Once Upon a Time…

Presented by:Sandi Schwartz

and Charlene Turnipseed

Steps to prepare for the unit:

Contacted school librarian to have her pull resources and discuss having her participate by presenting a lesson on fairy tales to go along with our unit

Met with other teachers to gather resources: ideas, books, technology, etc.

Made a list of common themes and things fairy tales share

Common ThemesGood overcomes evilUnselfish loveIntelligence is better than physical strengthJustice triumphsKindness is rewardedUnacceptable behavior gets its reward

Things fairy tales shareOnce upon a timeMagicRoyaltyStruggle between good and evilProblemEvil charactersMain characters get fooledA lesson is learnedTask that is rewardedHappy ending

Contacting the TI

Discussed having us work together. We figured out what technologies could be used for this unit and how we could incorporate Skype

Brainstormed the possibilities of what activities we could have the students participate in

Introducing and implementing the Fairy Tale Unit using Technology:

Using a RAN Chart, students recorded on a sticky note what they think they know about fairy tales

Earlier in the year, we read the Gingerbread Man and several other versions. We did the same during our Texas unit with fairy tales. I reminded the students of these fairy tales and had them think about what these stories had in common. The students then, recorded things we were sure fairy tales shared and added to our “yes” list on our RAN Chart.

Working with the School Librarian

The librarian read Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Silly Billy’s using a document camera. Students compared the two stories using a double bubble chart with both the librarian and me.

Upon returning to class, we discussed the common themes and what the two fairy tales shared and added new facts to our RAN Chart. During Literacy Stations, the students created Double Bubbles using Kidspiration to compare the two stories.

Implementing Technology Several fairy tales were read to the class so they could become more familiar with the common things fairy tales share. We discussed elements of a story, compared and contrasted using double bubble thinking maps, discussed cause and effect, sequencing events, and learned about fractured fairy tales.

We created each of these activities using the document camera and computer. Students helped type in the information into the computer and recorded information using the document camera. These activities were completed whole group, through mini-lessons, and individually to prepare students for Cinderella.

Pre-Assessment

To introduce Cinderella, I had students complete a pre-assessment to find out how much they know about this particular fairy tale. Students completed them both at their seats and on the computer.

Using the Document Camera

Cinderella was read to the students. We recorded the elements of the story on our story chart.

Blooms taxonomy questions were asked for higher level thinking. Students took turns recording answers.

Students created fairy tale books during literacy work stations.

Flip Camera

A mini-lesson on fractured fairy tales was presented to the kids. Several versions of Cinderella were read. As a class, we completed a double bubble chart comparing two versions of the story. For independent work, the students created their own fractured fairy tale. From these fractured fairy tales, we created a vodcast using flip, which we shared with our parents on the day of our Kindergarten Graduation.

The Computer Lab

We visited the computer lab several times during this unit. Using Kidspiration, the students completed thinking maps to reflect what they learned about the fairy tale Cinderella. This was the students post assessment.

The students were already familiar with Kidspiration from other previous units of study that Sandi and I worked together on.

Reader’s Theater

The students participated in a Reader’s Theater called The Storybook Friends to finish up our unit on fairy tales. They worked in pairs to create their own props based on their parts. Before we participated in a Skype activity with Sandi, we performed for another class and recorded our parts using flip to create a vodcast for practice. When the students were ready, we planned a day to Skype with our fairy godmother and share our Reader’s Theater!

This unit and several others, allowed students to become familiar with several types of technology we use in daily life!

Technology used during this unit: document camera, digital and flip

camera, iPhone, Skype, computers in classroom and lab to access Kidspiration