and actually had time for free play and to read.  Children became a source of entertainment and were invited into the parlors to amuse adults (Tatar 321).   With the active role of the Church, the spiritual development of the child became important.  Books were seen as an excellent tool to educate the children.  For the first time books were written with children in mind.   Fairy tale books were sanitized and included moralistic tales that could be used to teach lessons.  Children could easily understand the stories and the same story could have a different meaning for the adults.   

            Today, the period of childhood is considered the most important period in one’s life, and an adult’s behavior is often explained by childhood experiences (Tatar 318).  The concept of childhood is constantly changing as new issues arise in society.  Children are shaped by many factors including family, friends, and what they read.  The following topics are common themes that occur in children’s fairy tales. 

Male Socialization 

Throughout history boys have always been treated differently than girls.  This same concept also exists in fairy tales.  In the classic fairy tales most of the protagonists are female, males play a minor role.  But when a male does play the lead character, he is expected to do different things from his female counterpart.  Males are to be curious and explore the world, usually alone.  The fairy tale hero is a free-moving wonderer without much concern (Hallett 300).   They are taught to question authority and not to fear anything or anyone.  Male protagonists are usually young and naïve but can accomplish any task, sometimes with the help of a magical friend.  They are rarely harmed as they try to conquer the obstacles before them.  One trait almost all the heroes have in common is compassion.  This can be demonstrated by kindness to animals or trying to save a princess.  By demonstrating compassion the protagonist will usually get what he wants in the end.  The Brave Little Taylor is a good example of a boy going out into the world to prove himself; the underdog can overcome great odds. The stories about boys show them that they can earn respect or riches on their own.  Economic class or social status is not important to achieving a goal.  The lowest peasant has the capability of rising up to one day be king.  Fairy tales show the process of maturation and development in males.  Many times the hero never returns home but stays in a new land to enjoy his rewards such as a new wife or kingdom.  In most stories males have positive role models.

Female Socialization

Females have usually carried a main role in classic fairy tales.  In many tales men are absent from the story and females are the primary characters.  Stories tell young girls how to behave in various situations.   Girls were told not to become too powerful or have too much knowledge because of negative consequences.  For many years women with knowledge were feared and several were killed because they were believed to be witches. In classic fairy tales the female is to blame for anything negative that happens in the story, especially if it affects the male.   Girls and women were told that being curious is a downfall and that any exploring should be left up to men.  In Bluebeard women are severely punished for being curious.  A common theme in stories about girls is the coming of age story focusing on a girl’s sexuality.  Many times female protagonists are humiliated before feeling safe again.  Sex can be used in a variety of ways; it sometimes saves the young woman.  An example would be from one of the early tales of Little Red Riding Hood when the girl slowly strips before getting in bed with the wolf.  This delays the dreaded outcome and gives her time to think of an escape plan.  Many females are trapped and the only way to a happy life is to marry Prince Charming.  Young girls are expected to become wives and mothers.  In real life girls were forced into prearranged marriages, usually with much older men.  Another theme is female rivalry focusing on the battle of old versus the young.  An evil stepmother usually portrays the old person and the young person is the beautiful princess.  A conflict arises between the two and in the end the young one prevails.  In the classic fairy tales women were usually characterized as beautiful creatures but had no power.   Fairy tales contain many conflicting messages for young girls.

Siblings

Many family themes can be found in fairy tales, although many are cruel.  There are many examples of evil stepmothers, abusive fathers, and horrible marriages.  One relationship that is very interesting, and usually positive, is sibling relationships.  Most fairy tales show the need for siblings to be nice to one another and get along.  Fighting is not a good thing and sources of conflicts need to be resolved, usually without the help of adults.  Many times adults are shown as the cause of children’s problems.  Some stories are based on real life physical hardships, such as starvation.  Stories such as Hansel and Gretel show the loyalty and compassion that siblings had to each other.   Siblings were bound together in desperate attempts at survival in a time of famine.  The brother and sister learned that through cooperation, survival was possible even in a cruel world.  Together they mature and learn to leave the safety of home to journey out into the world and solve life’s problems.  Many of the stories represent rites of passage for the siblings. 

