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Themes present in Beauty and the Beast Narcissism Escapism Pride/Hubris Respect Family Maturity Friend or Foe Selflessness Courage

Whats In a Name? Dont Judge A Book By Its Cover Class Prep: The title Beauty and the Beast contains the names of the main characters. But the title also reflects the main theme of the story that of appearances. Do all the characters in this tale have personalities that match their looks? Which do and which dont? In addition to Beast, can you guess what object in the story is both attractive and repellant? How do these quotations relate to the story? ! Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. Khalil Gibran ! We come to love not by finding a perfect person but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." Sam Keen ! "Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul. " St. Augustine Use these quotations to kick off a discussion about the storys main theme. Beautys good looks are a reflection of the kind and good person she is, while Beasts ugly outer appearance hides his inner goodness. (What other fairy tales use mirrors to reflect truth and beauty in their characters?) We learn from this tale that appearances can sometimes be deceiving. Beauty has the patience to spend time with Beast and eventually, she comes to love him for his inner qualities. NB: The object in the story that both attracts and repels (like Beast) is the rose -- a beautiful flower with thorns.

Beauty Today Teacher Prep: Provide a simple typed version of the classic tale to individual students or to small groups. They will use this as a template for their draft. Double space the type, so text changes can be made in the copy. Show students how to insert changes neatly. Whole Group: Graph the themes that are the hallmarks of a Beauty and the Beast tale. Include: Use of Enchantment/Magic (both for casting a spell and for resolving it); Characters: (selfish and kind); Themes (Appearances; Goodness is rewarded, etc.). Discuss other changes to the story to get their creative juices flowing. If students want a specific time period, suggest they do some research to establish clothing, furniture, etc. Individuals or Small Groups: Each group (or individuals) will outline their changes to the story before making text changes. 1) Select a new time period and setting. (Neighbourhood, country, decade, etc.) 2) Language. Update dialogue to match setting. 3) Names. Will names of characters change? 4) Enchantment. Would magic be called science fiction? Could modern electronics replace the magic? 5) Descriptions: Descriptions of clothing, transportation, etc. all need to be updated. 6) Optional: Change names and title of tale. To retain fairy tale format, however, open with Once upon a time, and close with And they all lived happily ever after. Once

the outline is completed, students can make text changes in the copy you provided. If desired, the students can then retype or recopy their updated versions incorporating their revised text. Group Share: Illustrated versions can be read aloud and/or mounted on a display board.

Write a letter to Beauty Provide separate papers for students to write their letters, using standard elements of letter writing.

Make A Castle Floor Plan Using the activity in the student guide, make a castle floor plan, designing the rooms according to scale and your imagination. Mount student work on bulletin board.

Illustrate Your Tale Decide which modern day setting you will choose from: the 40s? the 60s? 2007? or 2200? Be true to the time period in your depiction of setting, transportation and costume. Publish your story and share with class.

Compare/Contrast Versions of Beauty and the Beast Background: One of the worlds most famous and popular fairy tales, La Belle et la Bte or, as we know it in English, Beauty and the Beast, dates from 1740. It was written by a noblewoman, Madame Gabrielle de Villeneuve, to entertain her friends in the royal court with intrigues, prophetic dreams of a handsome prince, and warring fairies. The original tale was quite long (over 300 pages), but a shortened version published sixteen years later became the Beauty and the Beast we are most familiar with. Over the years it has been retold in many forms, including poetry, picture books, novels, films, and plays. Most of the picture books today are based on de Beaumonts version. Folktales similar to Beauty and the Beast are found in many other countries. Have your students select from among these versions to compare and contrast: Beauty and the Beast (France) Little Broomstick (Germany). The Bear Prince (Switzerland) Belinda and the Monster (Italy) The Small-Tooth Dog (England. The Singing Rose (Austria) The Prince Who Had the Head of A Horse (Portugal) The Three Daughters of King OHara These websites post some of the stories for reading aloud or downloading: www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0425c.html

www.surlalunefairytales.com/beautybeast/index.html Whole Group: Analyze the de Beaumont Beauty and the Beast alongside another countrys version of the tale. Use a Story Web that includes: Setting, Character, Problem, Solution, Plot, and Theme. Whole or Small Groups: Complete a Venn diagram comparing the two stories. Suggested elements to compare include: List family members related to the main character; what do the main characters ask their father to bring home? What do their requests reveal about their personalities? What are the relationships between the siblings? Between the main character and her father? What happens to the father during the quest? Why does Beauty have to live in the castle? How does Beauty discover the Beast is dying? List ways in which magic is involved. Are other animals involved? How is the spell broken? Is there a moral to the story? Identify a main theme for the story, and list ways in which this theme is explored through names, characters, objects, actions, etc.

