Alena loves to engage her primary class in literacy skills by having them build dioramas. Building on lessons that teach how to construct a narrative, create dialogue and write a story, students create dioramas of their favourite fairy tales. Snow White, Rapunzel and the Three Little Pigs come to life as students discuss characters and recreate snapshots of the story they are learning how to tell. 

Grade 2 students paint and decorat shoeboxes to set the scene of their fairy tale and add characters built from corks, felt and wool.  Grade 3 students take this learning one step further and create their own fairy tales with a twist. Imaginations flourish and tales are created where Sleeping Beauty falls for an evil prince masked as prince charming.

Learning kinetically, Alena says, helps the students connect with the lesson more deeply and creates a greater understanding of how a story is constructed. This creative lesson is followed by learning about dialogue and an opportunity for the students to publish their stories in handmade books later in the year. This path, from concept to completion, teaches important skills needed to develop future proficient writers.

Published: 2019, updated 2023

Tags: Arts and music, Innovative approaches to teaching and learning, Integrated curriculum