Folk Tale Project

Project Goal:

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS:

Creative
Analytical
Teacher Preparation

REQUIRED RESEARCH ELEMENT for ALL PROJECTS

Primary Sources
Create an annotated bibliography of six to eight fairy or folk tales either by the same author or that deal with a similar theme (example: Cinderella & Snow White).
Annotation reminders:
Secondary Sources
Find 4 scholarly articles about the issue.  For example, what theories have psychiatrists developed about the relationship between a step-parent and the adopted children?
Creative Writing

Goal:  Gain first-hand experience writing a modern fairy or folk tale.

Audience: Children

Length: 4-5 pages

Assignment:  Based on your readings of the primary and secondary sources, write a modern folk or fairly tale. Your story should demonstrate the elements pertinent to the genre you have chosen.  Your "tale" should also strive for originality and discuss a topic relevant to children.

Analytical

Goal: Understand the embedded psychological, social, and or historical in at least two folktales.

Audience: Children's literature scholars & teachers interested in interdisciplinary approaches to literature.

Length: 4-5 pages

Assignment:

Sociologists, psychologists, historians, and anthropologists provide interesting theories that can shape our arguments about children.  However, some children's literature offers insight about the children's experiences, whether commenting on coming-of-age, familial problems, religion, race relations, sexism, politics, etc.  For example: How do Cinderella & Snow White offer insight about unwanted children?

Write a critical comparison-contrast in which you situate at least two narratives in a larger theoretical scope such as: psychology, history, sociology, gender, race, etc.   Using the scholarly "theory" about the theme you've identified, apply it to the stories to help your audience understand them on a more complex level.

EXAMPLE: WILL PUT ONE ON RESERVE
Consider: how does the author manipulate, repeat, or vary a narrative technique (point-of-view, character development, foils, symbolism, setting, irony etc.) to make his/her point about the topic?

Teacher Preparation

Goal: To assemble an interesting and challenging unit on folktales.

Length: 4-5 pages

Audience: Elementary or Secondary school teachers.

Assignment:

Part 1: Write an overarching essay (2-3 pages) in which you establish your primary texts (from your annotated bibliography), the rational for choosing them, your overall goals, your methodology, etc.  Include a discussion, based on your scholarly research, about how this reflects current pedagogy.  Remember that the age-group will influence your approach [teaching second graders about folk tales differs significantly from teaching them to seventh graders].

Part 2: Write detailed lesson plans for each text (2 pages max. per book): What are the goals for each day and each text?  How you will present the work? What activities will you employ to engage them analytically and creatively? Create handouts etc.  Be as specific as possible and consider how your approach reflects current pedagogy.

WEB SAMPLE: You do not necessarily have to do your project in this way.  I will list samples as I find them on the web: EVERYTHING’S A-Z!

EXTRA CREDIT
  1. Find five children's book publisher to which you can submit the text after you have revised based on feedback from me, your peers, and maybe some children. Go to the Davis Reference Desk to obtain addresses and other possible publishers.  For starters check the publishers of the works in your annotated bibliography.
  2. Write a  formal business letter establishing your purpose, your text's originality, the market, etc.  (See my book prospectus.  Yours does not have to be as long.)  Send the letter and post a copy to your web page.
  3. When you receive a letter from the publisher, read it to the class, post a copy to your web page, and give me a copy.
    Deborah De Rosa
    2000
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