Multi-Text Unit: Cinderella
A Cinderella Journey Around the
World
By: Katie Ramsey, Adrienne Kinder, Ashley Mullet and Valerie Cottrell
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Why We Chose Cinderella:
There are many reasons why our group chose to focus on the books and theme of Cinderella.
Each of us enjoys reading different Cinderella stories, and thought that 4th grade students would enjoy it
as well. Fiction stories seem to catch the interest of young, and even older, students. Most students
have either read or seen Walt Disney’s version of Cinderella, but are probably not very familiar with the
different Cinderella fairytales from around the world. Our group thought this would be a great way to
introduce and inform the students of the different Cinderella versions that come from many different
countries.
Our group had several different Cinderella book’s to choose from, however we narrowed it
down to our favorite ten. Two of the books we chose were Ashpet and Smoky-Mountain Rose, which are
two Appalachian Cinderella tales. Not only do these talk about the area of North Carolina in which they
are set, they are very humorous. We also used Perrault’s Cinderella and Grimm’s Aschenputtel. These
two stories are from France and Germany. Aschenputtel’s version is how the American version came to
be. Some of the other books we did were Adelita, The Irish Cinderlad, The Rough-Face Girl, Bigfoot
Cinderrrrrella,Cendrillon, and Yeh-Shen. All of these different versions of the fairytales allows the
students to see how different countries view Cinderella.One of the reasons we chose the Cinderella
theme is because many of the activities we chose to do matches the North Carolina Standard Course of
Study for English Language Arts and Social Studies. Fourth grade focuses mainly on North Carolina
History. Since they are reading and learning about these two books, they are learning about the
Appalachian area of North Carolina. Along with Social Studies, the students are also doing several
activities that go along with the English Language Arts objectives.
Some of the activities that we thought would be most interesting and beneficial for fourth grade
students include creating I-Poems on certain characters as a part of character traits. They could also
choose, instead of an I-Poem, to create a Character Sketcher. This deals with implied traits of the
characters along with an illustration. Another activity is the Wanted Poster. Students have to be creative
and follow a set of guidelines to create a Wanted Poster for one of the characters from the Cinderella
tale. These activities will allow the students to “get to know” the characters.
Another reason we chose to focus on Cinderella because we thought it would be great for the
students to get to compare and contrast different versions. In order to this, we included a DRC(Data
Retrieval Chart) in which the students have to fill in the different categories about the Cinderella stories.
The students will also participate in a Reader’s Theatre in which they will create their own script and act
out the Cinderella tale Smoky-Mountain Rose. Also, along with the DRC and Reader’s Theatre, they will
also define the meaning of different vocabulary words, which will enhance their already known
vocabulary.
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Our group feels strongly that the students will learn a great deal from this multi-text unit. They
will learn things about Cinderella that they never knew, and we think that this will bring a lot of interest
to them. We felt that it was important to not only know things from our culture, but to incorporate
other cultures as well all while fitting into the fourth grade North Carolina Standard Course of Study for
Language Arts and Social Studies. It’s time to broaden your horizons!
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Resources:
Non- Fiction:
San Souci, Robert. Cendrillon:A Caribbean Cinderella. 1998. New York, NY.
Aladdian Paperbacks.
 Author Robert San Souci puts a new spin on the old story Cinderella, adding
his own delightful Caribbean touches. The story is told by Cendrillon's
godmother, or nannin'. Her godmother is a woman who spends years as a
servant to Cendrillon's rotten stepmother and sees and shares the girl's
privations. The godmothers magic wand is a simple mahogany stick
inherited from her own mother. The traditional sparkly, ice-white gown is
supplanted by a beautiful, sky-blue velvet gown, a "shoulder-scarf of pale
rose" and a turban with a tremblant (gold ornament). The glass slippers are
replaced by slippers of pink velvet embroidered with roses. As a final touch
the godmother conjures herself a red dress, goes to the ball too and
pleases herself with helpings of chocolate sherbet. This book is on a fourth
grade reading level. A unique feature of this book is that it defines the
Caribbean dialogue that is used within the sentences of the text.
Climo, Shirley. The Irish Cinderlad.1996.
