This is an activity from Barefoot Computing. You can adapt it for any Fairy Tale.Read a story to the students then ask them to choose one character.
They write an algorithm for their buddy to follow. The end result should be the character they choose.
It doesn't need to be a character - you could simplify the activity by choosing anything from the story - maybe the oldest pigs house foe example.
Read your chosen fairy tale. Discuss the story and highlight the parts of the story you want the students to focus on.
Challenge the students to create a structure from the story and record the algorithm for reconstruction by a buddy.
They could use lego, blocks, cardboard, paper, pipe cleaners - whatever materials you want. 😊
They might create a slide for Rapunzel to escape from the tower or a bed for baby Bear. It could be a house for the little pigs or it could be a bridge for the Billy Goats Gruff.
Encourage students to reflect on their algorithm. Could their buddy follow their instructions and complete the task successfully?
Did they use their abstraction skills and think about what was important to include and what wasn't?
Did they use their decomposition skills and break the task down into parts? Did the build one part before another for a reason?
Taking any story and breaking it down into it's parts is asking the students to use their decomposition skills.
They are also using their abstraction skills - deciding what is important to include and what is not.
Rather than using the koala - use a character from a fairytale.
Decide what the different options might be for each category together as a class. What is important for that character and what is not.
Or you could place the student in the middle. The categories might be types of fairy tales, exciting, animals, queens...whatever you want. The student colour themselves to show what is their favourite from each category.