Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin (Two Hoots)

©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.

You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than

educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE.

Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin

(Two Hoots)

A pared back and twisted take on the traditional tale told with humour to be gleaned from reading the

pictures. It begins with Rapunzel, here portrayed as a child, already encased in the tower without the back

story explaining how she came to be there and reaches a conclusion in which she makes a joyful escape

without the aid of a prince. As in her previous book Little Red, Bethan Woollvin uses a colour palette which

incorporates only one standout colour amongst black, white and grey – in this case a golden yellow used to

highlight Rapunzel’s hair.

Overall aims of this teaching sequence: To explore, interpret and respond to a picture book To consider the ways in which illustrations can deepen and enrich the meaning of a text and

enhance the reader experience To explore the story through a variety of teaching approaches including artwork, drama and role-

play To identify with and develop connections with key characters in order to deepen reader response

and experience the pleasure that can be derived from engaging with a quality text To write in role in order to explore and develop empathy for characters To develop reader response by exploring interpretations of themes, plots and characters’ actions

and motivations through discussion and debate

This teaching sequence is designed for a Year 1 or Year 2 class

Overview of this teaching sequence

This teaching sequence is approximately 5 weeks long if spread out over 25 sessions. The book supports teachers to teach about character development in narrative fiction. The characters and the setting are well drawn. This text offers young readers a good stimulus for creative response to text, a model for their own story writing and stimulus for non-fiction writing.

National Curriculum 2014 Links

Reading (Comprehension): listen to, discuss and express views

about books at a level beyond that which they can read independently

discuss the significance of the title and events

link what they hear or read to own experiences

explain understanding of what is read discuss the sequence of events in books

and how items of information are related

discuss favourite words and phrases

Writing (Composition / Vocabulary,

Grammar and Punctuation):

draft and write by noting ideas, key phrases and vocabulary, and composing and rehearsing sentences orally

sequence sentences to form short narratives

write for different purposes including about fictional personal experiences, poetry, non-fiction and real events

reread and evaluate writing to check it makes sense and make simple revisions




answer and ask questions predict what might happen on the basis

of what has been read draw inferences on the basis of what is

being said and done participate in discussion about what is

read, taking turns and listening to others express views about reading

read writing aloud with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear

use new and familiar punctuation correctly

use sentences in different forms expand noun phrases to describe and

specify use past and present tense correctly and

consistently use simple conjunctions to link

subordinate and co-ordinating clauses

Speaking and Listening: listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers ask relevant questions to extend knowledge and understanding consider and evaluate viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others participate in discussions, performances, role-play, improvisations and debate about what has

been read use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas

Cross Curricular Links:

Re-enactment through play: story props, story boxes, small world play:

At appropriate points during this teaching sequence it will be important to provide lots of ways for children to revisit the story and retell it independently for themselves and their friends.

Story props: With the children, make a set of magnetic or stick story props to use both in your retelling of

the story and to support children’s own independent retellings. Story boxes:

Children can make a story box or story boxes, at home or in school, to use to replay this story. Include small figures of Rapunzel, the witch and the horse, as well as the tower in the forest. Supporting resources can be found here: https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading/teaching-approaches/story-boxes

Small world play: Make a 3D map of the story in a builder’s tray using grass, leaves, branches and a material

such as mod-roc to make tower. Place models of the characters and props for children to use to encourage oral retelling.

Science and DT:

The children can test the strength of different materials that they could make a ladder from, including human hair.

The children could plan other ways that Rapunzel could escape the tower, including making flying machines.

Design a pulley system to get things in and out of the tower. In the traditional tale Rapunzel is named after the rapunzel plant, the children can investigate

the requirements for growing healthy plants.

https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading/teaching-approaches/story-boxes

https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading/teaching-approaches/story-boxes




The children could make traps for the witch using both small world play and outdoor resources.

Geography:

The children can explore and investigate forest habitats and wildlife. Computing:

Children can be encouraged to use ICT to enhance learning: recording storytelling; filming role-play; using digital photographs to make books or present ideas; creating short simple e-text of a book using PowerPoint that combines words with images and sounds; internet research. (See teaching sessions for more detail)

Teaching Approaches

Reading Aloud Book Talk Responding to Illustration Role on the Wall Looking at Language Performing poetry Conscience Alley Role-Play Thought tracking

Writing Outcomes

Shared Writing Writing in role Poetry Explanatory writing Bookmaking and Publishing

Links to other texts and resources: Also by Bethan Woollvin:

Little Red (Two Hoots) Hansel & Gretel (Two Hoots)

Other retellings of this story:

Rapunzel. A Groovy 1970s Fairy Tale, Lynn and David Roberts (Pavilion) Rapunzel, Sarah Gibb (HarperCollins) How the Library (NOT the Prince) Saved Rapunzel, Wendy Meddour and Rebecca Ashdown

(Frances Lincoln) Rapunzel, Rachel Isadora (Putnam USA) Rapunzel, Paul Zelinsky (Puffin USA) Rapunzel, Vera Southgate (Ladybird) Tangled, Disney film