 With his new stepmother and her three step sisters in the picture, Becan
feels unwelcome and gets made fun of because of his large feet. They also
feed him crusts of bread and banish him to work in the fields. In the fields
he makes a friend, who happens to bull. The bull leaves Becan a gift after
he dies, which helps him defeat a giant and slay a dragon to rescue the
princess. After slaying the dragon, Becan disappears and leaves his huge
boot behind. The princess scours the kingdom for the owner of the giant
boot. The princess finds Becan after a year and they marry and live happily
ever after. This book is on a fourth grade reading level. Like the Cendrillon
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story, this book also defines the Irish dialogue within the sentences of the
text.
Johnson, A.E. Perrault’s Fairy Tales: Cinderella .pg.55-65. 2004. Woodsworth
Editions Limited.
 This well known classic is about a step daughter who is forced by her new
step mother and two step sisters to complete all the housework. After
completing the housework she sat in the cinders, where the name
“Cinderella” was originated. One day the Prince invited all the young ladies
to attend a ball where he would choose a wife. As Cinderella helped her
two sisters get ready, they taunted her by telling her a maid could never go
to a ball. As the sisters left for the ball, Cinderella cried in despair.
Cinderella’s fairy Godmother magically appeared and mad her dream of
going to the ball come true. She also attended the second ball the next day
with her Godmothers help. The Prince fell in love with Cinderella at first
sight and at the second ball she lost track of time, causing her to rush out of
the ball without saying goodbye. As Cinderella ran out of the ball, she lost
her glass slipper. The Prince tried the glass slipped on all the women in the
kingdom to find his future wife. When the Prince approached Cinderella’s
house, the stepsisters tried to force their feet into the glass slipper. Of
course the glass slipper was a perfect fit on Cinderella’s foot. This book is
on a fourth grade reading level. This book is easy to comprehend and it
also has a very good moral.
Grimm, J.L.C & W.C. Grimm’s Fairy Tales: Aschenputtel. Ware, Hertfordshire;
Woodsworth Editions Limited, 1993.
 This book shares several fairy tales written and created by the Grimm
Brothers. The selected story, Aschenputtel, is the German version of
Cinderella. It is about a young girl who’s mother passes away. Her father
takes another wife and her two daughters are mean and snooty.
Aschenputtel is treated harshly. This book shows the relationship between
the German version and the version that most students are familiar with,
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Walt Disney’s Cinderella. The Grimm Brothers use great book language in
this story. Students will enjoy this fairy tale and began to be able to relate it
with different Cinderella versions. This book is on a fourth grade reading
level. This story is the only version out of the Cinderella stories that we
read that the stepsisters made an attempt to cut off their toes and heels in
order for their toes to fit inside the slipper.
Schroeder, Alan. Smoky-Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella. New York,
New York; Puffin Books: Penguin Group, 1997
 This book is a great book for children to read! It will keep their attention
and teach them about a Cinderella tale that takes place in the Appalachian
Mountains. This book also includes great illustrations that will help students
follow along and draw them into the story. This book is on a fourth grade
reading level. It uses mountain-like dialect that allows for readers to get a
feel for the cultural aspects of this story. Instead of a ball, the big event
that Cinderella was trying to attend was a square-dance.
Compton, Joanne. Aspet: An Appalachian Tale. United States; Library of Congress
Cataloging-in-Publication Data, 1994.
 This version of Cinderella will entertain its readers to a great degree.
Joanne Compton does such a great job of telling this fairy tale of Cinderella
set in Eagles Nest Mountain. This is a great book to connect to 4th grade
Social Studies since it is set in North Carolina. I think that the students will
really enjoy the way the characters in this book talk. The story would not
feel as authentic without the language it uses. I highly recommend that
students read this! This book is on a fourth grade reading level. Like
Smoky-Mountain Rose, this story is also set in the Appalachian region.
Instead of a square-dance, the Cinderella figure tries to attend a church
meeting.
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Johnston, T. (1998). Bigfoot cinderrrrrella. New York, NY: Scholastic
Inc.
 This book is a Bigfoot interpretation of the classic Cinderella
story. Rrrrella lives in the woods with her evil stepmother and
stepsisters, and all day they force her to do all of their chores
and they stick flowers and twigs in her matted fur. She’s much
bigger than them, and she is made fun of constantly. She only
wants to be loved. The Bigfoot prince holds a yearly fun -fest
and is determined to find his wife at the festival this year.
