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!
When to Use It
Preparation
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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. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Put learners in small groups. Have them choose a fairy tale they are the most familiar with. Groups storyboard for the original fairy tale. Below the original storyboard, they storyboard a twisted version. 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.
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Level Skills Practice Materials
Fairy tales as reference
Preparation Time None
Activity Time
15–35 minutes, depending on groups presenting
Contributor: Andrea Billíková, freelance English teacher and teacher trainer, Slovakia
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To make a routine dialogue or sentence drill more engaging To provide alternate ways of practicing speaking