DESCRIBING WORDS! Choose a character from Beauty and the Beast and draw it in the box below. Then, fill in the box with adjectives that describe the character. Here is an example:

Now its your turn!

Shape poems The rose is important in the story. A shape poem is a poem that is written in the shape of the object you are talking about or is written around a picture. Use the rose below and write a poem that uses the rose as an outline. Here is an example:

Now its your turn!

Beauty and the Beast. Cut up and put story in order. 7

Merchant had a daughter, Beauty. He traveled to city to try and make money. Beauty wanted a rose.

Merchant made no money in city and could not even afford to buy a rose. Lost his way home and ended up in a palace where he stayed the night.

Next day, merchant picked a rose from the palace garden. He met Beast and Beast was angry that he picked rose. Threatened that he will kill merchant unless his daughter lives with him in palace.

Merchant tells Beauty about what happened at palace. He tells her not to leave but Beauty feels she must, so that her father will not die.

Beauty lives in palace but does not want to marry Beast.

Beauty sees that her father is ill. She goes home to look after him, but returns to palace when she realises she loves Beast.

Beauty finds Beast lying half-dead in garden. Tells him she loves him and kisses him. Beast turns into handsome prince.

Beast tells Beauty that he had been under a spell until a beautiful woman released him. They marry.

Beauty 8 and the Beast. Cut up and put story in order.

Merchant travelled to city. Lost his way and slept in a palace.

Merchant steals rose. Beast threatens merchant.

Beauty leaves father.

Beauty lives in palace. Does not want to marry him.

Beauty looks after ill father. Returns to palace.

Kisses Beast. He turns into Prince.

Beauty and Beast get married.

Fairytale characters Which of all fairytale characters would each member of your class choose to be and why? Who are the three most popular female characters and the three most popular male characters? Conduct a survey in your school to see which one of these six characters the children would most like to be and make a graph of the results. Did the girls always choose to be female characters and the boys always choose to be male? Did more children identify with the good or the evil characters?

A Decision-making Drama Make a list of some of the immoral actions and then a list of the praiseworthy actions taken by characters. In groups of four, pretend that you are one of these characters (Beauty, Beast, father). Make up a drama which deals with decisions which need to be taken by them. You can change the story as much as you like. Here are some ideas to help you. Should the father leave his daughter to rot in the Beasts castle and take his own freedom? (Bear in mind that he is an old man and Belle has her whole life before her.) Should the Beast allow Beuty to visit her sick father and risk losing her love? Before making up your play you will need to think carefully about the character you are going to be. Try to imagine you are that character rather than yourself. In your group, spend some time talking about each persons role. When you are all clear how to behave, start your drama at the point where Beauty reaches the castle. When each group in the class is ready, take it in turn to perform your plays. Now consider the following questions: i What were the moral decisions you had to make? i Did the characters always choose the right option? i If you had been in role as yourself would you have made the same choice? i What were the consequences if a bad decision were made?

