Cinderella
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Materials Needed:
1. Begin by bringing the
class together and saying some major themes from many Cinderella stories such
as, "There once was a beautiful woman who was abused and neglected by mean
family members. She was kind and good and was helped by a magical friend. In the
end, she marries a man who is part of the royal family."
2. Continue by asking,
"Does anyone have a guess as to what story that might be?" Allow the children
time to make guesses as to what they believe the story is. Follow this
questioning with the reading of Cinderella.
3. After reading,
continue by saying, "There are many stories in our world that follow the story
line pattern of Cinderella. In fact, almost every country in the world
has a Cinderella story!" (For more information see
background information.)
4. Continue by saying,
"Today we are going to read a story called, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters,
which is a Cinderella story from a country in Africa called
Read
the story aloud to your class.
5.
After reading ask the children, "What are some of the things in this story that
remind you of Cinderella? What are some differences?" Allow the children
to suggest some similarities and differences between the two stories. Continue
by asking, "Why do you think these two stories are so much alike? What
messages/values do both books have in common?" Allow the children to speculate
some ideas. (For example, they are alike because most people in our world like
to see good people win in the end, and love is a universal theme. Their messages
and values are similar in that good overcomes evil in both stories.)
6.
Using a Venn diagram, chart the characteristics of Cinderella in one
circle and Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters in the other. The points which
are the same within the stories will be found in the area where the circles
overlap in the center. (For example, both stories include a mean sister, a kind
father who lives throughout the entire story, a magical character, and a
marriage into the royal family.)
Assessment:
Later, read another African Cinderella story such as Egyptian Cinderella
or Nomi and the Magic Fish. Ask the children to write down one similarity
and one difference between the new story and Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
or Cinderella, demonstrating their ability to compare and contrast
similar story lines.
Cinderella Around the World Information
Within our world, there are certain themes that seem to resurface, time and time
again. One such theme is linked closely with the story line of fairy
tales--Cinderella in particular. The story of Cinderella is a timeless tale
including elements of magic, misfortune, love, and the universal struggle of
good versus evil. This story line deals with universal issues and is found in
many variations around the world. Some of these countries and cultures include
Vietnam, China, Korea, the Philippines, India, Egypt, England, Russia,
Czechoslovakia, Germany, several Native American nations, Appalachia, the
American South, and France (origin of the Cinderella story with which many
Americans are most familiar).
The tale of Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters is an African Cinderella story,
originating from the country of
