Kids, Fantasy, and Literature An Immersive of Teaching Ideas for Language Arts Teachers

Presented by Kevin Pointer

Grade Level: 1st through 5th

One definition of the term Fantasy is that it is a type or genre of fiction that typically has elements that contain:

Unrealistic or unworldly elements.

Talking animals, characters, or objects with magical powers; These animals and such often have human qualities and are sometimes actually humans; they are often the underdogs yet emerge as a powerful personas (such as Harry Potter the powerful wizard in the children’s series with the same name).

Universal truths and a mix of surreal and factual information and scenarios.

A conflict between good and evil.

… Now on to three classic fantasy examples within the world of children’s literature!:

.

“Let’s Come to Terms”

Book Synopsis:

Cinderella is a traditional fairy tale type of fantasy based on the central character, Cinderella, who lives with her cruel family. She has two ugly stepsisters who make Cinderella do all their work. They wear beautiful clothes and she has to wear rags. They get an invitation to the ball but Cinderella does not and she is very upset. Suddenly, a fairy godmother appears and helps Cinderella get to the ball. At the ball Cinderella dances with the Prince who falls in love with her. However, at the stroke of midnight Cinderella must leave the ball as her clothes will turn back to rags after 12 o’clock and as she rushes out she leaves one of her shoes behind. The prince tries the shoe on lots of women throughout the land until he finds Cinderella. They get married and live happily ever after.

Some Noteworthy Fantasy Genre Elements:

• Fairy Godmother using her magical powers to help Cinderella • Cinderella as an underdog who emerges as a winner • Conflict between good and evil: i.e. between Cinderella and her ugly stepsisters who mistreat her

• Pronunciation and Intonation: Have younger students to simultaneously do a sing-a-long video to help them with pronunciation and intonation and with active viewing and listening.

• Prediction and Comprehension: Play such a sing-a- long video through in its entirety. The second time stop just before a dramatic event – such as when the strike strikes at 12 midnight then ask the students what happens next, the start the video again to see if they were right.

Fantasy Example 1 – “Cinderella”

To play above sing-a-long mpg, click icon in editing mode. This demos how an interactive classroom exercise might reinforce student reading skills.

Teaching Ideas / “Hooks”:

• Writing, Reading, and Thinking: Discuss and have younger students think about and write a “Cinderella” ball room type invitation

as though they were having a party, perhaps

their birthday party or a class party. Possibly

copy some or all of the invitations for display

and reading in the class.

• Reading and Comprehension: “Magician game”. Make some Cinderella flashcards and lay them out on a table facedown. Make a “magic wand” from a stick covered in silver foil and decorate the wand with a star. • The designated magician can continuously tap any card with the wand that an “assistant” can then turn over. The magician then gives the command to the class or to a team of class members to read the particular card that has been tapped.

Fantasy Example 1 – “Cinderella” Continued

Teaching Ideas / “Hooks” (Cont’d):

Book Synopsis:

Dorothy and her dog Toto live happily with Dorothy’s aunt until,

one day, a great storm whisks Dorothy and Toto, along with their

house, off to a faraway place. The house lands on, and kills, the

Bad Witch of the East, but Dorothy is just eager to get home. The

Good Witch tells her that only the wise old Wizard of Oz is able to

get her back to her family. Dorothy and Toto set off along the

yellow road to the Wizard. They meet a brainless scarecrow, a

heartless tin-man and a cowardly lion on the way and all three

decide to ask the Wizard to solve their problems too. Before the

Wizard will grant their wishes, however, they have to kill the Bad

Witch of the West, which Dorothy finally manages to do, thus

making all their wishes come true.

Some Noteworthy Fantasy Genre Elements:

• A mix of surreal and factual information (e.g. Kansas was a real place yet Emerald City had surreal qualities) • Talking “animals” (the lion; monkeys); characters with magical powers (The good and bad witch) • A conflict between good and evil (e.g. between both witches)

• Writing and Thinking Skills:

• “Opposites Writing Game” The lion in the Wizard of Oz is cowardly, which challenges the notion of the lion as a brave creature. Cats have nine lives, dogs are faithful, elephants never forget, ants are strong.

• Thinking about and challenging traditional stereotypes older students can be asked to write a story based on, for example, a forgetful elephant, or a weak ant.

