One of the many educational benefits of fairy tales is the nurturing of imagination, a vital tool used in the art of problem solving. This skill came in handy when Flood Brook middle school students took on the task of performing a selection of plays based on the Grimms’ Fairy Tales.
“Our kids have excelled this year using project-based-learning, an educational device that offers hands-on experience with real world situations,” said Erica Bizaoui, Flood Brook middle school teacher. “Performing the fairy tales required the full use of their imaginations as they collectively met the challenges of putting on a show.”
The catalog of the Grimms’ Fairy tales dates back to the early 19th century. It’s much larger than Snow White and Hansel and Gretel. The two Grimm brothers, Wilhelm and Jacob, put into words and illustrations over 200 folktales that had been handed down for ages in Germany.
“Most people don’t realize that many of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales are pretty grim, people die,” says Bizaoui. “They were originally published to preserve the folklore of central Europe, not entertain children.”
With plenty of material to work with, the FBS seventh and eighth graders selected a few magical stories, including The Fitcher’s Bird, The Three Snake Leaves and The Death of the Little Hen. Once the plays were designated then the real work began. Actor rehearsals, set design and construction, costume selections, director notes, stage management and more needed to be worked out - all challenges of putting on a show that required imagination and problem solving.
Working on a limited budget created an additional obstacle to climb. Recycled cardboard and stored cans of paint were in high demand for the building of sets. The Thrifty Attic of Londonderry created a generous fairy tale of its own by welcoming the students into the shop and allowing them to borrow scarves, hats, dresses and jewelry.
“The plays demanded collaboration to triumph,” said Bizaoui. “By working together and bringing out the best of themselves, the kids were able to give a winning performance. They especially succeeded by incorporating comedy and a sense of humor into the production, making these Grimms’ stories fun.”
(Photo above: The 7th and 8th grade cast and crew take a “curtain call” at their performance of Grimms’ Fairy Tales.)
Narrators bridge the audience to the story during the production of “The Death of the Little Hen.”
The cast prepares for a battle scene in the performance of one of the Grimms’ Brothers plays produced by Flood Brook middle school students.
The three sisters prepare for their escape from the Sorcerer in the Grimm Fairy Tale “The Fitcher’s Bird.”
The King is challenged in “The Three Snake Leaves,” a story about love, death, and strange magic.