English Year 2 Spring Traditional Tales and Fables

Websites
Russian animation of a Baba Yaga story (from 3:15 to 4:28) from YouTube.com
Story of Baba Yaga told by Wilf Merttens from YouTube.com
German song about Hansel and Gretel from YouTube.com

Day 1 Teaching
Introduce and tell the first part of the story of Baba Yaga and the Black Geese. Talk together about the character of Olga in the story and make predictions about what might happen to her next.
Activity
Talk in pairs about other questions about the story, writing some answers in sentences. Draw pictures of the story and then sequence them. Show how to make a story-map for the first part of the story.

Day 2 Teaching
Tell the second part of the story of Baba Yaga and the Black Geese. Use Book-Talk questions to talk in pairs about the story. Make a brief list of the order of events together.
Activity
Make story-maps for the second part of the story. Discuss the character of Olga and then watch an extract of a version of the story in Russian.

Day 3 Teaching
Watch an extract of Wilf Merttens telling the story of Baba Yaga. Notice what he does to make the story interesting and make a list together of tips for storytelling. Model telling the first part of the story of Baba Yaga.
Activity
Use story-maps to practise telling the second part of the story. Work individually, then with a partner and finally in a group of four, using your story telling tips. Enjoy watching the rest of Wilf Merttens’ telling and talk about how traditional tales come in different versions.

Day 4 Teaching
Talk together about the character of Baba Yaga, finding words and phrases that describe her. Tell the story of Hansel and Gretel and respond to it using the Book-Talk questions. Watch a short animation of the story in German.
Activity
Make a story-map of Hansel and Gretel and practise using it to tell the story. Talk together about the character of the witch and compare her to Baba Yaga. Find other similarities between these two traditional tales.

Why not me? 

This story plays with the genre of traditional stories. A woodpecker wants to know why she is not in any tale. This story draws children’s attention to a wide range of tales and then challenges the reader to write a story with a woodpecker in it! 

You can purchase printed copies of this Group Reader from Hamilton Education.

Group Reader
Why not Me? by Ruth Merttens

Day 1 Teaching
Read and talk about Why Not Me? by Ruth Merttens. Look together at the second sentence and notice the word ‘but’. Explain that this is a conjunction, joining together two ideas in one sentence. Use the presentation to teach about coordinating clauses using conjunctions.
Activity
Extend sentences about Why Not Me? using coordinating conjunctions. Write own extended sentences about the animal characters from the book. Make a list of all the traditional tales in this book and look out for them next time you visit the library!

Day 2 Teaching
Read a story about two children: Millie and Victor. Compare it with Hansel and Gretel and Baba Yaga. Use the third sentence of the story to notice and talk about the word ‘that’ – another conjunction. Teach about subordinating conjunctions using a Powerpoint.
Activity
Identify subordinating conjunctions in the story of Millie and Victor. Write sentences to continue the next part of the story using subordinating conjunctions.

Day 3 Teaching
Remember the woodpecker’s request from Why Not Me? Talk together about how the story of Millie and Victor could include a woodpecker. Make a story-map to record ideas. Use a Powerpoint to consolidate and extend understanding of subordination and coordination.
Activity
Write the end of the story of Millie and Victor using conjunctions to extend sentences. Share stories together and talk about which conjunctions were easy to use and which were harder.

Grammar Presentation: Co-ordinating and subordinating conjunctions
Learn how to join clauses using subordinating and co-ordinating conjunctions.

Why not me? 

This story plays with the genre of traditional stories. A woodpecker wants to know why she is not in any tale. This story draws children’s attention to a wide range of tales and then challenges the reader to write a story with a woodpecker in it! 

You can purchase printed copies of this Group Reader from Hamilton Education.

Texts
Hansel and Gretel by Anthony Browne
Baba Yaga by Tony Bradman

Group Reader
Hansel and Gretel by Ruth Merttens

Additional texts
You do not need these texts to teach this unit, but children may enjoy reading them after Day 4.
Hansel and Gretel by Josephine Collins
Hansel and Gretel by Bethan Woollvin
Hansel and Gretel by Michael Morpurgo
Babushaka Baba Yaga by Patricia Polacco

Day 1 Teaching
Introduce the Anthony Browne version of Hansel and Gretel. Children discuss the similarities and differences with other versions of this traditional tale. They sequence the story and look at Anthony Browne’s quirky additions.
Activity
Children choose one of the illustrations and write about the feelings it inspires and how it makes this version of that part of the story different. They compare ideas.

