Fairy Tales: Teacher Resources

"The first new approach to fairy tale history in decades, this book answers questions about where fairy tales came from and how they spread, illuminating a narrative process long veiled by surmise and assumption."

"A provocative new theory about fairy tales from one of the world's leading authoritiesIf there is one genre that has captured the imagination of people in all walks of life throughout the world, it is the fairy tale. Yet we still have great difficulty understanding how it originated, evolved, and spread—or why so many people cannot resist its appeal, no matter how it changes or what form it takes. In this book, renowned fairy-tale expert Jack Zipes presents a provocative new theory about why fairy tales were created and retold—and why they became such an indelible and infinitely adaptable part of cultures around the world."

"Children’s literature helps a young child
make sense of what it is to be human and helps them understand the world around them. The fairy tale genre provides ways for children to receive important messages. Although there are some themes in fairy tales that are unrealistic, the overall effect is positive and offers fundamental elements for children’s development ... "

"Everyone knows them – but how do they come to be? And why are they similar all over the world? In an excerpt from her new book, academic and writer Marina Warner investigates ... "

"When the people of Hamelin refused to pay the Pied Piper what they had promised, he led the children of the village away with his magical music. This key moment in a familiar fairy tale carries many insights. It is, at once, a commentary on social values, a vivid example of family tragedy, and a bit of personal psychology. Folklore is compacted wisdom literature that yields more information with each reading ... "

"The Teacher Notes ... include curriculum links for both primary and secondary levels across the Australian Curriculum (Version 9.0) and Queensland Senior Visual Art syllabus. ‘Fairy Tales’ provides opportunities to explore connections across the subject areas of Visual Arts, Media Arts and English."

"Seven sources from the National Library of Scotland's collections highlight different aspects of fairy tales. A larger PDF version of each source is provided which can be used on an interactive whiteboard or downloaded and printed off. Source 1 introduces the theme of fairy tales as a genre. Sources 2, 3 and 4 explore different character types — the hero, the villain and the helper. Sources 5 and 6 illustrate two popular fairy tale settings — the forest and the castle. Source 7 takes an image from a fairy tale, and asks: 'What happens next?'"

"Jack and the Beanstalk, Henny Penny, The Three Bears, and The Three Little Pigs were collected by the folklorist Joseph Jacobs and printed in his book English Fairy Talesin 1890. Among other academic pursuits, Jacobs went on to publish several other collections, including More English Fairy Tales and Celtic Fairy Tales. Yet Jacobs was born, raised, and university-educated in Sydney, Australia, and he cites his childhood memory as the source for some of these popular tales. In the preface to English Fairy Taleshe writes ‘Who says that English folk have no fairy tales of their own?’ and goes on to explain his patriotic reasons for publishing the collection.[i] These include a desire to see English children being told English tales, helping to bridge the gap between the upper and lower classes, and encouraging more tales to come to light. So why did Joseph Jacobs not feel the need to undertake this task in Australia? ... "