Rrrrella’s stepmother won’t allow her to go, but her beary
godfather shows up and gives her a pair of bark clogs to
compete against the prince in the log dunking game. Will she
win Bigfoot prince’s heart? Read th is beautiful story and find
out. This book is on a fourth grade reading level. This story
shows how true beauty can shine through anyo ne, even the
biggest Bigfoots!
dePaola, T. (2002). Adelita. New York, NY: Penguin Young Readers
Group.
 This book is a Mexican interpretation of the Cinderella story. Long ago, in a
village in the heart of Mexico, there lived a young merchant named
Francisco and his beautiful wife Adela. They had a daughter and they
named her Adelita. Soon after little Adelita was born, her mother fell ill
and passed away. Adelita’s father later remarried, after his heart healed
from the loss of his beloved Adela. Adelita’s father passed away thereafter
with an illness, and Adelita was left with no one but the housekeeper
Esperanza, and her evil stepmother and stepsisters. She falls in love with
her childhood friend and prince Javier, but disappears from his sight at
midnight of the fiesta. Will she and Javier find each other again, and will
Adelita ever be truly happy? Read this wonderful story and find out! This
book is on a fourth grade reading level. This story shows how even through
the toughest moments in life, victory can be found. Adelita keeps her head
held high throughout this Mexican interpretation of the Cinderella story.
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Martin, Rafe, Shannon, David. (1992). The Rough-Faced Girl. New York, NY.
 This is a story about a girl who saw beauty in the Earth when nobody else
did. Everyone desired to marry the Invisible Being, but only the one who
could see him would be able to marry him. The Rough-Faced Girl’s sisters
tried to convince the Invisible Being’s sister that they could see him, but
they failed at proving it. One day the Rough-Faced Girl got dressed in her
finest, which wasn’t much, and walked through the village to see the
Invisible Being. When his sister questioned her about his appearance, The
Rough-Faced Girl was able to describe him, and therefore was able to
marry him. This story is on a fourth grade reading level. This story
encourages readers to seek true beauty in natural settings.
Louie, Ai-Ling, Young, Ed. (1982). Yeh-Shen. New York, NY.
 This is a story of a girl who overcomes the cruelty of her stepmother. YehShen is beautiful young girl who lives with her stepmother who is jealous of
Yeh-Shen because her own daughter isn’t as lovely. Yeh-Shen’s only friend
is a fish, who is tricked and killed by her stepmother. Yeh-Shen is upset, but
discovers that the bones of her fish have powers that will help her when in
need. When a festival is being held by the King, the bones provide her with
beautiful clothes and slippers. She is able to go to the festival, but on her
way home looses one of the slippers. A search is put out by the King to find
the owner of the slipper and one day he discovers it is Yeh-Shen’s. They get
married and she never had to deal with her stepmother again. This book is
on a fourth grade reading level. This story displays how one can find the
good in all situations.
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Outline of Unit
Section 1- Perrault’s Cinderella
Day 1-Read Perrault’s Cinderella & complete vocabulary meanings & Synonyms &
Antonyms
Day 2-Sketch to Stretch
Day 3-Response Journal
Section 2- The Irish Cinderlad
Day 4-Read The Irish Cinderlad & complete vocabulary meanings & Word
Networks
Day 5 -Character Sketcher for Becan
Day 6-Double Entry Diary
Section 3- Caribbean Cendrillon
Day 7-Read Cendrillon & complete vocabulary meanings & Vocab-ogram/Predict-o-gram
Day 8-Double Entry Diary
Day 9-Character Trading Cards
Section 4- Aschenputtel
Day 10-Read Aschenputtel and complete vocabulary meanings & Words in a
Sentence &Word Webs
Day 11-Character Sketcher for Aschenputtel
Day 12-Discussion Director
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Section 5- Ashpet
Day 13- Complete activity Before You Read
Day 14-Read Ashpet & complete vocabulary meanings & Synonyms & Antonyms &
Idea Completions
Day 15- Create I-Poem for Ashpet
Section 6- Smoky-Mountain Rose
Day 16- Read Smoky-Mountain Rose & complete vocabulary meanings &
vocabulary questions
Day 17- Create a Wanted Poster
Day 18- Create and participate in Reader’s Theater
Section 7- Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella
Day 19- Read Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella & complete vocabulary meanings & Word
Networks
Day 20- Complete Character Sketcher
Day 21- Complete Wanted Poster
Section 8- Adelita
Day 22- Read Adelita & complete vocabulary meanings & Synonyms and
Antonyms
Day 23- Complete I-Am Poem
Day 24- Complete Sentence Stems
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Section 9- The Rough-Faced Girl
Day 25-Read The Rough-Face Girl & complete vocabulary meanings & Making
Choices activity
Day 26- Complete Character Sketcher
Day 27-Create Cinquain poem
Section 10- Yeh-Shen
Day 28- Read Yeh-Shen & complete vocabulary meanings and activity Making
Choices
Day 29 Create a Wanted Poster
Day 30- Create Trading Cards
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Section 1: Perrault’s Fairy Tales-Cinderlla
Pgs. 55- 64
Vocabulary
You will complete the following chart by writing definitions for these words.