Related Texts: Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion, Alex T. Smith (Scholastic) Little Red Hood, Marjolaine Leray (Phoenix Yard) A supporting booklist can be found on the CLPE site:

https://www.clpe.org.uk/clpe/library/booklists/rash-red-riding-hoods

https://www.clpe.org.uk/clpe/library/booklists/rash-red-riding-hoods




How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth, Michelle Robinson and Kate Hindley (Simon & Schuster) How to Babysit a Grandad, Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish (Hodder)

Links to other resources on the Power of Reading Website: ‘Tell Me’ grid and questions: https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading/teaching-

approaches/tell-me-booktalk Teaching Approaches: https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading/teaching-approaches

Weblinks: http://www.bethanwoollvin.com/

Teaching Sessions

Before Reading:

Create a space in the classroom for a Working Wall to enable you to pin examples of responses, reflections, notes and language generated from each session. If you do not have the space for a Working Wall you could create a class ‘reading journal’ by folding over large pieces of sugar paper and subsequently using the pages of the journal to capture responses.

Depending on the children’s prior knowledge and experience of fairy tales, you may need to

spend time exploring a range of these stories, considering the tone, voice, mood and style.

Ask the children to share their favourite fairy tales with each other, encourage the children to

bring these stories or books into class if they have them and provide a setting in which they

can explore their recommendations, such as in the book corner.

This will also be a useful starting point for discovering what the children like and dislike about

the genre, which stories are their favourites, which stories may come from their own cultural

heritage and if they read fairy tales outside of the school setting.

Sessions 1: Response to Illustration

In order for the sequence to work effectively you will need to ‘keep back’ the text from the children initially, including the title of the book. You may want to cover the book in brown paper so that the children cannot see the front cover or title. The story will need to unfold slowly and it is best for the children not to know the ending until you are at the culmination of the teaching sessions. After this, however, it would be beneficial if the book is placed in the reading area so that the children can access the text and illustrations independently and in small groups to continue their exploration of the story.

If you have a hardback edition of the book, use the front cover of this book, if not you can

access the original image on Bethan Woollvin’s website:

http://www.bethanwoollvin.com/books/

Share the front cover image of Rapunzel from the hardback copy of the book which shows

Rapunzel’s face and eyes close up, by scanning the image onto the interactive whiteboard as

well as providing A3 copies for the children to look at in groups. (Do not share the title of the

book with the children yet.)

https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading/teaching-approaches/tell-me-booktalk

https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading/teaching-approaches/tell-me-booktalk

https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading/teaching-approaches

http://www.bethanwoollvin.com/

http://www.bethanwoollvin.com/books/




Invite the children to share their initial impressions and responses. Ask: What is the first word,

phrase or association that comes to mind when you look at this image? What does the image

remind you of? Who do you think the person could be? Why? Does it remind you of anyone you

know in real life or that you have seen in other stories or pictures? What do you think the

character is looking at? Why? How does the image make you feel?

Draw out through discussion what they notice linking back to the preparatory work on the

fairy tale genre, if appropriate.

Ask the children to make predictions on what the story could be about; ask them to justify

their responses, drawing out any connections they may have made to other stories. Record

the children’s responses in the class journal or on the Working Wall.

Once you have recorded their predictions you can return to these as you read the book,

comparing the children’s initial thoughts to how the story actually unfolds.

Following this, reveal the endpapers from the book to the children and again give them time to reflect on what they notice and to discuss their responses with one another.

Ask the children what they think the characters are doing, could they be playing a game? Why is the little girl hiding? Is this the same girl they think was on the front cover of the book? Who could it be? Does it remind them of anyone they have seen in other books or films or TV programmes? Some children may now make the connection to Rapunzel, or the film Tangled.

Consider with the children the style of the illustrations and the limited use of colour in the endpapers, what do they notice? Does this strike them as unusual? Why does the little girl stand out so much? What do they notice about the way the witch is illustrated? Do they like the image? Why? Why not?

Again record the children’s responses and reflect on their initial impressions once you have begun to read the book.

Session 2: Storytelling

Share with the children the title page of the book which shows Rapunzel sitting in the window of the tower and read aloud the title of the book. Ask the children if this is what they expected and if this confirms or challenge their initial impressions of the book.

Give time for the children to look at this image of Rapunzel, again looking at her facial expression and her eyes particularly to suggest what she is thinking and feeling. Also consider her body language and what this might tell us about her.

If the children are familiar with the traditional version of the story of Rapunzel allow them to share what they know about the story and characters, discussing what their opinions of the story are.

To support the children’s understanding of the twist that comes later in the book, if the children are unfamiliar with the original story of Rapunzel, you may want to read aloud or tell this story to them orally, particularly focusing on the ‘backstory’ that is omitted from Bethan Woollvin’s text.

You may want to share a range of books which feature the story of Rapunzel and consider particularly the different images and representations of the character of Rapunzel in the different versions. You could create a gallery of ‘Rapunzels’ that could be placed on the Working Wall, they could then be compared and contrasted with the depiction of Rapunzel in Bethan Woollvin’s version.




