Studying literature helps readers develop many skills, including reading, interpretation, discussion and writing. Through sustained study of a poem or novel, readers can increase vocabulary and become more verbally refined. Discussing literature improves readers' ability to debate and defend their thoughts out loud. Writing about literature can also help improve written communication and organizational skills.Literature can also help readers build up a much wider range of knowledge, creating interest in new subjects and experiences. Literature provides vicarious experiences that directly influence readers' lives. They learn about new places, new cultures, new ideas and new ways of looking at the world. They can visit both the past and the future through the imaginative power of stories. A perceptive reader of a poem or novel may discover an interest in Eastern philosophy or a new way of thinking about the environment.Literature also allows readers to perceive and empathize with the experiences of others. Readers can gain a greater understanding of different races, cultures, social classes or genders through reading stories about them. This increased range of experience can actually help readers better empathize with other individuals in life.LEARN MORE ABOUT LITERATUWhat is a Genre?Ever have a friend suggest a movie to go see, but you responded, I'm not in the mood for that? What did you mean? Was it a scary movie and you were in the mood to laugh? Was it a sad movie, but you wanted some action? If so, then you already know about genres.

A genre is a broad term that translates from the French to mean kind or type. In entertainment, this can translate to horror, romance, science fiction, etc. In general, these types differ for all sorts of reasons, from the actions in their plots, to the feelings they elicit from the audience. However, in literature, there are some more defined genres. It is important to know which genre a piece of work falls into because the reader will already have certain expectations before he even begins to read.

Types and Characteristics of Genre in LiteratureGenre in broad terms refers to any works that share certain characteristics. If enough characteristics are in common, then the pieces are said to be in the same genre. In literature there are four main genres to help the reader focus their expectations for the piece, though these genres can be broken down even further.

PoetryThe first main literary genre is poetry. All poetry shares specific characteristics. For example, poems are written in lines and stanzas instead of sentences and paragraphs. Some poems follow strict rules as to the number and length of lines and stanzas, whereas many poems are much more free flowing.

Most poetry is abundant in figurative language. Using devices like a simile, metaphor, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, alliteration, rhyme, and much more, poetry can claim an emphasis on imagination, emotions and heartfelt ideas. Poetry is usually shorter than the other genres, but some poems are classified as epic poetry, which is a long narrative poem chronicling heroic deeds and serious subject matter. For example, John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost focuses on Satan's fall from grace and his following pursuit of revenge.

FictionPoetry, however, is not the only genre that can utilize figurative language. Similarly, fiction, which is any work written in prose that is not real, can also use elaborate figurative language. However, fiction is much more structured than poetry. It must be written in sentences and paragraphs with all the proper punctuation and grammar, which makes it prose. Usually fiction is broken up into chapters, as well.

Since it is based on the imagination, the subject matter in fiction works can be nearly anything. Fiction can take place in the present day, future or the past. It can incorporate the most fantastical ideas or follow an everyday life. Some examples of works of fiction are legends, folk tales, fairy tales, short stories and any novels. For example, the popular Hunger Games and Divergent trilogies are fiction which occurs in a post-apocalyptic future.

The fiction work The Hunger GamesHunger GamesNon-FictionA third broad literary genre is nonfiction. If fiction is fake, then nonfiction is the opposite -- it comes from real life. Works of nonfiction are all based in real world experiences. When you read the newspaper, you are reading nonfiction. Other examples include journals, diaries, biographies, autobiographies, and essays.

Nonfiction can also use figurative language; however, it is not as abundant as in poetry and even fiction. Figurative language in this genre generally comes through common phrases which are well known and used on a daily basis by many.

These pieces are written in prose, like fiction, and sometimes even in chapters. For example, the popular book Ann Frank: Diary of Young Girl is broken up into her specific diary entries. This book is simply a published diary written by a teenage Jewish girl who hid from the Germans in World War II. The diary was found after the girl perished, and her family published it without changing the written words. What Ann wrote was real. It was her life, and a great example of nonfiction.Literature provides a language model for those who hear and read it. Good literature exposes children to correct sentence patterns, standard story structures, and varied word usage. Children for whom English is a second language can improve their English with the interesting context, and all children benefit from new vocabulary that is woven into the stories.

Literature develops thinking skills. Discussions of literature bring out reasoning related to sequence; cause and effect; character motivation; predictions; visualization of actions, characters, and settings; critical analysis of the story; and creative responses.