Morals/Values

Early fairy tales written for children were usually about what was the proper way to act.   Children were believed to need guidance from adults in making correct choices.  As a result, warning tales were developed and are still used today.  Little Red Riding Hood is a classic story warning young girls not to talk to strangers or disobey mothers by straying from the path.  Horrible things could happen to a child who did not do as he/she was told.  Adults hoped that by instilling a bit of fear into children, adult authority would not be questioned.  Warning tales show harsh punishments if rules are violated.  In some of the classic tales the children who did not obey the parents died at a very young age by horrible deaths including having one’s eyes picked out by birds.   The stories told children to be obedient, honest, and hardworking.  If young ones did these things, then they would be rewarded.  Too much curiosity, even by boys, was not tolerated but was seen as an act of defiance and was punished.  Children needed to be taught boundaries.  Parents today continue to use tales, classic and new, as examples of how children should behave.

Implementation

Standards Met Through District Core Curriculum and Scope and Sequence

Language Arts

Learners develop active listening strategies.
Learners increase vocabulary by listening to languages and dialects.
Learners communicate orally for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Learners demonstrate speaking skills.
Learners demonstrate knowledge of grammar, usage, and syntax.
Learners read and gather information from a variety of printed material, literature, and own written language.
Learners write to convey information and to express individual ideas and understandings.

Social Studies

Learners exhibit an understanding of the ways human beings view themselves in and over time.
Learners exhibit an understanding of the connections and relationships among people, places, cultures, and physical environments.
Learners exhibit an understanding of the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic and in other forms of governance. 

Lesson One: Introduction

Begin by reviewing material about immigration.  Have students create a timeline about the historical events connected with immigration by using notes and handouts from past classes.  Students will then think about their own families and create another timeline for their family events.  Various fairy tale books will be displayed around the classroom that students can browse before class begins.  Begin the fairy tale lesson by asking students the question:  What is a fairy tale?  Listen to ideas and have students brainstorm suggestions on the board.  After some time ask students to think about their favorite childhood fairy tale.  Have some students volunteer to retell the story to the class. Do some students have another version of the same story?  This reenactment of oral story telling will then give way to the context and background of the genre. Distribute a handout that will outline the history of fairy tales.  Students will fill in worksheet with important details as teacher lectures/discusses the information using an overhead projector.  Another handout will be given to students on the basics of a fairy tale.  Students will learn about the eight basic ingredients for a fairy tale. This list will be used to analyze stories in future lesson plans and to help create personal fairy tales (Hallett 372).

            Eight Basic Fairy Tales Ingredients:

1.      The protagonist is confronted with a prohibition which he or she violates in some way.

2.      The protagonist leaves home and has been given a task.

3.      There is an encounter with a villain, a mysterious creature who gives magical gifts, or creatures that need help and promise to repay the generosity.

4.      The protagonist is tested and tries to conquer the villain or evil forces.

5.      The protagonist suffers a temporary setback which needs a miracle to be reversed.

6.      The magical gifts are used to achieve the goal by going to battle, accomplishing an impossible task, or breaking a magic spell.

7.      The villain is punished or the evil disappears.

8.      The success of the protagonist leads to marriage, money, survival and wisdom, or any combination of these.

Assignments:  students will be asked to bring in any fairy tale books from home, if they choose.   Students should complete their timelines for immigration and the family, asking family members to help. Students should also learn a family tale and bring it to class. No part of the tale should be written, students should only be able to orally share the tale.

Lesson Two:  Cinderella

Collect historical and family timelines from students.   Review the material about the history of fairy tales and the fairy tale ingredients.  Have students share any fairy tale books from home and add to display in room, if they wish.  I will share a family tale with the students and ask for any volunteers to do the same with their family tale.  Generate discussion of how and why an oral tale could change over time.  The teacher could maybe do a quick version of the “telephone game.”   For the activity students will be given a brief sentence to whisper to each other.  The task is to keep the original saying but students will see how the version quickly changes as it passed from person to person.  Read aloud the Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella.  Have students recognize the setting, characters, plot, and moral in this version of the story.  Students will also be asked to use the Ingredient list to see how many items are in the story.  Students should be divided into groups and given a worksheet to record answers to questions regarding different versions of the Cinderella story.   The handout should include the author, title, characters, setting, fairy tale ingredients, and other relevant topics. Various reading stations will be established around the room using different versions of Cinderella.  See the following documentation section under Cinderella stories for ten versions that could be used.   Groups will read their stories and answer worksheet questions.  Each group will then briefly present the version they read, audience should record brief notes over each presentation noting differences.  The whole class will then use charts or diagrams to show similarities and differences.  Discussion of the various tales will also take place. Take individual journal notebooks and have students quickly write their oral family tale that was learned the previous night.  Assignment:  in the same journal notebook students should write another version of the same family tale changing some elements like the Cinderella stories.