Day 2 Teaching
Children look at a different version of the Baba Yaga story, the one by Tony Bradman. They read this together and discuss how it differs from other versions. They discuss whether they like it better or not.
Activity
Children use the illustration of Natasha cleaning the floor to discuss and write about what Natasha might be thinking. They try to get inside this character’s head. Discuss characterisation in the plenary.

Day 3 Teaching
Children look at Baba Yaga’s house and then back at the witch’s house in Hansel and Gretel. They consider how the witches are different in different versions of these two stories, and also how the witches’ houses reflect these differences.
Activity
Children compare witches and witches’ houses and other aspects of different versions of these traditional tales. They use Comparison Cards and a Comparison Table and then come together to agree some of their comparisons.

Day 4 Teaching
Children look together at a series of pictures displaying the covers of different versions of Hansel and Gretel. What do the covers and blurbs tell us about these versions. Discuss how different versions can highlight different aspects of the story – and sometimes even change the ending!
Activity
Children work in pairs and groups to read independently a version of Hansel and Gretel (Hamilton Group Reader) and then discuss how this is same/different from other versions. Which do they prefer?

Hansel and Gretel

This is a great new version of the traditional tale.  Hansel is a dog and Gretel is a cat and the story has all the usual excitement plus an added twist of the animal characters to entertain.  Suitable for beginning readers.

You can purchase printed copies of this Group Reader from Hamilton Education.

Essential texts
Hansel and Gretel by Anthony Browne
Baba Yaga by Tony Bradman

Day 1 Teaching
Talk about the illustration of the Witch’s House in Anthony Browne’s Hansel and Gretel. Read some statements by Hansel about the house and some questions from Gretel. Use a Powerpoint to teach about statements and questions.
Activity
Using an illustration of Baba Yaga’s House, write statements and a question. Write an answer to another child’s question. Compare the illustrations and choose your favourite.

Day 2 Teaching
Talk about the illustration pf Baba Yaga’s House from Baba Yaga by Tony Bradman. Imagine what you would tell a friend who had found this house to do. Read some advice and use a Powerpoint to learn about command sentences.
Activity
Using an illustration of the house from Hansel and Gretel, talk together and then write advice using command sentences. Hear the sentences and then talk about the different illustrations, choosing the favourite. Outside of the lesson, make a picture of either of the two houses.

Day 3 Teaching
Read some writing about Baba Yaga’s house. Identify the statements, questions, exclamations and commands in this writing. Use a Powerpoint to teach about exclamations.
Activity
Children write about their own house pictures using a mixture of sentences. They share this writing with a partner and then present it neatly, so that it can be displayed with their pictures.

Grammar Presentation: Statements, question, commands and exclamations
Learn about different sentence types and their correct punctuation.

Recommended texts
Hansel and Gretel by Anthony Browne
Baba Yaga by Tony Bradman
(You may have used these texts in detail in Unit 3)

Day 1 Teaching
Introduce the idea of Story-Pegs and model how these can be used to tell the stories of Baba Yaga and Hansel and Gretel.
Activity
Children choose one of the stories and practise telling it using the Story-Pegs. Finish by telling a mixed-up version of the two stories!

Day 2 Teaching
Model telling a new story using the same Story-Pegs from Day 1. Show how to fill in a Story Map Planner to record these ideas.
Activity
Children use a Story Map Planner to plan their own witch stories. They talk through the stories with a partner, who listens carefully and reports back to others.

Day 3 Teaching
Look at different story beginnings. Use one of these starters and model writing the start of your story from Day 2. Think aloud and show how to use conjunctions to create longer sentences.
Activity
Children write the start of their stories, referring to their Story Map Planners. They refer to a word bank and conjunctions list as they do. They read through their writing and highlight any sentences that they have written that use conjunctions.

Day 4 Teaching
Look together at the endings of the stories in book-versions of Hansel and Gretel and Baba Yaga. Use partner-talk for children to think through a detailed ending to their story.
Activity
Children complete their stories. They read them out loud to a partner and listen out for missing words or sentence punctuation. Make plans together for presenting and publishing your finalised stories.