Fairytales

A fairytale is a classic piece of children's literature about the adventures of imaginary beings in a faraway land. Characters in a fairytale may include fairies, dragons, elves, giants, princes, princesses, and talking animals. They usually begin with "once upon a time", and contain magical elements with an enchanting setting. Fairytales have a conflict of good vs. evil, and the good side ultimately triumphs the story of a prince trying to save his princess from an evil creature. Fairytales are often traditional, and passed down through generations. They are designed to teach a lesson about good character through the challenges the hero of the story has to face.

Some fairytales you may have heard of as a child:
Cinderella, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, The Princess and the Pea

Vocabulary

Classic- (noun) A work of art with recognized value.

Imaginary- (adjective) Existing only in one's mind. 

Enchanting- (adjective) Very charming or attractive.

Conflict- (noun) A serious disagreement.

Triumph- (noun) A great victory or achievement.

Traditional- (adjective) An inherited or custom pattern of thought, action, or behavior.

Generation- (noun) A group of people born and living during the same time. 

Character- (noun) Qualities in a person that make them different.

Hero- (noun) A person who is admired for his or her courage.

Face- (verb) To confront or deal with.

Vocabulary Activity

Please unscramble the following words from our vocabulary list:

1. Crcatehra

2. roHe

3. inGoatneer

4. aecF

5. igrIanmya

6. Cailcss

7. nnniEgchat

8. oltainTardi

9. upihTmr

10. lnofCcit

Grammar Point

Character and Face are both considered to be homophones. A homophone is two or more words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings. We used character in this post to describe the qualities in a person, but we also know that character could be a person or animal in a novel. We used face in this post to describe what a hero in a story has to confront or deal with, but we know that face also means the front of a persons head. Knowing this, please list 5 other homophones. 

Fantasy

Fantasy is a literary genre in which the plot cannot occur in the real world. We grow up reading and listening to fantasies, and these tales are meant to increase the power of our imagination and passion for adventure. With this being said, people like to read fantasies because they relate to our deepest desires and dreams. The plot usually involves magic taking place on an unknown world. It also involves witches, sorcerers, mythical and animal creatures who can talk like humans. People like to read fantasy novels because it allows them to escape from an ordinary and sometimes predictable world, to a supernatural world filled with magical powers and mythical creatures. Reading this genre of literature brings about excitement and broadens the mind of an audience. 

 
Harry Potter is a very popular fantasy novel. It's a series about the life of a young wizard named Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and experience many thrilling adventures together.

Vocabulary

Plot- (noun) The main events of a novel

Imagination- (noun) The power of forming a mental image of something not present.

Passion- (noun) A strong excitement to do something

Desire- (noun) The feeling of wishing or wanting something.

Predictable- (adjective) The ability to tell what is going to happen.

Supernatural- (adjective) Being above or beyond what is natural. 

Mythical- (adjective) Existing only in the imagination.

Broaden- (verb) To add to or expand.

Vocabulary Activity

Please fill in the blanks with the Vocabulary words.

1. The child has a big _________, he comes up with many different stories or things that aren't present.

2. The _____ of the story of Rainbow Fish was when he refuses to share his beauty with the other fish but realizes the importance and the happiness it brings to share with others. 

3. Learning about different cultures _____ my mind and my knowledge.

4. I have a _____ to impact a student's life.

5. The _____ creatures were all not real, they were only in a fantasy book.

6. The movie was ______, I was able to tell what was going to happen as soon as it started.

7. He has the _____ to graduate high school.

8. The story was ______ because it went beyond the natural world.

Grammar Point

When a number of adjectives are used together in a sentence, the order depends on the function of the adjectives. The order is:

Quantity, value/opinion, size, temperature, age, shape, color, origin, material.

For example: She is selling her beautiful 2 year old silver Italian car for an affordable price.

Please write three sentences using adjectives in the proper order.

Biographies

A biography is a narrative of a person's life, meaning that it's a true story about a real person. It is important to note that a biography is the story of a person's life that is composed by someone else. On the other hand, an autobiography tells the history of a person's life written or told by that person. Both biographies and autobiographies are common genres in nonfiction. A biography includes facts in chronological order, such as date and place of birth, childhood, education, career, relationships, and life achievements. It also must include a detailed description of what makes the person significant. A biography can contain almost anything about a person, but the facts should be both relevant and interesting to the audience. You can find biographies written about artists, musicians, athletes, and past presidents. 

Vocabulary
Narrative- (noun) The retelling of a story.
Composed-(verb) To write or create.
History-(noun) The study of past events.
Common- (adjective) Occuring many times.
Chronological- (adjective) Starting with the earliest to the most recent.
Achievements- (noun) Something done successfully.
Description- (noun) A spoken or written representation of a person or object.
Significant- (adjective) Very important.
Relevant- (adjective) Closely connected.



Across                                                                          
3. Closely connected.                                                
4. Very important.                                                    
6. Starting with the earliest to most recent.        
8. Occuring many times.                                         
9. To write or create.

Down
1. The retelling of a story.
2. Something done successfully.
5. A spoken or written representation.
7. The study of past events.

Grammar Point: Adjectives are words we use when we are describing. They make a sentence more interesting by giving more details. One sentence that I used that included an adjective was: "Both biographies and autobiographies are common genres in nonfiction." In this sentence, common is the adjective and gives more detail to the noun "genre". Please expand these five sentences by adding an adjective in front of a noun.

1. The boy is holding a book.
2. The puppies are playing in the grass.
3. The store is closed.
4. The clothes in the closet.
5. The books at the library.