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Beauty and the Beast Some of you may have heard other versions of the story Beauty and the Beast. If so tell them to your class. It is a very old story and has been changed through the ages to match the social life of different periods of history. The story was first written down in 1740. In 1987 there was a popular television series about a modern Beauty and the Beast. Go to your local library and ask the librarian to help you find as many different versions of the tale as possible. Remember that not all of them will be in the medium of a written story. Some may be films, books, poems or picture books. Think how the various ways of telling the story would make it different. This version of the fairy tale was told in 1756, in French by Madame Le Prince de Beaumont. A wealthy merchant who had three beautiful daughters, lost all his money through misfortune. Hearing of one of his cargo ships safe return, he set off to sort out his affairs. The elder daughters asked him to bring back for them many costly gifts, but Beauty who was the loveliest of the girls asked only for a rose. After a fruitless journey, the merchant turned homeward but he got lost in a storm and discovered a magical palace from where he plucked a rose from the garden. This theft aroused the anger of a terrible Beast, who demanded that the merchant forfeit his life or give up his youngest daughter. Beauty insisted on sacrificing herself but she grew to like the Beast. In spite of this she missed her ailing father and asked permission to care for him. Once at home her sisters prevented her returning to the palace but she missed the Beast who, in her absence was almost dead with grief. Just in time she returned to say that she loved him. On hearing this the Beast transformed into a handsome prince and he and Beauty were then married.

Try writing a completely up-to-date version of Beauty and the Beast for yourself. When you have created your stories, display them in the classroom for everyone to read. Do the stories still work as fairytales? Now think about the film; did the storyteller alter the tale (enough/not enough/too much)? Share your reasons with the rest of the class. Silhouettes The Beasts castle is shown in silhouette. What is a silhouette? How did the word originate? You will need a big dictionary to help you find out the answer. Painting a silhouette castle can be fun but it is a very messy activity so make sure that you wear your art overall. First choose some light coloured chalks and rub these into a large piece of white sugar paper using your fingers to blend in the shades You can make a sunrise, a sunset or a winter night time sky. Now mix some black paint and paint your castle into the background.

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Clothes Clothes are a very important way of telling other people what we are like; or are they? Draw a picture of yourself in the clothes you are wearing today. Now write by the side of each item of clothing how it may give a clue to your personality. Dont forget about your hairstyle and accessories. Draw another picture of yourself in the clothes you would choose if you had lots of money and if your parents let you wear whatever you wanted. Now label this picture in the same way as the first one. Are the clothes which you and other people wear sometimes very misleading? Should we judge from appearances? The Beast Even towards the end of the story the Beast is still a ferocious, terrifying monster. Do you think very young children would be afraid of him? How do the author make him so frightening? What kind of animal is he? Make a list of frightening characters from other stories which you have read. How does the Beast compare with them?

Animation Because Beauty and the Beast has been made into an animated motion picture it is worth spending some time thinking how such films are made. There are many different animation techniques but they all rely on the fact that an image stays in our mind for a fraction longer that it exists in reality. Scientists have found that the image in our brain lasts for between 1 tenth and 1 eighth of a second. An animated film consists of a series of still drawings, each slightly different from the ones before and after it, and when they are run through a projector at the rate of 24 each second it appears that they move. You can prove this for yourself by making a phenakistoscope. The phenakistoscope was created in 1833 by Joseph Plateau. The word is made out of two Greek words phenax which means deceiver and scopein which means to see. Colour-in the pictures of Lumire, keeping the colours consistent and very bright. i Mount the circle onto card and stick a sheet of black paper onto the back i Cut out the circle and the slots i Punch a hole in the centre, push a knitting needle through this hole and make sure that it moves round easily i Hold the phenakistoscope at eye level, in front of a mirror so that the pictures are reflected i Spin the circle round until you see Lumire move