Lesson Three:  Male Socialization

Ask for any volunteers to share one or both versions of their family tale recorded in the journal.  Review that one of the purposes of the fairy tale was to teach young children how to act.   Review history of what was expected of boys and how they were treated during the period of immigration.  Have things changed over time and what is expected today?  How is this behavior learned today?  Does the family still play a role in teaching boys?  Read aloud The Brave Little Tailor by Jacob and Willhelm Grimm.  Have students discuss characteristics of the male character.  Students will then divide into different reading groups to read stories about male socialization.  Another worksheet will be distributed to have students focus on these stories.  Some of the same questions from the Cinderella worksheet could be used.  See the documentation section for a listing of male socialization stories.    Students will present their book to the class focusing on the role of the male character.  The large group will discuss similarities and differences between the tales.  Assignment:  students will journal about a male family member who has played an important role in their life.

Lesson Four:  Female Socialization

Students will be asked to share journal entry about male role model.  Briefly review the discussion from yesterday on male socialization.  Review the history of girls and how they were treated differently than boys during the time of immigration.  How are girls socialized today and who teaches them?  Share some of the same questions from yesterday.  Read aloud The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood by Charles Perrault.  Have students discuss the characteristics of the female character.  Assign new reading groups and have students read stories about female socialization.  Another worksheet for students to complete will be distributed.   For a list of recommended fairy tales about female socialization see the documentation section.  Students will present books to the class stressing the role of the female character.  The large group will discuss similarities and differences between the tales and also compare the female stories to the tales about males.  Assignment:  journal about a female family member who has played an important role in their life.

Lesson Five:  Siblings

Students will be asked if they would like to share their journal entries about female role models.  Class will then review the different types of families that exist today:  stepparents, foster parents, and stepsiblings.  Students will then be asked to think about their own families and the relationships between individuals.  Begin to focus on the sibling relationships.  Does everyone get along all the time?  How are conflicts resolved?  Let students share some stories.  Read aloud the story Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm.  Discuss the conflict and how the siblings worked together to resolve the situation.   Student groups will again be chosen and students will read tales about siblings. Have worksheet available for students to complete while reading the story.  Some stories about siblings can be found in the documentation portion following this unit.  Groups will present the stories and the outcome of the siblings.   The large group will discuss similarities and differences between the tales.  Assignment:  journal a story about you and your siblings.  (If a student is an only child have them journal a story about a friend.)

Lesson Six:  Morals/Values

Ask students to share any journal entries about sibling stories.  Ask students to define a moral or value.  Review history of what families saw as important during immigration.  What kinds of values are important today?  Have morals/values changed over time?  Read aloud the story Little Red Cap by the Brothers Grimm.  Discuss the moral of the story.  Students divide into their last reading group and read stories that have a moral to tell.  Distribute a worksheet that students would complete as they read the tales. Refer to the documentation portion for a listing of moral/value stories that could be used.  Students should present their stories to the class.  The large group will discuss what morals/values were presented in the stories.  Assignment:  journal a lesson your family has tried to teach you or journal about something your family finds important. 

Lesson Seven:  Original Family Fairy Tale

Ask for any sharing of last journal entry about a moral or value.  Have students look at the journals they have written along with their family timeline.  Students will be asked to write an original family fairy tale using one of the journal entries or they may use another idea.  Students should write and illustrate their fairy tale book.  Give some class time for the assignment and also have students work on the project at home.  The final product will be presented to the class as part of the final Ethnic Heritage Project.

Student Evaluation

This unit has several items that can be used for grades.

            Individual historical and family timelines:  evaluate the number of events on the timeline as well as organization.   Give grade according to completed details.

            Group worksheets and presentations on the various story versions:  Give participation points for each item completed during the unit.  Evaluate presentations by the student’s clarity in explaining the material.  Give extra points for group leaders who share the group’s ideas from the worksheet in front of the class.  Evaluate level of participation and the details of the completed worksheets.

            Individual journal entries:  collect at the end of the unit.  Grade each entry as either complete or incomplete and give points accordingly. 

