Cinderella and the Common Core Standards

It's Day 6 of the Common Core Curriculum Maps English Language Arts book study.

Today we look at Grade 1 Unit 6: Around the World with a Glass Slipper. First graders review different versions of Cinderella. At the same time, they learn about different cultures and continents.

Cinderella by Marcia Brown

The Essential Question: What can versions of the same story teach us about different cultures?

Overview: Opinion writing is the focus. Students compare and contrast favorite versions of fairy tales (like Cinderella). They write about their choices with supporting reasons. They look at both fiction and nonfiction texts in their comparison writings. First graders study masks from different countries and cultures and describe them.

Focus Standards:

RL.1.9: Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.
RI.1.9: Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
W.1.1: Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.
W.1.6: With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
L.1.5: With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
L.1.5(d): Distinguish shades of meanings among verbs differing in manner (e.g., look, peek, glance, stare, glare [and] scowl) and adjectives differing in intensity (e.g., large, gigantic) by defining or choosing them, or be acting out the meanings.
SL.1.5: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Suggested Student Objectives:

Some suggested student outcomes include: compare and contrast different versions of a story by different authors and from various cultures, write opinions about favorite versions of a story, and use vivid descriptive words to describe an object.

Suggested Works:

Included in the list of literary texts:

The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe

James Marshall's Cinderella retold by Barbara Karlin

Included in the list of informational texts:

Europe by Madeline Donaldson

Look What Came From China by Miles Harvey

DK First Atlas by Anita Ganeri and Chris Oxlade

Sample Activities and Assessments:

An overview of one of the activities:

2. Reading/Opinion Writing

The students read various versions of Cinderella. They respond by choosing a favorite version and giving two reasons for their choice. The should include a title and a strong conclusion. When rewriting the paragraph, they should focus on word choice, elaboration, or word order.

A detailed lesson plan is included for:

Yeh-Shen A Cinderella Story from China retold by Ai-Ling Louie

It includes two lessons in which the children appreciate the story of Cinderella, retell this version, and discuss why it's their favorite. It includes differentiation and homework activities.

I know that my first graders enjoy listening to different versions of Cinderella and are eager to share which ones are their favorites. They have specific ones they ask for when they go to the library. The suggestions and activities in this unit will help me to use the literature books and create lessons based on the Common Core Standards.

I created these worksheets to go with the Cinderella lessons.

Graphics by KPM Doodles, Fancy Dog Studio, GRAPHICS by JW Illustrations © JESSICAWEIBLE.COM Fonts by Kevin and Amanda, dafont.com, and Hello Fonts.

You can download them HERE.

Visit Melissa at Dilly Dabbles tomorrow. She will be concluding the book study with a look at the Pacing Guide.