Fairy Tales and

Movie StarsAuthoring Cycle

– Kindergarten

Brian Martel

Introduction Fairy tales are a magnificent way to excite children about

reading. And as it turns out, they provide too many learning opportunities to list. Though this authoring cycle will focus on the Language Arts portion of the Connecticut Frameworks for Kindergarten, it is easy to see that the activities associated with this unit incorporate math, social studies, technology, and the arts.

This unit is very flexible in that you could simply swap out the material and use the same activities to teach a different theme. For instance, instead of fairy tales, you could do non-fiction documentaries on animals or historical figures, or use a series of fiction books like the Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant.

This unit is designed to build strategies for exploring, comprehending, and responding to literature. The strategies are easily adapted from child to child as their formats allow for written, oral, and pictorial responses. There is also a strong motivation to master the material as it is seen as a valuable means to an end. They are training to become movie stars.

Reflection and Revision

Exploring Meaning Constructs with Intentional

Others

Uninterrupted Personal Engagement

Presenting and Sharing Meaning

with Others

Life Experiences

Invitations to Further Engagements

Examining the Operation of Sign System Processes

Collect Ideas

•Favorite movies poll•Favorite characters poll

•Watch movies from previous classes

•Read fairy tales and their fractured counterparts

•Read and illustrate script for the movie

•Mini-Mall theater

•ELI•Story trees

•Venn diagrams•How to act for the camera.

•Three words daily work•Who do I want to be?•Getting into character

•Group skits/improvisations of characters and stories

•Bulletin Board of favorite part of fairy tale

•Invitations to the premiere

•Auditions•Costume design and

construction•Movie reviews

•Story tree personal stories•Movie premieres

Connecticut Kindergarten Frameworks Reading

Oral Language

Writing CT

Kin

derg

arte

n Fra

mew

orks

Reading and Responding Exploring and Responding

to Literature Communicating with Others

Applying English Language

Conventions

activities 1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

3.1

3.2

4.1

4.2

4.3

Favorite Movie/ Character Polls

X X X X X

Previous Class Movie Screenings

X X

Read Fairy Tales and Fractured Fairy Tales

X X X X X X X

Read and I llustrate Script f or the Movie

X X X X X X X

Mini-Mall Movie Theater X X X X

ELI X X X X X X X X X

Story Trees X X X X X X

Venn Diagram Fractured and Fairy Tales

X X X X X X X X

Acting Lessons X X X X

Three Words Daily Work X X X X X X

Who Do I Want to Be? X X X X X X X

Getting in to Character X X X X X X

Group Skits X X X X X X X X X X

Connecticut Kindergarten Frameworks Reading

Oral Language

Writing CT

Kin

derg

arte

n

Fra

mew

orks

Reading and Responding Exploring and Responding

to Literature Communicating with Others

Applying English Language

Conventions

activities 1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

3.1

3.2

4.1

4.2

4.3

Favorite Parts Bulletin Board

X X X X X X X X X X

I nvitations to Premieres X X X X X X X X X

Auditions X

Costume Design and Construction

X X X

Movie Reviews X X X X X X X X X

Movie Premieres X X X

Story Tree Personal Stories

X X X X X X X X

Expanation of Standards Connecticut Kindergarten Frameworks

Reading and RespondingStudents read, comprehend and respond in individual, literal, critical, and evaluative ways to literary, informational, and persuasive texts in

multimedia formats.

•1.1 Students use appropriate strategies before, during, and after reading in order to construct meaning.

•1.2 Students interpret, analyze, and evaluate text in order to extend understanding and appreciation.

•1.3 Students will select and apply strategies to facilitate word recognition and develop vocabulary in order to comprehend text.

•1.4 Students communicate with others to create interpretations of written, oral, and visual texts.

Expanation of Standards Connecticut Kindergarten Frameworks

Exploring and Responding to LiteratureStudents read and respond to classical and contemporary texts from

many cultures and literary periods.

•2.1 Students recognize how literary devices and conventions engage the reader.

•2.2 Students explore multiple responses to literature.

•2.3 Students recognize and appreciate that contemporary and classical literature has shaped human thought.

•2.4 Students recognize that readers and authors are influenced by individual, social, cultural, and historical contexts.

Expanation of Standards Connecticut Kindergarten Frameworks

Communicating with OthersStudents produce written, oral, and visual texts to express, develop, and

substantiate ideas and experiences.

•3.1 Students use descriptive, narrative, expository, persuasive, and poetic modes.

•3.2 Students prepare, publish and/or present work to an audience, purpose, and task.

Expanation of Standards Connecticut Kindergarten Frameworks

Applying English Language ConventionsStudents apply the conventions of standard English in oral, written, and

visual communication.

•4.1 Students use knowledge of their language and culture to improve competency in English.

•4.2 Students speak and write using standard language structures and diction appropriate to audience andtask.

•4.3 Students use English for composing and revising written text.

