Responding to Literature: Folk Tale Letter Writing

A Telecollaborative Language Arts Activity

Project Details:

1. Part 1: Write to a character (Level 2-4 students)
2. Part 2: Write as a character ( Level 6-7 students)

Part 1: Procedure for Writing to a Character - Levels 2-4 students

Choose one or all of the fairy tales suggested. Most are available in libraries and possible on-line sources:

• Cinderella
• Hansel and Gretel
• Beauty and the Beast
• Little Red Riding Hood

 

Step 2

Teachers engage the students in different activities in developing a response to one of the fairy tales:

Read, retell (orally or written), question (text or self), create (expand, revise, assume character's roles, role playing), and reflect (on the text, personal impact or link , and on the process). These activities, and any combination of them, should take place to facilitate a "response"

 

Step 3

Students are asked to write a "response" letter to a character in the fairy tale read. The letter should/could explain : (See Responding to Literature- Teacher Resources if necessary)

Part 1: students are asked to include the following:

1. Why or how the sender linked personally to the story, what or who in their lives did they think of as they read the story (real names should be withheld)
2. Ask a question of a character
3. Express an opinion about something the character does or doesn't do, should or shouldn't do, could do the next time a certain thing happens etc.,
4. Make, or ask for, a suggestion about how to handle a related situation, or a situation which came to mind as the reading occurred
5. Any appropriate "response" as a result of group brainstorming
   

Part 2: students are given the following constructs to build on (if needed):

1. I really like the part where ...... because
2. I felt ...... when ....
3. When I read the part about .... it made think of .....
4. .... reminds me of .....
5. when ........ happened I could see (visualize) ....
6. Like ..... I certainly feel that ......
   

Step 4

Students type letters in a word processor. They edit them until they are ready for mailing. Then they copy and paste into an e-mail program to be sent to the project coordinator at holzgang at qesnrecit.qc.ca . Letters should be signed in first names only or with initials so that no one can identify the authors of the letters. Letters from the students writing the letters should be sent as a group to the project coordinator. The letters would then be sent on to older students for response.

 
Part 2: Procedure for Writing as a Character (Levels 6-7 students)

 

Step 1

Familiarize yourselves with all the stories by identifying the issues and character types which are dealt with in the stories. Identify those same issues as they are seen today, as they would manifest themselves in a 7-9 year old's perception of life.

 

This probably could best be done in small groups using a " literature circle" type approach. Each group could be responsible for a different story and answer collectively to letters to a character in their circle's fairy tale

 

Step 2

Familiarize yourself with the strategies suggested for "responding to literature" and then react to the younger students' letters in kind.

 

Identify their concerns and respond to their feelings about those concerns in the mind set of the fairy tale character- e.g. if the letter suggests that sibling rivalry, jealousy, or abuse are the issues the letter-writer linked most to, then your response should deal with those same issues from Snow White's or Cinderella's perspective. Try to be positive and honest in your reply while giving good, "socially sound" interpretations or suggestions.

Step 3

Write a response as a group effort to the letter.

 

Check off points in the answer with points taken in the letter from the younger students so the reply makes a direct connection with the original letter. Use a word processor to write the response. It will facilitate rewriting and editing to achieve the final version.

 

Step 4: Final Editing

Trade both letter and response with another of the responding circles for editing and suggestions. Decide by consensus if rewriting, additions, or deletions should be made.

Step 5

Send response by e-mail to project coordinator. Copy the letter from your word processor into the E-mail editing screen. Identify with the id code sent with original letter.