Fairies are magical, mythical creatures that appear in stories of faraway lands. They are a staple of children’s literature, with popular examples such as Rapunzel, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rumpelstiltskin. When teaching students about fairy tales, you can use this quiz to help them learn more about the genre and its elements. The quiz covers the main characteristics of fairy tales, including an imaginary setting, magical characters and a happy ending.
Ask your students to choose a fairy tale and decide what kind of setting it should be set in. This is a good time to remind students that fairy tales usually take place in distant, make-believe lands and feature magical beings like dragons or fairies. The setting can influence the mood of a story, as a dark forest is more suited for a gloomy tale than a lavish palace.
Guide your students to think about the main character of their fairy tale and what adversity they might be facing. This will help them build the backstory of their tale and create a character that is well-rounded and interesting to read about. It is also a good idea to have your students pick a moral that they would like their fairy tale to teach, as this will impact the way they develop their characters and their plot.
Once your students have selected a setting and a character, they can start writing the story itself. To begin, have them write the opening sentence of their fairy tale, which is typically, “Once upon a time, there was a…”
Then they can describe the setting and character in detail, along with any adversity that they are facing. Finally, they should include a happy ending, which will bring everything together and leave the readers feeling satisfied with the story.
If your students are struggling with writing the first few paragraphs of their fairy tale, you can help them by giving them prompts to help inspire them. For example, you can tell them to think about their favorite animal and what kind of environment it lives in, such as a dolphin that loves to swim or a raccoon that enjoys living in the woods at night.
Another great prompt is to have them list the magic elements that they want to include in their fairy tale. This can be a magical weapon, an object of enchantment or something that brings a sense of wonder to the reader. It’s important to remember that fairy tales are magical, and their supernatural element helps to facilitate the story’s action, almost like another character.
Once your students have finished their fairy tales, they can share them with the class. You can then ask them what they like about their creations and how they compare to some of the classic fairy tales that they are familiar with. You can also encourage them to compare their fairy tales to modern day fairy tales, such as Harry Potter or Shrek, and discuss how these modern versions differ from the classic fairy tales.
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