Word
Meaning
haughtiest
pg. 55 par.1
garret
pg. 55 par.2
parquet
pg.55 par. 2
liveries
pg.59 par.1
superb
pg. 60 par. 1
proclamation
pg. 63 par. 2
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Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonym
Word
Antonym
haughtiest
garret
parquet
liveries
superb
proclomation
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Sketch to Stretch
Select a scene or part of the story from Cinderella in the Perrault’s Fairy Tales
book that really stuck out in your mind and create an artistic impression that
represents your interpretation of it. Do not compose an illustration, or a picture
of what is described in the text; rather, compose something that symbolizes or
represents the feeling, emotion, or meaning related to a scene.
You may compose graphs, symbols, etc. Be ready to share your artistic impression
and explain it to us.
As you form your groups to share your sketches, think about the following:
 Invite the students in your group to interpret your sketch.
 You may wish to ask:
o "What is this a picture of?"
o "What do you think I found important or interesting in the story?"
 After members of your group provide their interpretations, feel free to
comment on your sketch.
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Response Journal
Cinderella is faced with many hardships in her life, but never gives up.
I invite you to choose one of the following topics below and write your own
journal entry that relates to Cinderella’s life.
1) How would you feel if your step brothers or sisters were rude to you, would
you be able to act as kind as Cinderella was?
2) How would you stay motivated through tough obstacles throughout life?
3) How could you encourage someone else who is going through a tough time in
life?
Have faith in your dreams and someday your rainbow will come smiling through.
No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you
wish will come true.
-- Cinderella
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Section 2: The Irish Cinderlad
Vocabulary
You will complete the following chart by writing definitions for these words.
Word
Meaning
lad
pg. 2 par. 1
amiss
pg. 4 par. 3
fretting
pg. 4 par. 7
hie
pg. 8 par. 2
arhach
p.g. 12 par. 3
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Word Networks

What people things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about
the word lad?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
______

What people things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about
the word amiss?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
______

What people things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about
the word fretting?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
______

What people things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about
the word triumphant?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
______

What people things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about
the word hie?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
______

What people things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the word
arhach?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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Character Sketcher – Becan
You are invited to learn more about Becan. Please take notes on how Becan acts
and looks.
 To begin, reread the following passages, determine “descriptive words” that
capture Becan’s personality and explain why the words describe Becan.
 Reread page 5.
Which words describe Becan, paragraph 5?
________________________________________________________________
______________________
 He acts
_____________________________________because____________________
__________
________________________________________________________________
_____________________.
 Reread page 8, paragraphs 1-5.
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Which words describe Becan?
________________________________________________________________
______________________
 He acts
_____________________________________because____________________
__________
________________________________________________________________
_____________________.
Focus on pages 15-20.
Which words describe Becan?
________________________________________________________________
_____________________
 He acts
_____________________________________because____________________
__________
________________________________________________________________
_____________________.
Then, use the passages that describe Percy’s actions and appearance to help
you complete an artistic impression of Percy. Use the following passages to
help you:
 Pages two and four.
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 Other passages you noticed.
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Double Entry Diary
You are invited to complete a Double-Entry Diary involving dialect from the book
The Irish Cinderlad,that you just read. Remember to write down the quotation or
passage and the page number on the left side of your paper. On the right side of
your paper, write your response or personal reactions and connections to what
was written in the left column.
