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A fairy tale curriculum
COLUMBIANA
Joshua Dixon Elemen- tary second-graders paraded around the school as fairy-tale characters of their choice to celebrate a Fairy Tale Reunion.
Kristi Ebben, second-grade teacher, said the second annual reunion is a way to incorporate popular fairy tales into the second-grade curriculum.
“It allows and challenges us to utilize a lot of different skills both for teachers and students,” she said.
For a little more than a month, second-grade teachers work with students on a fairy-tale unit, relating all subjects to famous fairy tales.
Thatcher Smith, 8, better known as the Three Little Pigs’ Big Bad Wolf, most liked the art side of the Fairy Tale Reunion.
“It’s all just been really great,” Thatcher said. “We got to show everybody our creations.”
Lillianna Lipply, 8, who was Beauty and the Beast’s Belle, liked the learning aspect of the reunion.
She said she most enjoyed learning about character traits to make her character sing, and she also liked participating in reading fairy-tale plays.
“We each read a short story and had characters to read [lines] for,” Lillianna said. “It helps us read better and learn about [the characters].”
Inclusion teacher Jessica Melchionne said the reunion allows teachers to touch on all subjects and even cultures.
“Students are learning about other cultures and the similarities and differences between them in various fairy tales,” she said.
Ebben said seeing the students make connections from the fairy tales to academics is a rewarding experience.
Beyond reading and making social-studies-like cultural connections, students also got to take part in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – learning.
Second-graders spent part of the Fairy Tale Reunion day by making beds that can hold different weights for characters represented by index cards with pictures of characters on them, weighted with coins and various materials.
A calm and focused silence emitted from second-grade classrooms, demonstrating students’ dedication to the activities.
“Seeing the kids’ reactions and how engaged they are and interested in learning is just great,” Ebben added.