            Individual original family fairy tale:  this should comprise the largest portion of the unit’s grade.   Evaluate the spelling, grammar, and punctuation of the text.  Evaluate the originality and neatness of the drawings.  Evaluate the class presentation about the project. 

Documentation

Bibliography

The following books are good resources for classic fairy tales and modern commentary on fairy tales.  The book, Creative Storytelling Building Community, Changing Lives, is a good resource for integrating fairy tales into the classroom.

Birkhauser-Oeri, Sibylle.  The Mother Archetypal Image in Fairy Tales.  Toronto, Canada:              1988.

Ehrlich, Amy.  The Random House Book of Fairy Tales.  New York:  Random House, 1985.

Franz, Marie-Louise von.  Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales.  Boston:  Shambhala Publications,                  Inc., 1995.

Hallett, Martin, and Barbara Karasek, eds.  Folk and Fairy Tales.  Ontario, Canada: Broadview                  Press, 1998.

Hartland, Edwin Sidney.  The Science of Fairy Tales.  London:  Methuen & Co. LTD., 1925.

Heuscher, Julius.  A Psychiatric Study of Myths and Fairy Tales Their Origin, Meaning and                  Usefulness.  Springfield, Illinois:  Charles C. Thomas, 1974.

Tatar, Maria, ed.  The Classic Fairy Tales.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1999.

Zipes, Jack.  Creative Storytelling Building Community, Changing Lives.  New York:                  Routledge, 1995.

                ---.  Don’t Bet on the Prince Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America                  and England.  New York:  Routledge, 1989.

                 ---.  Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion.  New York:   Routledge, 1991.

Teacher Materials

These teacher materials are filled with various fairy tales that could be used in the classroom by the teacher reading them aloud.  The last book by Wolf has many excellent lesson plan ideas.  

Andersen, Hans Christian.  Andersen’s Fairy Tales.  Stamford, Connecticut: Longmeadow Press,              1988.

Arbuthnot, Mary Hill, et al.  The Arbuthnot Anthology of Children’s Literature.  Glenview,              Illinois:  Scott, Foresman and Company, 1971.

Baum, L. Frank.  American Fairy Tales.  New York:  Dover Publications, Inc., 1978.

Brenner, Anita.  The Boy Who Could Do Anything & Other Mexican Folk Tales. Hamden,              Connecticut:  Linnet Books, 1992.

Carter, Angela.  The Old Wives’ Fairy Tale Book.  New York:  Pantheon Books, 1990.

Cole, Joanna.  Best-Loved Folktales of the World.  Garden City, New York:  Doubleday &               Company, Inc., 1982.

Holt, David, and Bill Mooney, eds.  More Ready-to-Tell Tales From Around the World.  Little               Rock:  August House Publishers, Inc., 2000.

Ryan, Patrick.  Shakespeare’s Storybook – Folk Tales that Inspired the Bard.  New York:               Barefoot Books, 2001.

Scieszka, Jon.  The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.  New York: Viking,                1992.

Wolf, Joan M.  The Beanstalk and Beyond:  Developing Critical Thinking Through Fairy              Tales.  Englewood, Colorado:  Teacher Ideas Press, 1997.

Student Materials

The student materials are divided into the various topics that will be used with the lesson plans.  These are just a few of the many stories that I found and limited each category to ten titles.  I tried to use a variety of cultural examples some of which include stories from Africa, Ireland, and Mexico. There are many other children’s books that could be substituted.   I enjoyed reading through all the choices.

Cinderella Stories

Climo, Shirley.  The Egyptian Cinderella.  New York:  Harper Collins Publisher, 1989.

Climo, Shirley.  The Irish Cinderlad.  New York:   Harper Collins Publisher, 1996.

Climo, Shirley.  Korean Cinderella.  New York:   Harper Collins Publisher, 1993.

Coburn, Jewell Reinhart.  Domitila.  Auburn, California:  Shen’s Books, 2000.

Huck, Charlotte.  Princess Furball.  New York:   Greenwillow Books, 1989.

Karlin, Barbara.  Cinderella.  Boston:  Little, Brown and Company, 1989.

Johnston, Tony.  Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella.  New York:   G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1998.

Martin, Rafe.  The Rough-Face Girl.  New York:   G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1992.

Minters, Frances.  Cinder-Elly.  New York:   Viking, 1994.

