2nd Grade, Reading Unit 5:
Reading and Role Playing: Fiction, Folktales, and Fairy Tales
25 days
This 25 day unit invites students into the world of folktales and fairy tales. Students will role play and become actors/actresses and even
directors, as they step into the shoes of their characters and bring them to life through tone, gestures, movements, feelings, and expressions. By
putting themselves into the drama of the story, they deepen their understanding of the text. The unit will also ask students to compare and
contrast multiple versions of the same fairy tale or folktale by critiquing and analyzing multiple perspectives and comparing and contrasting
characters, storylines, morals, and lessons.
The Common Core places emphasis on traditional literature, because many of our contemporary texts have roots in these old tales. If we
can have our students recognize typical character roles, plot structures, and lessons told through these stories, then students can transfer this
learning to more modern texts.
Attached is a suggested progression of teaching points that are aligned vertically across grade levels and with the common core
standards. The expectation is that teachers will adapt the teaching points and pace according to the needs of their students. The bends (area of
focus) are as follows:
Bend I: What are the common elements of a fairy tale or folktale?
This short bend immerses students into the world of folktales and fairytales. Together with a partner, they will read multiple texts in this
genre looking for common elements found in these stories. Once students are able to identify the common elements or recurring themes of fairy
tales and folktales, they will read and retell texts encompassing narrative elements and common folk tale language.
Bend II: Stepping into a Character’s Shoes
Now that students have been immersed in folktales and fairy tales and are able to identify common story elements found in the genre,
students will work with a partner to step into different characters’ shoes, feeling, thinking, and acting in order to gain a deeper understanding of
them. Students will also direct each other in the roles of the characters in order to get a “big picture” view of our books. This work addresses the
importance of reading fluently in second grade. Not only do second graders need to learn to read more quickly, but they also need to
demonstrate comprehension by reading with expression and prosody. Students’ fluency skills will continue to improve as they read and reread
their texts multiple times. In order for students to reenact their books, they will need to read closely, interpreting characters roles, visualizing
while they read, imagining the worlds of their stories and how this relates to the overall bigger meaning of the text.
Bend III: Discovering Predictable Roles Characters Play
The third bend of the unit will take place in book clubs. In the beginning of the bend, students will start to think categorically across
books about common character roles found in stories. They’ll grow to realize that there are different personality types in both the world and in
stories such as the hero, bad guy, side kick and trickster. Once they identify the different types of archetypes, they will begin to notice their
typical patterns of behavior. Students may have various interpretations of these character types, so children may try role playing various
interpretations of these character types from one child’s perspective and then maybe another. Students can also consider the role a character
plays to predict what’s going to happen next. The end of the bend will ask students to compare and contrast character roles in multiple versions
of the same text (i.e. The Three Little Pigs). The students will notice how a character is portrayed a little different in one version than another
version. Last, students will read multiple versions of the same tale from different cultures and analyze how the culture from which the tale is
being told, influences the narrative elements in the story.
Bend IV: Recognizing Lessons That Stories Convey
The final bend of the unit focuses on book clubs working together to consider the lessons characters learn and to compare how different
authors explore similar morals in sometimes very different ways. Students will use their critical thinking skills to determine not only the lesson of
the story, but whether they agree with the lesson and whether it rings true in their life. Finally, students will use all they have learned
throughout the unit to compare and contrast characters, storylines, morals and lessons in of two or more versions of the same story by different
authors or from different cultures.
