What is a Fairy Tale?

Title of Unit What is a Fairy Tale? Grade 4th Level

Stage 1 Identify Desired Results

List the understandings of your unit: Content Standards: ELA4R1: The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts. For literary texts, the student identifies the characteristics of various genres and produces evidence of reading that: b. Identifies and analyzes the elements of plot, character, and setting in stories read, written, viewed, or performed.

Essential Questions
Overarching Questions: How are fairy tales different from other genres? Why are fairy tales important and should they teach us a lesson? What makes a fairy tale? Topical Questions: What is a genre? What is the difference between fiction and non-fiction? What is a story plot?

Stage 2 - Evidence Performance Task(s)

What is a genre? Students will classify pieces of literature as a certain genre and explain the reason they chose the genre. (Explain, Interpret and Apply facets) An Introduction to Fairy Tales Students will participate and act out Cinderella. Elements of the story will be discussed. Students will compare and contrast two different fairy tales. (Interpret, Apply, Perspective, Empathy facets) What Makes a Good Fairy? Students will chose a fairy tale to read and will respond to questions. They will be asked to create a collage which represents the way they envisioned the story as they read it. They will also be asked to rewrite the ending of their fairy tale and represent this change in their collage. (Explain, Interpret, Apply, Perspective, and SelfKnowledge facets)

Performance Task(s) Rubric(s)

Students will maintain a portfolio which will include their work for this unit. Questions will be presented throughout the unit and will be answered in the portfolio. All reflections, collage work, individual input and group contribution will be assessed at the end of the unit. The final grade will be based on the students completion of all the work (listed below), as well as evidence of critical thinking, creativity, and understanding of the concepts covered. Rubric for Fairy Tale Unit
Grading Criteria: Student includes all required elements of the assignment in his/her final project: Reflective question activities, comparison of two fairy tales, and final collage. Student demonstrates his or her knowledge of the themes within the fairy tale unit shown by the critical thinking and inferences included in the reflective questioning and formal assignments. Exceptional: Final portfolio includes all elements of the assignment, completed in a creative, successful, and timely manner. Student conveys his/ her knowledge of critical themes addressed throughout the unit. The reflective questions and formal assignments clearly demonstrate awareness of what is a genre, what is a fairy tale and what makes a good

fairy tale. Good: Final portfolio includes all but 1element of the assignment completed in a creative, successful, and timely manner. Student conveys his/her knowledge of critical themes addressed in most of the reflective questioning and formal assignments. The student grasps parallels between themes and understands what is a genre, what is a fairy tale and what makes a good fairy tale. Fair: Final portfolio includes all but 2 of the elements of the assignment. The final collage addressed did not illustrate a rewritten ending of the chosen fairy tale. Unacceptable: Final portfolio includes only one of the elements of the assignment. No demonstration of critical thinking is present.

Other Evidence
(e.g. tests, quizzes, work samples, observations)
1. Interactive quiz via the Promethean Board on elements of a story. Students will participate as a group. 2. Skill Check- Students will explain their reasoning for genre classification. 3. Venn Diagram Compare and contrast 2 fairy tales. 4. Work sample - Collage which represents students interpretation of their chosen fairy tale. 5. Work samples Students will keep a portfolio and answer questions which will be presented throughout the unit.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

1. Students will reflect on different genres and give 3 reasons why a particular genre is their favorite type to read. 2. Students will provide a reflective answer to the question What is a fairy tale? and What Makes a Fairy Tale Good? 3. Students will be asked to contrast two fairy tales which will be presented using a Venn Diagram.