EDUC 2220- Educational Technology Lesson Plan

Finding Your Fairytale

Marlaine Browning
9th Grade, English Language Arts

Common Core Standards:

My lesson will focus on three Common Core ELA standards for 9th grade:

RL.9-10.7 Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is
emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall
of Icarus).

RL.9-10.9 Analyze how an author alludes to and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare).

W.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products,
taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and
dynamically.

Lesson Summary:

This lesson applies the knowledge students learned about fairy tales into an online, interactive project. Students
will analyze how fairy tales change over time and through different mediums by exploring the website
FindingYourFairytale.com. They will evaluate which fairytale character resonates with them and why, and will
create an online profile in which they upload an avatar of themselves in character-appropriate costume that
puts their own spin on the costume, and will write about what connections between the character’s story and
their own life. Finally, the class will review each other’s work and leave affirmative comments for a select
number of students.

The purpose of this project is for students to see themselves in the cultural stories that resonate with us.
Students will consider how fairy tales teach problem-solving, resilience, courage, and independence, and are
not just about the “happily ever after” which is what we tend to prioritize. They will connect their lives to a
fairy tale that matters to them and reflect on how the tale teaches a life skill they struggle with or have recently
learned. Finally, this project teaches empathy and community-building by asking students to share their
“profiles” with each other and respond to each other’s projects with compassion and humor in writing.

Estimated Duration:
This lesson will take five 55-minute class periods to complete. It involves a pre-assessment of prior knowledge
and a 3-part, tech-rich project.

Commentary:

My hook will be connecting student’s lives to the fairy tales they love in a way that stimulates creativity and
self-reflection. I imagine that showing students a couple examples from the website FindingYourFairytale.com
will interest them in the project. I will also continue to build connections between the cultural stories we tell
and our lives as a story by reviewing contemporary adaptations of fairy tales as a daily “hook” to get students
thinking about creative connections.

While this project is a “utopian” project with no barriers to technology, I do want to plan for the “real world”
in which technology is not always available. Just as there are ways to differentiate learning for individual
students, I believe this lesson can be differentiated for individual teachers dealing with inconsistent access to
technology.

Instructional Procedures:

Day 1: Review Prior Knowledge & Introduce “Finding Your Fairytale” Project
5 minutes: “Hook” is we’re starting with a game. Count off 1-4 and divide into 4 teams. Choose a fairytale-
themed team name while teacher takes attendance & decide team roles.
5 minutes: Explain rules of game, “Once Upon a Time: Fairytale History.”
● PROCEDURES: It’s a Kahoot-based quiz with multiple choice questions; each team has four roles:
“RESPONDER,” “ORGANIZER,” “LIBRARIAN,” and “MASCOT.”
● The role of the “Responder” is the student who will answer for the team using the Kahoot app on their
phone;
● before answering, individual team members may write their guess on a slip of paper & hand to the
“Organizer,” who then must show team if there’s a discrepancy in answers & they quietly decide which
answer to choose;
● once the “Team Organizer” gives the go-ahead, the “Team Responder” will answer;
● the “Team Librarian” will write the actual correct answer on a piece of paper & record if they got the
question right, number of points awarded, etc.
● Finally, the “Team Mascot” will rally energy for their team, encouragement, sass the other teams, etc.
5 minutes: Quiet review of notes from previous lessons about fairy tale history. ALL NOTES PUT AWAY
BEFORE GAME BEGINS.
15 minutes: Play Kahoot game. (Note: The current game I designed has 10 questions but this could easily be
modified for time and grade level.)
● See Kahoot game link in this blog post under “Supplementary Materials”
2 minutes: Score winners, let students celebrate, be rowdy, etc. Then transition…
5 minutes: Now for the individual test that counts for a grade. Give 5 minutes prep time to review notes again.
ALL NOTES PUT AWAY BEFORE QUIZ.
10 minutes: Quiz on Google Forms. Short-answer, fill in the blank. (Note: For differentiation, I’d prefer
students choose to answer 5 of 15 from a menu of options. The quiz I designed for this assignment is simply a
template of a few questions with the assumption students would answer them all.)
● See quiz template in blog post under “Supplementary Materials”
5 minutes: Introduce Project-based Essential Questions: Why does history matter to our current lives? Why
should we still care about fairy tales? Can these stories teach us something about ourselves as teens and not
just “for children”?
● Standard addressed = RL 9-10.7

