Please note: This is a basic class plan for people who have never taught a group of children before. Seasoned teachers will be able to adapt the format to fit their own classroom environments.

Why teach a Values Class?

• To drive home the point that holding positive values is important to do.
• To establish expectations for children.
• To create a common language.

Why use fairytales?

• Fairytales speak the language of children. Positive messages woven through fairytales are easily absorbed by children, while messages perceived as instructions or orders are likely to be rejected.
• The multicultural quality of fairytales & folk tales demonstrates to children that people all over the world share many of the same values and concerns.

Why use Whootie Owl's stories?

• Kid-testing. The stories in this collection were the unanimous, enthusiastic favorites in testing before a live audience. Whootie's stories are sure crowd-pleasers.
• Nondenominational stories. The collection has been carefully screened to eliminate any stories with race, age, or gender bias.
• Copyright-available. All are derived from sources in the public domain, so you can photocopy them as needed.
• ... and they're FREE!

--Ready to get started?--

Whootie Owl's Fairytales & Values Class Plan

Introduction:
[Before the first class, print out the list of Whootie Owl story titles that reflect the age of your students. That is: Go to the Choose a Story page. On the left hand side of the page you'll see a gray screened area titled "Search by Age", located below Whootie Owl. Click the box beside the age range of your students and click the "Go" star. Then print the page that appears.]
        Let the youngsters know they're in for a treat. Tell them you're going to set aside some time to read them some fairytales & folk tales from around the world, and then you will all talk about them. Ask: From what country would you like to hear a story?

[Note: It's important to let your students select the countries. This way, they become engaged from the very first in shaping the class.]

In smaller classes, students can simply call out their choices and you can accept more than one choice per student. In larger classes, you can go around the room one by one asking each child to choose one country.

As kids suggest various countries, refer to your list of Whootie Owl's available stories for your age group. For countries not represented on the list, say, "I'm sorry but we don't have a story available from that country." Let the child make another choice. If you have a blackboard, write down the countries requested by kids. When a country is selected more than once, place an additional mark next to that country's name. That way, you'll be able to determine which countries hold the keenest interest for your students.

Let them know the overall structure of the class; that there will be four fairytale classes, and the date and time for each.

Preparation for the four classes:
Take these three factors into account: (1) the countries requested by your students; (2) the age-appropriate stories on Whootie Owl's list; and (3) the type of stories you think your students would most enjoy; and (4) 45-minute time frame of the class.

Now you can construct your plan of which stories to read on which classes. The approximate time it takes to read aloud each of Whootie Owl's stories is indicated to the right of each story title. Figure about five minutes to introduce each story and another 5-10 minutes to discuss it. Two stories per class is recommended. Try to achieve, if possible, a geographical balance in the stories overall for your four-session class.

The two examples below give you an approximate idea how to organize class time; the schedule will vary based on your reading style and the ressponsiveness of your class.

• Tip #1: Remember to read the stories yourself before the class begins! It will result in a smoother, more heartfelt reading.

• Tip #2: If your class size is small (ten or fewer students) and if the time of day works out for this, try to coordinate the Fairytales & Values Class with a snack. Young people respond very positively to snacks (especially juice & cookies). Delivering snacks before delivering a story creates a positive association for the children.

• Tip #3: Bring to class one of the shorter "Riddles" stories. This will be handy if reading the first story takes longer than you expected, and you notice you don't have enough time remaining to read another 10-15 minute story.

The First Class:
Announce to your class the stories you'll be reading, and the countries where those stories originate. Let the students know that after each story, you're going to talk about the story as a class.

• Tip #1: Say, "Now, which story would you like to hear first?" Ask for a show of hands to vote. It actually makes no difference which order of stories you use, but this technique further involve the students in the process.

• Tip #2: After you announce the title of the first story, say, "Who was it who wanted a story from [that country]"? That student(s) will be happy to identify him/herself.

• Tip #3: Ask if a student would like to step up to show the class on the map/globe where that country is located. Select a student who hasn't spoken up yet.

Read the first story from beginning to end. Try to discourage interruptions, unless the questions raise points of clarification. If kids continue to interrupt, hold your hand up and say, "Let's hold questions until the end."

At the conclusion of the first story, ask the first discussion question. Write the students' responses on the blackboard. Ask them the second discussion question, and write down those responses, too. Typically, the first discussion question addresses a point specific to the story, whereas the second discussion question is open-ended to engage kids in personal reflection and discussion.

Announce the title of the second story. Ask a student to show the class on the map/globe where that country is located. Read and discuss the second story. Conclude the first class.

Second, Third & Fourth Classes:
Follow the same procedure as in the first class. That is: Announce the title of the story, ask a child to show the class the location of that country on a map/globe, then read and discuss the story.

Follow-up:
The most powerful impact from Whootie Owl's Fairytales & Values Class can occur after the class is over, when a classroom incident or personality clash presents an opportunity to remind students of the positive behavior illustrated by a character from a story. Say: "This reminds me of the part in the [story title]." Or: "Do you remember what [character] did in the story?" or: "Remember how scared [character] was in [story title]? Or: "The way you handled that situation reminds me of [story title]." Finding real-life parallels in current world events, classroom lessons, and playground experiences can help keep the material alive. Isolated experiences tend to fade, while reinforced experiences become incorporated inside the hearts and minds of children.