Minds On
Tell the tale
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
Frozen, Maleficent, and Shrek are some modern fairy tales. What do you like about these stories, or any other fairy tales? Try to think of what makes these stories a fairy tale? How are fairy tales different than other fictional stories?
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Action
What is a fairy tale?
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
With a partner, or independently, analyze the modern fairy tales mentioned in the Minds On section and determine if you can identify any stereotypes in those fairy tales stories. Research the word “classic” to find its origin, root word(s), and synonyms. Explore the images of the following classic fairy tales.
Cinderella with the pumpkin coach, ballgown dress, and mice helpers.
Rapunzel in the tower waving at the prince, who is on a horse.
The three little pigs in a straw house.
Snow White accepting a poisoned apple from the witch.
Little Red Riding Hood walking in the woods. The wolf is hiding behind a tree.
Pick one classic fairy tale to read, explore, or listen to. As you familiarize yourself with a classic fairy tale, find at least one stereotype (one or more) and the moral lesson in the classic fairy tale. Record the stereotype(s) in the story in the classic the fairy tale and summarize the story. How are they similar to the stories shown in the Minds On section?
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Types of tales
There are three kinds of tales: folk tale, fairy tale, tall tale.
Folk tale
A folk tale is a story with a moral lesson. Research the word “moral” to find its word origin, root word(s), related words and synonyms.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a special kind of folk tale with a magical element and a “good” character who defeats the “bad” or “evil” character.
Tall tale
A tall tale is slightly more realistic story but exaggerated and stretched to the point that it’s unbelievable. The heroes or heroines in a tall tale are “larger than life.” Research the idiom “larger than life.” For example, a tall tale might be that the “5-year-old boy and girl swam for two hours across the lake to go to school every day.”
All three tales are stories told in third person narrative. Folk tales and fairy tales often start with “Once upon a time….” Classic tales are old and have been passed on and shared for many generations. Research the word “generation” to find its word origin, root word(s), related words and synonyms.
Elements of a tale
Use the following checklist to identify the elements of a tale:
Elements of a Tale Checklist
If it’s a fairy tale, does it have:
If it’s a tall tale, does it have:
Choosing to tell your tale
Choose a classic or modern folk or fairy tale or a tall tale that has a stereotype. Decide how you are going to reimagine the tale by removing the stereotype. You can also change the moral lesson by replacing it with your own moral lesson.
Complete the Story Map in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document to organize the retelling of the folk or fairy tale.
Press the
‘Activity’ button to access the Story Map. Activity(Open PDF in a new window)
Write the first draft of your tale!
Write the first draft of your tale (paper, journal, electronic voice-to-text, or audio record). If you are a visual learner, consider using a storyboard before you write your first draft. Use familiar spelling strategies (prefixes, root words, related words) and anchor chart words. Leave checking spelling using spelling resources (dictionaries) for the revision stage.
Include some literary devices
Consider using some literary devices such as adverbs, comparative adjectives, idioms, alliteration to communicate a mood in your tale.
For example: clear, sharp, foggy, hazy, funny, serious, frozen, sad, heart-wrenching, loving, joyful.
Use link words
You can also use link words to adjust and improve the flow of your story writing.
Examples of linking words include: since, through, until, because, so, if
Mini-Module
This section is for you to review as needed. Exploring the videos and practicing this work is for you to complete only if you need or would like to.
What is alliteration?
Alliteration is when you choose words with a repeating letter sound such as “ tell the tall tale tomorrow Tuesday this time.”
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
With a partner, if possible, try to grow the following phrases with alliteration:
- ‘farm frog freddie’
- ‘marching men’
- ‘rapidly rowers’
- ‘singing swallows’
- ‘crystal clear’
The letters shared by each word that is part of the alliteration are the same and produce the same sound.
Think of a phrase with a couple of words to grow using alliteration. While you’re writing your tale, ask a friend or a family member to help you come up with words to add using alliteration in your tale.
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Spelling strategies
Do your best to spelling familiar and unfamiliar words using spelling strategies (root words, letter blends, similarly spelled word). Explore the following Homework Zone video on spelling strategy tips entitled “Spelling Practice” for more help with this.
Note: check your spelling in the revision phase
- Chapters
- descriptions off, selected
- captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
- captions off, selected
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
End of dialog window.
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
Adjectives
What are adjectives?
First, let’s review adjectives. You’ll notice how adjectives qualify something, that something is a noun.
Explore the following video to review your knowledge of adjectives.