Include at least three passages and their responses from the section of the book
that you just completed.
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Quotation/Passage
and page number:
Your response, reactions, and connections
to the quotation or passage:
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Section 3: Cendrillon
Vocabulary
You will complete the following chart by writing definitions for these words.
Word
Meaning
Caribbean Sea
pg. 1 par. 1
Monsieur
Pg. 9 par. 2
blanchisseuse
pg. 1 par. 3
good riddance
pg. 11 par. 5
gilded
pg. 13 par. 3
agoutis
p. 15 par. 2
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Vocab-o-gram / Predict-o-gram
Vocabulary Words – Caribbean Sea, Monsieur, blanchisseuse, good riddance,
gilded, agoutis
Use the vocabulary words above along with the title of the book to make
predictions about the following elements of the story:
Setting
What is the setting likely to be?
Characters
Who are possible characters in the novel?
Problem
What might some problems be for
the characters?
Characters’ Goals
What are likely goals for some of the
characters?
Solution
What are possible solutions to the
problems?
Prediction/Questions
Any other predictions?
Do you have any questions about how the
story might evolve?
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Double Entry Diary
You are invited to complete a Double-Entry Diary (DED) based up the book
Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella. Please record the quotation along with the
page and paragraph numbers that each was found in on the left side of the table.
On the right side of your table, write your responses, questions, connections or
personal reactions that accompany the quotes you chose. Some types of
information you may choose are: effect/cause, fact/compare and contrast,
quote/connection or questions, vocabulary and author’s craft.
You must include 6 passages in your DED.
Here is a sample DED to get you started:
Quote: “Her smile was sunshine even
when clouds hid the sun.” Page 8,
paragraph 1
Metaphor: This quote is comparing
Cendrillon’s smile to the sunshine, even
when you are unable to see it behind
the clouds.
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Double Entry Diary
Quote
Response
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Character Trading Cards
You are invited to create character trading cards about Cendrillon. You will think
about the following questions before creating your trading card. After you have
thoroughly examined your character you are to create a trading card complete
with a description of the characters appearance and actions, personality traits,
the characters thoughts and feelings, quotes by the character, what you like and
what you dislike about the character, a personal connection you have with the
character, and an artistic representation.
Questions to consider before making your trading card:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
What are the characters most important thoughts?
What does the character look like?
How would you describe the characters personality?
What do you like most about the character?
How does the character get along with other characters?
What problems or conflicts does the character encounter?
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Front of the trading card:
Artistic Representation
Name:
Setting:
Appearance:
Personality Traits:
Quote:
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Back of the trading card
Characters thoughts and feelings:
What I like about the character:
What I dislike about the character:
My personal connection:
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Section Grimm’s Aschenputtel
Vocabulary
You will complete the following chart with child-friendly definitions for these
words. Then, you are invited to complete a daily activity to go with these words.
Word
Pious
Pg. 119
Meaning
Obliged
Pg. 120
Bidden
Pg. 120
Haste
Pg. 122
Splendour
Pg. 124
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Words in a Sentence
Write the three following words in a sentence using the correct meaning from the
context:
 Pious
 Obliged
 Bidden
Here is an example using the word pious (You may not use this sentence. Please
create a new sentence with this word): Although her friend had mistreated her,
Maggie’s mom told her to remain pious and kind.
Word Webs
Using the two words haste and splendour, create a word web for each word.
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Discussion Director
Your job is to involve the students in your group by thinking and talking about the
section/book you have just read. You are going to ask questions that really help
the students in your group think about the reading. Your questions should require
students to discuss their interpretations of the text and connect background
experience and knowledge with the text. You want all students involved in the
discussion and talking about issues that come up along the reading.
Your job as Discussion Director is to come up with 5 thinking questions. Your
teacher really wants you to help the students in your group to go back to the
book to find their answers, if they don’t know them. So, to help this run very
smoothly, you need to write down the questions, your answer to your questions,
and the page numbers where the students can reference the text to justify their
responses to your questions.
When developing your questions, think about the way Aschenputtel was treated
by her step sisters and step mother and how her life changed. Remember that
your questions need to be high dollar questions or what we talked about as “thick
juicy” questions. Stay away from the cheap questions and the skinny ones!