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Do The Mind's Eye Exercise Discuss with students what happened as they listened to the story. For example, you might ask: "What did you see as you heard the story?" Their response will usually be that they saw the storytellers and "pictures in their minds." Pick an image that was particularly vivid for you in the story. Have the students close their eyes and remember (in silence) how they pictured the image. Asking them questions will facilitate the process. For example: "What did Jack look like?" "How old do you think he was?" "What colour was his hair?" "Was it straight or curly, combed or uncombed?" "What kind of clothes was he wearing?" Ask a few volunteers to describe how they pictured Jack to the rest of the class. There will, of course, be many different images of Jack, and you can point out that this is what makes storytelling so interesting and so much fun. All of the listeners create their own images, whereas when we watch television or a movie, we see exactly the same images. Teach Your Students To Tell Stories ! Being able to tell a coherent, engaging story is an important life skill. Many students who struggle in school are fantastic storytellers. They may have already "checked out" when it comes to working hard at reading and writing because they don't feel they're good at them. However, they immediately recognize storytelling as a skill they use in their everyday lives. Storytelling is an AMAZING confidence booster and student enthusiasm for storytelling leads to excitement about reading more stories and making up their own, especially if teachers encourage and guide them. A Discussion of Storytelling Skills To Get Things Started Discuss the fact that all of us tell stories, and that there are certain techniques we can use to become better storytellers. Ask the students what they learned from watching us that might help them improve their storytelling. Brainstorm a list of storytelling techniques such as: Use of Voice Storytellers must put expression into their voices. Nothing will cause an audience to lose interest faster than a monotonous delivery. To demonstrate the use of expression, have students practice saying a sentence such as "I lost my homework," first as if they were sad, then as if they were happy, then frustrated, etc. You could also have them say just one word -- "hippopotamus." Have them say it as if it were a silly hippopotamus, a serious hippo, an angry hippo, etc. (Encourage them to use facial expression as well as vocal expression.) Speak loudly enough. When speaking before a group, storytellers must be sure to look at the back row now and then in order to be sure that all listeners can hear. Facial Expressions You might ask, "What did the storytellers say with the expressions on their faces?" You can remind students of a certain part of a story we told where a character was mad, or scared, or embarrassed. Write several

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feelings (for example: confused, surprised, afraid) on cards and ask volunteers to show the feeling with facial expression only no body motions or sounds. Ask their classmates to guess what the feeling is. Eye Contact It is especially important to have students notice the effect that is created when a storyteller looks directly at listeners. Maintaining eye contact draws the audience into the story and makes the telling more powerful. The listeners feel they are a part of the action. Timing Ask the following questions: "How did the storytellers pace the story? Were some parts of it faster when it was more exciting? Did you notice how they went slowly and paused at other times?" Emphasize that a storyteller should not rush when telling a story, and that silences are sometimes just as important as words. During a pause, the teller is using facial expression and body movements to tell the story. Body Movement and Gestures Ask, "How did the storytellers hold their bodies for certain characters? What kind of gestures did they use?" Point out that it's very important that the storyteller not use any distracting gestures such as playing with her clothes or shuffling her feet since that would bring attention to her. Any gestures a storyteller uses should help listeners create pictures in their imaginations rather than bringing attention to the storyteller. Have Students Draw Favourite Scenes from a Story Have the students draw their favourite scene from the story. To build in a lesson on sequencing, line the various drawings from one story up on the chalkboard rail and ask, "Which one of these comes first in the story? Which comes next? Are there any parts of the story missing?" Volunteers can draw the missing scenes and you can then bind them all together to form the class's own storybook. Have Students Retell Stories Some of the stories we tell are simple enough that students can retell them either orally or in writing. Let the class pick a favourite story; then, with the class's help, make a bare bones outline of it on the blackboard. Students can then retell it orally to a partner or in small groups. Some may eventually choose to tell it for the entire class. Afterward, students will enjoy hearing the differing versions of the story told by their classmates. More Writing Ideas Have students take the stories and tell it from a different point of view. *Keep the plot, but change the time or place. *Rewrite it as a newspaper article. *Have one of the characters write a letter to Dear Abby explaining his/her problem.

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Problem Solving: Reread the story and stop when the problem is introduced. Discuss different ways the main character could solve the problem Writing And Discussion: Can beautiful people be ugly? Sometimes the most attractive person can also be the meanest and ugliest. Someone may be pleasant to look at, but nevertheless cruel and hurtful. Have you ever experienced this? Has a beautiful person tried to make you feel ugly? If yes, jot down the details of your experience. If no, use your imagination to make up a fictional experience in which you meet someone beautiful who is in the end ugly nonetheless. Then, consider whether you would prefer to meet someone who is beautiful on the outside, or someone who is beautiful on the inside. Explain your reasoning in the class discussion that will follow. Be sure not to use anyones real name in your explanation. Writing And Discussion: Monsters until they love. Sometimes people can be tough, rough and insensitive and seem to act like monsters until they fall in love. When in love, they act like caring, emotional human beings. They become sensitive and emotional. The beast gets soppy, becomes needy, and starts talking love. Have you ever noticed this yourself? Write a couple of paragraphs relating your impression. Then, try to develop a theory that explains why some people behave in this way and share it with the class in the discussion that will follow. Be sure not to use anyones real name in your explanation.

