Submitted by Connie Nelson, Tony Kienitz
Objectives:
Content:
Students will:
- read "Le Petit Poucet" in both English and French
- draw 3 conclusions from the French version and provide evidence for those conclusions on the Fairy Tale Anaylysis worksheet provided
- explore the relationship between the original fairy tales and modern-day versions
Cultural:
Students will:
- analyze the French version of the tale for evidence of cultural values/biases
Language: Content Obligatory
Students will:
- learn the key vocabulary that allows access into the text
- continue reviewing/learning the past tense structures used in narration in French "imparfait" and "passe compose"
Language: Content Compatible
Learning Strategies / Social and Skills Development:
Students will:
- practice reading skills and strategies
- practice analytical thinking skills: reasoning, evidence, conclusion
- work cooperatively in small groups
- prepare and present to the German class a short version of the tale (in French), and an analyis of cultural differences (in English).
Time Frame:
7 days
Materials Needed:
- copies of the text "Le Petit Poucet" transparencies
- Fairy Tale Analysis worksheet
- poster paper and marking pens for illustrating tale
- question guide worksheet for "Le Petit Poucet"
- "flashettes" for test preparation exam for "Le Petit Poucet"
Description of Assessment (Performance Project):
This lesson takes at least 7 days as presented. Teachers may choose all or only some of the activities included.
Students will read (in pairs) the Charles Perrault tale "Le Petit Poucet," a version of "Hansel and Gretel" that pre-dated publication of the more familiar Grimm story by about 100 years.
The teacher tells a simplified version in French of the modern tale "Hansel and Gretel" as a pre-reading activity in order to activiate prior knowledge, previously learned vocabulary and content and to present some of the essential vocabulary. The teacher leads students (preferably in French but depends on time and ability of students) in pulling out key elements of the tale so that only the essential structure is evident - character types, locations, magical elements - things that could be modified while still staying true to the classified tale type.
The teacher provides the following characteristics that differentiate a tale as particularly French (see "Peasants tell tales.." for more details). This will be especially helpful and illustrative during the discussion with the German class.
A French tale:
- villains are ogres, witches, but seem fairly ordinary (except perhaps for size)
- scenes have a somewhat domestic flavor - not especially fantastical
- the tone is one of humor, domesticity, not blaming
- the hero of the tale wins by being crafty, a trickster
- wishes to be granted are simple, ordinary, food, work to support oneselfBefore reading "Le Petit Poucet", students will look at the illustrations for clues, scan for familiar vocabulary and generate a list to share in discussion, skim the tale looking for key elements of the storyline: Who? Where? What happens?
Class discussion after this pre-reading exercise will generate a list of essential vocabulary.
Reading pairs will:
- read the tale
- create an idea/association web to identify characters, storyline elements of magic, moral messages
- analyze the original version of the fairy tale using the Fairy Tale Analysis Worksheet for class discussion.
- create a simple, illustrated version of the tale on poster paper that they will use to tell the tale to another reading pair(Note to teachers: We do not have defintive answers for this analysis. This is process, thinking, drawing out ideas and using the content for some interesting language learning. This is a good opportunity for more conversation with the Language Arts staff.)
The four students assigned to the previous activity will work together to complete the question sheet for class discussion. The same four students will prepare the "flashettes" (cardstock sheets with key elements from story as cues for oral and written re-telling and as preparation for short answer exam). These Groups of students will reconstruct the story in a simplified, possibly illustrated version to share with the class (transparencies, poster paper, props, pantomime).
Class will vote on favorite version and volunteers will refine it for presentation to the German class. Other students will present key elements of French tales and something of what they have found most interesting from our analysis of original text versus modern-day versions of fairy tales.
Assessment:
- Completion of idea/association web
- Completion of Fairy Tale Analysis Worksheet
- Completion of poster paper illustration and presentation of story to another reading group
- presentation of 2 paired reading groups to class
- Completion of "flashettes"
- look for illustrated explanation
Checklist:
__ 1. Three reasonable conclusions drawn from tale
__ 2. Two pieces of evidence for each conclusion
__ 3. Evidence of cultural influences/biases
__ 4. Analysis/understanding of historical context
References and Resources:
Darnton Perrault, Peasants tell tales excerpt from:
Darnton, R. (1985). The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History. New York, NY: Vintage Books.Original "Le Petit Poucet" tale by Charles Perrault http://www.multimania.com/ganymede/perrault/poucet.html (25k)
Attachments:
NOTE: some attachments are in PDF form (get Acrobat Reader)POUR ECRIRE UN CONTE, IL FAUT (Word doc)