Day 2: Engage with “Finding Your Fairytale” Project Part 1

5 minutes: “Hook” is watching Pixar’s short film “Boundin’”
● Available free on YouTube as of 04/2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WyR4AqRweY
10 minutes: Think/Pair/Share starting with SeeSaw web app. Students respond to Journal activity individually,
and then the site shares their posts to the public “class.” (Differentiation: Some students will spend the entire
time writing, while others will write some time and then can read other posts & respond. All posts will be
“saved” under the activity so teacher can grade them later, if grading is desired.)
● SeeSaw can be found at https://web.seesaw.me/)
● See the SeeSaw Journal entry link in this blog under “Supplementary Materials”
5 minutes: Group think -- Why is Boundin’ both classic and modern? (Write on Smartboard ideas that connect
the video to “classic” fairy tale tropes and parts that are relevant to “modern” life.)
● Standard addressed = RL 9-10.9
5 minutes: Introduce website FindingYourFairytale.com and describe the purpose of this site’s project
(therapist wanted clients to see themselves in story, take control of the narrative, organized photo shoot of
client in their “challenge” scene and their “resolution” scene. The idea gained lots of attention, media
interviews, etc.)
● See http://www.findingyourfairytale.com/
● Students may also reference Sur La Lune Fairy Tales website (http://surlalunefairytales.com/). Students
will already be familiar with this site from learning about fairy tale history. This site is organized
around each fairy tale, with versions of the tale, images, multimedia, etc. They can use this site for
inspiration.
5 minutes: Distribute project prompt. For Part 1, students will work individually on their laptops/tablets doing
research & analysis of FindingYourFairytale.com site. This is ultimately so they can create a profile of their
own similar to what’s on the site (but not necessarily oriented to mental health). Therefore, they should
prioritize profiles they choose on the site that interest them and be able to articulate why.
● See Google Doc worksheet “Finding Your Fairytale, Part 1 of 3: Website Analysis” on this blog under
“Supplementary Materials.”
● Students should make a copy of the “master” and drop it into their own Google Drive class folder so I
can credit them for completion.
25 minutes: Independent research completing website analysis worksheet
 ● Standard addressed = RL 9-10.7, RL 9-10.9

Day 3: Finish Website Overview, move to Part 2: Create Your Own Profile
20 minutes: Students will pick up where they left off yesterday and complete Part 1: Website Analysis in their
Google Drive class folder. Teacher can ensure each worksheet is completed according to their differentiated
status (i.e. all students will analyze at least one example from each section, while most students will complete
the entire worksheet. Gifted differentiation: For students that finish early, ask them to start individually
brainstorming for Part 2)
● Standards addressed = RL 9-10.7, RL 9-10.9
10 minutes: Transition to Part 2. Teacher explains writing assignment & photo logistics. Chooses one example
to illuminate in detail.
● See Google Doc worksheet “Finding Your Fairytale: Part 2 of 3” and “Part 3 of 3” on this blog under
“Supplementary Materials.”
● Example: Show teacher’s representation of Snow Queen face makeup & ask students “How do you
know who this is supposed to be? How did this person use signals to show characteristics easily
identifiable with the Snow Queen?”
● Read out loud teacher writing example of connection to Snow Queen. Ask students “How does tone of
writing change depending on audience such as turning in to teacher? Parent? On Facebook? For one
friend to read? What tone should you use for this assignment? Who is your audience?”
15 minutes: Brainstorm. Students can choose to brainstorm individually, with a partner, in small group. Who
will they choose to represent? What choices will they make to physically represent their character? What
personal stories will they share from their life and how does this relate to the fairy tale? (Note: If group
brainstorm is going off topic, teacher can ask students to start writing individually.)
● Standards addressed = RL 9-10.7, RL 9-10.9
5 minutes: Journal writing on SeeSaw. What materials will you need to represent your character? Do you need
to borrow anything? What setting will you use? What time of day?
5 minutes: Built in overflow for additional questions, unanticipated interruptions, etc.