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Character Sketcher
You are invited to create a Character Sketcher to identify a character’s
actions (traits) and explain or prove these traits, identify the character’s goal (this
is what the character wants to do or accomplish), identify the problem and
solution in the reading, and complete a sketch or illustration of the character. This
Character Sketcher will be a character from the book Grimm’s Aschenputtel.
You need to be aware that the character traits you will choose will be
implied character traits. In other words, they are directly stated in the passage.
You need to use descriptive words for your character traits. You do not want to
use words like good, bad, nice, or mean.
You will need to come up with a solution for your character. When you
begin to artistically represent your character, try to use any physical descriptions
from the text to help you. Your “artistic impression” of the character will probably
be on a separate piece of paper. The next page gives you an example how your
paper may with the character information.
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Before You Read: Look carefully at the front and back covers of Ashpet. Write
down your predictions about the following.
Setting (Time and Place): When and Where do you think this book takes
place?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________.
Characters (The people, animals, or objects around which the action of the
story is centered): Who do you believe the main characters will be?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________.
Problem(s) and Solution(s) (What goes wrong in the story and how is it
solved?): What do you predict will be the most significant problems in this book?
How do you believe the problems may be solved?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________.
Write down any other questions or predictions:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________.
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Section Ashpet
Vocabulary
You will complete the following chart with child-friendly definitions for these
words. Then, you are invited to complete a set of daily vocabulary activities to go
with these words.
Word
Mending
Pg. 3
Meaning
Peculiar
Pg. 4
Commotion
Pg. 14
Scurried
Pg. 30
Gaped
Pg. 35
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Synonyms And Antonyms
Synonym
Word
Peculiar
Antonym
Scurried
Mending
Idea Completions
The children were causing a commotion because__________________________.
He gaped at his sister because _________________________________________.
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I Poem
You are invited to write an I Poem from the point of view of Ashpet from the book Ashpet. Try to
get inside her character and help the reader identify with the character’s thoughts, actions,
emotions, and personalities. You may wish to use the format presented below, or you may also
want to create your own format.
FIRST STANZA
I am (two special characteristics you have)
I wonder (something you are actually curious about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (an Imaginary sight)
I want (an actual desire)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
SECOND STANZA
I pretend (something you actually pretend to do)
I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)
I touch (an imaginary touch)
I worry (something that really bothers you)
I cry (something that makes you very sad)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
THIRD STANZA
I understand (something you know is true)
I say (something you believe in)
I dream (something you actually dream about)
I try (something you really make an effort to do)
I hope (something you actually hope for)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
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Section Smoky-Mountain Rose
Vocabulary
You will complete the following chart with child-friendly definitions for these
words. Then, you are invited to complete a daily vocabulary activity to go with
these words.
Word
hitched
Pg. 1
Meaning
Sowbellies
Pg. 8
Chortlin’
Pg. 10
Thrustin’
Pg. 17
Shindig
Pg. 19
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Multiple Choice
Circle the answer that best describes the given vocabulary word.
1. Which of the following could be best described as feeling “cross”?
a. You found $5 lying in the parking lot of the mall.
b. You’ve been up all night, and you’re very tired.
c. You fell off your bike and scratched your knee up.
d. Your best friend told a lie on you.
2. When you go to a restaurant, you order sowbellies. What item are you ordering?
a. Rice
b. Salt Pork
c. A Soda
d. Bread
3. You tell your friends that you want to get hitched. What does this mean?
a. Run away and get married
b. Get your ears pierced
c. Get your car fixed
d. Adopt an animal
4. A group of your friends invites you to a shindig coming up on Friday. What they are
inviting you to?
a. The doctor’s office
b. On a walk outside
c. Get your haircut
d. A gathering with dancing
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Reader’s Theatre
Alan Schroeder reveals the characters in Smoky-Mountain Rose by how they
speak, what they do, and by how they look. The narrator allows for the reader to
“hear” the character’s voices. You are invited to prepare a Reader’s Theatre
presentation for a scene from the book. The scene should be no less than 2 pages
and no longer than 8 pages. If you need help, read Reader’s on Stage: A Guide to
Reader’s Theater by Aaron Shepard to help you with the process.
http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/Tips.html
 In one form of Reader’s Theatre, students are assigned to read both the
narration and the dialogue in certain sections of a book. A narrator(s) reads
the non-dialogue parts. If the non-dialogue parts become long, or are more
than paragraph at a time, there is often more than one narrator. The
students sit on stools or chairs in the front of the classroom. No scenery or
props are necessary.