Once the children have had time to talk about or to hear the original story, ask them to retell the story to one another orally. Following this, allow the children time to create story-maps to capture their oral retelling.




Session 3: Book Talk and Role on the Wall

Read aloud the first page of the book. Once the children have heard the first page of the book

read aloud, the class can begin to explore their responses to it with the help of what Aidan Chambers calls 'the four basic questions'.

These questions give children accessible starting points for discussion: - Tell me…was there anything you liked about this text?

- Was there anything that you particularly disliked…?

- Was there anything that puzzled you?

- Were there any patterns…any connections that you noticed…?

The openness of these questions unlike the more interrogative 'Why?' question encourages every child to feel that they have something to say. It allows everyone to take part in arriving at a shared view without the fear of the 'wrong' answer.

Aidan Chambers: Tell Me: Children, Reading & Talk with The Reading Environment (Thimble Press 2011).

As children respond it can be useful to write down what they say under the headings ‘likes’, ‘dislikes’, ‘puzzles’, ‘patterns’. This written record helps to map out the class's view of the important meaning and is a way of holding on to ideas for later. Asking these questions will lead children inevitably into a fuller discussion than using more general questions.

Record the children’s responses in the class journal and return to any questions or puzzles as the sequence continues.

Look carefully at the image of Rapunzel in her tower in the forest, allowing the children to respond to what they see, again considering her facial expression, body language and clothing, with the witch now in the image. Also ask the children to consider the setting and the style of illustration, particularly the limited colour palette.

Consider with the children if the book is unfolding as they expected, for example asking: does the story begin at the same point as the story of Rapunzel they have heard already? Why do you think it might begin later when Rapunzel is an older child? Does anything suggest to you so far that this story might be different to the version of Rapunzel you have heard before?

Following this discussion, ask the children what they think we have found out about the character of Rapunzel so far.

Draw around one of the children or have a prepared template cut out, pin this to the learning wall. Ask the children to write on post-it notes words or phrases they would use to describe Rapunzel’s feelings and personality, which can be stuck on the inside of the outline and what the children know about her outward appearance or facts and other information about her to be stuck on the outside.

For example, they may notice she rests her hand on her chin which could suggest boredom or thoughtfulness. Or that her eyes are positioned in such a way that suggests she is fed up or annoyed.

The children may bring prior knowledge of the story to this session, and as the story unfolds it will be interesting to see how their initial perceptions of the character Rapunzel alter.

Revisit the Role on the Wall outline at the points indicated in the sequence and add reflections on how our perspectives evolve over the course of the story in a different colour each time.

Add this and the accompanying notes, either to your Working Wall or your class reading journal.




Session 4: Response to Illustration and Consideration of Character

Read aloud the book from the beginning up until ‘put a terrible curse on you’ but at this point do not reveal the accompanying illustrations.

Return to the ‘Tell Me’ questions you considered when reading the opening and, using a different colour, scribe the children’s responses, considering if they still like or dislike the same aspects of the writing, or if their opinions have changed. Consider if they have answered any questions they posed previously or if they have further questions. Finally reflect on whether they can make any further connections to the text, either to other books they have read, to films, popular culture or to their own life experiences.

Following this, spend time exploring in depth the illustrations that accompany each page as you re-read the text aloud.

Focus first on the illustration of the witch climbing into the tower, the children will probably be surprised to see the witch’s colourful underwear and may find this page particularly amusing. Ask the children; was this what you expected when I read the page aloud to you? Why do you think the witch has shorts/knickers like this? What does this suggest about the witch’s personality? Do you think this story will be like the other versions of Rapunzel you have heard or read before? Why? Why not?

Consider the next two pages in which Rapunzel is depicted trapped in the tower and the witch is threatening her with a curse. Consider the ways in which this is familiar and so far is in keeping with the traditional story.

Return to Role on the Wall for Rapunzel having read on and also create a Role on the Wall for the witch. As before, ask the children to write on post-it notes words or phrases they would use to describe the witch’s feelings and personality, which can be stuck on the inside of the outline and what the children know about her outward appearance or facts and other information about her to be stuck on the outside.

For example, she is unkind because she sells Rapunzel’s beautiful hair for money. Or she is flamboyant because she wears funny underwear!

Sessions 5: Teacher in Role

Look again at the illustration of Rapunzel in the tower having her hair brushed and then cut off by the witch. Ask the children to consider how they think Rapunzel must be feeling and what she could be thinking at this point in the story. Encourage the children to consider her body language and facial expression and the clues this gives us.

Ask the children to think of questions they would like to ask Rapunzel to find out how she is feeling in this moment.

After children have had time to jot down questions they would like to ask Rapunzel, ask children to sort their questions. For example, they could write each question on a post-It note and create a spectrum of questions from those that will provide us with the most information to those that will give the least. Discuss with the children the questions they have chosen and support them to assign the questions to the spectrum.

Once each group has selected their most effective questions, use ‘teacher in role’ to help the children explore Rapunzel’s feelings, worries and hopes.

