Using Folktales in Literature

Using Folktales in Literature
Aja Peltomaa
Second Grade/Language Arts
Common Core Standards:

Key Ideas and Details
RL.2.1. Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text.
RL.2.2. Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central
message, lesson, or moral.
Craft and Structure
RL.2.6. Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
R.L.2.7. Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate
understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
Lesson Summary:
In this lesson we will start off by reading a popular folktale, such as Cinderella. We will then open up for
discussion to the students to discuss the who, what, where, when, why and how of the story. Then we will
discuss further about the main idea of the story and what details help support the main idea. We will fill out the
worksheets together (the same worksheets that the students will fill out in their small group) so that they feel
comfortable with what the worksheet is asking of them. Then the students will be broken up into groups of 4
and will have their own folktale to read and dissect. They will get a QR code to direct them to the story, which
will be Little Red Riding Hood. Then they will have two worksheets to complete to dissect what the main idea
and details are, and the other worksheet will help the students write out the who, what, where, when, why and
how of the story. This will help the students to write out their thoughts, and in their groups, they can bounce
ideas off of one another to come up with what they think is actually going on in the story.
Estimated Duration:
This lesson might take up to 1 hour and 40 minutes. I want to be able to give my students enough time to take
their time to really dissect Cinderella as a whole class and Little Red Riding Hood in their small groups. I
dont want them to feel rushed. To help them with this, I think we will do the group time in talking about
Cinderella on one day and then we will break up into small groups the next day. With this, we will do 50
minutes the first day and 50 minutes the second day.
Commentary:
In this lesson I will hook my students by asking them if they remember the story Cinderella from when they
were younger. I will ask them what they remember about the story then have that lead into the actual story
reading. I anticipate it could be difficult to keep the students engaged in dissecting the story. I will want to try
and be interactive with them and have them talking as much as possible so that they feel like they are doing all
of the work. My goal is to just be their scribe and they tell me what the main idea is, the who, what, where,
when, why and how, and the details of the story.
Instructional Procedures:
Day 1:
First 5 minutes: Talk about what we remember about Cinderella from when we were younger. Bounce around
ideas of what the main storyline is about and who the characters are. Students will raise their hands if they
have ideas to share and I will call on them one at a time.
10 minutes: I, as the teacher, will read Cinderella aloud to the class as they sit quietly listening to the story to
refresh their memories of the storyline and details.
15 minutes: In this chunk of time I will ask what everyone thinks the main idea of the story is and what the
moral is. I will ask for hands if students want to share their thoughts and I will call on them one at a time. I will
then use the interactive smartboard, with the main idea worksheet up, to write out what the main idea of
Cinderella is. Then we will discuss, in a similar fashion, what we think the details are that support the main
idea. Then I will use the smartboard to write out our thoughts on what the details are that support this.
20 minutes: Then I will pull up the worksheet that discusses the who, what, where, when, why and how of the
story. I will ask for students to raise their hands if they think they know these components in how they align
with the story. Then I will write down their thoughts on the smartboard on the worksheet. We will discuss and
formulate our thoughts and write them out clearly on the worksheet.
Day 2:
10 minutes: Once the students are sitting quietly in front of me, I will ask them to recall what we did yesterday
with the story Cinderella. Then I will describe how they will be doing this same thing in smaller groups and
with the story Little Red Riding Hood. Then I will put students into groups of 5 based on where they are
sitting, the students will be in a group with the students they are sitting around.
10 minutes: Have the students get the QR code for Little Red Riding Hood and use their iPads to find the
webpage with the story on it and start reading it in their groups. They can choose to read the story out loud or
each student read it in their heads. They will each have their iPad where they can access the story on their own.
They will get the QR code from the smartboard at the front of the classroom.
15 minutes: Talk amongst their group and pull out what the main idea of the story is and what the details are,
and fill out the main idea worksheet. The students should talk in their groups and all write down their findings
on their separate worksheets.
15 minutes: They will talk again amongst their groups to decide what the who, what, where, when, why and
how of Little Red Riding Hood are. They will each fill out their own worksheet based on what their group has
discussed and what they feel the correct answer is.
Then they will turn in both of the worksheets to me by the end of the class. If they need more time, then we
will use a 3rd day to finish the worksheets.
Pre-Assessment:
Prior to reading Cinderella as a class, I will ask the students what they think a folktale is and we will recall
some popular folktales students may have read or heard before. We will also discuss what the main idea of a
story is and what details are and how they work in a story. We will also have dissected a story in the past of the
who, what, where, when, why and how.
Scoring Guidelines:
For scoring, I will ask a series of questions in the pre-assessment that will help me to discover what the
students know and dont know. I will ask for the students to close their eyes and then I will ask
comprehensive questions about what a main idea is, details are, and what examples of a who, what,
where, when, why and how are in a story after we have discussed it. Then I will judge where the
students lie in regards to mastering the material based on whether or not they raised their hands to the
questions.
Post-Assessment:
For the post-assessment, I will compose a quiz where the students will answer comprehensive questions based
on an easy folktale reading. I will ask them to read the story on their own, and answer what they think the main
idea is, the details supporting the main idea, and what the who, what, where, when, why and how of the story
are.
Scoring Guidelines:
The quiz will have 8 questions. If the students get 6/8 of the questions correct, then they pass the postassessment quiz. If they get lower than that, then I will work with them individually and help them in
their misunderstandings of the material.
Differentiated Instructional Support

With gifted students. I would let them have an option of what they would like to do. I could either have them
fill out the same worksheets but base it off of a more challenging reading. Or another option could be to have
them aid me in helping the rest of the students with the worksheets they are given with Little Red Riding
Hood. They could pick which one they would feel more challenged with doing, or if I felt that they would just
want to take the easy way out, I could pick one of those two options for them.
Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the
material:
For students struggling with the material, I may try and be there to walk them through the worksheet
personally or have a gifted student there to walk them through the worksheet. Hopefully since this is group
work, the students could bounce ideas off of each other and they can answer each others questions. Although,
if that is not working, I will be available to help them individually with these concepts.
Extension
This is a great link to help practice what the main idea and details of a story are:
http://www.k12reader.com/subject/reading-skills/main-idea-worksheets/
Homework Options and Home Connections

When students are reading with their parents at home every night, I would encourage the parents to ask
questions to get their child thinking. Such as asking what they think the main idea is and what the details in the
story are. Also asking who, what, where, when, why and how of the story.
Interdisciplinary Connections
Social Science:
Students are collaborating with one another, listening to one another, and being aware of one anothers ideas
and thoughts.
History:
Students are diving into popular folktales that have been around for many generations.
Materials and Resources:
For teachers
The book Cinderella, smartboard, QR code for Little Red Riding Hood, main idea
worksheet and who, what, where, when, why and how worksheet.
For students
iPads, main idea worksheet, who, what, where, when, why and how worksheet, and
pencil.
Key Vocabulary
Main idea, details, QR code, story elements
Additional Notes
Here is the QR code for the Little Red Riding Hood reading:
Here is a sample of the main idea worksheet I wanted to use:

http://www.education.com/download/lesson-plan/fantastic-fables/attachments/main-idea-anchor-chart.pdf
Here is an example of the who, what, where, when, why and how worksheet I wanted to use:
http://www.education.com/download/lesson-plan/fantastic-fables/attachments/star-story-organizer.pdf

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Common Core Standards:

will use a 3rd day to finish the worksheets.

Differentiated Instructional Support

Homework Options and Home Connections

Here is a sample of the main idea worksheet I wanted to use:

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