Additional resources:
Helpful Websites

Below is a link to Teachers College Reading Curricular Calendar, Grade 2: Reading and Role Playing: Fiction, Folktales, and Fairy Tales, which
provides additional detailed information about this unit. http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/curr_cal/2013_2_read/2_unit_7.pdf

Additional resources can be found for this unit at www.coachingconnection.weebly.com
http://ivyjoy.com/fables
www.taleswithmorals.com
Possible Books for This Unit
Fairytales
Cinderella Stories
The Egyptian Cinderella, by Shirley Climo
The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo
Prince Cinders by Babette Cole
Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole
Adelita: A Mexican Cinderella Story by Tomie dePaola
Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleishman
The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story by Rebecca Hickox
Princess Furball by Charlotte Huck
The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin and David Shannon
Intercultural Study of Fairytales
By Shirley Climo
The Egyptian Cinderella
The Korean Cinderella
The Persian Cinderella
By Niki Daly
Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa
By Rachel Isadora (African setting)
The Princess and the Pea
Rapunzel
Hansel and Gretel
By Ai-Ling Louie
Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story from China
By Rafe Martin
The Rough-Face Girl
By Robert D. San Souci
Cendrillon, A Caribbean Cinderella
By Judy Sierra
Can You Guess My Name?: Traditional Tales Around the World
By Patricia Storace
Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel
Parodies and Ironic Interpretations of Fairytales
With Love, Little Red Hen by Alma Flor Ada
Yours Truly, Goldilocks, by Alma Flor Ada
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale
Cinderella’s Rat by Susan Meddaugh
The Frog Prince, Continued by Jon Scieszka
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Jon Scieszka
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas and Helen Oxenbury
Fairytales by (Approximate) Level
By Paul Galdone (J/K)
Jack and the Beanstalk
Rumplestiltskin
The Elves and the Shoemaker
The Frog Prince
The Gingerbread Boy
The Three Bears
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
By James Marshall (K/L)
Cinderella
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Hansel and Gretel
Red Riding Hood
The Three Little Pigs
By Jan Brett (M/N)
Beauty and the Beast
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
The Owl and the Pussycat
Authors of Beautifully Illustrated Fairytale Books
Rika Lesser
Charles Perrault
Paul Zelinsky
Fables and Folktales
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema
The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop
Asian Children’s Favorite Stories: A Treasury of Folktales from China, Japan, Korea, India, the
Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia by David Conger
Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky by Elphinstone Dayrell
Why Snails Have Shells: Minority and Han Folktales from China by Carolyn Han
A Fistful of Pearls and other Tales from Iraq by Elizabeth Laird
Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales by Nelson Mandela
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
Good Read-Aloud books
Hans Christian Anderson’s Fairytales by Hans Christian Anderson, selected and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger
The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley (fairytales)
A Treasury of Children’s Literature by Armand Eisen, ed. (fables, folktales, and poems)
Reading Standards
RL.2
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
RL.6
Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading
dialogue aloud.
RL.9
Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g. Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.
SL.3
Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen
understanding of a topic or issue.
L.4b
Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word.
L.4c
Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition, additional).
L.5b
Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender,
skinny, scrawny).
Unit 5 Writing:
Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages
W.3
Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions,
thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
W.5
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
W.6
With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with
peers.
L.1e
Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
L.1f
Produce, expand and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the
movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).
L.2b
Use commas in greetings and closings of letters.
L.2c
Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.
W.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
1
Bend I: Immersion Phase:
What are the common
elements of a fairy tale or
folktale? (Partners)
Readers examine multiple fairy
tale and folktale books and
begin to identify the
characteristics of the genre,
recognizing recurring or
repeating elements and
themes. (Begin anchor chart
with students that will
continue through the unit.)
(RL.2)
6
Readers are aware of the
places where the main
character has strong feelings.
You can mark these places so
that later, you can read and act
them out with your partner to
better understand exactly how
the character is feeling and
what he or she might be
experiencing. (RL.6)
2
2nd Grade, Unit 5 Reading
Reading and Role Playing: Fiction, Folktales, and Fairy tales
3
Readers review the narrative
elements of a story (setting,
characters, problem, character
response, solution, information
from illustrations, point of
view) and retell a folktale to
their partner utilizing a plot
structure map as well as
common folk tale language.(As
they read and immerse
themselves in the genre,
continue to add elements to
the chart) (RL.2)
Bend II: Stepping into a
Character’s Shoes (Partners)
Readers will better understand
a story and the characters by
making connections between
what they see (T.V, movie,
plays, reader’s theater, books,
read alouds, real life) and what
they read. (RL.6)
4
Readers read closely noticing
the characters’ actions and
feelings. One way you can do
this is by putting yourself into
the characters’ shoes and
acting parts out with your
voice, face, and body. (RL.6)
5
Readers read very closely,
noticing clues that will help
them learn more about a
character in order to role-play
their way into a story. “What
sort of person is this
character? Is he serious?
