Lesson Plans

These sample lesson plans incorporate a variety of reading and writing activities.

Adding optional activities may require additional class time or class periods.

Reading Cinderella Stories

Day 1 – Learning About Story Elements

• Introduce the genre of fairy tales.
• Read "Cinderella, or the Glass Slipper" aloud. Explain that the Cinderella story has been retold many times; therefore, many versions exist.
• Let students explore Elements of a Story on the Annenberg Learning website. Ask them to take notes.
• Creative Twist: Have students sit in circles of eight or more. Have the first student read "Blissful Buffy" to the neighbor to his/her left. That student then whispers a retelling of the story to the person to his/her left. When the story makes it all the way around the circle, that student retells the story aloud. Finally, the first student reads the original story aloud. Students discuss similarities and differences between the stories - as well as how folklore changed through retellings.
• Materials - Introducing Fairy Tales, "Cinderella, or the Glass Slipper," "Blissful Buffy"

Day 2 – Exploring the Story Arc and Summarizing

• Discuss similarities and differences of "Cinderella, or the Glass Slipper" and the retelling of the story on the Annenberg Learning website.
• Review elements of a story.
• Watch Summarizing and the Story Arc.
• Map and summarize "Cinderella, or the Glass Slipper" together.
• Optional: Ask students to analyze the story for elements of fairy tales.
• Creative Twist: Cinderella's Carriage - Ask, "What if Cinderella weren't a country girl?" Ask each student to draw and/or describe the carriage, horses, coachman, and footmen for a different Cinderella story.
• Materials - "Cinderella, or the Glass Slipper," summarizing worksheets, elements of fairy tales worksheet, Cinderella's Carriage

Day 3 - Summarizing

• Ask students to read, map, and summarize "The Talking Eggs."
• Creative Twist: Before they map and summarize, let students construct the Cinderella story element cube. They may then roll it and name the elements.
• Materials - "The Talking Eggs," summarizing worksheets, story elements cube

Day 4 - Finding a Theme

• Ask students to identify ways actions of characters in "The Talking Eggs" affected the outcome. If desired, ask students to express and explain the theme in a paragraph.
• Materials - "The Talking Eggs," theme worksheets

Day 5 - Analyzing Characters

• Ask students to determine which characters are good and which are evil in "The Talking Eggs." Record on analyzing characters grid.
• Creative Twist: Have students complete a Facebook-like social media post for one or more characters.
• Materials - "The Talking Eggs," analyzing characters worksheet, social media activity

*You may continue practicing finding theme and/or summarizing with "Katie Woodencloak." Note: This traditional Cinderella story contains some violence.

Day 6 – Learning About Parody

• Read "Daisy Della" aloud. Explain that parodies are often-humorous imitations of stories. Use the folklore and parody posters to illustrate the differences.
• Compare and contrast the two stories on the Venn diagram.
• Have students complete the parody or folklore worksheet.
• Materials - "Cinderella, or the Glass Slipper," "Daisy Della," parody and folklore posters, Venn diagram, parody or folklore worksheet

Writing Cinderella Stories

Day 7 – Choosing a Cinderella Parody Topic

• Optional: Read a Cinderella picture book aloud; analyze elements on table.
• Choose a motif; look at sample planning page.
• Materials - Cinderella picture book and story analysis grid (optional); choosing a motif organizer, sample planning page

Day 8 – Planning a Cinderella Parody

• Optional: Read a Cinderella picture book aloud; analyze elements on table.
• Plan parody.
• Materials - Cinderella picture book and story analysis grid (optional); planning page

Day 9 – Review Writing Dialogue

• Optional: Read a Cinderella picture book aloud; analyze elements on table.
• Review writing dialogue. Practice. Plan dialogue for story.
• Materials - Cinderella picture book and story analysis grid (optional); writing dialogue pages

Day 10 - Review Word Choice

• Optional: Read a Cinderella picture book aloud; analyze elements on table.
• Review word choice. Plan concrete, sensory, and transitional words for story.
• Materials - Cinderella picture book and story analysis grid (optional); word choice pages

Days 11-12 - Drafting

• Optional: Read a Cinderella picture book aloud; analyze elements on table.
• Draft Cinderella parodies. (With elaboration, this may take longer.)
• Materials - Cinderella picture book and story analysis grid (optional); pencil/paper or word processor

Day 13 – Revising and Editing the Cinderella Parody

• Optional: Read a Cinderella picture book aloud; analyze elements on table.
• Use the editing checklist to revise stories.
• Materials - Cinderella picture book and story analysis grid (optional); editing checklist

Days 14-15 – Publishing the Cinderella Parody

• Publish stories in whatever format you wish.
• Materials - rubric

Optional Activities

• Ask students to rewrite one of the stories from a different character's perspective.
• Compare and contrast Cinderella stories.
• List, compare, or analyze Cinderella stories from around the world.