Explain to the children that you will answer their questions as if you were Rapunzel. It might help children understand when you are ‘being Rapunzel’ and when you are back to being their




teacher. If you select a simple prop or piece of costume such as a blonde wig, so that they know that when you are holding/wearing the item you are Rapunzel, and when you are not, you are back to being the teacher.

If it’s not possible for you to stay in role for any length of time, you could ask another adult to come to your class to fulfil this purpose, provided that they are familiar enough with the text to answer any questions that the children may have.

Following the opportunity to have their questions answered, allow the children to discuss in partners or small groups what they heard and what they notice about the answers that Rapunzel gave them.

Sessions 6: Shared Writing

Re-read the story so far aloud until ‘put a terrible curse on you’ and reflect on the children’s questioning completed in the previous session.

Explain that the children will now be writing in role as Rapunzel, completing a diary entry to reflect her experiences and viewpoint at this point in the story. To support this, you may want to give time for the children to make small books that they can use throughout the sequence that will act as ‘Rapunzel’s diary’.

The children can then write in this book in role, exploring her character and developing empathy with her. Supporting resources can be found here: https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading/teaching-approaches/bookmaking-journals

Before the children write in role, give them time to look over all the different work completed

in the sessions, such as the Role on the Wall.

You may also need to provide real and fictional examples of diary entries to support the children in their writing, such as The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine (Puffin).

Write together an example of a diary entry from the perspective of Rapunzel, modelling how

to develop and sustain viewpoint, maintaining consistent first person voice and drawing on

the children’s knowledge of the character and the story.

Consider also modelling the impact of using a range of sentence types, using new language,

taken both from the text and the context of the story, the use of paragraphs and past tense

language structures.

Sessions 7: Writing in Role

Give sustained writing time for the children to plan, draft and write their own diary entries,

this may need to be supported in group writing sessions for some children in the class.

Once the children have written a first draft, you could introduce response partners to the

children: this is where children help each other by reading their writing aloud and responding

as readers, supporting each other as they compose and structure their ideas. Once they have

read their work aloud they can make some simple revisions.

Give the children time to re-draft their writing. Some children may need to work with the

teacher during this process. This is where the teacher and children work as active partners,

https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading/teaching-approaches/bookmaking-journals




talking together to share ideas and while the teacher guides the children through all the

decisions that writers need to make and helps them shape their thoughts on paper.

Those not working with adult support could work with an editing partner who supports the

editing process by giving them time to read their work aloud again. Children that are able to

could support each other with transcription proof reading, looking at spelling, punctuation

and grammar.

Once the children have written their final pieces of work, they can be read aloud and shared.

They can also be placed on the Working Wall.

Session 8: Poetry Performance

Re-read the text aloud so far and pause to revisit the section where the witch threatens

Rapunzel with a curse. Ask the children what they notice about this page and the curse they think the witch would

put on Rapunzel if she were to leave the tower. Discuss what the children know already about witch’s curses, spells and potions. What other

books have they read where this happens? What films or TV programmes have they seen where someone is cursed? What do they notice about the potions and spells that witches and wizards create?

Share with the children a range of poems which feature spells, charms, potions and curses such as the Witches' Spell’ by William Shakespeare (from Macbeth)

As an example, share the poem ‘The Wicked Witches’ Song’ by Clare Bevan which features in the collection Fairytale Poems (Macmillan) with the children, reading it aloud first and then sharing the poem on the page with the children too: I’m making witch spells, Give-you-all-an-itch spells, Stir the steamy cauldron with a monster Bone, I’m making mean spells, Slithery and green spells, Turn you into lizards on a slimy stone. I’m making cat spells, Dangle-like-a-bat spells, Swish you on a broomstick through the Inky sky, I’m making shark spells, Dangerous and dark spells, Give you all a nightmare ‘til you scream And cry.

Use the ‘Tell Me’ questions to guide their initial responses to the poem: - Tell me…was there anything you liked about this poem? - Was there anything that you particularly disliked…? - Was there anything that puzzled you?




- Were there any patterns…any connections that you noticed…? Then guide the children to discuss their response to the ways in which the poet has created

these effects which have impact on them as readers. For example: - Do you notice any patterns in the language such as repetition or alliteration? - Were there any memorable words or phrases that stood out to you? - Did you notice the rhythm of the poem? - How would it feel if we recited the poem and walked around at the same time? - What images came to mind as you heard the poem said aloud? - What do you think helped create these images for you?

Divide the poem into four verses and place the children into four groups.

Ask the children to lift the poem off the page for performance. The children can then work

together to decide how to perform the text creatively considering:

- Which parts might be read in unison? - Which bits might be read with one voice/two voices? - Which bits might be read loudly/softly/echoed? - Might you include sound effects? - Might you include actions?

Following their group work the children could now perform the work to the whole class,

putting their separate sections together.

After this, ask the children what language was highlighted during the performance and consider together author intent and purpose in making the language choices that have been made. For example, repetition, rhyme, descriptive language and onomatopoeia.