Favorite Movies/Movie Character Polls

Have the children brainstorm up some of their favorite movies. Make a list and narrow it down by show of hand voting to 4. Record these four options on a graph and have them vote for their favorite by writing their name in a space above the movie title. Discuss what the graph tells the reader: •How do we know how many votes an option received? •What received the most votes?•What received the least votes?

Have the children write down their favorite movie character from a list, determined in the same manner as above, and place it in a ballot box. Empty the ballot box and guide them in filling in the corresponding graph and a discussion like the one above.

Mini-Mall Theater

Our school puts on a “Mini-Mall” in the primary wing for a week. All the classes set up shops. We run a movie theater of the previous classes’ movies. The class learns how to arrange the class into a movie theater, speak appropriately to patrons, collect money, advertise, and clean up when the theater closes. This is practice for our own movie premieres.

We have several premieres; first for our families, second for our big buddies who help us with costumes and props, thirdly for the guest teachers classes, and lastly as an assembly for the primary wing. The movies are on DVD in the library and so are available for viewing by individual classrooms through out the school (pre-k through 8th grade).

Movie Premieres

Reading Fairy Tales and Their Fractured Counterparts

The teacher will do read-alouds of fairy tales and their fractured counterparts. (See next 2 bibliographical slides.) The teacher should plan to read the original and facilitate a discussion with the children about:•Who is in the story.•Where the story happens.•What happens in the beginning, middle, and the end.

The next story or stories they read should be fractured versions of the original. Before the story is read the teacher should guide a review of what was discussed about the prior fairy tale and what could be expected from the fractured fairy tale.

After reading, the original should be compared to the fractured fairy tale versions. These reviews should be conducted through various models such as discussions, venn diagrams, and story trees.

Fairy Tales and Fractured Fairy Tales

Bibliography Auch, M. J. (2oo5). Chickerella. USA: Holiday House.

Brett, J. (1987). Goldilocks and the Three Bears. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

Brown, K. (1980). Snow White. Belgium: Award Publications Limited.

dePaola, T. (1975). Strega Nona. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Galdone, P. (1972). The Three Bears. New York: Scholastic Book Services.

Galdone, P. (1970). The Three Little Pigs. New York: Scholastic Book Services.

Karlin, B. (1989) Cinderella. Boston: Little Brown and Company.

Levert,, M. (1995) Little Red Riding Hood. Toronto: Groundwoood Books.

Lowell, S. (2ooo). Cindy Ellen A Wild Western Cinderella. USA: Joanna Cotler Books.

Lowell, S. (2oo1) Dusty Locks and the Three Bears. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Fairy Tales and Fractured Fairy Tales

Bibliography Continued…Marshall, J. (1987) Red Riding Hood. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Scieszka, J. (1989). The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! By A. Wolf. New York:Scholastic, Inc.

Tolhurst, M. (1990). Somebody and the Three Blairs. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Trivizas, E. (1993) The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Reading and Illustrating Fairy Tale Movie Scripts

After the children have been exposed to several fairy tales and their fractured counterparts, they should be introduced to the script. (See the next slide for scripts.) Since there are no pictures for the script the children should illustrate a part of the script and share their illustrations with each other. Since the script will need to be read multiple times, the children can vary their illustration and presentation techniques. Here are a few suggestions:•Whiteboards with markers and one to one sharing.•Markers on paper and a bulletin board.•Playdough sculptures and a whole class sharing time.

Fairy Tale Movie Scripts

In chronological order,

Martel, B. (2oo6). Big Ant and the Magic Piano. A fractured fairy tale involving characters from Strega Nona, by Tomie dePaola, and commercials based upon Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, by

Martel, B. (2oo7). The Three Little Ducks and the Big Bad Beaver. A fractured fairy tale based on The Three Little Pigs.

Martel, B. (2oo8), Billy Bob Creamcheese and the Seven Jars of Jam. A fractured fairy tale with elements from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

ELI (Early Literacy Intervention)

Three times a week one of the school’s reading specialists come in to our classroom. At this time we break into small flexible groups to work on literacy skills. ELI groups work in two ways:•Small groups rotate between 3 teacher activities that focus on specific literacy skills.•Small groups stay with one teacher and focus on reading a leveled story and doing a literacy based activity.

Many of the following activities are interwoven between whole class, individual, small group, and ELI groupings. This gives the children more and a variety of presentations of a single concept.

Group Skits

The children will act out the leveled books they read in their ELI groups. The teachers will guide the group through the process of selecting a book, picking out important characters, dialogue, and actions. When they are confident in their skit, they will perform them for the class.

Story Trees

Our story trees are essentially a 5 box flow chart. We build the story tree “from the ground up.” The children illustrate what goes in each box but have the option to write as well.

Life Experiences

Life ExperiencesLife ExperiencesLife Experiences

Where does the story happen?

How does the story begin?

Who is in the story?

What happens in the middle of the story?What’s the problem?

How does the story end?