Literature supports all areas of the language arts curriculum. The chapter-opening classroom vignette shows how literature brings together all of the language arts. Listening to stories provides opportunities for honing listening skills, and discussion allows children to express their thoughts, feelings, and reactions. When students read literature, they are practicing their comprehension strategies in meaningful situations. Young writers may use various genres of literature as models for their own writing, and literature can be the basis for creative dramatics. Children can find stories to read and puzzles to solve on the Internet, and the computer can serve as a word processor for creating stories of their own.

Literature helps children deal with their problems. By finding out about the problems of others through books, children receive insights into dealing with their own problems, a process called bibliotherapy. Children might identify with Gilly, living resentfully in a foster home in Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins, or with Mary Alice, a city girl forced to live with her grandma in a "hick town" in Richard Peck's A Year Down Yonder.

Picture books develop visual literacy. The carefully crafted, creative illustrations in picture books develop children's awareness of line, color, space, shape, and design. Some illustrations complement or reinforce the story, whereas others enhance or extend the text. Pictures convey meaning and open new opportunities for interpretation (Giorgis et al., 1999).

Multicultural literature helps readers value people from different races, ethnic groups, and cultures. Excellent, well-illustrated books are available for many cultural groups. Children from such populations gain self-esteem by seeing themselves represented in books, and mainstream children begin to appreciate others from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Literature helps establish career concepts. For children who have limited knowledge of occupations, literature expands their ideas for potential careers (Harkins, 2001). Peggy Rathman's Officer Buckle and Gloria, about a police officer who shares information, and Alexandra Day's Frank and Ernest on the Road, about truck driving, give insights into two career choices.

Literature integrates the curriculum. Trade books (books of the trade, or library books) supplement and enrich any part of the curriculum. Instead of relying solely on textbooks, look for recent, brightly illustrated books on specific topics related to your theme or subject area. Remember that textbooks are assigned, but trade books are often chosen.

Literature improves reading ability and attitudes. A study of thirty second-, third-, fourth-, and sixth-grade classrooms by Block, Reed, and deTuncq (2003) indicated that students benefited more from twenty minutes of daily trade book or short story reading instruction. The researchers claim that reading from trade books resulted in increased reading ability, improved attitudes toward reading, and increased reading rate.

Why teach literature in schools?Posted March 13, 2011 by argumentativeoldgit in Culture, literature.Tagged: Rant.9 CommentsI was trying hard to think of a snappy title for this one, but eventually I decided this one will do. Why study literature in schools? That more or less sums up what I would like to discuss here. What use is literature to anyone? How does it help anyone in anything? Whats the point? Even if we were to accept that the teaching of literature in schools is important (and not everyone does accept this), a few more questions come to mind: To what extent should we prescribe books to children at school? Should we, indeed, prescribe books at all? In determining a literature curriculum, to what extent, if any, should we consider the childrens own preferences? What relevance to all this, if any, is the consideration that children may be put off literature by being made to study books they do not like?Before we address any of these issues, I think we should consider a question more basic: what is the point of education at all? There are, of course, a number of answers to this, which are complementary rather than exclusive. An obvious answer is that the purpose of education is to prepare us for life, but that doesnt get us very far: it leads us on merely to the next question, which is what is required to prepare us for life?Up to a point, the purpose of education is to ensure that we can survive in society, and function in it. So the teaching of basic numeracy ensures that we can count up our change in the supermarket, the teaching of basic literacy ensures that we can read and understand letters from the council relating to bin collections, etc. However, I think most would agree that preparation for life should imply a bit more than this. Many would, I think, say that education should prepare us for a job that will earn us a living, and contribute to the society in which we live. In conjunction with this, many would say that education should also instil in us sufficient discipline to allow us to function within a structured society, without unduly compromising our individuality. The balance is, admittedly, a delicate one, but some balance has to be sought if society is to function at all; and, many would say, it is the purpose of education to provide us with just such a balance. I certainly wouldnt dissent from any of this.

