Lesson Plan- Red Riding Hood

Department: English                                                   Course: Contemporary Literature

Unit: Short Stories      Concept: “Little Red Riding Hood” by the Grimm Brothers

RATIONALE: This is important because this unit shows the different important elements of short stories. These “ancient” stories are important because they are being constantly adapted and readapted into modern versions today.

OBJECTIVE:

·         To understand 2 werewolf myths- This will help students better understand the heightened fascination and growing epidemic of this fantasy genre

·         To be able to identify the different versions of the werewolf in  pop culture today

To understand the idea of the werewolf and how it has progressed in newer versions and why it is still prominent.

CONTENT:

A.    “Little Red Riding Hood” (Little Red Cap) by  the Brothers Grimm

STATE STANDARDS:

·         State goal 2.A.5a (We will be able to compare and evaluate orally various eras and traditions and analyze literary devices)

·         State goal 2.A.5b (Evaluate relationships among character, plot, setting, theme, conflict, and resolution)

·         State goal 2.B.5b (Apply knowledge gained from literature as means of understanding)

Content Outline:

·         *Discuss the plot (Wolf meets Red, goes to the grandmothers and eats her and tricks little red and eats her too. A huntsman cuts them out and saves them), characters (Little Red, the wolf, Grandma, and the huntsman), setting (woods and grandma’s house), confict (conniving wolf wants to eat little Red), and themes (follow safety rules/ listen to your parents/ do not trust strangers) of  “Little Red Riding Hood”

·         Why is the whole idea of the werewolf fascinating? Why is it still such a popular icon in pop culture today? How far back do these legends go?

·         *Talk about werewolves and some of the legends behind them (King Lycaeus (5^th century greek king tested the gods and fate by serving human flesh at a banquet in their honor- as punishment the gods changed him into a wolf), The Berserkers (Legendary Norse warriors known for their savagery and reckless frenzy in battle, they wrapped themselves in the skins of bears and wolves.) The Benandanti(claimed that werewolves stayed in human form during the day and turned to wolves at night))

·         Show clips from werewolf films (An American Werewolf in London http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgh1Wuzubiw, It http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMsiWsce8s0,  New Moon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VS9GUJTQjU, Harry Potter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a7Bw93ABfA, Red Riding Hoodhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IxZIHNOfnw) Discuss how they have evolved. Why they have, and what is the most accurate.

·         Have the students find a picture of a werewolf online and pretend it is the main character in a movie and print it out and describe it/its personality/is it good or bad/etc.. Present it to the class and be prepared to answer questions about it.

Instructional Activities:

·         What is adaptation? a written work (as a novel) that has been recast in a new form;

Why are adaptations important? Why are works of literature still adapted often today?
Has anybody ever read any other versions of this story?

·         Read other version have class write down atleast 5 ways in which the story is different from the one that they read.

Have a discussion on what was the same and what was different.

·         Talk about the new Red Riding Hood. Has anybody seen it? How different was it from the two stories? Show film clip of Red Riding Hood have them write down 3 more differences from the first two. Why do you think that they chose to adapt this story further into something so different? With a love story, a twist having the wolf living in the town, etc.

·         Now I want to focus on the Werewolf. Why is the whole idea of the werewolf fascinating today? (call on people to answer) Why is it still such a popular icon in pop culture today? Has anybody seen any movies or tv shows with werewolves in them? How far back do these legends go?

·         Talk deeper about the werewolf and the myth of the werewolves (King Lycaeus, The Berserkers, The Benandanti).(see paper) (5 minutes)

·         Now, as well as the renditions of these fairy tales that have been adapted over and over again. The idea of these werewolves have been adapted as well.

·         Show clips from werewolf films (An American Werewolf in London http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgh1Wuzubiw,
Teen wolf  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbIerQkXm_k   It http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMsiWsce8s0,  New Moon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VS9GUJTQjU, Harry Potter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a7Bw93ABfA, Trueblood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmyBzJzkcx0, ) Discuss how they have evolved. Why they have, and what is the most accurate.

·         Talk about how they have changed? What is the most effective portrayal? How would you describe one? Do they really exist? In what aspect? (5-10) minutes

·         Have the students find a picture of a wearwolf online and pretend it is the main character in a movie and print it out and describe it/its personality/is it good or bad/etc.. present it to the class and be prepared to answer questions about it. (there will be a handout) (20 minutes)

·         Evaluation: (paper at the end of the unit)

(55 minutes)