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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Necklace: Children can string several types of holed macaroni that's been colored in food colors. Castles: Place shoeboxes, cardboard tubes, paints, scissors, glue, glitter, magazine pictures of roses, and other collage materials on the creative art table. Allow children to create their own version of the "Castle of the Rose." Plate of Food: Provide magazine pictures of food. Ask children to choose foods (and cut them out) they would serve the hungry merchant in the story and glue them onto a paper plate. Beast Picture: Have children draw their version of what they think the beast must have looked like in the story. Rose: Bring a rose to school/camp for children to smell and investigate. Grouptime Discussion: How do you feel about the beast? Does he make you feel afraid? Why/why not? Would it have been nice to tell the beast he was ugly? Why not? FAIRY TALES Create A Puppet Stage: Cut an opening into a large box (appliance size) and let the children paint the outside of it. When it's dry, allow them to glue pictures from magazines and/or old ragged storybooks all over the box which represent characters or props in various Fairy Tales (wand, slipper, wolf, small girl, red hood/cape, etc). Make a simple stage curtain by attaching a colorful pillowcase to the top of the box opening. Puppets: These are a little time consuming but once completed, you'll be glad to have them. Buy fairy tale coloring books that have nice large pictures of individual fairy tale characters. Color them, cut them out, glue them onto stiff cardboard, and laminate them. Glue large craft sticks (or paint stirring sticks--found at paint stores) to the back of each puppet. Children can then hold onto the sticks as they move the characters around on a puppet stage. Sequencing: Ask the children to tell you a fairy tale. This is a good language activity and good practice for the skill of being able to remember the sequencing of events. Drawings: After reading a fairy tale, ask the children to draw their own picture of someone or something from the story. Ask them why they liked this character or object. Write their exact words at the bottom of their papers.

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Try reading or telling fairy tales without pictures, allowing children's imaginations to make the stories come alive. King and Queen Gross Motor Game: Let children decorate an old highseated chair or ottoman. Then have them take turns "sitting on the throne" and giving royal commands to their "subjects" (roll, hop on one foot, skip, etc). Related Art Project: Cut a crown for each child (simply make zig-zag cuts through large sheets of construction paper). The children can decorate their crowns with collage materials. Introductory Grouptime Discussion: Are fairy tales real? Can the things that happen in fairy tales REALLY happen? How do you feel when you hear a fairy tale? Are you sometimes scared? Are the characters real? Act out fairy tales with the children.

Coat of Arms Children use tempera paint and sponges shaped like heraldic symbols (cross, flowers, animals, stars, etc.) to decorate a posterboard shield. The shield is divided into sections, with one section for each symbol. We use heraldic colors (for a little authenticity): red, blue, black, green, purple, silver, gold. We add last names to the shield. Those who are able, write their last names on their own or copy it from a name tag.

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Fairy Tale Retelling A large sheet paper is folded in half, like a story book. The children draw a picture of one of their favourite fairy tale characters on the front. On the inside, they dictate their retelling of the fairy tale.

Fairy Tale Graph Each child writes their name on an index card, chooses a favourite fairy tale, and places their card on the pocket chart graph. Count and compare the results: what has the most/least/same? Pick about 5 fairy tales for the children to choose from and place pictures of those fairy tales at the top of the pocket chart.

Medieval Feast Have foods from the recipes above and authentic medieval music CDs. Children wear t crowns they made in an art activity.

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Fairy Tale Summary Castle Directions: 1. Fill out the drawbridge with story information and the castle flag with the setting. 2. On each castle turret, write a brief summary of the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Draw a picture to go with the summary. 3. Cut out all castle parts. 4. Fold the castle turrets on the starred lines. 5. On the back of the middle section, glue the drawbridge. 6. Add the setting flag to the top of your castle.

