Exploring the genre of 'Hansel and Gretel'
I can explain what a fairytale is.
Exploring the genre of 'Hansel and Gretel'
I can explain what a fairytale is.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- A fairytale is a children's story about magical and imaginary beings and lands.
- Fairytales belong to the genre of folklore where oral stories are shared and passed down over time.
- Hansel and Gretel originated in Germany and was first recorded by the Brothers Grimm.
- Fairytales have specific features e.g. they involve magical elements and often include good vs evil.
- Anthony Browne wrote his own adaptation of 'Hansel and Gretel' and uses his illustrations to convey hidden messages.
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
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.
To help you plan your year 4 english lesson on: Exploring the genre of 'Hansel and Gretel', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 4 english lesson on: Exploring the genre of 'Hansel and Gretel', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 english lessons from the 'Hansel and Gretel': reading unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
a traditional story which has elements of magic and fantasy
an information text about a real person's life
a text that provides real facts or information
a type of writing that can evoke emotion and can rhyme