Grades 9–12
NarrativeLessonsYour students will learn how to reconstruct classic tales through altering story elements, including: setting, point of view, and resolution.
Note to Educators: In this lesson, educators act as the head of a publishing house, giving students their next writing assignment. A planner, listing the deadlines for each step, is built-in to the letter. If you choose to complete this lesson with your students, we suggest you fill in these dates together as a class.
Dear Writers:
As your publisher, I have a new and exciting assignment for you. Our company has decided to take a new approach to children’s literature and we need your help. Fairy tales have been a literary staple for a very long time, but due to the change in popular reading recently, they have lost their appeal. That’s where you come in with your incredible writing skills. Your assignment is to choose an already published fairy tale and update it. The fairy tale can be from any civilization in the world, whichever fairy tale you choose is fine. Choosing the fairy tale is only the first part of the assignment. Once you choose which tale you want, you then have to decide
how to reconstruct it. You have three choices for reconstruction:
Setting: Change the location and time period of the fairy tale. Keep in mind that the basics of the story must remain the same, but changing the setting will change the way the characters speak and the clothes they wear as well as the world around them.
Perspective: Change who narrates the story. By changing the perspective from which the story is told, keep in mind that the basics of the story will still remain the same, but the manner in which the information is given will be altered a bit.
Resolution: Change the ending of the story. By changing the ending, you will have to alter some of the events slightly, but the general basics of the story should remain.
You will have time during the work day to spend on your assignment and there will be several deadlines that you must make sure to meet in order to have the finished product ready for publication on time.
Our publication date is __________ and the printing press is prepared to begin on that date so that the stories can be shipped to distributors. All stories must be submitted on that date or we will lose money in printing. In order to make the __________ publication deadline, I have set up a few smaller deadlines along the way to help you stay focused and on track. They are as follows:
Fairy Tale and Topic deadline: __________ (A form will be provided for you to list the fairy tale that you have chosen and which of the three choices you picked for the reconstruction)
First draft deadline: __________ (Your first draft should be written, typed, andsubmitted electronically to me by 5pm on this date)
Second draft deadline: ___________ (Your second draft should be typed and submittedelectronically to me by 5pm on this date)
Illustrations deadline: __________ (Your illustrations should be neat and colorful. They may be submitted either electronically or in a folder labeled with the name of the writer and illustrator. You have your choice of illustrator, but make sure that you meet with the illustrator early enough with a draft of your tale so they have time to prepare to meet this deadline)
Good luck and happy writing!
by Erin Ruane, 826 New Orleans
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by 826 National
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by Tony Weaver, Jr., educator and author of the graphic novel Weirdo, with inspiration from Cristeta Boarini, 826 MSP
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by Ryan Harty, 826michigan
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by Gem Carmella, Ministry of Stories and BBC History
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by Tony Weaver, Jr., educator and author of the graphic novel Weirdo
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Invite students to write about their personal experiences with social media and online platforms with this lesson from 826NYC.
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by KQED Education
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by Cristeta Boarini, 826 MSP
Students will identify something they have inherited from their families, conduct interviews, and write a narrative essay. This lesson is especially well suited for English Language Learners.
by Debra Mitchell, 826CHI
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by Ola Faleti, 826CHI, with an introduction by Amanda Gorman, Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of the U.S.
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by College Essay Guy and 826 National
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