Day 4: Project Activity Menu

50 minutes: Review the options from the “Activity Menu” for students. They can choose to independently
structure their time to complete work on a variety of activities including...
● Photo Booth Corner -- Teacher provides a box of props from the Theater Department for students to
peruse if they did not already choose attire for their character portrait from home. Teacher can offer 30-
seconds of “photo booth” style shots for a student. Offering a time limit will ensure students don’t get
distracted by “play.” We want them to be playful and creative but use their time wisely. Teacher could
also offer to be the photographer, or students could take photos of each other so long as time is
carefully monitored.
● Profile Writing -- Students will work on writing their reflective profile answering prompt questions
about a challenge the fairy tale character faced that they identify, and how this character’s actions to
solve the problem are something the students relate to or aspire to as a goal. Teacher will walk around
to check on students for writer’s block, answer formatting questions, etc.
 ● Publishing Profiles -- When students have completed their profiles and photos, they need to ensure
everything is in one document and share it with the class. Since this is Google-based, the teacher might
make a public folder shared with all students in which students copy their completed profiles.
● Reflections -- Students will answer guided prompts reflecting on the learning experience. Remember to
cover each aspect of the project as an intentional activity. Students will be inclined to think of their
character photos as “just for fun” but it should be stressed throughout the week that they need to be able
to justify why these “props” are clear signifiers of character and how they are using them to put their
own spin on the representation. Reflection components will cover visual choices (photo), character
choice, what was most challenging about the project, what did they learn that they hadn’t considered
before, what was most exciting. Frame questions to assess the learning standards covered by this lesson
so it’s clear to the teacher that they have a deeper understanding of these skills & concepts.
● Standards addressed = RL 9-10.7, RL 9-10.9, W 9-10.6
5 minutes: Built in overflow for additional questions, unanticipated interruptions, etc.

Day 5: Showcase & Reflection

5 minutes: Since this is a “utopian” tech lesson, my ideal would be a room where there are Smartboards
surrounding the entire room (this may be a separate room from our usual classroom) on which each project is
projected on a board. The first few minutes involves students setting up their profile and projecting on the
Smartboard. Teacher takes attendance during this time.
40 minutes: Students are handed a sheet with 5 other student names (teacher: consider rainbow-colored paper
such as a red group, orange group…). They are responsible for reading these profiles and leaving at least one
comment on the Google doc using the Smartboard. Comments will be visible and should be an affirmation or
compassionate connection, not critiquing the quality or topic. (Differentiation: Some students will finish early
and these students can comment on more than 5 profiles. Some students will only complete 4 of 5. That’s
okay. All students will receive some positive feedback from peers.)
● Standard addressed = W 9-10.6
10 minutes + Homework: Students begin their reflection worksheet if they didn’t start it yesterday. Complete
for homework. The reflection component could begin class the next day as a Think/Pair/Share or even a short
Socratic Seminar before migrating to the next Learning Module.
● Standard addressed = RL 9-10.7, RL 9-10.9

Pre-Assessment:
My pre-assessment strategy is to review prior knowledge about fairytales using a Kahoot game and Google
Forms quiz. In order to move forward with standards RL 9-10.7 and RL 9-10.9 (how source material changes
depending on the medium, and how contemporary adaptations call upon historical treatments of fairy tales)
students need to be grounded in knowledge about important moments in fairy tale history. This call upon the
lower levels of Bloom’s taxonomy (Knowledge, Comprehension, Application) so we can move on to higher-
order learning (Analyze, Evaluate, Create).
 Scoring Guidelines:
Students will participate in an ungraded, formative assessment game to review their prior knowledge
about key facts and details relating to fairy tales. This will help them self-assess their knowledge gaps
and trigger recall for the knowledge they have mastered. This game is followed by a brief study
session.
Then they will take a 10-point quiz on key historical people and moments from fairy tale history. I will
grade these after class and could pull aside anyone who does abysmally to retake the quiz the next day.

Post-Assessment:
My summative assessment tasks include the publication of their projects online for class review. The project
itself builds on all three standards I’m covering for this lesson and the creation of new content that’s relevant to
fairy tale themes will demonstrate their ability to take knowledge to the next level of understanding. See
Google Doc prompts “Finding Your Fairytale” Parts 2 & 3 for this summative assessment project.

