\A WebQuest to Explore an
Old Tale
Introduction ||The Task||Resources||The Process||Learning Advice||Assessment||Conclusion
\A WebQuest to Explore an
Old Tale
There are more than 500 versions of the fairy tale we know as Cinderella. Almost every American child grows up knowing about the poor young girl with the evil stepmother and wicked stepsisters, the elegant ball and the glass slippers.How has this story worked its way into such a significant place in our culture? Where and when did this famous fairy tale begin to be told? What are some of the more famous versions of this story?
In recent decades, many people have criticized Cinderella for being a sexist story with stereotypical characters and unrealistic portrayals of love and marriage.
This WebQuest has been designed as a way for you to study this story from a variety of angles and to reach your own conclusions about Cinderella. By studying the literary elements of this ancient tale, you will will be able to write your own version of Cinderella for the young people of the 21st century.
Back to Top The Task Using internet, library and classroom resources, you will explore the origins of Cinderella. Find at least three renditions of the tale. Many versions can be found within this WebQuest, others can be found in the classroom or the library. Take note of the various elements in all three stories so you will be able to write an essay in which you can compare and contrast the stories.As part of the conclusion to your essay, you should cast a critical eye upon the story. You will be able to find a variety of critical essays about Cinderella within this Webquest, but you may also do your own library or internet search.
Resources
Back to
Top
In this Webquest you will be working independently, but you should feel free to ask your peers or your teacher for assistance. You will read tales from at least three different cultures. After reading the stories, you will compile a list of similarities and differences between them. This list will serve as an outline for your essay. You will find a number of websites in the above "Resources" section of this WebQuest; these websites will include the actual stories or links to actual Cinderella stories.Once you have read the three versions of Cinderella and have taken a series of notes on the stories, you should begin to formulate your ideas about the story and begin thinking about what conclusions you will draw. Find at least one article which is critical of the Cinderella tale. You can find a variety of articles under "Resources" in the previous section of this WebQuest or you can use library or classroom resources. You will find it helpful to use "feminist theory" as one of your keywords in any type of search.
With your notes from reading the three versions and from reading the critical essay, you should have enough information to write an analytical essay about Cinderella. Your essay should be at least five paragraphs long (minimum of 1000 words) and include appropriate citations.
When you finish writing your essay, you should begin to write your own version of Cinderella. Feel free to borrow elements from any of the stories, but be sure you make your story as original as possible. You need to identify a specific audience for your story. For example, if you choose pre-schoolers as your audience, you will want to create a picture book type of story.
As you read your three versions of the fairy tale, you will want to organize your notes as you are looking for patterns. You might consider creating a table or chart to keep track of the elements you see throughout the stories. Here is one suggestion:
Appearances
Task/Roles
Test
Ending
Version One
Cinderella:
Stepmother:
Stepsisters:
Prince:
Cinderella:
Stepmother:
Stepsisters:
Prince:
Cinderella:
Prince:
Happily?
Does it include stepmother and sisters?
Version Two
Cinderella:
Stepmother:
Stepsisters:
Prince:
Cinderella:
Stepmother:
Stepsisters:
Prince:
Cinderella:
Prince:
Happily?
Does it include stepmother and sisters?
Version Three
Cinderella:
Stepmother:
Stepsisters:
Prince:
Cinderella:
Stepmother:
Stepsisters:
Prince:
Cinderella:
Prince:
Happily?
Does it include stepmother and sisters?
This WebQuest addresses the following State of Vermont Standards.
1.3 Students read for meaning, demonstrating both initial understanding and personal response to what is read.1.5 Students draft, revise, edit, and critique written products.
1.7 In written responses to literature, students show understanding of reading; connect what has been read to the broader world of ideas, concepts, and issues; and make judgments about the text.
1.18 Students use computers, telecommunications, and other tools of technology to research, to gather information and ideas, and to represent information and ideas accurately and appropriately.
5.3 Students discover universal themes by comparing a broad range of cultural expressions from various times and places.
5.11 Students use literary elements and devices--including theme, plot, style, imagery, and metaphor--to analyze, compare, interpret and create literature.
Students will provide each other with feedback on their essays and on their original tales. The class will develop a rubric to assess the standards that members of the class find most important. The teacher will assess student work utilizing the attached rubric.
|
Criteria |
Accomplished/Fantastic! |
Intermediate/Meets Standard |
Limited/Needs Revision |
|
Purpose |
Responds directly to the works of literature with analysis and personal response. Demonstrates strong sense of personal engagement in responding to the tales. Presents insightful ideas. Draws a strong conclusion about the tales. |
Responds to works of literature with a general summary, providing some or little evidence of analysis. Sense of purpose is uneven.Context limited to that of a book report. |
Responds to literature with little or no analysis, provides incomplete retellings and demonstrates misunderstanding of stories. Purpose is not evident. |
|
Comparison |
Draws clear connections between three Cinderella tales from different cultures. Compares and contrasts the tales with careful anaylsis and personal response. |
Draws connections between tales, but does not go beyond a literal interpretation of the texts. |
Attempts to draw connections, but includes few critical elements from the stories. |
|
Voice/Tone |
Personality of writer comes through in the essay. Clearly establishes the context for the essay through interesting and figurative language. Uses effective sentence patterns and diction. |
Uses appropriate vocabulary and sentence structure. |
Vocabulary and sentence structure are generally predictable and simple. No real sense of author. |
|
Organization |
Has clear, consistent coherence and organization so that the writer's own ideas are clearly related to the specific points in the work of literature. |
Organizes ideas appropriate to topic and purpose. |
Reader may or may not be able to follow the writer's line of thinking. |
|
Details |
Elaborates using concrete language and details, supporting ideas with specific references to text. |
Ideas are elaborated effectively, using some specific details. |
Shows little purposeful use of details. Elaboration may be limited to lists of details or generalities. |
Completion of this WebQuest has allowed you to integrate multiple skills and strategies as you have studied one of our culture's oldest tales. By studying at least three different versions of the same story, you will most likely pursue further cultural exploration. A culture can be defined by the stories which are told and retold within that culture. Studying the various tales and writing your original story required you to master the elements of a story--plot, conflict, character development, conclusion, etc. What connections can you draw between this project and other writing and reading activities?In addition to the typical English class lessons found in this WebQuest, you should have a new understanding of the value of fairy tales and begin to see that they are stories of deep psychological study and not merely entertaining tales for children.