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High School Grade  Project 9 weeks

Fairy Legends: Tales of the Tall Tale

Kaitlin R
Updated
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.7
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.3
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3
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Purpose

This project will immerse students in the art of storytelling, focusing on distinguishing and creating fairy tales, legends, and tall tales. Through collaborative exploration and creative production, students will enrich their understanding of narrative structures while honing critical communication and analytical skills. Engaging with diverse narratives, alongside community resources like the library, facilitates a deeper cultural appreciation and self-awareness. By the project's conclusion, students will not only have produced compelling stories but will have also enhanced their capacity for self-directed learning and reflection.

Learning goals

Students will develop the ability to analyze and differentiate between the narrative structures and cultural significance of fairy tales, legends, and tall tales. They will hone their storytelling and writing skills by crafting original examples of each type, incorporating elements such as transformation, exaggeration, and moral lessons. Through collaboration and peer feedback, students will engage in an iterative editing process and demonstrate critical thinking by comparing diverse accounts across media. Finally, they will enhance their communication skills by presenting their work, reflecting on their learning journey, and participating in an exhibition of the compiled stories.

Standards
  • [Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.7 - Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
  • [Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.6 - Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.
  • [Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.3 - Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
  • [Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.6 - Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
  • [Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
  • [Common Core] CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.7 - Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
Competencies
  • Effective Communication - Students practice listening to understand, communicating with empathy, and share their learning through exhibiting, presenting and reflecting on their work.
  • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Students consider a variety of innovative approaches to address and understand complex questions that are authentic and important to their communities.
  • Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.
  • Self Directed Learning - Students use teacher and peer feedback and self-reflection to monitor and direct their own learning while building self knowledge both in and out of the classroom.
  • Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.
  • Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.

Products

Students will create a compilation of original fairy tales, tall tales, and legends, each demonstrating their understanding of narrative structures and storytelling nuances. Throughout the project, students will engage in a recursive editing process, allowing them to refine their stories based on peer and teacher feedback. The culminating product will be an exhibition of their stories, which will be shared with the community and potentially included in a digital or printed anthology. This process will not only highlight their growth but also their collaborative and communicative skills, as they will present their works publicly and reflect on their learning journey.

Launch

Kick off the project by immersing students in a multimedia exploration of fairy tales, tall tales, and legends. Use storytelling sessions with recordings, short video adaptations, and read-alouds from the library to illustrate key characteristics, settings, and the storytelling devices unique to each genre. Facilitate a class discussion where students identify themes of transformation, exaggeration, and moral lessons, sparking curiosity and setting the stage for their narrative creations.

Exhibition

Host a "Storytelling Showcase" event where students present their compiled fairy tales, legends, and tall tales to an audience of peers, teachers, and community members. Set up interactive storytelling booths or stations where attendees can engage with the stories through audio recordings, live readings, and multimedia presentations. Include a panel discussion where students reflect on the creative process, the challenges faced, and the insights gained into narrative structures, followed by a Q&A session.