Content Area: Language Arts
Grade(s): 3, 4

Invitation
How does a teacher help students focus on the elements of story grammar and encourage them to write their own stories using those elements? How can a teacher use the student’s' interest in word processing to motivate them to write their own fairy and folk tales? This unit focuses on the study of existing folk and fairy tales, and guides students to write and illustrate their own tales.

Tools
Computers, printer, word processing software; Template: Fairy Tale Database; books of fairy/folk tales, chart paper, markers, large pieces of colored construction paper, colored string

Situations
The students work in the classroom during this unit. The unit requires 1-2 weeks, and approximately 2 class periods per day.

Interactions
The students work in assigned groups to read and discuss the tales. After the teacher models entering data into the database, the students complete records on their own. The students interact at the computer while typing, editing, and printing their stories. While the students write their tales, the teacher conferences with them and provides editing help as needed.

Standards (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills)
The students analyze characters, including their traits, feelings, relationships, and changes. The students compare experiences of characters across cultures. The students recognize and analyze the elements of story grammar. The students generate ideas and plans for writing by using prewriting strategies.

Tasks
The students read various fairy tales and folk tales, and then discuss story grammar in the tales. They enter the elements of the tales into a database. Then they design their own tales by working with a story grammar web and use computers to write their tales and create big books.

Assessment
Each group completes two records of the fairy/folk tale database. The teacher assesses the written tales looking for the elements of story grammar.