Elementary Writing: Story Switcheroo provides a gentle and flexible framework to open children's minds to an examination of literature and to offer them age-appropriate opportunities to write. Class readings and activities plant the seeds of literary analysis and critical thinking by engaging in thoughtful appreciation of the elements at play in fairy tales. Young children partner with adults at home to experience a heightened enjoyment of literature that comes from pausing to reflect, examine, and play with ideas and words.
Children embody age-appropriate analysis with activities such as dressing up as a favorite character and ordering lunch in the manner that character would do it. Drawing pictures that dissect the setting. Role-playing while reimagining possible endings. Asking and allowing questions. Looking up words they don't know. Reading and rereading for comprehension and application of learned elements to their own writing.
Syllabus
Week One
Choose a variety of fairy tales to read as you uncover common patterns, plotlines, and literary devices. Activities include oral retelling, word play, and a treasure hunt for fairy tale themes.
Week Two
Dive deeper into the three main parts of a story: character, setting, and plot. Your children choose hands-on activities to bring character development and setting to life.
Week Three
This week students take these stories out of their original contexts and try out new story variations. Think twisted fairy tales!
Week Four
In our last week, children take knowledge of the essence of fairy tales as well as specific characters and events and use that know-how to create a portfolio-worthy story of their own.
Common Core and Academic Standards Support
What follows is a word bank and set of skills associated with this class. Use them to craft your own learning narrative for use in year-end evaluations, charter school reports, or any other accountability source.
Word Bank
- Character
- Memorization
- Narration
- Oral language
- Plot
- Recitation
- Self-expression
- Sequencing
- Setting
- Story arc
- Theme
- Transcription
- Vocabulary development
- Writing craft
- Written and visual narrative
Core Skills
- Analyze structure of text
- Cite textual evidence to support conclusions
- Compare and contrast story variants
- Determine central ideas and themes
- Identify key events
- Identify moral or lesson
- Identify patterns
- Identify point of view
- Identify protagonist and antagonist
- Interpret and retell in own voice
- Read diverse sources
- Study narrative arc: action, background, development, climax, resolution
- Summarize key supporting details
- Write detailed, organized, structured original narratives