Always cracking jokes? What
does he like and dislike? What
does he really, really want?”
(RL.6)
(2 days)
7
When readers notice strong
feelings in a character, they
think carefully about those
feelings. They think, “Why is
the character feeling this
way?” Then they push
themselves to answer the
questions, finding clues along
the way that help them
develop ideas or theories
about the character. (RL.6)
8
9
10
Readers understand the
narrator’s/director’s role in a
story by seeing the big picture
(actions & feelings of all
characters/setting) (RL.6)
Readers understand the
narrator’s/director’s role in a
story by seeing the big picture
(actions & feelings of all
characters/setting) (RL.6)
Bend III: Discovering
Predictable Roles Characters
Play: the Villain, the Hero,
and Everyone in Between
(Book Clubs)


Readers notice that particular
types of characters pop up
again and again in books
(villain, hero, side kick,
trickster) and read on the
lookout for these types of
characters in all of their books.
(create anchor chart) (RL.6)
Readers, like directors, pay
attention not only to what
and why a character does
things but also to how the
character does these
things. Notice gestures,
how the character walks or
sits or closes the door…
Readers pay attention to
the way characters talk,
the words they choose,
their tone of voice, and the
cues the author gives
through dialogue.
11
12
13
14
15
Readers think about what it
means to be one kind of
character or another by
observing their typical patterns
of behavior across books.
(RL.6)
Readers think about how the
different character roles play
out in their books and act out
scenes that spotlight the bully
or the sidekick or the quirky
adviser. Readers can reenact
through one child’s perspective
and then another’s. (RL.6)
Readers consider the role of
each character as they predict
what’s going to happen next.
They might think, “Who is the
good guy and who is the bad
guy?” and “What does this
make me think about who will
win and who will lose?” (RL.6)
As readers read multiple
versions of the same story (i.e.
The Three Little Pigs) they will
read closely to understand how
each character is portrayed a
little different in one version
than in another version.
(compare and contrast) (RL.9)
As readers read multiple
versions of the same story
from different cultures, they
will read closely to understand
how the culture influences the
nuances of the characters as
well as other narrative
elements. (compare and
contrast)(RL.9)
16
17
18
19
Readers do not always agree
with the lessons in their book.
They may think, “This lesson
doesn’t always ring true in my
life,” and bring disagreements
to their book clubs. Readers
ask themselves, “Do I believe
this is a good way to live my
life?” or “Was this the best way
to teach the lesson?” (RL.2)
Readers notice and discuss
how books with similar lessons
are the same or
different…..Club mates can
defend their ideas based on
the evidence they have
gathered in their
books….compare and contrast
how multiple versions of the
same story by different authors
convey a similar lesson. (RL.9)
Once readers have figured out
the main happenings of a book,
they often reread to figure out
things that aren’t stated in the
book’s pages by making
inferences. Ultimately, readers
think and talk across books,
noting similarities that exist on
many levels including plot
structures, character types and
lessons. (compare and
contrast) (RL.9)
Bend IV: Readers Recognize
the Morals, Lessons, and
Author’s Purpose that Stories
Convey
Readers learn lessons from the
books they read. One way they
can do this is by noticing a
character’s trouble and
avoiding that trouble in their
own lives or taking note of how
the character is successful and
using it to guide their own
behavior. (RL.2)
(2 days)
Celebration:
Performance of books
Partnerships or clubs can work together, to choose a book they have read and studied. They will draw on all they have learned about directing
and acting, about characters, author’s intent etc. to put on a show full of drama. Students might reread and revisit a story together, extensively
interacting with it prior to presenting it to an audience. Students can rehearse for a day or two, paying only a little attention to props and much
more attention to the interpretation they bring to their reading.