Twisted Fairy Tale

In this activity, students work with fairy tales they are familiar with and then give them a twist. This could be done as a writing exercise or as a drama exercise or both!

Preparation

Have simple fairy tales for students to read first, but it may be better if they indicate which ones they are familiar with.

Procedure

1. Put learners in small groups. 2. Have them choose a fairy tale they are the most familiar with. 3. Groups storyboard for the original fairy tale. 4. Below the original storyboard, they storyboard a twisted version. 5. Encourage them to be creative. (For example: The main protagonists would look differently and would do the opposite of what they are expected to do.) 6. Have the groups prepare a short performance of the twisted version of their fairy tale.

Variations

1. Provide the twist for the fairy tale: it’s set in the 21st century; it’s in the city (as opposed to the country); all characters are animals; etc. 2. Have groups display their storyboards on the wall in the classroom and allow for peer comments and possible suggestions on how to improve the fairy tale or how to make it more twisted.

When to Use It

• To make a routine dialogue or sentence drill more engaging • To provide alternate ways of practicing speaking

Level

Skills

Practice

Materials

Fairy tales as reference

Preparation Time

None

Activity Time

15–35 minutes, depending on groups presenting