High School Creative Writing Unit Plan for Modified and Modern Fairy Tales

Help high school Creative Writing students better understand the conventions of the fairy tale genre and prepare for the drafting of modified fairy tales with this comprehensive, low-prep, standards-aligned unit plan. All supporting materials are provided in both Word Document and PDF formats. (Alternatively, a Google Drive option is available.) More specifically, the following are included:

• A detailed, standards-based unit plan articulating the unit's transfer goal(s), essential question(s), enduring understanding(s), learning target(s), academic vocabulary, formative assessment(s), summative performance task(s), and learning plan(s).

• A PowerPoint addressing the conventions of the fairy tale genre.

• Representative narratives by the Brothers Grimm for analysis with supplemental worksheets.

• Detailed directions.

• A student exemplar for reference.

• A comprehensive outline for student planning.

• A document to facilitate the editing process.

• A comprehensive rubric for evaluating student writing.

With these materials, students will do the following:

• Develop greater understanding of the conventions of the fairy tale genre.

• Analyze how the Brothers Grimm used characterization, exaggeration, description, and various literary devices that are consistent with the conventions of fairy tale writing in "The Frog King," "Cinderella," "The Juniper Tree," and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

• Organize initial ideas in a coherent manner.

• Engage the reader with a compelling exposition that establishes a majestic setting.

• Use many appropriate narrative techniques (dialogue, dialect, description, pacing, etc.) to enhance a fairy tale plot.

• Draft a coherent, cohesive, and appropriate narrative that builds toward a particular tone and outcome (a sense of mystery, suspense, etc.).

• Use precise words and phrases, active verbs, and sensory language to convey a compelling story.

• Draft an unrushed conclusion that resolves conflicts and conveys a theme.

• Show mastery of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

Unit plans are available for a variety of writing tasks:

• Writing Adventure Fiction - Google and printable versions

• Writing Dinosaur Tales - Google and printable versions

• Writing Fantasy Fiction - Google and printable versions

• Writing Gothic Fiction - Google and printable versions

• Writing Realistic Fiction - Google and printable versions

• Writing Science Fiction - Google and printable versions