Following this, you may want to give out the other poems suggested to the groups and, supporting where necessary, ask the children to create performances of the other poems.

Once these have been shared you can comment on the common themes and ideas in the poems noting language the children particularly enjoyed or thought was effective. Scribe the children’s responses so that they can refer back to this in the following session.

Session 9: Making Potions and Poetry Composition

To support the children’s poetry composition, you may want to create a ‘spell making’ session in which the children are invited to dress up as witches and wizards and can experiment with making their own potions, spells and charms before recording ideas on paper.

For example, you may want to encourage the children to go outside and to gather things in the environment to add to a ‘witch’s brew’. The following would work well added to water coloured with food colouring; dropped flowers, catkins, twigs, little stones and pebbles, unusual objects.

The children could also make a foaming ‘potion’ using bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, washing up liquid and food colouring or glitter. Instructions on how to make slime using ordinary household items can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVefL_nfZlc

As the children are making the potions encourage them to vocalise what they can see and the way the potion looks, jotting down the language they are using so that they can refer to this when writing their own poetry. You may also want to suggest they use language they have

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVefL_nfZlc




heard in the poems to support their spell making, such as ‘abracadabra’ or ‘hubble bubble’ and using a ‘cackle’.

Once the children have enjoyed making their own potions, charms and spells, they can write their own poems. Some children might start developing a first draft of a poem straight away, perhaps drawing on some of the structures and patterns of language that they have seen in the poetry explored or other poets with which they are familiar.

Other children might need longer to explore ideas first or the support of a partner or scaffold such as using the first line of the poem ‘The Wicked Witches’ Song’ that the class explored together: ‘I’m making witch spells…’

When the children are ready to start drafting their poems, encourage them to read their ideas aloud, testing to see which ones work most effectively. Share how to edit words to intensify meanings or feelings, painting the right picture for the reader or listener.

Once the children have a draft, explore different possibilities for presenting the poem on the page; where you could leave line breaks to allow for space for the reader to pause for example.

Allow time for children to complete their own poems and then allow them to read aloud to an audience to lift the words off the page, hearing how they sound when performed. Give time for audience feedback.

When the poems are finished, display these on the working wall. You could also create a class ‘spell book’ in which you place all the poems, this can then be placed in the book corner for the children to revisit and enjoy independently.

Session 10: Language Exploration and Role on the Wall

Read aloud the book so far and on until ‘But was Rapunzel frightened?’ Ask the children to tell you what they think the answer to this question will be. The

pantomime cadence of the story will support their predictions at this point, although some children may have differing opinions on whether she will be scared or not.

Let the children respond to the question and to discuss their predictions about what will happen next. Support the children to justify their answers with knowledge from the text and illustrations so far, as well as their knowledge of stories more broadly.

Read on until ‘she started to explore’, revealing that Rapunzel was not frightened and that she escapes the tower. (Do not show the children the second half of this spread however).

Return to the ‘Tell Me’ questions you considered when reading the beginning of the book and, using a different colour, scribe the children’s responses, considering if they still like or dislike the same aspects of the writing, or if their opinions have changed. Consider if they have answered any questions they posed previously or if they have further questions. Finally reflect on whether they can make any further connections to the text, either to other books they have read, to films, popular culture or to their own life experiences.

Particularly reflect on the twist in the story from the original version, the fact that Rapunzel isn’t frightened of the witch and that she was able to use her intellect to leave the tower the same way the witch got inside, as well as the absence of a male ‘hero’.

Return to the Role on the Wall and consider what her escape suggests about Rapunzel and her personality, considering if the children’s initial perceptions of her personality and character have changed. Scribe the children’s responses in a different colour to highlight any changes in opinion they may have of her character.




To consolidate understanding and the appropriateness of the language chosen, you could use zone of relevance. See diagram below.

Place the children into small groups, and give each group a target template. Give the children a range of vocabulary that could describe Rapunzel and her personality but

also some ‘red herrings’ which are not relevant. Ask the children to discuss the selection of words to describe Rapunzel and then sort them onto the diagram, clarifying meaning where necessary.

If a word is irrelevant, the children place it outside the circle. If it is relevant, the children have to decide how relevant and the more relevant it is, the closer it must be to the centre of the target.

Session 11: Freeze Frame and Thought Tracking

Return to the moment in which Rapunzel leaves the tower. Ask the children to consider how it must feel to be Rapunzel in this moment, her first time outside of the tower.

To support this, you may want to take the children outside and ask them to imagine it is the first time they have ever felt the grass, seen the trees up close, the birds and the insects.

Ask the children to tell you what they notice about the sights, sounds, colours, shapes, sensations and smells that they think Rapunzel would have been excited by.

Use freeze frame and thought tracking to support the children in understanding how Rapunzel feels at this point. Ask the children to freeze in role as Rapunzel as they explore the outdoors.

Encourage the children to display emotion through the expressions on their faces. Use the language of emotion to get some nuanced and varied responses from the children, drawing on some of the language used in the zone of relevance where appropriate.

