Fairy Dictionary

View enlargement | View next panel

Teacher: Alison Mays, George B. Armstrong School for International Studies

Suggested grade/s: 3

Illinois Learning Standards
English Language Arts 1-3
Social Science 16
Fine Arts 25, 27

Estimated time: Three class periods

Mural/s addressed

Marion Mahony Griffin, Fairies and Woodland Fairies, c. 1932, two-panel oil on canvas, George B. Armstrong School for International Studies

Objective

Students create a dictionary of self-created fairies and, in doing so, learn how to look up words in a standard dictionary.

Procedures

• Have students write responses to the mural in a journal. Ask directed questions: What do you see? What is happening? What is about to happen?
• Ask students to write a list of words that come to mind when viewing the mural. Have students share these words with the class. Provide students with related vocabulary words from the list of "Key terms" above.
• Homework: Have students look up the words in a dictionary and write a.) the pronunciation; b.) part of speech; and c.) complete definition of each word.
• Return to the mural. Discuss Marion Mahony Griffin’s beliefs about the nature of fairies and their function in everyday life. Ask students to discuss the image using their new vocabulary.
• Read other tales, such as Peter Pan or Cinderella, that include fairies as main characters. Ask students: How do fairies help the main characters in the story? How are they different from or similar to the fairies in Marion Mahony Griffin’s mural? Develop a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the fairies in the chosen stories and those illustrated by Griffin.
• Brainstorm with the students. Ask: What other functions could fairies have in today’s world? How could they help us in our daily chores?
• Have students create their own fairy. Ask: What would the fairy look like? What is the fairy’s name? What special skills does the fairy have?
• Have students create a dictionary definition for their fairy. It should include a pronunciation guide, part of speech, definition, and a brief paragraph summarizing one of the fairy’s adventures. Have students refine and develop their entries through peer editing and critique.
• Have students draw their fairy.
• Teacher: Create "Class Fairy Dictionary" and distribute to students.

Evaluation

Base student achievement on written, oral, and creative work for the project. Conduct a vocabulary test using terms addressed in the project.

George B. Armstrong School of International Studies

next lesson

back to top