But is this all? For if it were, there is little point in teaching mathematics beyond basic numeracy. Oh, of course, those who want to take on accountancy or engineering or scientific research, or whatever, need to have more than merely basic skills in numeracy: but the vast majority dont. The vast majority dont need to know about trigonometrical functions, or about polynomials or differentials, or, indeed, about anything beyond basic arithmetic.Similarly with other subjects. The vast majority of us dont need to know what sort of chemical reaction occurs when acid comes into contact with alkali; we dont need to know about the economic and social transformations that came with the Industrial Revolution; we dont need to know Newtons laws of motion, or about the formation of igneous rocks, or about the structure of human cells and so on and so forth. Indeed, possibly the greater part of what is still in school curricula we dont need to know: we can all function perfectly well without knowing them. So why teach them? If education is simply about teaching the basics that we require to function in society, why not merely teach the children simply the basics, and, once they have finished primary school, let them out into the big bad world to do something useful, like sweep chimneys or something?I think the answer to this is that education is more or, at least, it should be more than merely preparing children to function. Education seems to me to be about nothing less than propagating the values of our civilisation. It has taken us a great many centuries to arrive at our current point in civilisation. And yes, I know, the various civilisations of humankind are still greatly flawed; but nonetheless, we have come a long way from being tribes of hunter-gatherers, and, along the way, we have acquired an immense amount of knowledge, of thought, of wisdom. We have also an immense treasure-house of achievements from Darwins theory of evolution to Beethovens symphonies, from the thought of Enlightenment philosophers to quantum physics, from the Taj Mahal to the development of the internet the list is almost endless. Id argue very strongly that one of the purposes of education must be to propagate the values that are embodied in what our civilisation has achieved, so the next generation can build on past achievements rather than start at Year Zero.Of course, put this way, our education is never finished, as there is far more to take in than can be possible within one lifetime. This is indeed true: a proper education does last a whole lifetime, and even then is incomplete: it is a journey doomed to remain unfinished. But it must be the purpose of our schools at least to start our children on this journey. And this is why it is correct for schools to teach about such matters as polynomials or the Industrial Revolution: its because, to be truly civilised, we should know more, much more, than merely the basics we need to be able to function.In this context, let us consider the teaching of literature. The only reason to teach literature in schools at all is because we, as a society, believe that literature is an important aspect of our civilisation, and that, therefore, there needs to be, at the very least, a general awareness of it within our society if we are to consider ourselves truly civilised. If we do not believe this, there is no point teaching literature at all. But if we do believe this, then the question of whether or not the children enjoy being taught takes on less importance. We do not make decisions on the teaching of mathematics or of physics or of history based on the criterion of whether children are likely to enjoy it: we teach these subjects at school because, whether they enjoy it or not, we feel its good for them. Yes, I know this is authoritarian, but I dont think you can entirely get away from authoritarianism when it comes to education: if it were merely a matter of the childs own preferences, most children would prefer not to be at school at all.But what, some may ask, what if the children dont enjoy it? What if the poor little darlings dont enjoy learning about Shakespeare and Austen and all the rest of them? It seems a curious question. When we are setting the curriculum for mathematics, do we really ask ourselves: Will the children enjoy learning trigonometry? We put it into the curriculum because we think it important that they learn about it, whether they enjoy it or not. Similarly with any other subject. We hope, of course, that at least some of them will find it enjoyable, but enjoyment is not (not yet, at any rate) amongst the criteria used to determine the curriculum in mathematics, or in geography, or in chemistry, or in whatever. And I think English literature should be considered as important as these other subjects: there are some things we need to learn regardless of whether or not we find them enjoyable simply because it is good for us to learn them; simply because these things should be part of the mental furniture of a civilised human being.Of course, one size doesnt fit all. In an ideal world, every child should have special one-to-one tuition on all subjects. But in the real world, that is not possible, and the best we can do and, indeed, should do is to stream children according to their perceived abilities, while allowing for movement between streams for children who achieve more or less than had initially been expected. (And, furthermore, we should also provide special provision for children with learning difficulties.) And once such streams are established, the curriculum within each stream should be tailored towards the ability of the children within that stream. So, obviously, it is unreasonable to try to teach Shakespeare to a stream that is struggling with basic literacy. But, similarly, it is unreasonable, and, Id argue, criminal, not to teach Shakespeare to the stream of the most able pupils. This is because Shakespeare is perceived to be central to the English-speaking literary canon, and one cannot consider oneself at all knowledgeable in English literature without at least some acquaintance with his works. Whether or not the children find this boring is as irrelevant a consideration as whether or not children find trigonometry boring. If children enjoy their education, thats great; but if they dont, thats just tough. A civilised society has to educate its children in the values that define its civilisation. If we dont do that, we lose something that is immensely valuable, and which, once lost, cannot be recovered.And then, theres the argument that being forced to study literature puts people off literature. But that argument could apply to any other subject as well, could it not? Doesnt being forced to learn about logarithms put people off mathematics? Doesnt being forced to learn about the Reformation put people off history? Are these arguments not to teach logarithms, or not to teach about the Reformation, in the classroom? If so, wed end up not teaching anything at all, as its a rare schoolchild who actually enjoys lessons. Im not even sure that such a schoolchild exists.I think if someone has an inclination towards literature, theyll come back to it, regardless of classroom experience. And if they dont come back to it, they probably dont have an inclination towards literature at all and thats fair enough: we cant all be interested in everything. Speaking for myself, I used to say for a long time that I didnt take part in sports because Id been put off by PE lessons at school. But after a while, I realised this wasnt true. Yes, I used to hate PE at school, but the truth is I wouldnt have taken part in sport even if I had never had a PE lesson in my life, simply because I am not a sporty person. The excuse that I had been put off by the lessons was just that an excuse, and a rather lame one at that. There are, after all, many who had suffered PE lessons with me, but who, in their adult lives, are quite happy to go for regular swims, or to play badminton, or whatever. And similarly, I think, with literature: there are a great many who have suffered English literature lessons at school, but who nonetheless have been drawn back to literature in later life, and, being older and more mature, find themselves even enjoying books that had once been a chore. And they may even find, to their surprise, that some of the things that the teacher had said in class all those years ago have stayed in the mind. At the very least, studying a Shakespeare play (or whatever) in the classroom has given them an awareness of the thing: it has become a part of their mental furniture. As for those who dont return to literature well, I suspect its a bit like my not returning to sports: Im just not inclined in that direction, and theres little point my blaming PE lessons in school for what is essentially my personal inclination.My argument really is that we should treat literature as seriously as we do any other discipline. Its not just a bit of fun to relieve the seriousness of maths or science or language lessons: its a serious subject, and should be taken seriously. Choosing which books to study in class based on the childrens own preference is to diminish the importance of literature as a subject, and to present it as a lighter alternative to, say, the sciences. This appears to be the path we are currently going down, and few seem to care. And why are we going down this path? Perhaps for the same reason that we are destroying our public libraries, for the same reason that arts broadcasting on television has declined so dramatically in quality: we no longer seem to have sufficient confidence in the value of our culture to think it worth propagating. Well, thats how it looks from where I stand. Maybe Im wrong. I hope I am. And even if Im not, theres little I can do about it. Except, perhaps, to stand up where I can for the teaching in our schools of the best that our literary traditions have to offer. To all children of sufficient ability whether they like it or not.