Venn Diagrams

There are limitless number of Venn diagrams that can be done in conjunction with this curriculum. Here are several ideas that children can choose to compare with a Venn diagram:•Original and fractured fairy tales•Characters within and from different fairy tales•Their favorite fairy tale story/character with a friends•The illustrations•The “where’s”•Themselves to a character.

Three Daily Words

Everyday when the children arrive at school, they write three words of their choice to describe some pictures I have drawn on the board. After we read the movie script, I illustrate scenes from the movie and the children write three words that connect the illustration to the movie.

After they have written their words, they present and read the words to a teacher. The teacher then helps them revise their work with strategies like:•“Stretching” out the word to hear all of it’s sounds•Using the word wall to identify letter sounds they hear•Adding eraser spaces between words•Writing from left to right•Letter formation

Favorite Parts Bulletin Board

The children will pick their favorite part of any one of the fairy tales we’ve read (fractured or original) and write and illustrate it. Teachers will guide them in organizing their thoughts and revising their work to include:•The name of the fairy tale•Their favorite part•Why they like that part•An illustration or photocopy of book page.

Invitations to the Premieres

The teacher will share examples of previous year’s invitations noting the following components:•Need for invitation•Greeting•Purpose of invitation•Time and location of the movie•Appropriate illustration on coverThe class will then work together with the teacher controlling the computer to design the invitation to the premieres. Then the children will individually illustrate an appropriate cover for the invitation.

Who Do I Want to Be?

The children will pick a character from the movie that they think they will best portray. They need to present a rationale to the “director” when they audition for a part. The class discusses that some people are better suited for roles than others and that even though they might not get the role they want, everyone that wants a role will have one.

The children will learn and practice what is necessary of a quality actor/actress.•Following the director’s instructions and cues•Using a movie voice that the camera can “hear” •Remembering your lines/actions

How to Act

Auditions

The children are asked what part they think they would be best

for and why. If their rationale is valid, they are given an audition for the part. Auditions consist of repeating pieces of longer lines or shorter lines that the character will say in the movie in front of the camera. The children are given parts based upon several criteria:•Ability to act•Ability to say lines•Ability to follow director’s instructions•Their rationale for the part•Who is the best actor/actress for the role

(See the rubric on the next slide.)

Audition Rubric

Role

Rationale

Child Acting presence Stage Direction Lines Logical # reasons

besides desire

*Scores based 1-3 one being the first choice

Getting Into Character Once the roles have been assigned the children receive

copies of the important lines they will have in the movie to practice. At first they are read and practiced in ELI groups. When the children become more comfortable with the lines the children are encouraged to pretend to act them out in front of others. Then the lines are sent home with the children to practice for “only 5 minutes a day”.

Our third grade big buddies listen to the movie script with us. Then they help their little buddies to construct appropriate costumes and props for their characters. A number of materials are made available to build upon the paper grocery bag vests that are at the core of the costumes. (There has yet to be a kindergartener that did not fit in one, but two could be stapled or taped together to fit an adult.) We often have parent volunteers help out on these days too.

Costume Design and Construction

Movie Reviews

By the time our big buddies join us for the second premiere, the

kindergarteners have seen the movie twice. Our big buddies have been prepped by their teacher to help their little buddies write a review of the movie. The reviews consist of three things:•The name of the movie•At least one actor/actress and their role•Their favorite part.

Story Tree Personal Stories

The children use the story tree flow chart to write a story and

read it to the class. If there is interest the children can act it out at center time. If there is a motivated interest, their stories can be made into a short film. In order for the short film to be made the children must:•Write a story with the story tree•Have dedicated actors/actresses (children with costumes and/or memorized lines)•Signs that say titles and actors/actresses names.

ReflectionThe authoring cycle provides a simple way to link curriculum to the state

standards. Having recently gone to a professional development on 4mat, I was pleasantly surprised to see that model presented by Short and Burke was tied directly to the state standards and not a theory. I would echo these sentiments in reference to our status as a HOTS school as well. After using the authoring cycle for this unit, I feel much better about justifying such a time consuming project in my half day kindergarten.

The flexibility of being able to go back and forth, revisiting ideas and experiences, without adhering to a predetermined proceeding of events makes the authoring cycle a much more powerful tool than any other I have used in planning instruction.

I can speak from the experience that comes with having made movies with kindergarteners for four years and say, that even though this unit is clearly justified by the state frameworks, the smiles and inquiries that come from children all over the school about what movie we’re making this year in Mr. Martizzle’s class play a more personal role in justifying the extra time and commitment this unit requires. And when I sit back and think about it there is no single project as large or as in depth that we accomplish in kindergarten with as little difficulty. The motivation the children have to become movie stars is so powerful.

I plan to use this authoring cycle to develop more in depth units. Working through the cycle helps to organize thoughts and plan activities naturally. With so many options that flow so smoothly together it is possible for children to maintain a choice in the direction of their educational lives without missing any pieces.

Bibliography National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction (NIH Publication No. 00-4769). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Short, K. and Burke, C. (1991) Creating Curriculum. Heinemann Educational Books, Inc.: Portsmouth, NH.