Fairy Tales: Comparing Different Literary Texts

Figure 1 BookFlix

 

Unit Overview

This unit focuses on Fairy Tales, Compare and Contrast, and Pronouns.  You will be able to accomplish the following objectives by the end of this unit:

1.  I can use spelling patterns and rules to help me spell new words. L.3.2.F

2.  I can ask and answer questions to show that I understand the stories that I am reading. RL.3.1

3.  I can find the answers to specific questions within the stories that I read. RL.3.1

4.  I can remember and retell different kinds of stories from many cultures. RL.3.2

5.  I can compare and contrast stories written about the same or similar characters. RL.3.9

6.  I can write for short time frames or over a longer period of time, depending on my purpose, audience, and topic. W.3.10

7.  I can explain how pronouns work in different sentences. L.3.1.A

8.  I can make sure that all my pronouns and the nouns they refer to are correct in the sentences I say and write. L.3.1.F

 

Spelling List

swimming

having

started

swam

doing

joked

getting

ended

received

coming

happened

smiled

came

happening

smiling

 

Let's Practice

Click on Spelling Training to practice your spelling words. Add each of your spelling words to the list. Then, complete one of the activities below the list.

 

Vocabulary List

bog

A small swamp

mired

Stuck in the mud

Covered wagon

A large wagon with a canvas cover that settlers traveled in across the country

Root cellar

An underground room used to store food

settler

A person who traveled across the country in the 1800s to make a home in a new area

molasses

A dark, sweet, sticky syrup

commenced

began

lasso

A rope with a loop at the end used to catch a cow or horse

 

Above is your list of vocabulary words with their definitions.

Be sure to study and practice these words daily before you begin your reading lessons.

 

Let's Practice

Below is a Quizlet activity on your vocabulary words for the unit.  You should practice the Flashcard and Learn activities each day during the week of this unit.

 

 

 

 

Fairy Tales

A fairy tale is make-believe story that includes some magic. It often begins with the words "Once upon a time..." and ends with "...lived happily ever after."

Fairy tales are stories with good and evil characters; the good characters usually win.

See the source image

In the last unit, we learned what a fable is and the parts of this type of story.

So, how would a fairy tale compare to a fable? 

The majority of these stories began as folktales.  A folktale is:

·      An oral story

·      Author is unknown

·      Found in all cultures

·      "timeless" and "placeless" stories

Look below at the chart to compare a "Fairy Tale" and a "Fable."

Elements

Fairy Tale

"Once upon a time…"

Fable

very short stories

Characters

 

royalty

animals

animals act like people

Setting

 

castle

forest

generally outside somewhere

Problem

good versus evil

 

only one problem using trickery

 

Solution

 

lived happy ever after

 

ends with a moral (lesson)

 

 

Let's Practice

 

 

 

 

 

 

IXL Skill Check – Go to the Unit Resource tab on the left and click Determine the themes of myths, fables, and folktales to complete the skill.

 

Compare and Contrast

Authors often compare and contrast two things in their writing.

To compare is to show how two things are alike. When authors compare, they often use signal words such as like, same, both, also, and too.

To contrast is to show how two things are different. When authors contrast, they often use signal words such as different, only, and while.

When you compare and contrast characters, you think about how they are alike and how they are different. Look at each character's actions and dialogue. These can tell you how the characters feel and what they are like.

Let's Practice

 

 

 

 

IXL Skill Check – Go to the Unit Resource tab on the left and click Compare mythological illustrations to complete the skill.

 

Reading Log & Journal

Writing journals can be compelling to you as a student.  It helps you respond to your Read-Aloud and Oral Readings to gain further understanding.  You must write at least one journal per unit in this course based on one of your readings.  Click on the Unit Resource icon to the left of your screen to download the Reading Log & Journal template.  Also, you have an option to create your journal book for this course.

 

 

Reading

The above two stories will be used for your Read Aloud and Oral Reading activities. 

 

Read-Aloud

Your read-aloud is a fiction story called "Swamp Angel."

This is an original story told in the American frontier tradition of tall tales. The Swamp Angel of the title is Angelica Longrider, who was born scarcely taller than her mother and didn't build her first log cabin until she was a full two years old. Swamp Angel tracks down and fights Thundering Tarnation, a huge bear with a bottomless appetite, in the tallest tale of all. Swamp Angel's victory comes only after she lassos the bear with a tornado and fights him all night in her sleep.

As you read/listen to the story, look for examples of exaggeration. Exaggeration means describing something and making it more than it is. An example of exaggeration would be: "I was walking, when suddenly this enormous dog came along. It was as big as an elephant". The dog may have been big, but it was certainly not as big as that. Another example of exaggeration would be: "I caught a fish as big as my house."

 

Click the image below to begin your read-aloud activity.

 

Did you hear the new vocabulary words? Did it help you to know what those words meant before you watched the video?

Did you find any examples of exaggeration in this story?

 

Let's Practice

 

 

 

 

 Oral Reading

Your oral reading is a nonfiction text called "A Home in the Swamp." This text introduces readers to the climate, habitats, animals, and plants in a swamp.

This text is nonfiction. Nonfiction tells about things that happen in real life. A nonfiction book contains facts about a subject. The story "Swamp Angel" is fiction. Fiction tells about things that are imaginary or make-believe.

Click the image below to begin your oral reading activity.

Let's Practice

 

 

 

 


Pronouns

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. I, you, he, she, we, they, me, him, her, it, us, and them are examples of pronouns.

The video below will provide examples of instances in a sentence where proper nouns can be replaced with pronouns.

 

Let's Practice

 

 

 

IXL Skill Check – Go to the Unit Resource tab on the left and click Identify personal pronouns to complete the skill.

 

Cursive Handwriting

A dinosaur bone looks like this:





As you can see, the word bone begins with the cursive, lowercase letter "b."

Look at the animated cursive, lowercase letter "b" below. Notice that it begins with an undercurve stroke.



Let's practice writing the undercurve stroke.  Click on the Unit Resource icon to the left of your screen to practice the Undercurve Stroke.

Now, you will practice the cursive, lowercase "b" and join it to other letters.  Pay close attention to the check stroke to undercurve joining. Click on the Unit Resource icon to the left of your screen to practice the Lowercase "b".

Next, take a look at the animated cursive, lowercase letter "i."  Notice that it begins with an undercurve stroke.

Next, let's practice the cursive letter "i."  Pay close attention to the joining of "i" and other letters.  Notice that the ending stroke of "i" begins the second letter.  Click on the Unit Resource icon to the left of your screen to practice the Cursive letter "i".