 The focus is for students to read and re-read the script so that in the end,
they perform the reading with fluency, appropriate prosody (phrasing and
expression), and a complete and thorough understanding of the text.
Because props are minimal, students read from their scripts, and use their
expression, intonation, rate and other prosodic features to convey the
meaning of the story to audience members.
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You are invited to create a “Wanted Poster” for one of the following Characters
from Smoky-Mountain Rose:





Rose
The Fairy Godmother (the Pig)
Annie
Liza Jane
The stepmother
You will complete an artistic representation of the character and then complete
the following information for your character:







Wanted
The characters name
The character’s physical description
Place last seen
The character’s likes
The character’s dislikes
What the character is wanted for
It is very important that you make sure your wanted poster is as creative as
possible! Also, please be sure to include a picture of the character you choose!
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Section 7: Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella
Vocabulary
Directions: Find each vocabulary word in the text. Use context clues as a
strategy to figure out the meaning of each word.
Vocabulary Words
Your definitions
Odoriferous (p. 1)
Lurching (p. 3)
Puny (p. 11)
Glowered (p. 19)
Slow-witted (p. 23)
Lugging (p. 25)
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Tantrums (p. 27)
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Word Networks
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word odoriferous?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word lurching?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word puny?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word glowered?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
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What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word slow-witted?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word lugging?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word tantrums?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
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Character Sketcher
You are invited to learn more about Rrrrella! Take good notes on how Rrrrella
acts and looks in the story. Reread the following passages, choose your own
“describing words” that accurately portray Rrrrella’s personality/mood, and
explain why the words describe Rrrrella.
 Reread page 8. Which words describe Rrrrella?
o She acts________________because____________________
__________________________________________________
 Reread page 11. Which words describe Rrrrella?
o She acts________________because____________________
__________________________________________________
 Reread page 15. Which words describe Rrrrella?
o She acts________________because____________________
__________________________________________________
 Reread page 21. Which words describe Rrrrella?
o She acts________________because____________________
__________________________________________________
Use these passages that describe Rrrrella’s personality/mood to help you to come
up with an individual artistic impression of Rrrrella! Feel free to use the back of
this activity sheet.
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Wanted Poster
Directions: Imagine you are the Bigfoot prince. The girl of your dreams has
scampered away after throwing you off of the log at the annual fun-fest. You
need to find her! A wanted poster usually describes the missing person’s
characteristics and always has a picture to go along with the description. Create a
wanted poster for the lost Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella!
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Section 8: Adelita
Vocabulary
Directions: Find each vocabulary word in the text. Use context clues as a
strategy to figure out the meaning of each word.
Vocabulary Words
Your definitions
Charming (p. 5)
Widow (p. 5)
Amid (p. 11)
Fiesta (p. 14)
Stunning (p. 17)
Unison (p. 25)
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Honored (p. 28)
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Synonyms and Antonyms
Directions: Use your new vocabulary words from this wonderful story and come
up with your own synonyms and antonyms for each word in the table below.
Synonyms
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Charming
Widow
Amid
Fiesta
Stunning
Unison
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Honored
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I Am Poem
Imagine you are Adelita. You are going to write a poem as if you were actually in
her shoes. Below is a poem guide you will go by. Use passages in the story to
gather information to fill in the poem. You will be more familiar will Adelita as
you complete this assignment!
I am (two describing words)
I wonder (something Adelita might think about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (a real/imaginary sight)
I long for (something Adelita wishes she had)
I am (repeat first line here)
I feel (the way Adelita feels)
I touch (something imaginary)
I worry (something Adelita worries about)
I cry (something Adelita cries over)
I am (repeat first line here)
I understand (something Adelita can understand)
I say (something Adelita might say)
I dream (something Adelita might dream about)
I try (something Adelita tries to do everyday)
I hope (something Adelita hopes for)
I am (repeat first line here)
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Sentence Stems
Directions: Use your new vocabulary from Adelita, and choose the best word to fit
in each sentence below.
