New
New
Year 4

Exploring the genre of 'Hansel and Gretel'

I can explain what a fairytale is.

New
New
Year 4

Exploring the genre of 'Hansel and Gretel'

I can explain what a fairytale is.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A fairytale is a children's story about magical and imaginary beings and lands.
  2. Fairytales belong to the genre of folklore where oral stories are shared and passed down over time.
  3. Hansel and Gretel originated in Germany and was first recorded by the Brothers Grimm.
  4. Fairytales have specific features e.g. they involve magical elements and often include good vs evil.
  5. Anthony Browne wrote his own adaptation of 'Hansel and Gretel' and uses his illustrations to convey hidden messages.

Common misconception

Children might think that because fairytales are magical they never touch on serious or dark topics.

Fairytales are stories that have been passed down through generations and often have deeper meanings related to serious topics.

Keywords

  • Fairytale - a children's story about magical and imaginary beings and lands

  • Folklore - a genre in which oral stories are shared and passed down over time

  • Good - refers to characters that are considered moral and kind

  • Evil - refers to characters that are considered extremely immoral, wicked or wrong

  • Features - a distinctive characteristic or aspect of something

Explore the genre of folklore and how it has been present in cultures around the world contributing to the passing down of stories and adaptations to them.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these best describes a fairytale?
an information text with real facts
Correct answer: a made up story with talking animals and magic
a true story about a person's life
Q2.
Starting with the first, put these parts of a fairytale in the correct order.
1 - beginning
2 - build up
3 - climax
4 - resolution
Q3.
What is the correct description of a fiction book?
a book that gives factual information
a book with lots of poems
Correct answer: a book about a made-up story
Q4.
Which of these titles are fairytales?
Correct answer: Little Red Riding Hood
Correct answer: Cinderella
Emmeline Pankhurst: Little People Big Dreams
National Geographic
Correct answer: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Q5.
Which of these would you be likely to see in a fairytale?
Correct answer: magic
Correct answer: good triumph over evil
facts
Correct answer: talking animals
information about animals
Q6.
Match the word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:fairytale,a traditional story which has elements of magic and fantasy

a traditional story which has elements of magic and fantasy

Correct Answer:biography,an information text about a real person's life

an information text about a real person's life

Correct Answer:information text,a text that provides real facts or information

a text that provides real facts or information

Correct Answer:poem,a type of writing that can evoke emotion and can rhyme

a type of writing that can evoke emotion and can rhyme

6 Questions

Q1.
What type of text is Hansel and Gretel?
a poem
Correct answer: a fairytale
a cartoon
Q2.
What is folklore?
Correct answer: the sharing and passing down of stories orally
the reading of books
new stories being written
Q3.
Which of the following are features of fairytales?
Correct answer: important moral or lesson taught
characters are always good and kind
Correct answer: set in undefined period of history
Correct answer: enchanted settings
real people and animals
Q4.
What do Anthony Browne's illustrations do?
Correct answer: support your visual understanding of what is happening
tell the whole story on their own
Correct answer: convey hidden messages within the story
teach you about the text type
Q5.
What problem do Hansel and Gretel's family face?
large amounts of crime
attacks from predatory animals
Correct answer: a lack of food
extreme weather conditions
Q6.
How did Hansel and Gretel find their way back home from the forest?
Correct answer: Hansel dropped small stones to show them the way.
Gretel collected leaves from the trees to show the way.
Hansel dropped sticks on the path to show them the way.