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Fairy Tale Wedding Lesson Plan

By Kathy Applebee

A variety of activities are included to prepare for and extend the Fairy Tale
Wedding Mystery. Choose those most suitable to your class or group. Additional
activities and assignments are included in the 40+ page activity packet for sale on
the Teacherspayteachers website. Four graphic organizers in a horizontal format
are also available on the site free of charge.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Game-Fairy-Tale-Wedding-
Mystery-Activity-Package

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:

such as plot, character, theme, mood, protagonist, antagonist, conflict

least one type well enough to perform.

Students will use the scientific method to solve the mystery of who kidnapped the
Prince

Standards
Literary Analysis
Analyzes the author’s use of a variety of techniques (e.g., appeal of characters,
logic and credibility of plots and setting, use of figurative language, and
emotional impact) to convey meaning.
Analyzes the purpose and effectiveness of the selection by evaluating author bias,
message, and underlying assumptions.
Analyzes the inferences and conclusions from fiction and non-fictional contexts,
events, characters, settings, and themes.
Literary Elements
Identifies significant literary devices (e.g., metaphor, symbolism, dialect, irony)
to understand the author’s meaning and perspective.
© 2011 Kathy Applebee More royalty free Christian Drama skits can be found at my Fools for Christ
website at foolsforchrist.net. Find interactive Bible games at http://guest.portaportal.com/applebeebible
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Identifies and explores the underlying assumptions of the author and describes
alternative points of view.
Identifies conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution of conflict in of a
variety of literary works.
Identifies the defining characteristics of classic literature and themes.
Describes how tone and meaning are conveyed in poetry and expository writing
through word choice, figurative language, sentence structure, line length, punctuation,
rhythm, repetition, and rhyme.
Literary Applications
Examines classic and contemporary literature of a variety of genre from various
cultures.
Analyzes how the use of significant literary devices (e.g., symbolism, dialect) affects
the meaning of the text and provides clues to the author’s perspective.
Analyzes personal perspective towards texts and the influence of society, culture, and
historical issues on the reader.
Explains how themes in literature are a reflection of human issues and experiences.
Writing Applications
Demonstrates competence in applying appropriate types of writing (e.g., descriptive,
narrative, expressive, expository, persuasive, and analytical) for the purpose and
audience:
The student writes and or performs a personal account that establishes a point of view
and sharpens focus, describes remembered responses, selects details, costume and
props that best illuminate the topic, and connects events to self and society.
The student compares, contrasts, and evaluates details, main ideas, themes, and actions
in response to something that has been read or viewed.

Introduction
Fairy tales plots feature vivid conflicts between good and evil, with magic and luck
determining the “living happily ever after” endings. Although they vary by region and
culture, some character types, imagery, themes and settings tend to be repeated. Many
have flexible settings known as “Once upon a time in a kingdom far away….”
Even the animals and sometimes inanimate objects in these stories take on human
emotions such as love, hate, courage, kindness, and cruelty. Conflicts range from man
vs. nature (the hero must

© 2011 Kathy Applebee More royalty free Christian Drama skits can be found at my Fools for Christ
website at foolsforchrist.net. Find interactive Bible games at http://guest.portaportal.com/applebeebible
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battle the elements) to save the damsel in distress to man vs. man (Snow White
vs. the Wicked Queen). Many incorporate tasks or quests, but unlike myths, the
characters rely on their own ingenuity, goodness, etc rather than divine
intervention to succeed.
They have influenced different forms of literature: plays, movies, and books and
provide a terrific springboard for comprehension of the structures of literature,
character, character development, compare/contrast and writing.
Whole Group Questions:
What is a fairy tale? What was your favorite when you were younger? Which is
your favorite now?
What are some distinguishing characteristics of fairy tales?
What kinds of plots, characters, and settings do we expect to find in these stories?
What makes each one unique or set apart?
Why do we find fairy tales in many cultures?
If you could step into a fairy tale and play any character, which would you
choose? Why?
“You will have the opportunity to play a fairy tale character who has been invited
to the wedding of Prince Charming and Cinderella. A kidnapping occurs on the
morning of the wedding and as characters in the story you will be both suspects
and investigators to determine what happened. Unlike a play with set lines, this
activity is interactive. You will have to know how your character will respond
and behave in any number of situations.
I will be assigning some characters; others will choose their own character, with
my approval. (Explain about assigned characters having more central roles) More
about this activity later.
We’ll be spending a few class periods researching our characters so we can play
them convincingly. What kinds of things will you need find out about your
character? Where can we find the answers? (Get suggestions).

Materials:
Internet and print access to fairy tales
Fairy Tale Wedding Mystery Activity
Costumes and props are optional
Some suggested resources are:

© 2011 Kathy Applebee More royalty free Christian Drama skits can be found at my Fools for Christ
website at foolsforchrist.net. Find interactive Bible games at http://guest.portaportal.com/applebeebible
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http://www.tooter4kids.com/classroom/FairyTaleUnit.htm#Fairy%20Tale%20Le
ssons (has many links to sites, lesson plans and activities)
Dr. D. L. Ashliman's Folklore and Mythology, available through Internet Public
Library.
James Thurber, “The Little Girl and the Wolf”
The European Folk Tale by Max Luthi (Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana
University Press, 1982)
Baba Yaga (Russia)
The Cinder Maid (reconstructed from various European sources by Joseph
Jacobs)
Rashin Coatie (Scotland)
Conkiajgharuna, the Little Rag Girl (Georgia)
Knight, Hilary. Cinderella. New York: Random House, 1978, 2001.
Pollock, Penny. The Turkey Girl. Boston: Little, Brown, c1996.
Steptoe, John, 1950. Mufaro'sBeautiful Daughters. New York: Lothrop, Lee &
Shepard Books, c1987.
Climo, Shirley. The Korean Cinderella. New York, NY: HarperCollins
Publishers, 1993.
Jack and the Beanstalk as told by Joseph Jacobs
Beneduce, Ann. Jack and the Beanstalk. New York: Philomel Books, c1999.
Walker, Richard. Jack and the Beanstalk, New York: Barefoot Books, c1999.