While they are showing their freeze frame, ask them to explain how they are feeling and what they are thinking. Support them in deepening their responses by asking questions which encourage developing their answer further (e.g. I feel joyful. Why do you feel joyful? I’m joyful because I am touching the soft grass with my feet for the first time.)

You may want to photograph this session and record the children’s responses in the class journal.

You may also want to support this further by showing the children the scene from the film Tangled in which Rapunzel leaves the tower and feels a mix of excitement, fear and guilt: https://bit.ly/2KCh1vT

Following this, return to the role on the wall and also discuss Rapunzel’s feelings at this moment in the story.

After this discussion, ask the children what they think could happen next and what they would do if they were in Rapunzel’s position.

https://bit.ly/2KCh1vT




Session 12: Writing in Role

Explain to the children that you would like them to write again in role as Rapunzel, completing

a diary entry to reflect her experiences and viewpoint at this point in the story. But this time

they need to make sure they are able to show the change in her personality from the first

piece of writing they completed in role, for example writing with confidence about her escape

for the tower and expressing her happiness at being outside for the first time.

Before the children write in role, give them time to look over all the different work completed

in the sessions, such as the Role on the Wall and the language generated in the zone of

relevance work.

Give sustained writing time for the children to plan, draft and write their own diary entries,

this may need to be supported in group writing sessions for some children in the class.

Read aloud the new diary entries and compare the tone to the previous diary entry, exploring

how Rapunzel is different in this version of the story to the traditional version. For example,

reflecting on her active role as the one who finds her way out of the tower and the absence of

another character whose role is to ‘save’ her.

Sessions 13-15: Explanatory Writing

Re-read aloud the book so far and on until ‘It’s a shame about that witch, she thought to herself’.

Encourage the children to look closely at the image which accompanies this page. Ask the children to consider why there are multiple images of Rapunzel on this page, what is the illustrator trying to tell us? Consider together how much time has passed for Rapunzel in these two images. Ask the children, how do we know that time has passed? Does the same amount of time pass for the reader looking at these pictures? Do you think Rapunzel has grown in confidence during this time, why? Why not?

Noting the book Rapunzel is reading entitled ‘How to Defeat Witches’ ask the children how they think she could defeat the witch.

List the children’s ideas encouraging them to draw on what they might know about other stories in which a villain is defeated. For example, preparing a trap to catch her, putting a spell on her first, finding someone to help Rapunzel.

Following this, explain that you are going to write an explanation to Rapunzel to describe how she can defeat the witch and send it to her so that she can escape the tower permanently.

Before this, read aloud and explore texts such as How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth by

Michelle Robinson and Kate Hindley (Simon & Schuster) or How to Babysit a Grandad by Jean

Reagan and Lee Wildish (Hodder) that will enable you to draw out the language features and

style of writing that you want the children to be familiar with, collecting examples the children

have found out from their reading on sentence strips or large paper that can be displayed on

the Working Wall for children to reference whilst writing.

You may want to draw out through discussion the following: statements and commands, the use of the imperative verb form and examples, the use of the present tense, a range of conjunctions, the use of diagrams, numbered or bullet point lists.




Also spend time reading aloud and exploring information books which feature explanatory texts, discussing and clarifying the meanings of important technical vocabulary that may feature.

Model the process of thinking about how to present and organise the explanation and discuss how to organise the explanation so that it is clear for Rapunzel, for example including ‘what you need’ and ‘what to do’ headings.

Model this in shared writing and perhaps give the children the chance to ‘test’ your explanation through role play. One child taking on the role of Rapunzel and another the witch – were they able to follow the explanation and defeat the witch?

Following this, give children time to compile their own explanations on how to defeat the

witch. This could be an individual, paired or group writing task.

You may want to give the children a variety of materials and choices about how they might

want to present their explanations. Some may want to create large, interactive posters, others

may want to use ICT to create a PowerPoint, a movie maker documentary, or poster, some

may want to write a more traditional explanation text or a set of instructions.

Give plenty of time for the children to draft their writing before reading aloud to check for

sense and meaning, editing for spelling and punctuation and then write up for presentation in

their chosen format.

Once the children have finished, ensure that they have the opportunity to send these to Rapunzel or to present them to someone role-playing her. If possible, ensure the children have a response to their explanations from Rapunzel, sharing the idea that she is going to take forward.

Session 16: Double Bubble

Re-read the story so far aloud and on until ‘The witch never suspected a thing’, giving time for the children to explore the pictures. (Do not reveal the text ‘until one day…’)

Following this, complete ‘double bubble’ where the children compare the two characters of

the witch and Rapunzel.

Place the characters in the centre of the paper, next to each other; you could use images to

support this.

Then establish in the centre of the two characters the similarities that the characters’ share –

this could be as simple as ‘they are both female’. Then to the left of both the characters the

children can establish the differences between the characters, for example the witch is unkind

but Rapunzel is friendly.

As the sequence continues revisit the ‘double bubble’ to see if the similarities have grown, particularly considering how Rapunzel becomes cunning like the witch as she develops her plan to escape from the tower forever.