ObjectivesStudents will understand the following:

1.Fairy tales connect us with earlier generations who enjoyed the same tales.

2.Fairy tales help us think about present situations we find ourselves in.

3.Magic figures prominently in fairy tales.

4.Fairy tales can inspire readers to create original works of art.

MaterialsIn addition to the materials listed below for students, the teacher may want to refer toThe Art of Eric Carle(Philomel Books, 1996). Carle has produced illustrated books that retell Grimm fairy tales.

The fairy tale "The Fisherman and His Wife"

Thin acrylic watercolors or poster paint that has been watered down

Crayons or colored pencils

Brushes and sponges

White tissue paper, tracing paper

Adhesive glitter or glue and regular glitter (silver and gold glitter)

Scissors

White poster board

Procedures

1.After you and your students have read "The Fisherman and His Wife," suggest that each student create a fish collage using painted tissue paper. Begin by discussing the parts of a fish and the purpose of each part: Head, pointed to cut through the water Mouth in head to take in water Gills for breathing the oxygen distilled from the water that the fish takes in through its mouth Body, tapered toward the rear and ending in broad tail fin that propels fish forward Other fins along the fish's body to stop the fish from rolling from side to side and to act as brakes

2.Direct each student to place a single sheet of white tissue paper on a clean surface.

3.Show students how to paint bold strokes in one color onto the tissue paper, lifting the paper up from time to time so that it doesn't stick to the surface.

4.Tell students to place their painted tissue paper on spread-out newspapers to dry.

5.When the painted tissue paper is dry, students should use a brush to paint on it in a second color, creating swirls, stripes, and dots. They may also decorate sections of the tissue paper with glitter.

6.Again the tissue paper needs to dry.

7.Repeat the process of adding another color over the previous ones and giving the repainted tissue paper a chance to dry. Students may use a sponge dipped in paint to apply additional colors at this point.

8.To make the collage, students should draw the outline of a fish on tracing paper, place the outline over one area of the painted tissue paper, and cut out part of the fish through the tracing paper and tissue paper. Then students should move the remaining part of their outline to another area of the painted tissue paper and cut out another part of the fish through the tracing paper and tissue paper. When the entire outline of the fish has been cut out, students should paste the different parts of the tissue-paper fish onto white poster board.