Fantasy Example 2 – “The Wizard of Oz”

The “Opposites Writing Game” Challenges Conventional Thinking:

Teaching Ideas / “Hooks”:

Writing, Predictive, and Creative Skills :

• The Ozmapolitan: “Society has changed greatly

since – “THEN” – in the 1900s, when the Wizard

of Oz book was originally written. The teacher

could have both younger and older students to

predict, according to their own grade levels,

imaginations, and sensibilities, what the Wizard

of Oz setting would be like – “NOW” – in today’s

or a futuristic world.

• Creatively imagine for example, forests, and the

“road to see the Wizard” replaced with

amusement parks and the DC metro subway

trains.

• Further imagine Dorothy as a N*Sync obsessed

valley girl with a pair of loud pink high top tennis

shoes. Maybe the Lion could be a tough, cigar

smoking, geezer with no real tough stuff.

• Who knows what you can come up with, but have

students rewrite The Wizard of Oz, perhaps for

The Ozmapolitan magazine, as if it were to

take place in the current year and illustrate.

Fantasy Example 2 – “The Wizard of Oz” Continued

Teaching Ideas / “Hooks” (Cont’d):

The Ozmapolitan

DC Metro

Inaugural Edition

“NOW”:

“THEN”:

To play above mpg, click icon in editing mode. This demo is

intended to show what

Oz might look like “NOW”

Book Synopsis:

Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a

series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting

with the 1920 The Story of Doctor Dolittle. He is a

doctor who shuns human patients in favor of

animals, with whom he can speak in their own

languages. Doctor Dolittle is involved in various

adventures with animals – including ones that

involve bankruptcy to ones that gain him fame in

the animal kingdom around the world.

Storyboard

Some Noteworthy Fantasy Genre Elements:

• Talking animals • Universal truths (e.g. respect and love for animals, keeping promises, giving a helping hand)

• Writing and Thinking Skills:

• “Storyboard Idea: Dr. Dolittle in Bankruptcy” Using a story board technique such as the one that follows on the next slide, the teacher can have the students plot out how Dr. Dolittle becomes poor. • In writing their storyboards students can think about what it means to not have money and thus better empathize with others who may be less fortunate. Such a theme is worth a student’s reflection.

Fantasy Example 3 – “Doctor Dolittle”

Teaching Ideas / “Hooks”:

Writing Storyboards Are Good

• Writing and Thinking Skills:

• “Storyboard Idea: Dr. Dolittle in Bankruptcy”

(Students are to finish the storyboard by completing each box)

Fantasy Example 3 – “Doctor Dolittle” Continued Teaching Ideas / “Hooks” (Cont’d):

Dr Dolittle is a doctor who

loves animals very much. His patients stop coming to

see him because they don’t

like his animals.

He becomes …

Real World Technology Insertion and Collaboration:

• Xtranormal.com is a STORY TELLING site that I use for students to make their own movies. Collaborating with the primary language teacher I would ensure that my computer class student’s class have chosen and have actually read one of the books in the fantasy genre such as: Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz, or Dr. Dolittle.

• Basically I would then make the fantasy assignment a team project with each team consisting of three people (for my lower grades). Next, I would allow the kids to have a friendly competition between the teams to see which team could make the best movie.

• Finally, I would let my 7th grade class (or sub sets thereof) review each team’s movie and ask my 7th grade class to choose the best movie by using our “voting clicker” system to vote based on some pre-established, basic criteria.

Technology Integration and the Fantasy Genre

Not all mediums in the fantasy genre will contain all of the classic elements defined within this presentation but it is easy to see why many kids – and even many adults – might identify with fantasy as an intriguing genre through out their life.

After this brief immersive revisiting a few children’s fantasy classics -- Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz, and Dr. Dolittle -- I hope that you as a teacher or allied professional might be able to see a little bit better and be reminded of the power of the fantasy genre as a pedagogical tool -- an entertaining hook -- to help kids think, comprehend, compare, and learn in today’s complex world.

A Couple of Summarizing Thoughts

• Microsoft Word

• Xtranormal (Internet Resource)

• SMART (Classroom Clicker System)

Computer Resources

Websites

http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/Cinderella/Summary/

http://thewizardofoz.info/ozteach.html

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/baum.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Dolittle

References

Rylant, Cynthia. Cinderella Florida; Disney Books, 2007.

Baum, Frank. The Wizard of Oz New York; W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2000 (annotated).

Lofting, Hugh. Dr. Dolittle New York; William Morrow and Company, Inc. 1997.

Penguin Young Reader Factsheets New York; Pearson Longman, Inc. 2001.