Stranger Danger in the Forest:

The dark reality of fairytales in Middle School English

Fairytales provide a rich source of prior knowledge and experience (schema) that can be accessed in an international environment as we look at the fairytale genre across cultures.

Using these stories as a starting point, we will discuss the historical and social context that Fairytales were written in (the morals, values,images and messages they send / promote) and look at their relevance to children today.

Techniques of Visual Literacy will be explored to assess how students interact with texts and create meaning.

Fairytales will be will be deconstructed to explore prevailing morals and values and used as a platform to discuss contemporary issues facing young people. 

 Audience:  Upper Primary / Middle School / Library

 Workshop materials:

Presenter:

Workshop Presentation.pptLisa Magnani

Australian International School Singapore

Middle School English / Humanities Teacher

lisa_magnani@ais.com.sg

Fairytales, myths and legends inspire me as a teacher and a learner and I am constantly amazed by the possibilities for learning that stories bring to a classroom.

I have been teaching now for 5 years in both Primary and Middle school learning environments with students ranging in age from five to fourteen years. I am constantly looking for new ways to engage and excite students in the possibilities presented by Literacy, particularly Visual Literacy. This particular interest stems from a career-long passion for visual organisers and thinking tools in the classroom and life!

Projector linked to PC