- Chapters
- descriptions off, selected
- captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
- captions off, selected
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
End of dialog window.
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
Comparative adjectives
Add an ‘-er’ or ‘-est’
We take certain adjectives and add endings like -er to turn the word fast into faster or fast est. In these cases, the er and est ending characterizes the comparative adjective. With some words we have to drop their y endings and add -ier or -iest. For example, cuddl y becomes cuddlier or cuddliest.
We can also include using the comparative word “than.”
The rabbit is faster than the turtle.
Drop the ‘y’ and replace with ‘-ier’ or ‘-iest’
In the following cases, you would drop the ‘y’ and replace it with an ‘-ier’ or ‘-iest’ ending
- Weather conditions:
- Windy, stormy, rainy, cloudy, foggy, snowy, chilly
- Cleanliness:
- Smelly, dirty, messy, tidy
- Size:
- Tiny
- Surface textures:
- Shiny
- Feelings:
- Happy, angry, crazy, witty, cuddly, silly
- Descriptors of food flavour:
- Spicy, salty, sugary, savoury
When words like “or” are used to compare adjectives
Some adjectives don’t follow the “-y,” “-er,” or “-est” rule and require qualifier words like “or.”
- Weather conditions:
- Humid or dry
- Size:
- Small or big or large or medium
- Thick or thin
- Short or tall
- Wide or narrow
- Speed:
- Fast or quick or slow
- Surface textures:
- Sharp or dull or brittle
- Personality:
- Mean or kind
- Responsible or irresponsible
- Descriptors of food flavour:
- Bland or flavourful or sour
- Colour:
- Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, black, white… magenta!
When words don’t follow either rule…
In some cases, words don’t follow either of the rules that you’ve examined so far.
For example, the adjective “good” doesn’t get turned into “gooder” or “more good.” Instead, we use the word “better.” Same with “bad,” which doesn’t get turned into “badder” or “more bad.” Instead, we use the word “worse.”
These are some words that are examples that don’t follow the rules explained:
Good, bad, joy, excitement, excite, depressed, anxious, bored, articulate, concise,
ridiculous, generous, delicious, attentive, patient, impatient, unusual sour,
responsible/irresponsible, dedicated, motivated.
How do we know which words follow which rules? We familiarize ourselves simply by reading good writing, and often.
Comparative adjectives word work exercise
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
Practice changing the following sentences to include a comparative adjective to grow the sentence to give more description and detail.
- The student ran fast.
- The neighbour gave out party bags out for halloween.
- The sibling saved the last cookie for their sister.
- The dog sat wagging their tail.
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Review adverbs
Now, we’ll take some time review adverbs.
Examine the following two Homework Zone videos to better understand adverbs, as well as understanding the difference between adverbs and adjectives.
- Chapters
- descriptions off, selected
- captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
- captions off, selected
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
End of dialog window.
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
- Chapters
- descriptions off, selected
- captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
- captions off, selected
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
End of dialog window.
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
Make up 5 to 10 simple basic sentence to change into a new sentence to include adjectives and/or adverbs.
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Review and revise your tale
Write your final draft.
Edit to revise for content, using the Elements of a Tale Checklist from the Action section. Review how you can use adverbs, adjectives, or comparative adjectives, an idiom, synonyms, to help you create a mood and to tell your tale better (make it more interesting for the reader/listener). Conference with an adult.
Edit for language conventions. Make sure your tale is written in past tense and in third person narrative. Follow the language conventions success criteria for punctuation, grammar and spelling, provided to you.
Publishing: Polishing your final draft
Consider what you learned in the mini-module to help you polish your draft.
Consolidation
Time to create your own original tale!
Create your own original tale (fairy, folk or tall tale)!
Step 1:
Follow the story writing process
- Brainstorming
- Story map
- Compose a draft guided by the Elements of the Tale checklist
- Revision: Peer editing and teacher conference. Refer to the Tale checklist again.
- Conference with your teacher.
- Final draft
- Publish
Step 2:
Choose one art form to express your tale: Visual Arts (storyboard), Drama (tableau or script), Dance (choreograph a dance to tell your tale), an audio reading and/or Music (compose a tune to go along with your tale).
Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.
Learning goals
We are learning to…
- write complex texts in different forms
- generate ideas about a potential topic using a variety resources
- use sentences of different lengths and structures
Success criteria
I am able to…
- create an original tale following the features of a tale
- reimagine an already existing fairy tale without stereotypes
- use linking words to create more complex sentences