Mary Pitner's

Cinderella Page

Cinderella is one of my favorite childhood stories. The original version has been traced back to China. Most of us are familiar with the version written by Charles Perrault and published in 1697 in Paris. There are over one thousand versions of the story, many from cultures all around the world.

One of my students' favorite activities is a unit based on the many different versions of the fairy tale, Cinderella. We read a different version each day. The students keep a Cinderella Journal and write notes about each version. They also keep records of various elements of each story. We post all the information on a giant chart on one of the boards. At the end of the unit, we use this information to compile a database on the computer and convert it into various charts, graphs and Venn Diagrams. This helps us compare and contrast the stories. The students vote on their favorite version and use the tallies to make spreadsheets. They also convert these into charts and graphs on the computer. Here is an example of a table we use to keep up with our notes.

Cinderella

Title

Country

Main Character

Family

Helper

Vehicle

Test

Celebration

Costume

As we read a new version, a student marks the country of origin on a wall map. Each child also develops their map key to chart the origins on a map in their journal. Make a large mural showing different parts of the story as told by the different versions. For example, the visit from the fairy godmother could be an illustration from one book and the vehicle a picture from another. A fun culminating activity is to have each child write his own version of the fairy tale. After proofreading their work with a partner, they edit and publish their own books.

The children work on skills across the curriculum throughout this unit. In addition to the ideas mentioned above, I have listed examples of activities with each version that you might want to try with your students. There are also several links to other sites on Cinderella at the end of the page.

Title and Author

Notes

Activities

Midnight, A Cinderella Alphabet, by Stephanie Perkal

Overview of many different versions of CINDERELLA. Each letter of the alphabet introduces a new story.

• Start off your unit with this book.
• Students may want to model their journals after this book.
• Students can write their own ABC Cinderella books. Have them use adjectives to describe various elements. For example, one of the S page's headings could be "Slipper" with a list of all the adjectives describing the slipper.

Cinderella, by Marcia Brown

I use this familiar version before my students are exposed to any others.

• Have students make an outline of the familiar version. They should be sure to include at least 2 notes under each heading.

Prince Cinders, by Babette Cole

Fun, modern version to begin comparing

• Have students write Part II and tell how the hairy brothers liked being house fairies.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, An African Tale, by John Stepto

An African Tale of pride going before a fall.

• After reading the translation of the names from the story, have students research the origins of their own names.
• Using the beautiful illustrations as a starting point, have students research the vegetation and wildlife of the Zimbabwe region.

The Turkey Girl, A Zuni Cinderella Story, by Penny Pollock

Native American version from the Zuni culture in New Mexico about our relationship with nature.

• Ask students to use the Internet or other reference materials to research the culture of the Zuni tribe. Ask them to make a drawing showing the turkey girl dressed in native costume.
• Ask students to identify the lesson this story teaches us about our relationship with nature. Have them give examples of ways they can show respect for nature.

The Korean Cinderella, by Shirley Climo

Beautiful illustrations show us many symbols of Korean culture.

• Divide the students into groups. Each group should research a Korean festival and make a presentation to the class.

Cinder-Elly, by Frances Minters

Another modern day version set in a big city at a school basketball game.

• Divide the book up into sections. Have different groups of students perform their section as a rap. Kids love this! Be sure to video it. Include rapping sound effects.
• Students can make their own poster asking help finding the owner of the glass sneaker. They must include only important details.

Sootface, An Ojibwa Cinderella Story, by Robert D. San Souci

Beautiful Native American version from the Northeast and Great Lakes areas.

• Students can research the culture of the Ojibwa tribes.
• Students can make a list of their daily chores and compare them with those of Sootface.
• Make models of the bow and arrow used by the hunter.

Dinorella, A Prehistoric Fairy Tale, by Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole

Hilarious alliterative version.

• Young readers can identify the words beginning with D.
• Introduce older students to the technique of alliteration.
• Pick out parts of speech.
• Re-write the story using another beginning sound.