9.Encourage students to exchange pieces of painted tissue paper with one another to make everyone's collage more colorful.

10.Students should add finishing touchesshowing, for example, gills and finswith crayons, colored pencils, or more glitter.

11.Display students' collages around the classroom or in the school hallways.

Back to TopAdaptationsHave students make their fish collages resemble a specific kind of fish rather than merely a generic fish. For example, suggest that some students draw the outline of a flounder (or flatfish) and that others draw outlines of fish that look quite different from a flounderfor example, a dogfish, a turbot, or a swordfish.

Back to TopDiscussion Questions

1.Discuss the three wishes each student would make upon meeting a magic fish. Then discuss whether their wishes are for themselves, for someone else they know, or for others in the world around them. Next ask them to make three new wishes, one in each of these categories. Discuss their reasoning behind each of their choices.

2.The fisherman comments, "It will not end well. It will not end well. Asking to be archbishop is too shameless." What does he mean by this, and what is he afraid will happen?

3.Discuss whether or not this fairy tale has a moral. Can a story have more than one lesson? Discuss the possibilities.

Back to TopEvaluationYou can evaluate students by using the following three-point rubric:Three points:followed all directions in painting and decorating the tissue paper; worked neatly and safely, especially when using scissors; willingly shared decorated tissue paper with other studentsTwo points:followed most directions in painting and decorating the tissue paper; showed some carelessness, especially when using scissors; willingly shared decorated tissue paper with other studentsOne point:did not follow most directions in painting and decorating the tissue paper; worked carelessly, especially when using scissors; would not share decorated tissue paper with other students

Back to TopExtensionsComparing and Contrasting Grimm TalesAfter students have become very familiar with "The Fisherman and His Wife," read another Grimm fairy tale to themperhaps, "The Three Golden Hairs" or "The Frog King." Lead them in a discussion to see how the tales are similar and how they are different from one another. Draw students' attention to elements such as the following: Magic Hero Hard or mean characters Kind or innocent characters Good actions and bad actions Lesson or moral that the tale teaches

Changing CharactersPut your students into small groups. Give them the assignment to work in the groups to prepare new oral versions of the Grimm tales they have readversions with different characters but the same lessons. For example, in "The Fisherman and His Wife," what might the fisherman find instead of a magic fish? In "The Three Golden Hairs," what if the queen were a king and the baby a boy instead of a girl? In "The Frog King," ask them to substitute two other characters in lieu of the princess and the frog.

Back to TopSuggested ReadingsGrimms' Fairy Talesby the brothers Grimm, Grosset & Dunlap, 1994.

Japanese Tales and LegendsHelen McAlpine, Oxford University Press, 1958; reprinted 1990.

Anno's Twice Told Tales: The Fisherman and His Wife & The Four Clever BrothersThe Brothers Grimm & Mr. Fox. Illustrated by Mitsumasa Anno, Philomel Books, 1993

Back to TopLinksBiographical Notes for Eric Carle

The Official Eric Carle Web Site

Fairy Tales: The Frog Prince by the Brothers Grimm

Back to TopVocabularyClick on any of the vocabulary words below to hear them pronounced and used in a sentence.

animation

Definition:The act of making drawings appear to move.Context:Making animation with paper and crayons.

cast

Definition:To throw a line or net into the water, usually with the intent of catching fish.Context:Each morning he went down to the shore and cast his net for fish.

flounder

Definition:A type of fish, usually one that is also called a flatfish.Context:One morning he was gazing into the clear, still water and suddenly pulled up a flounder with gold and silver scales.

archbishop

Definition:A religious leader who is the head of a church province or territory.Context:Go to the flounder and tell him I want to be archbishop.

Back to TopStandardsThis lesson plan may be used to address the academic standards listed below. These standards are drawn from Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education: 2nd Edition and have been provided courtesy of theMid-continent Research for Education and Learningin Aurora, Colorado.Grade level:K-2Subject area:language artsStandard:Demonstrates a familiarity with selected works of enduring quality.Benchmarks:Demonstrates a knowledge of the plots and major characters of selected classic fairy tales, folktales, legends, and fables from around the world.

Grade level:K-4Subject area:visual artsStandard:Understands the characteristics and merits of one's own artwork and the artwork of others.Benchmarks:Knows various purposes for creating works of visual art.

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