Finally, there will be a brief writing reflection that also serves as a summative assessment. This reflection will
address questions alluding to the standards.

Scoring Guidelines:
I’d like to assess this project using Standards-based Grading theory rather than straight percentage
score, even though the grade will ultimately translate into a number. I will design a rubric that breaks
down key components of the project. The products include: Digital Character Photo, Profile, and
Reflection. The standards-based skills include: Ability to compare a character’s representation in two
different artistic mediums (writing, visual); Analysis of how a character evolves through time &
cultures; Discernment of important character traits and how they apply to the individual student’s life;
Compose an original and thoughtfully organized profile; Capacity to use technology to produce and
publish the project according to formatting guidelines.

Moreover, I will design a reflection worksheet with questions that relate the the standards we’ve
practiced to assess student understanding. This worksheet will only count for 10-15% of the final
project grade; however, it will give important insight into a student’s ability to articulate the meaning
behind why these standards and skills matter.

Differentiated Instructional Support

I included differentiated options in my daily breakdown, so please review this for specific options. In short,
because the project worktable is based on a menu of options students can do at one time, it allows flexibility
for gifted/accelerated students to work ahead while permitting extra time for students who struggle with time
or concepts. Moreover, due to the independent nature of the project, there is room for peer tutoring or teacher-
student tutoring to occur along the way. The goal is to build a classroom community in which students feel
comfortable asking for help not just from the teacher but from each other.
Extension
To learn more about Ohio’s English Language Arts standards, visit the Department of Education’s site here:
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/English-Language-Art/English-Language-Arts-Standards. I
also love the more general “wheel” of knowledge posted here: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Learning-in-
Ohio. The Ohio Department of Education site is the pinnacle resource page for learning about standards,
assessments, model curriculum, and more. It’s an excellent resource for designing standards-based lessons and
assessments!

Homework Options and Home Connections

I’m not assigning much homework for this lesson. While this is a “utopian” assignment with unlimited tech
resources in the classroom, I still want to be “real” about student’s access to tech outside the classroom.
Moreover, since collaboration is a key goal of this lesson, I’d like students to work near each other or with
each other at all times.

The only optional homework includes finding costume pieces for their digital photo, taking the photo at a non-
school location after hours, and completing their reflection worksheet at home if they haven’t completed it in
class.

Interdisciplinary Connections
This project could be integrated with History/Social Studies and Theater classes. Specifically, in History
classes, it’s important to note that the evolution of fairy tales reflects the evolution of culture. Fairy tales have
been used to judge class (Cinderella, Snow White), a child’s “duty” to marry for love or family obligation
(Beauty & Beast, Frog Princess), and oppression/rise of the underdog (Hansel & Gretel). These stories were
used to galvanize and shape people in different ways throughout history, and learning how some cultures
adopted fairy tales as a core reflection of social norms is important to consider.

Theater brings these stories alive in the body. A student’s interpretation of a character through vocal
intonation, face & body gestures, and makeup/costume can do wonders for literally embodying character traits
the student wishes to emphasize for this project. It will be important to learn from Theater how light, sound,
color, setting, and gesture all play a part in giving life to a character.

Materials and Resources:

 For teachers ● Laptop or tablet
● Access to classroom with Smartboards
● Access to Google suite, SeeSaw, Kahoot
● Library access to digital cameras for students who don’t have smartphones
● Theater department -- raid the costume closet!
● Paper copies of worksheets and prompts to supplement online instructions &
for students who can’t read on laptops
● Extra pens, pencil, paper for students

For students ● Laptop or tablet

● Access to Google suite, SeeSaw, Kahoot app
● Some students need a Smartphone (those without smartphones can enlist help
from others or borrow digital cameras from school library)
● Smartboard access in classroom
● Pen, pencil, paper

Key Vocabulary
No new vocabulary will be introduced during this lesson.

Additional Notes

I didn’t include all Supplemental Materials that go into this lesson as I didn’t want to overwhelm the blog post.
However, additional materials are available upon request by email to Marlaine Browning,
browningm77@gmail.com.