International StudiesCinderellaShe Lives in the Hearts of Children around the World
Webquest by Rebeckah ThomasAdapted by Ms. Pente
Introduction || || Tasks || Process || Resources || Learning Advice || Assessment || Conclusion
Are you someone who has recently moved to the United States?
Maybe you were born here, but your family came from another country.
Perhaps you and your entire family as far back as you can remember have always lived in America.
No matter who you are, you have something in common with other people from around the world. Nearly every culture shares stories that are passed down to each generation. In this WebQuest, you will find out what Cinderella's life is like in different cultures around the world.
To learn more about what you will be doing, go to the tasks section.
Your task is to find out how the Cinderella story is told in different cultures around the world. In this investigation, you will decide what these stories have in common. Then you and your partner will present your findings in one (or more) of these ways:
Task #1: Create a Venn Diagram that shows similarities and differences between 2-3 stories at a time. (Write your explanation about what these similarities and differences mean. ) Click here for the Venn Diagram worksheet. Please print out the page when you go to it,then hit the back button to return to this page.
Task #2: Write your own Cinderella story which uses the common elements of the stories you have read. Remember to be original. You must have three paragraphs. A beginning, middle and ending. You must use dialogue at least three times throughout you story.e.g "Why are you are so mean to me?", cried Cinderelina,Remember to use your quotation marks around what the character actually says.
After you have done Process section, tell your teacher you are ready to use your laptop to write your story.
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This is where you will find out, step by step, all of the things you will do to have a successful WebQuest project.
Most of you are familiar with the story of Cinderella. Did you know that many cultures have their own version of this story? Working with a partner you will investigate what these stories have in common and create a way to present what you find. You will decide who your audience will be, based on what kind of presentation you develop.
As a pair , you will choose five or more Cinderella stories to read. At least two of these must be books from your learning center or school library.
As you read each story, think about the following:
What is the setting? Do you already know something about this setting that may help you understand the story better?
What is Cinderella's role in this version of the story?
Remember that Cinderella may have a different name in some of the stories.
Who are the other characters in this story and how do they treat Cinderella?
How does the story end?
Click on this button for a worksheet to print out that has these questions. You should have a separate sheet for each story.
Now it is time to start reading! Here are many different versions of Cinderella stories for you to access and read from here. Some of these stories are difficult to read and you and your partner may need to use a dictionary or work with someone who can help you. Just click on the one that you want to read and the story will appear on your screen.
Remember to complete a worksheet for each story.
To get back to this page after you have read the story, just click on the back button at the top of the screen.
Name of Story
Country of Origin
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
Africa
Katie Woodencloak
Norway
Fair, Brown, and Trembling
Ireland
Rashin-Coatie
Scotland
Tattercoats
England
The Wonderful Birch
Russia
The Wicked Stepmother
India
Cinderella; or The Little Glass Slipper
France
Cinderella
Germany
You and your partner will be reading at least five different stories. It is important that you try to read stories from different parts of the world. In the next section (resources), you will find a list of many different Cinderella stories. Your learning center or library may not have them all, but you can use Search Plus (in Burlington schools) to find these titles as well as other Cinderella stories. At least two of the stories that you read should come from your learning center or library.
Once you have read your stories, go back to the tasks section and decide which project you would like to do.
Go to task section
Click here to get this list in a printable format.
Websites of Interest:
Whootie Owl's Fairy Tales
Yahooligan's Folklore
You are now officially an expert in the field of Cinderella!
Through the process of reading, working with other students, and creating projects to share with people in your community, I hope that you have become aware of the similarities that people share, not matter who they are or where they are from.
At the same time, you have probably realized that there are many parts of a culture that are unique and that shape the perspectives that people have of the world around them. Stories are just one of many ways that people are able to share their rich and diverse cultures with the world.
Can you find examples of your favorite stories in other cultures?
As you conclude this WebQuest, think about some of the other ways you could learn about places in the world that you have never been to.
Do you have something you'd like to share about your experience with this WebQuest?
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