A folktale is a story that is passed down through generations by word of mouth. Storytellers recount folktales, adding their own personal touches to entertain listeners and to teach a moral, or lesson. Myths, tall tales, legends, fables, and fairy tales are all folktales.
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features folkloric fantasy characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments. A fairy tale is full of magic and usually contains magical numbers (3, 7) and a plot of good versus evil. Fairy Tales most always begin with: Once Upon a Time, or Long, Long Ago…
During this lesson, second grade students will learn about story structure and demonstrate comprehension of it by identifying beginnings, middles, and endings in familiar stories. They will also identify familiar sequence words such as: first, after that, then, next, and finally. Students will meet in small groups to read and identify the story structure and features discussed.
Students will be able to apply what they have learned about the structure of fairy tales using familiar plots, characters, plot devices, and elements from this genre when creating and writing their own stories.
Here is a list of classic fairy tales that you should recognize:
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Beauty and the Beast
- Cinderella
- Sleeping Beauty
- The Princess and the Pea
- Peter Pan
- Little Red Riding Hood
- Pinocchio
- The Three Pigs
Additional fairy tales RESOURCES:
