Little Red Riding Hood Variations

Target Curriculum: English/Writing

Target Grade: 2

SOLs: E/W.2.2   E/W.2.5  
Time: five 30 -45 minute lessons

Objective:
To let children discover there are more ways than one to tell the same story. To allow children to see that the setting for a story can change it, yet tell the same story from a different location.To encourage children to rewrite a story, keeping the same theme, but changing the time and place and or characters. To show that there are patterns in stories than carry the plot through and that it can be recognized and identified.

Purpose:
To intergrate the Chinese ancient civilizations unit with literature and show the children how a story can have the same theme and be set in different times and places.

Materials:
books:
LonPo Po by Ed Young( Chinese folktale in which 3 sisters are left at home while their Mother goes to visit their sick Grandmother. A tricky wolf comes to visit them. Have a picture or a real Ginko leaf when you read this story. This is great to read when doing the ancient civilization China unit.)

Little Red Cap retold by Grimm Brothers translated byArthea Bell (Traditional story told with a red cap instead of a red cape.)

Little Red Cowboy Hat by Susan Lowell ( Little Red actually RIDES in this one! She rides her pony to Grandma's ranch with a jar of cactus jelly in the saddlebag. Setting is out west.)

Little Red Riding Hood by Wegman ( Story is told using photos of his dogs. It is explained that the "wolf" dog throws up the people as dogs have this ability which aids in feeding young.) )

Little Red Riding Hood retold by Trina Hyman ( Traditional story.)

Little Red Riding Hood --A New Fangled Prairie Tale by Lisa Ernst ( Again, Little Red RIDES. This time it is her bicycle. A modern approach with a surprise ending. Don't leave this one out!)

Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack ( Flossie is an African American girl who is asked by her Big Mamma (Grandma in the South term) to take a basket of eggs to the neighbors; house. Use with filmstrip/video of same title.)

video/ filmstrip:
Flossie and the Fox
Weston Woods Co.

book:
Little Red Riding Hood--Told in Signed English by Harry Bornstein and Karen SaulnierKendall Green Pub. Gallaudet Univ. Press ( Traditional story. Use with following video. Children love to learn sign language!)

Video:
Sign Me a Story
Produced by Zink Entertainment NY and Random Home Video
Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Procedure:
Lesson One:When doing the ancient civilizations unit on China, read Lon Po Po to the class. You should read the traditional Little Red Riding Hood at this time to refresh memories of the characters and setting and plot. After, do a Venn diagram with the class to compare and contrast thecharacters, setting and plot traditional Little Red with Lon Po Po. Chart title, author, illustrators.Keep track of the things Little Red takes to Grandma to eat.Discuss and show a Ginko leaf. We have a Ginko tree near our school. You can find it in an encyclopedia too.

Lesson Two: Read Little Red Cap and Little Red Cowboy Hat. Make a web for each story: characters and setting. Chart title, author and illustrators adding to lesson one's information.
Keep track of the things Little Red takes to Grandma to eat.

Lesson Three: Read Little Red Riding Hood by Wegman and Little Red Riding Hood--a New Fangled Prairie Tale. Do a story map of where Little Red goes during the story. Use symbols to show trees, flowers, path through the woods/wheat fields and her house and Grandma's house.Make a key showing the meaning for each symbol. Chart title , author, and illustrators adding to lessons one and two. Keep track of the things Little Red take to Grandma to eat.

Lesson Four: Read Flossie and the Fox. Explain Big Mamma is another way to say Grandma. Ask children what they call THEIR grandmas. You will get a list of several ways. Flossie is a bit different. She is given something FROM her grandma to take to a neighbor. Along the way she meets a fox. As you read, list all the other animals they encounter. Flossie does speak to the stranger, but she is successful in her quest. She doesn't need the woodsman to save her! She outfoxes the fox. Show the filmstrip as a reinforcement of the story. The children will enjoy it; the music is great! Chart the title, author and illustrator.Add the information to the first stories. Don't forget to add eggs as a food!

Lesson Five: Read Little Red Riding Hood told in signed English as well. Show sign language for several key words. ( You watch the video first and learn these.) Then have the children sign with you as you tell the story. Watch the video. Stop it and review the sign language with the children. They LOVE to sign! Chart the title, author and illustrators adding to lessons one through three. Keep track of the things Little Red takes to Grandma's.

Conclusion: main idea: Little Red R. H is a cautionary tale. It warns us all of the dangers of talking to strangers and the importance of locking our doors.
To reinforce this, read Little Red Riding Hood by Christopher Coady in which Little Red Riding Hood is not rescued by the woodsman. Cook up a batch of blueberry muffins, using a recipe that could be sent home as a homework assignment. ( good for math: measuring and following directions.) These are the ones from Little R. R H. - a NewFangled Prairie Tale.

You will have a long list of titles, authors, illustrators for children to choose other books by those authors. ( Lisa Ernst does wonderful books!) You will also at the end have a long list of food taken to Grandma. With this list , children could choose what they would take to their own Grandma if she were sick. How about making get well cards to Grandma and illustrating with these foods?

The ultimate would be for the class or groups to rewrite Little Red changing the setting to somewhere not in any of the books read.

Conclusions:
See procedure.

Extension:
See procedure for ideas.

Class Discussion Questions:
Which Little Reds were able to take care of themselves?
What should you do if a stranger approaches you?
Which Little Red would you like to be?
Could a boy be the main character instead of a girl?
What other animal could take the place of the wolf other than the fox?
What parts of the story are realistic and not?