Session 17: Conscience Alley




Read aloud until ‘climbed out of the window’. Consider the witch’s threat to put a terrible curse on Rapunzel if she ever tries to escape and

pose the following question to the class: should Rapunzel try to escape the tower and follow her plan?

Ask the children to work together to prepare arguments for and against escaping the tower

before they then complete conscience alley.

Give each group a large sheet of sugar paper or flip chart paper divided into two columns –

Reasons Rapunzel should follow her plan and escape the tower and Reasons Against – and a

stack of post-it notes in two different colours – one colour ‘for’ and the other ‘against’.

Ask them to complete as many post-it notes as possible with different reasons. As they add

them to their large sheet of paper, they should check if there has already been an idea added

that is similar to their own. If there is, they should group them together.

After sufficient time has been given for children to add their ideas, ask them to discuss as a

group and decide which are the three most important reasons for escaping the tower and the

three most important reasons to remain in the tower.

Share the ideas as a class and discuss the children’s personal response to this dilemma – do

they think Rapunzel should escape? Why? Why not?

Either create a class list combining all of the reasons for and against that children have come

up with, or display the post-it notes that children wrote out somewhere in the classroom

where they can be easily accessed.

Explain to the children that you are going to complete conscience alley to decide what the

best thing is for Rapunzel to do. Divide the class into two teams and allocate them with a

position that they need to hold – for or against. One side should argue that Rapunzel should

escape whereas the other side argues that she should stay in the tower.

Ask the class to create two equal lines and then turn to face one another, leaving a narrow

alley between the two lines. Select one pupil who, in role as Rapunzel will walk between the

two lines.

When the pupil in role reaches the end of the ‘alley’, they can explain the decision they have

made and why – which side persuaded them? What do they think she should do?

You might repeat the task, so that each side of the ‘alley’ has had the opportunity to argue

both ‘for’ and ‘against’.

Following this, the children could write another diary entry in role as Rapunzel in which she

describes the decision she has made.




Sessions 18: Book Talk

Re-read the whole text from the beginning and the last pages of the story to the children. Look

back at the end of the story and re-read the final part of the book. Discuss children’s responses to this ending, what they liked or disliked, anything that puzzled them or any connections they can make.

Through modelling, ask the children to describe their favourite part of the story. Provide the children with an oral scaffold for example: the most memorable part of the story was... because...; my top moment in the story was... because... and in pairs ask them to identify their favourite part of the narrative. Encourage children to give reasons for their choices and invite some children to share these.

Return to the Roles on the Wall that you have created for both the witch and Rapunzel and discuss their responses to the characters, particularly the fact that Rapunzel is the heroine of the story, who is able to defeat the witch herself. The children may also want to compare her portrayal as a ‘superhero’ type character at the end of the book to other characters with which they are familiar.

At this point you may want to spend some time exploring other revisionist retellings of traditional fairy tales and alternative fairy tales to explore the way in which authors have subverted the genre. Including Bethan Woollvin’s other books, Little Red and Hansel & Gretel. The following would also work well:

- Princess Smartypants, Babette Cole (Puffin) - Prince Cinders, Babette Cole (Puffin) - The Paper Bag Princess, Robert Munsch (Annick Press) - Not All Princesses Dress in Pink, Jane Yolen, Heidi E Y Stemple and Anne-Sophie

Lanquetin (Simon & Schuster) - The Wolf’s Story, Toby Forward and Izhar Cohen (Walker) - The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith (Puffin) - Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake (Puffin)

Session 19: Wanted Posters

Re-read the whole book again and focus on the final spread in the book in which Rapunzel is shown riding on her horse chasing other witches. On this page a series of ‘wanted posters’ are displayed.

Ask the children to talk about these and if they know what they are. Draw out through discussion why wanted posters are used. Explain to the children that you are going to create your own wanted posters of the other villains that Rapunzel needs to catch.

Ask the children which villains they think she should look out for, drawing on traditional tales and fairy tales, films and popular culture. For example, The Big Bad Wolf, Maleficent, Goldilocks, Cruella de Vil in Dodie Smith’s The Hundred and One Dalmatians, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Rumpelstiltskin, Gaston from Disney’s version of Beauty and the Beast, Captain Hook, Jafar from Disney’s Aladdin, Ursula in Disney’s version of The Little Mermaid, the Witch from Hansel and Gretel. This may raise questions for the children about what constitutes a villain.




Spend time exploring some of these villains, for example, sourcing video clips of them, reading aloud descriptions of them from books and allowing the children to role-play in character.

Once the children have explored the villains allow them to choose the villain they would like to make the wanted poster for.

Write together an example of a wanted poster, modelling applying in practice a description of the character, ways in which the information can be made to be eye catching and appealing to the reader, such as reducing the information and making judicious language choices, the use of the present tense, short sentences and highlighting the potential danger of the villain such as ‘sharp teeth to eat you with’.

Allow the children to go on to create their own wanted posters and display these prominently in the classroom in a ‘gallery of villains’.

Session 20: Story Mapping

Explain to the class that they are going to re-write a story in which a usually helpless victim is able to defeat the villain of the story, which will eventually be published in the form of an illustrated book. You may want the children to draw on stories they are already familiar with that they could adapt, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella.