Pollock, Penny.  The Turkey Girl – A Zuni Cinderella Story.  Boston:  Little, Brown and                 Company, 1996.

Male Socialization Stories

Carrick, Carol.  Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.  New York:  Scholastic Inc., 1989.

Casanova, Mary.  The Hunter.  New York:   Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000.

Cauley, Lorinda Bryan.  Jack and the Beanstalk.  New York:  G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1983.

Cauley, Lorinda Bryan.  Puss in Boots.  New York:   Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1986.

Collins, Meghan.  The Willow Maiden.  New York:   Dial Books for Young Readers, 1985. 

Harper, Jo.  The Legend of Mexicatl.  New York:   Turtle Books, 1998.

Hunter, Mollie.  Gilly Martin the Fox.  New York:   Hyperion Books for Children, 1994.

Kimmel, Eric.  Bearhead.  New York:   Holiday House, 1991. 

Kimmel, Eric.  The Two Mountains an Aztec Legend.  New York:  Holiday House, 2000.

Pyle, Howard.  Bearskin.  New York:   William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1997.

Female Socialization Stories

Andersen, Hans Christian.  Thumbelina.  New York:   Dial Books for Young Readers, 1979.

De Paola, Tomie.  Fin M’Coul the Giant of Knockmany Hill.  New York:  Holiday House, 1981.

Hamilton, Virginia.  The Girl Who Spun Gold.  New York:  The Blue Sky Press, 2000.

Hoffman, Mary.  Clever Katya – A Fairy Tale from Old Russia.  New York:  Barefoot Books,               1998.

Johnston, Tony.  Alice Nizzy Nazzy the Witch of Santa Fe.  New York:  G.P. Putnam’s Sons,                1995.

Manson, Christopher.  The Crab Prince.  New York:   Henry Holt & Co., 1991.

O’Brien, Anne Sibley.  The Princess and the Beggar – A Korean Folktale.  New York:
            Scholastic Inc., 1993.

Rappaport, Doreen.  The Journey of Meng.  New York:   Dial Books for Young Readers, 1991.

Tchana, Katrin.  The Serpent Slayer and Other Stories of Strong Women.  Boston:  Little,             Brown and Company, 2000.

Winthrop, Elizabeth.  Vasilissa the Beautiful.  United States:  Harper Collins, 1991. 

Sibling Stories 

Allen, Linda.  The Giant Who Had No Heart.  New York:  Philomel Books, 1988. 

Heyer, Marilee.  The Weaving of a Dream.  New York:   Viking Kestrel, 1986. 

Kimmel, Eric.  Boots and His Brothers.  New York:   Holiday House, 1992. 

Le Guin, Ursula K.  A Ride on the Red Mare’s Back.  New York:  Orchard Books, 1992. 

MacGill-Callahan, Sheila.  The Children of Lir.  New York:  Dial Books, 1993. 

Martin, Claire.  Boots & the Glass Mountain.  New York:  Dial Books, 1992. 

Mollel, Tololwa M.  Subira Subira.  New York:   Clarion Books, 2000. 

Rodanas, Kristina.  Dragonfly’s Tale.  New York:  Clarion Books, 1991. 

Silverman, Maida.  Anna and the Seven Swans.  New York:  William Morrow and Company,              1984.

Stewig, John Warren.  Mother Holly.  New York:   North-South Books, 2001.

Moral/Value Stories

Bender, Robert.  Toads and Diamonds.  New York:   Lodestar Books, 1995.

Berenzy, Alix.  A Frog Prince.  New York:   Henry Holt and Company, 1989.

Demi.  The Empty Pot.  New York:   Henry Holt and Company, 1990.

Grimm, Brothers.  The Fisherman and His Wife.  New York:  William Morrow & Company,              1978.

Kimmel, Eric.  The Witch’s Face – A Mexican Tale.  New York:  Holiday House, 1993.

Langton, Jane.  The Hedgehog Boy – A Latvian Folktale.  New York:  Harper & Row, 1985.

MacDonald, Margaret Read.  Mabela the Clever.  Morton Grove, Illinois:  Albert Whitman &              Company, 2001.

Stewig, John Warren.  Stone Soup.  New York:   Holiday House, 1991.

Torre, Betty L.  The Luminous Pearl – A Chinese Folktale.  New York:  Orchard Books, 1990..

Yep, Laurence.  The Boy Who Swallowed Snakes.  New York:  Scholastic Inc., 1994.