Book Title: Author:

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FAIRY TALE WORD SCRAMBLES

Unscramble the first four words in each set of scrambles. Then use the circled letters to unscramble the final word. Some of the words may unscramble into more than one word, but only one word is related to the puzzle.

1. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

I I S T V

2. FAIRY TALE CHARACTERS

A D F R S W

Answer:

Answer:

3. CHARACTER TRAITS
E D G E R Y

4. FAIRY TALE PLACES

A C E G T O T

Answer:

Answer:

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Subject:

Literature Activities

Topic: Content:

Reading "Beauty and the Beast" 1. Go over vocabulary, and main characters of the story. 2. Read the story 3. Re-read the story as a clas 4. Activity 5. Evaluation

1. Fairy tales will help them think about situations they may find themselves in. 2. Have the children understand that fairy tales are fiction stories that have been around for 100s of years. 3. Children Goals: will be exposed to morals such as: do to others as you want them to do to you,(hidden message)and never judge someone by their appearence.(hidden message) 4. Children will be able to draw and write about 1 important part of the story. 1. The children will read and understand the story "Beauty and the Beast" 2. The children will know new vocabulary from the book and Objectives: be able to recognize it in the story. 3. The children will show that they can pick out important events from the story, write about them, and draw a picture about them.
Materials:

- reading book - pencil - crayons - blank sheet of paper - blank sheet of lined paper

1. Have children turn to the story in their reading books 2. Go over any vocabulary that I thought they would have trouble with or introduce any new words, and talk about the 2 main characters in the story. 3. I would group the children into groups of 4 and have them take turns reading aloud(round robin) 4. I would be walking Introduction: around the groups asking comprehension questions throughout the story. 5. I would read the story to the class to make sure of comprehension. 6. After the story is read 2x I would give them an activity of drawing the most important scene of the book, to them, to enforce their learning.
Development: Practice:

Have them write 3 sentences why they think this is the most important part of the story. 1. Children write their 3 sentences to go along with their story.

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Use larger print books, help the children brainstorm for ideas on Accommodations: what to draw, or read them the story another time if they didn't undestahd.
Checking For Understanding: Closure:

After finished with the "Beauty and the Beast" story and activities, give them a multiple choice comprehension quiz over vocabulary and basic understanding of the story. Children show their picture and sentences to the class.

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Comparing the story and the Movie

Questions Which characters are included in the extract? What do they say and do? Which part do you really like? What has been missed out of the film?

Story

Film

What has been added into the film?

Which do you prefer and why?

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Beauty and the Beast cordially invite to the wedding of their son Beast to Beauty Tuesday 23rd January 2007 9am-10.15am Gift list available at Bogeys R Us and Wart-Mart

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Questions How are standards of beauty established in a particular society, in a particular time period? How are those standards articulated to the culture at large? What are the standards of beauty that females and males are held to today? How are those standards different based on gender? age? race? To what extent is intelligence a component of beauty? How have certain stereotypes reinforced or challenged the notion that someone who is beautiful is not necessarily intelligent? What puts intelligence at odds with being beautiful? What are common stereotypes present in fairy tales that deal with degrees of beauty, ugliness, and intelligence? What are the virtues associated with beauty? Are there ever any vices associated with this trait? What are the virtues and/or vices associated with ugliness? Under what circumstances can beauty be transformed into ugliness and vice versa? If students are very familiar with the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, it might be helpful to have them recall the elements of the story and its treatment that they recall. It also would be helpful to have them consider how familiarity with that version might enhance or interfere with their experience of viewing and enjoying Cocteaus version.

Discussion Exploring Themes To what extent is Beutys story similar to Cinderellas? What are important differences? To what extent is Beutys beauty an asset or liability to her life at home with her family? To what extent does she share a special bond with her father? What then creates that bond? How is Beauty able to exert control over the Beast at various points in the narrative? Is this control derived from her beauty or her perceptiveness? To what extent does she have control over herself and

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her situation at home either before or after she has come in contact with the Beast? How is the transformation of the Beast into a prince a bittersweet change for Belle? What has she come to expect in that relationship upon her return to the castle? To what extent is the Beast transformed emotionally and psychologically by his interactions with Belle even before the physical transformation occurs?