To support this, look back over the books you have explored that subvert the traditional fairy

tale genre in some way, such as Rapunzel. Explore how these are structured with the children,

considering how they begin in the same way as the traditional version and then introduce a

twist. Such as, Rapunzel not being scared of the witch or Cinderella being assertive.

Once you have explored the story together again, ask the children to work with a partner or in

a small group to think about and agree on the main events that happen in the story.

Ask the children to help you summarise these in order and model how to represent the story

graphically by creating a storymap, a sequence of events in words and/or pictures. You could,

for example, make this a geographical one, moving through the different stages of the story

and their associated locations. Give the children large pieces of paper that they can work on

individually, in pairs or in groups to create their own storymaps.

Read the story for the children again. Are there any words or phrases from the text that they

want to add on to their storyboard? They might notice the way in which in the book Rapunzel

the twist is introduced with the repeated use of ‘But was Rapunzel frightened? Oh no, not

she!’

Encourage children to add detail and description on different parts of the story map;

modelling how to draw on their work throughout this sequence as displayed on the working

wall, e.g. characterisation taken from the Roles on the Wall.

Once the children have completed their storymaps, allow time for the children to retell the

story orally in their own ways, in groups, pairs or individually.




Session 21-25: Bookmaking and Publishing

Allow the children to choose the story they would like to re-write, either working as individuals, in pairs or small groups.

Following this, you might want to complete some role-play and drama such as hotseating, in

which the children inhabit the protagonist of their story in different scenarios from the ones in

the traditional story, imagining how they may behave and the things they might say.

For example, Red Riding Hood challenging the wolf rather than answering his questions or

Cinderella leaving home and making new friends rather than going to the ball. Record the

children’s role-play and drama and begin to build alternative versions of the stories with the

children.

Give the children time to explore these ideas and then give sustained writing time for the

children to plan, draft and write their own stories, this may need to be supported in group

writing sessions for some children in the class.

The children can also illustrate these stories and you may want the children to try to emulate

the same style as Bethan Woollvin, encouraging the children to think about how they might

use colour to help them tell the story if they are using pictures, such as choosing black and

white and only one main colour for their illustrations. As well as focusing on the eyes of the

characters to convey emotion as she has done.

Once the children have completed their stories they can be made into real books. Ideas for

different bookmaking techniques can be found in Get Writing! (Ages 4-7) by Paul Johnson (A

&C Black). There are also resources available on the CLPE Power of Reading website:


Once the class have published their work, they can be read aloud and enjoyed by one another and other classes. Following this, they can be placed in the reading area or in the school library.





Word Reading and Transcription (National Curriculum 2014)

Early Phonological Development:

Word collections:

Children can explore a range of emotional responses throughout the story and associated

vocabulary, e.g. content, happy, joyful, sad, upset, tearful, frustrated, confused, cross, angry,

grumpy, anxious, worried, concerned.

Instrumental and Voice Sounds:

Using voice, instrumental sounds, or body percussion, children can create a soundscape to

represent the physical and emotional journey that the character undertakes.

Environmental Sounds

Children could listen to recorded or real sounds of a variety of settings; describing the range of

sounds they hear and comparing each of the soundscapes.

Alliteration and Assonance:

Swish, swish Snip, snip

Language of story and text:

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!

I will put a terrible curse on you!

But was Rapunzel frightened? Oh no, not she!

Until one day…

Use and Application of Phonics and Spelling:

Basic code:

and, in, dark, let, up, will, left, but, get, it, sad.

Consonant clusters:

swish, stole, herself, snip, left, forest, ground.

Complex Code:

/ee/ she, leave, leaf, free, every, indeed.

/ai/ day, way, shame, came.

High Frequency Words:

to, the, was, there, your, a, as, if, on, will, that, then, with, she, down, was, so, out, day, made,

put.




Suffixes:

Adverbs ‘-ly’ suffix

root word simply + ‘-ly’

double consonant then + ‘-ly’

-e then + ‘-ly’

change y to i then + ‘-ly’

Secret Secretly

Safe Safely

Bold Boldly

Verbs ‘-ed’ suffix ‘-ing’ suffix

root word simply + ‘ed’

double consonant then +‘-ed’

-e then + ‘-ed’

change y to i then + ‘-ed’

simply + ‘-ing’

double consonant then + ‘-ing’:

-e then +’-ing’

Trap Trapped

Visit Visited Visiting

Call Called Calling

Climb Climbed Climbing

NB Capturing the children’s oral rehearsals and outcomes will enable you to assess how secure the children are with common irregular past tense usage or whether they are attributing the rule of -ed suffix for past tense to all root words, e.g. ‘finded’ instead of ‘found’. Support children through a range of planned opportunities for talk in order to recast and model this language until the children come to possess it.

‘-s’ plurals

simply + ‘-s’ change y to i then + ‘-es’

Locks

Witches

Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin (Two Hoots)

Documents

Transcript of Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin (Two Hoots)