Collaborative Fairy Tale Writing

Grade Level: K-5

Academic Areas: Language Arts

Duration of service: Year Long

Character Virtues: Giving, Caring, Responsibility

Service Areas: Education/Tutoring, Human Services

 

Service Learning Project:

Participants and partners: Second- and fifth-grade students, parents, a local homeless shelter, and community members. Location: School and homeless shelter Timing: Year-long project to take place during school. Students partner with a younger student at the homeless shelter and meet once per week for 30 to 90 minutes as needed. Activities: 1) Meet weekly to establish a bond between partners 2) Collaborative writing of the fairy tale 3) Authors’ Tea at homeless shelter Academic Connection: Donation of books that demonstrate student understanding of the writing process and story elements. Special Materials: Book binder and laminating machine.

Goals and Objectives

Academic

Learning Goal: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the writing process (brainstorming, writing, revising, etc.).

Standard: ELA 1 and 2

Learning Goal: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements of a story and specifically those of a fairy tale. Standard: ELA 1 and 2

Service

Community need: Students living in homeless shelters have limited access to materials to reinforce literacy skills outside of school.

Possible Community Partners: Homeless shelter, library

Objective: Students will make books to donate to local homeless shelter or other family organizations.

Objective: Students will increase their awareness of the needs of their community and will return to the shelter to participate and help with read aloud time.

Character

Virtue: Responsibility

Objective: Students will demonstrate their commitment by working consistently with a younger partner for the duration of the project. Virtue: Caring and Giving

Objective: Students will gain compassion for those less fortunate than themselves and will extend themselves to help those with fewer resources.

 

Key Activities

Key Planning Activities

  1. Teachers at the school and the homeless shelter will collaborate to determine materials, grouping of students, prior knowledge needed for both classes, and time frame of the project.
  2. Student partners will meet with their assigned partner and engage in activities that will promote the formation of a bond (e.g., ice breakers, literacy activities, etc.).
  3. Teachers will invite representatives from the homeless shelter to discuss issues students will face when they visit.

 

 Key Service Activities

  1. Students will donate completed books to the local homeless shelter.
  2. Students will travel to the homeless shelter to participate in read aloud time and book sharing.

 

 Key Reflection Activities

  1. (oral – caring/giving) Student partners will read their fairy tale to a large group and ask for feedback from the group. Positive responses will be modeled and demonstrated by all.
  2. (written – responsibility) Students will write about their experiences while working on this project by responding to any of the following: visiting the homeless shelter, being responsible to their partner, being respectful of others while working, meeting deadlines, etc.
  3. (performance – responsibility) Students will role play difficult and successful situations they encountered at the homeless shelter..

 

Celebration Activity

Culminating activity will be hosting an Authors’ Tea celebration at the homeless shelter. Parents and community members will organize refreshment and provide support for the Authors’ Tea.