Fairytale Fix-It Shop: A Creative Storytelling Lesson on Narrative Elements

Spark imagination and teach foundational story structure with our 'Fairytale Fix-It Shop' lesson plan. Designed for preschoolers and kindergarteners, this hands-on activity uses the classic tale of 'The Three Little Pigs' to introduce core narrative elements like characters, setting, and problem. Students get to creatively 'fix' the story by changing one key ingredient, empowering them to retell a brand new tale through drawing, building, or performance. This lesson is perfect for educators and parents looking to build early literacy, creative thinking, and storytelling skills in a fun, interactive way.

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Lesson Plan: The Fairytale Fix-It Shop

Subject: Fairytale & Storytelling

Student: Arturo (Age 5)

Focus: This lesson moves beyond simply listening to fairytales and empowers Arturo to become a creator. By changing one key element of a familiar story, he will learn the basic ingredients of a narrative (characters, setting, problem) and use his imagination to build a brand new tale.

Materials Needed:

  • A copy of the book "The Three Little Pigs" (or a video version)
  • Large sheet of paper or whiteboard
  • Markers or crayons
  • Optional: Building blocks (like LEGOs or wooden blocks), simple craft puppets (e.g., paper bag puppets), or a shoebox to create a small stage.
  • "Story Twist" cards (3 small pieces of paper with one drawing on each: a friendly-looking wolf, a house made of cookies, and a pig who is a superhero).

Lesson Procedure

Part 1: The Story Warm-Up (5 minutes)

  1. Engage: Say, "Arturo, today we're going to open a Fairytale Fix-It Shop! Sometimes stories need a little twist to make them new and exciting. But first, let's remember a classic story."
  2. Read Aloud: Read "The Three Little Pigs" together. Use funny voices for the characters to make it engaging. Pause to ask questions like, "What do you think will happen next?"

Part 2: Finding the Story's Ingredients (5 minutes)

  1. Discuss: After reading, lay out the large piece of paper. Say, "Every story has secret ingredients, just like a cookie! Let's figure out the ingredients for 'The Three Little Pigs'."
  2. Identify Components: Draw three simple boxes on the paper. Label them with simple pictures: a person (for Characters), a house (for Setting), and a sad face (for Problem).
  3. Fill in the Blanks: Ask Arturo to help you fill in the boxes.
    • "Who was in our story?" (Pigs, Wolf). Draw stick figures in the "Characters" box.
    • "Where did the story happen?" (In the woods, in their houses). Draw trees and houses in the "Setting" box.
    • "What was the big problem?" (The wolf wanted to blow their houses down!). Draw a wolf huffing and puffing in the "Problem" box.

Part 3: The "What If?" Game (10 minutes)

  1. Introduce the Twist: Say, "Now for the fun part! In our Fix-It Shop, we change one ingredient to make a whole new story. What if we changed... the problem?"
  2. Use the "Story Twist" Cards: Lay out the three pre-made cards.
    • Show the friendly wolf card: "What if the wolf wasn't big and bad? What if he was friendly and just wanted to borrow some sugar for a cake?"
    • Show the cookie house card: "What if the houses weren't made of straw, sticks, and bricks? What if they were made of cookies, pretzels, and gingerbread?"
    • Show the superhero pig card: "What if one of the pigs was actually a superhero with super strength?"
  3. Student Choice: Let Arturo pick the "Story Twist" card that he finds the most exciting. This will be the new ingredient for his story.

Part 4: Create Your New Story! (15 minutes)

  1. Explain the Task: "Great choice! Now it's your turn to be the storyteller. Using our new ingredient, how will 'The Three Little Pigs' story change? You get to decide how to tell your new story!"
  2. Provide Creative Options: Offer Arturo a choice of how he wants to create and present his new tale.
    • Option A: Draw the Story. Give him a piece of paper folded into three sections for "Beginning," "Middle," and "End." He can draw his new story like a comic book.
    • Option B: Build the Story. Get out the building blocks. He can build the new houses and use figurines to act out the new plot.
    • Option C: Perform the Story. Use puppets or simply act out the parts of the characters in the new version of the tale.
  3. Guided Creation: While he works, guide him with questions like, "So, if the wolf is friendly, what does he say to the first pig?", "What happens to the cookie house when the wolf visits?", "How does the story end now? Does everyone become friends?"

Part 5: Showtime! (5 minutes)

  1. Share: Announce, "Welcome everyone to the grand premiere of Arturo's new fairytale!" Give him the floor to share his creation. He can talk you through his drawings, show you his block creation, or perform his puppet show.
  2. Celebrate: Applaud his creativity and effort. Talk about what you liked best. "I loved how you made the wolf and pigs become friends at the end! That was a fantastic idea." This positive reinforcement validates his creative choices.

Assessment (Informal Observation)

  • Was Arturo able to identify the basic components (characters, problem) of the original story?
  • Did he actively participate in brainstorming a change to the story?
  • Was he able to create a new narrative (with a beginning, middle, and end) based on his chosen "twist"?
  • Did he demonstrate engagement and creative thinking during the activity?

Differentiation & Extension

  • For Extra Support: If Arturo has trouble starting, model a new story yourself first. For example, tell a quick story about the friendly wolf, then ask him to tell his own version. Provide more leading questions to help structure his narrative.
  • For an Extra Challenge: Encourage Arturo to change two ingredients from the story (e.g., the wolf is friendly AND the houses are in space). He could also try writing a simple title or a key sentence for his story with your help.