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The Hidden Gems in Children's Stories, Part 1
Unit studies have become a buzzword in the homeschool community. Everybody wants them. But you don't have to buy a bizarre title or a 150-page novel about Pythagorus to find sufficient content.
The truth is, every subject has a universe of disciplines already intricately entwined within. We just have to discover them.
Today I begin the first in a series of deep dives into multidisciplinary opportunities for your homeschool.
When you read Snow White, you probably think of it as a cute children's fantasy. As a teacher, you recognize the potential for literary enrichment: main character, author, plot arc, climax. If you dig a little deeper, you might extract a moral for your students -- innocence versus vanity, or the triumph of good versus evil.
But what if I told you there was more -- so much more?
Like most fairy tales, the story of Snow White contains an amazing amount of cultural, ethical, and even scientific richness. I explore some of these in my first grade Literature for Little Learners series. (This series is available on Teachers Pay Teachers, and will soon be collected into a single course on my website store.)
The truth is, every subject has a universe of disciplines already intricately entwined within. We just have to discover them.
Today I begin the first in a series of deep dives into multidisciplinary opportunities for your homeschool.
When you read Snow White, you probably think of it as a cute children's fantasy. As a teacher, you recognize the potential for literary enrichment: main character, author, plot arc, climax. If you dig a little deeper, you might extract a moral for your students -- innocence versus vanity, or the triumph of good versus evil.
But what if I told you there was more -- so much more?
Like most fairy tales, the story of Snow White contains an amazing amount of cultural, ethical, and even scientific richness. I explore some of these in my first grade Literature for Little Learners series. (This series is available on Teachers Pay Teachers, and will soon be collected into a single course on my website store.)
- Civics. For young learners, Snow White is a fun introduction into the monarchical system of past European governments. Students can create a comparison chart between republican and monarchical systems and freedoms.
- Culture. In the original (and longer) fairy tale versions, Snow White is nearly asphyxiated by her overly tight corset strings. Classes can explore unique cultural standards of beauty, such as corsets, foot wrapping, and neck rings.
- Ethical. Why was it okay for Snow White to enter the Dwarves' house without permission, when it was not okay for Goldilocks? In addition to the obvious morals on vanity and trusting strangers, a myriad of other important conversations can be discovered in this classic story.
- Science. The Dwarves' careers as miners lends well to a fun geology exploration into the minerals and rock strata of medieval Europe.