Blue Room: The Brothers Grimm

The Grimm Brothers, who authored many fairy tales, will be the focus of lessons throughout the month. While the Grimms may not have necessarily come up with the idea for each and every tale they have told, they are responsible for the tales as we now know them. The Grimm Brothers were avid collectors of folk tales. They took stories they had heard in their travels and transcribed them so that the world would have the opportunity to experience some of these magical and sometimes dark tales. Week 1 in the Blue Room is focused on one of the Grimm Brothers most famous fairy tales ever told, the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpelstiltskin is the story of a miller’s daughter whom the king believes can spin straw into gold. The king brings the miller’s daughter to his castle and asks her to spin straw into gold. She receives help from a strange little man and agrees to give him her first born child in exchange for his help. After becoming queen and giving birth to her first child, the strange little man returns to collect what is owed him. The only way the queen can save her child from its fate is to guess the name of the strange little man. The queen, after several wrong guesses, finally discovers the name of the strange little man causing him to disappear never to be heard from again.

Week 1 Sub Theme Objectives:

1. Be introduced to the Grimm Brothers and know why their stories have become so famous.

2. Be familiar with the story Rumplestilskin including the characters and events of the story as well as where the story originated.

3. Become familiar with the words miller, spinning wheel, spool and gleaming so as to better understand the text when read.

In the Blue Room will be focused on another of the Grimm Brothers famous tales, Little Red Riding Hood. Little Red Riding Hood is the story of a little girl who encounters a wolf in the forest while on her way to bring a basket of goodies to her grandmother. The wolf manages to get to the grandmother’s house before the little girl and tries to fool the little girl by pretending to by her grandmother. Just as the wolf attempts to eat the little girl a woodsmen happens by and rescues both the little girl and her grandmother.

Week 2 Sub Theme Objectives

1. Be starting to become more familiar with the Grimm Brothers and know why their stories have become so famous.

2. Be familiar with the story Little Red Riding Hood including the characters and events of the story as well as where the story originated.

3. Become familiar with the words bouquet, thicket, woodsmen and spectacles so as to better understand the text when read.

Week 3 in the Blue Room will be focused on another of the Grimm Brothers classic tales, Rapunzel. The story of Rapunzel begins with a man and woman who longed to have a child. Once their dream had come true, the woman had a craving for the rapunzel that grew in the sorceress’ garden. The woman asked her husband to go and steal some of the rapunzel. The sorceress caught the man in her garden and told him that he could continue to take the rapunzel if he promised to give his child to her when it was born. The husband agreed and on the day the child was born, the sorceress came and took the child away. The sorceress raised the child into adolescence and at that time placed her into a tower to keep her away from the dangers of the world. Little did the sorceress know that a young prince would come along and fall in love with Rapunzel. The prince found a way to get into the tower and marry Rapunzel. When the sorceress found out about the prince she became enraged and sent Rapunzel away. The story ends with Rapunzel and her prince finding one another again and living happily ever after.

Week 3 Sub Theme Objectives:

1. Be familiar with the Grimm Brothers and know why their stories have become so famous.

2. Be familiar with the story Rapunzel including the characters and events of the story as well as where the story originated.

3. Become familiar with the words sorceress, rapunzel (the herb in the story), tower and blind so as to better understand the text when read.

The last week of the month will again follow a similar format to that of weeks 1, 2 and 3; however, week 4 will be focused on the famous Grimm’s fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. Hansel and Gretel, is the story of two children who are forced to leave their home by their stepmother. Once they can no longer find their way back home, they wander through the forest and happen upon a house made of sweets. While eating the house, an old woman comes out of the house pretending to be good. She brings them into her home and lets them rest in her bed. The next morning the woman puts the children in cages. She lets Gretel out to help her cook and fatten up Hansel. Hansel knows the evil woman has bad eyesight and tricks her by holding out a bone when she asks him to stick out his finger to check for plumpness. The children work together to put an end to the evil woman and find their way home.

Week 4 Sub Theme Objectives:

1. Be familiar with the Grimm Brothers and know why their stories have become so famous.

2. Be familiar with the story Hansel and Gretel including the characters and events of the story as well as where the story originated.

3. Become familiar with the words pebbles, cottage, courage and abandon so as to better understand the text when read.

The following learning goals will also be addressed in lessons throughout the month. These learning goals are designed to introduce students to Kindergarten and First-Grade-Level  concepts in developmentally and age appropriate ways. Practice some or all of these concepts at home throughout the month to further your child’s comprehension of the concept!

Speaking Applications (level k):

1. Describe people, places and things, locations and actions as they relate to a story
2. Relate a story in a logical sequence

Reading Comprehension (level k):

1. Use pictures and context to make predictions about story content

Writing (level k):

1. Write upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet independently attending to the form and proper spacing of the letters

Letters:

Recognition, Sounds and Writing

The learning of letters is worked into each and every lesson that students participate in in the Blue Room. Teachers plan “Alphabet Opportunities” so that students have ample time to practice letter recognition, phonics and letter writing throughout the month.