Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Ninjify a Fairy Tale!

After reading Ninja Red Riding Hood, second grade book ninjas at Forest Lake Elementary School "ninjfied' their own fairy tales!



I am so impressed with their covers!  Aren't they awesome!!!  Ki-ya!

Fairy tales are fantastic mentor texts.  It can be very daunting to try to create a story entirely from scratch.  Taking a familiar story with existing characters, plot, etc and just changing one element (i.e setting), is a much more manageable task.

Long before I ever heard the term "fractured fairy tales," I was writing my own versions of popular books.  In second grade, I wrote my own sequels to Curious George and to The Cat in the Hat.  (Boy, do i wish my mom had saved those!)  I also wrote my own Nancy Drew mystery.   I needed a formula to follow.   Fairy tales and/or books in a series are perfect for providing that framework.

If you'd like to try this activity with your students, here is template you can print out to help them get started.