Studying Cinderella stories around the world

Second-graders recently participated in a special reading enrichment unit that focused on Cinderella stories from around the world.

 

“We learned about the framework of what makes a Cinderella story, and then we studied a lot of different kinds of stories that don’t necessarily have the Cinderella name in it but have the components of a Cinderella story,” said Gwen Briesemeister, the gifted/talented coordinator for Delano Public Schools.

 

Students were challenged to understand the components of that type of story, and then be able to recognize them in different stories that might not seem to be related at first.

 

“The kids did a lot of comparing and contrasting to see the differences and similarities between the traditional Cinderella and other characters,” said Briesemeister.

 

She explained that elements of a Cinderella story include a person who is good and kind but who is treated poorly by family members. They often are aided by some form of magic or unlikely friends. Finally, they often find themselves in a position of authority or favor, against all odds, by the end of the story.

 

After studying the framework, students also studied different cultural stories and created their own story using the Cinderella framework. They concluded the unit by creating a unique shoe that their character might wear.

 

“It’s not particularly complicated, but the kids really enjoyed it,” said Briesemeister.