Overview of Unit:

In this unit, teachers will once again work with children to help them become better fiction writers. Over the course of this 3 topic unit, students will write two fairy tale adaptations and one original fairy tale. This unit will push students to use a strong storyteller’s voice, write with a story arc, create the world of a story, and bring characters to life. Teachers will emphasize the importance of clear event sequence, and language that signals event order. Students will also be pushed toward 4th grade standards by helping them name some of the ways authors use words with alliteration and sensory language to create effects. Through the multiple writing cycles of this unit, students will have ample time to practice these writing lessons.

In Bend One: Students will choose to adapt either “Little Red Riding Hood” or “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”. At the start of the unit, children will take time to study the storyline and qualities of fairy tale writing. They will plan their adaptations, thinking about which parts of the original tale they’ll adapt. Students will learn to make significant changes that alter the course of the tale. As a way to bring their stories to life, students will spend time rehearsing their adapted versions with partners. You will teach them that fairy tales are written as a collection of scenes and that a narrator can function as way to stitch scenes together.

In Bend Two: Students will write their second adaptation. This time choosing from any fairy tale they wish. The theme of this bend is independence and transference. Children will use the anchor charts from the first bend to help them make writing plans for what they plan on trying in their second adaptation. During this unit you will guide students to notice the importance of a balance of dialogue, action, and narration. Early on, students will use the narrative checklist to self-assess their writing and make goals. The revisions lessons of this topic will help students revise their fairy tale with a focus on the power of using comparisons in their writing, including simile and metaphor. Also, children will revise for the use of alliteration and other memorable word choice.

In Bend Three: Students to write original fairy tales, applying all they’ve learned from the first two topics. This topic is fast-paced and rigorous. You will begin by teaching students to draw from the qualities of good stories--a character with traits and wants who encounters trouble, and then the trouble gets resolved. Students will spend time generating possible story ideas. They will soon begin drafting and revising their original fairy tale being sure to lift the level of their revisions. You will teach students how to be intentional with the details of their story--introducing readers to objects important to the character and magic that is connected to the heart of the story. Students will also learn the importance of revising their fairy tale for punctuation intended to support the reader. Finally, students share their fairy tales with a younger audience.