Suggestions for mixed ability groups:

Assign characters with premade dossiers to students with greater ability to
communicate information. Encourage ESL or those students who do not
communicate as readily to assume the roles of characters who would not speak
much (i.e.: a mouse from Cinderella who can’t speak).
Students without activity packet dossiers can make their own. Since other
characters are not allowed to see another person’s dossier, the teacher or aide can
come up with appropriate questions they might ask or additional directions for
using the scientific method that mainstream students are expected to generate on
their own.

Activity 1: Literary Elements

© 2011 Kathy Applebee More royalty free Christian Drama skits can be found at my Fools for Christ
website at foolsforchrist.net. Find interactive Bible games at http://guest.portaportal.com/applebeebible
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Brainstorm a list of character types (King, hero, damsel, etc.) that occur in fairy
tales. Students can keep a personal list on a graphic organizer, as a small group or
as a class place a chart where students can add categories of characters and then
individual post it notes with character and story names when they read about a
character that fits a “type”. Students can so the same thing with settings, plot,
themes and use of magic or any other element of plot you choose. A list of typical
elements is below.
Bad luck, impossible tasks, a villain who ultimately is overcome, magic, magical
helpers, danger, ill treatment of the protagonist, threes.

Activity 2: Research
Assign roles and have students research their characters. They begin with a KWL
chart to get started. They must use three or more different sources and fill out a
Triple Venn Diagram explaining differences and similarities of how that
character is represented. From that list of descriptors they will have “mandatory”
characteristics for their portrayal of the character (what is similar in most sources)
and “optional” characteristics.

Activity 3: Preparation
Find out if any students have done mystery party games or been to audience
interactive mysteries before. Have them share what happened and what they did
as well as what they might like to do differently this time. Explain how your
mystery activity will run and go over the rules included in the activity pack. See
activity pack for character dossiers, time line and describe if they will be
nominating others for Academy Awards, how that will be done. Complete all the
steps included in the activity pack time line and ask for questions.

Activity 5: Let the mystery begin!

Do the mystery activity as per directions in activity pack. This will take
approximately 1 to 2 hours depending on the maturity of your students, number
of students (more take longer) and the ease with which they apply the scientific
method to the clues included in the activity pack.

Activity 6: Debriefing
If this is being used as an interdisciplinary lesson plan with science as well as
English/drama/speech, go over the clues and explain how the mystery could have
been solved. Invite students who guessed correctly to share how they formed
© 2011 Kathy Applebee More royalty free Christian Drama skits can be found at my Fools for Christ
website at foolsforchrist.net. Find interactive Bible games at http://guest.portaportal.com/applebeebible
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their hypothesis and what they did to test them out. What made them revise their
hypothesis? How did using the scientific method of inquiry help? How much was
luck? If you were to participate in a real investigation of a kidnapping, how might
you or the authorities proceed differently?

Discuss the plot created during the activity. Have student volunteers use a
classroom chalkboard or smart board to create a timeline while others suggest
which interactions between the characters should be placed where on the time
line. Discuss the resolution. Who was surprised by the resolution and who saw it
coming?
Make a list of conflicts that occurred during the activity. Classify them as man vs.
man, man vs. nature, man vs. society, man vs. self.
Discuss character traits. Which characters has similar traits? Different? Did any
character have a unique trait? If you were to do the activity again as another
character which would you choose and why?
If the class were to film a video of the event and could have as lavish a set as
money could buy, what would they choose? (Extension activity for writing:
Choose one scene in which your character was involved and write a
description/instructions to set builders). How would the choice of set influence
the story?

Conclusion
A number of extension and enrichment activities are included in a separate packet
attached to the activity pack. They include RAFT writings, journal prompts,
graphic organizers and more. A couple RAFTS you might consider are:
R: The character you played
A: Another character at the activity
F: Letter/email/text message
T: Touching base after the wedding
R: The King/Prince Charming/Cinderella
A: The guilty character(s)
F: Wanted poster
T: Reward offered for their capture and arrest
Assessment: © 2011 Kathy Applebee

© 2011 Kathy Applebee More royalty free Christian Drama skits can be found at my Fools for Christ
website at foolsforchrist.net. Find interactive Bible games at http://guest.portaportal.com/applebeebible
 7

Formal assessment can include graded writings and a teacher generated quiz
based on the genre, literary terms and application of those terms to a real life
situation.
Informal assessment ideas include observation of participation, peer evaluation of
character portrayal and self-evaluation.

© 2011 Kathy Applebee More royalty free Christian Drama skits can be found at my Fools for Christ
website at foolsforchrist.net. Find interactive Bible games at http://guest.portaportal.com/applebeebible