Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, K-3

In the BrainPOP ELL movie, Mobylocks Fairytale (L2U6L5) Ben is about to read Goldilocks and the Three Bears to Abby when Moby suggests they read his version of the fairytale. In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades K-8, students identify and discuss common elements of fairytales, compare two versions of a fairytale, and create their own fairytale in a shared writing activity.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:

  1. Identify common elements of fairytales.
  2. Compare two versions of a fairytale.
  3. Write a shared story or fairytale.

Materials:

Vocabulary:

Fairytale, fairytale elements, setting, character, magic

Preparation:

Gather some famous fairytale books to use as examples in Activity 1, What's in a Fairytale?

Bring a traditional version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to class for Activity 2, Goldilocks and Mobylocks.

Lesson Procedure:

  1. What's in a Fairytale? Bring several fairytale books to class. Ask students what their favorite fairytales are, making a list on the board. Then ask the question, What is the same in all fairytales? Have small groups Think-Group-Share an answer. You can provide an example to get the discussion started, such as magic. Make a list of students’ responses, or a Brainstorming Web, on the board, or create a Fairytale Elements chart. Answering in their own words, students might think of any of the following common fairytale elements:

    Some form or variation of Once upon a time.
    A setting in the past, a long time ago.
    Enchanted settings, like forests, castles, or kingdoms.
    Clearly defined good and evil characters.
    Royal characters, like a prince, princess, king, queen.
    Magical elements or characters, like giants, elves, talking animals, witches, or fairies.
    Groups of 3 (objects, people, or events), such as three wishes.
    A clear problem that needs to be solved.
    A happy ending (They all lived happily ever after).
    A lesson or theme that is important to the culture it came from.
  2. Goldilocks and Mobylocks. Read a traditional version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to the class. Have students identify the fairytale elements you discussed earlier, using the list you created with the class. After watching the movie Mobylocks Fairytale (L2U6L5), compare Mobylocks and Goldilocks in a class discussion. Create a simple Venn Diagram on the board as students identify similarities and differences.
  3. Write a Fairytale. In a modified Language Experience Approach (LEA) or Shared Writing activity, create a simple version of a famous fairytale with the class, or an original fairytale. Refer to the fairytale elements list you created earlier. You may want to begin with an outline. Read the story together when it is finished. To differentiate instruction, some pairs of students may write (and illustrate) their own one-paragraph stories or fairytales.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

Reader’s Theater. After viewing the movie multiple times, students act out the Mobilocks fairytale from the movie, using the script below. Divide the class into groups of five for the five characters. Allow students time to watch the movie again, and to practice. If they like, they can bring in props and costumes.

Characters: Ben (narrator), Mobylocks, Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Baby Bear.

Ben: Once upon a time, Mobylocks went for a walk in the woods. He walked and walked and WALKED. After a while, he didn't know where he was.

Suddenly he saw a little house. Mobylocks knocked three times on the door! On the third knock, the door opened a little. Mobylocks peeked inside. No one was home.
Mobylocks walked quietly and carefully into the house. He saw three bowls of soup on a table. He tasted the soup in the first bowl. But it was too hot! The soup in the second bowl was too cold! But the soup in the third bowl was just right. Mobylocks ate the whole thing!

After he finished eating, Mobylocks was tired. He yawned and went upstairs to look for a place to sleep. There were three beds upstairs. Mobylocks lay down in the big bed, but it was too hard! He tried the bed in the middle, but that was too soft! Finally, Mobylocks lay in the smallest bed and it was perfect. Aaaah!

Suddenly, Mobylocks saw a picture on the wall. The picture was of three bears: a mother bear, a father bear, and a baby bear. Then he understood that the house belonged to those three bears! Just then, someone opened the door. Creeeaaak. Then Mobylocks heard voices downstairs!

Papa Bear: Someone ate some of my soup.
Mama Bear: Someone ate some of my soup, too.
Baby Bear: Someone ate all of my soup…and there’s no more!
Ben: Suddenly, Mobylocks heard a noise. Thump, thump, thump. Someone or something was coming up the stairs.
Papa Bear: Someone was lying in my bed.
Mama Bear: Someone was lying in my bed, too.
Baby Bear: Someone is lying in my bed... and he’s still here!
Ben: When Mobylocks saw the three bears, he quickly jumped out the open window and ran into the woods. He never returned to the three bears’ house again.
The end.

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