Cinder Edna, by Ellen Jackson

This version is about Cinderella and her neighbor, Edna. It teaches us to make the best of our situation.

• Compare and contrast Cinderella and Edna.
• Identify the economic concepts taught in this book.
• Students can make up jokes like Edna's. They must choose a country and an item that begins with the same letter.
• Make a flow chart showing the items that can be recycled in the story.
• Have students trace around their foot. They must decorate their foot with characteristics so that their classmates can tell who it represents.
• See how many weird recipes for tuna casserole the students can invent.

Smoky Mountain Rose, An Appalachian Cinderella, by Alan Schroeder

• Good examples of dialect
• Fun to look for examples of figurative language. Have students define and illustrate the examples.
• Have students write versions with dialect from various regions of the U. S.
• Learn different variations of a square dance.

Cinderella Penguin, or The Little Glass Flipper, by Janet Perlman

 This version is not much different from the familiar one, except that the main character is a penguin.

 Students could write the fairy tale using another animal as the main character. Their setting must be the habitat of the animal.

Cinderella Bigfoot (Happily Ever After), by Mike Thayler & Jared Lee

 Best line of the book--"Time flies when you're having a ball!"

 Ask students to find all the plays on words in the book.

Cinderella/That Awful Cinderella; A Classic Tale (Point of View), by Alvin Granowsky

 The first part of the book is the traditional version. Turn the book over and you hear the story from a different point of view. One of the wicked stepsisters tells the story as she sees it.

 Students can rewrite the story from the point of view of one of the other characters.

 Chapter Twelve in Tales From the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird, by Vivian Vande Velde

 Short chapter from a book of retelling of several familiar stories.

 Ask students to read the two pages. Have them pick out another object from the story to use as the test. They could also pretend to be a detective and prove the left behind slipper was not an accident.

 The Rough-Face Girl, by Rafe Martin

 An Algonquin Indian version. Very similar to The Sootface Girl.

 Students can draw pictures of the Invisible Being using items from nature as parts of his hunting gear.

Slender Ella And Her Fairy Hogfather, by Vivian Sathre

Easy chapter book

Good first steps for outlining. Use the chapter headings to guide students to make an outline of this and one other version.

Cendrillon, by Robert D. SanSouci

Caribbean version

Ask students to write a real-life version of Cinderella. What would they do to help a friend in trouble?

Minderella, by Margaret Snyder

Disney version, starring Minnie Mouse

Students will have fun writing a version of Cinderella that stars their favorite cartoon character.

Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story from China, by Ai-Ling Louie

One of the oldest versions

Encourage students to research the various versions and make a timeline of the dates of publication.

The Egyptian Cinderella, by Shirley Climo

Story of a maiden stolen by pirates when she was a small child.

Ask students to research the dress and culture of Egypt. Have them draw a portrait of the Egyptian Cinderella.

Internet Resources for Cinderella

 http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/cinderella.html

 The Children's Literature Web Guide has teaching guides, links, and resources for Cinderella.

 http://www-dept.usm.edu/~engdept/cinderella/cinderella.html

 Information on The Cinderella Project from the University of Southern Mississippi.

 http://homer.louisville.edu/groups/camden-www/cinder/cinder.html

 Version written by Camden Station Elementary School in Kentucky.

 http://www.informatik.uni-frankfurt.de/~fp/Disney/Lyrics/Cinderella.html

 Link to the lyrics of the songs from Disney's Cinderella.

 http://www.users.interport.net/%7Efairrosa/lists/cinderella.html

 Good list of various versions.

 http://www.taurussoftware.hostings.com/meghan/cinderella.html

 Online version of the story in Real Audio. Beautiful illustrations.

http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/special/kay/swlinks.html

Lots of links to versions of various fairy tales.

http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/misc/fairytales.html

Various activities.

http://www.cis.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1993/2/93.02.06.x.html

Entire unit!

http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftBank/3852/princec.html

Cooperative group activity based on Cinderella. Puts Cinderella on trial!

 http://members.aol.com/Tammi5/comparecultures.html

 Lesson plan for comparing two versions.