The cheerleaders all shouted in _____________ as the football team scored 6
more points.
There was food, dancing, and games at Saturday’s _____________.
The jeep was a concealed _______________ pine trees in the woods.
The princess was absolutely ______________ as she entered the ballroom.
The _____________ mourned over the loss of her beloved husband.
The boy’s personality was quite _______________.
The bride’s sister felt ________________ as she was asked to give a speech
at the wedding.
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Section 9: The Rough-Faced Girl
Word
Meaning
Wigwam
p. 2
Charred
p. 4
Moccasins
p. 6
Haughtily
p. 6
Stammered
p. 10
Feverishly
p. 10
Quiver
p. 12
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Making Choices
Directions: Read the following scenarios and follow the directions provided.
o If any of the things I say might be an example of a wigwam, say wigwam. If it
is not an example, say nothing.
 A type of tepee
 An animal in the forest
o If any of the following things I say might be an example of a moccasin
someone, say moccasin. If not, say nothing.
 Something you wear on your feet
 A soft, leather slipper
o If any of the following things I say are an example of something that might be
charred, say charred. If not, say nothing.
 A steak on the grill
 Newspaper that has been thrown into a fire
o If any of the following things I say have to do with someone doing something
haughtily, say haughtily. If not, say nothing.
 She accepted her trophy with her nose stuck up in the air, looking down
on those who did not receive one.
 He received his award, giving thanks to those who had helped him get it.
o If any of the following things I say might be an example of a quiver, say quiver.
If not, say nothing.
 Something that shakes uncontrollably
 A case for carrying arrows
o If any of the following things I say might be an example of a situation where
someone has stammered, say stammered. If not, say nothing.
 Someone who is being questioned by the police.
 Someone who is talking on the phone to their best friend
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Character Sketcher
You are invited to learn more about The Rough-Faced Girl. Please take notes on
how a The Rough-Faced Girl acts, thinks, feels, and looks.
 To begin, reread the following passages, to find out more about
The Rough-Faced Girl.
 Reread page 4 paragraph 2. Describe how The Rough-Faced Girl looks.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
 Reread page 14. How do you think The Rough-Faced Girl feels when she
finds out her father has given all of his nice things to her older sisters?
____________________________________________________________
_____________.
 Reread page 16 paragraph 3. How does The Rough-Faced Girl react
when people are making fun of her?
____________________________________________________________
________________________________.
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 According to page 21, what did the Invisible Man’s sister think of The
Rough-Faced Girl before she ever spoke to her?
_______________________________________________________.
 Reread page 26. How do you think The Rough-Faced Girl felt when she
was finally told she was beautiful?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________.
Then, use the passages that describe The Rough-Faced Girl’s actions and
appearance to help you complete an artistic impression of The Rough-Faced Girl.
 Page 4 paragraph 2.
 Other passages you noticed.
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Cinquain
Directions: You are invited to write a Cinquain about a main event, object,
person, place, or idea that occurred during the reading of The Rough-Faced Girl.
Remember, a Cinquain is a five-line poem or stanza. Use the following format to
help you write your own Cinquain.
Line 1 – one word for the topic (subject or noun)
Line 2 – two words that describe your topic (adjectives)
Line 3 – three words that describe actions related to your topic (action verbs)
Line 4 – four words that describe feelings related to your topic
Line 5 – one word that is another name for your topic
(synonym for line 1 or something that sums it up)
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Section 10:Yeh-Shen
Word
Meaning
Coarsest
p. 6
Beauteous
p. 9
Finery
p. 10
Marveled
p. 19
Undaunted
p. 21
Tattered
p. 23
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Making Choices
Directions: Tell whether each item or scenario is a description of the
vocabulary word given. If so, say the word. If not, don’t say anything.
1) If any of the things I say might be a finery, say “finery.” If not, don’t say
anything.





A crystal vase
A ripped pair of jeans
A diamond necklace
A nice car
A bottle of water
2) If any of the things I say might be beauteous, say “beauteous.” If not, don’t
say anything.





A bag of trash
A pile of tires
A flower arrangement
An emerald ring
A wet dog
3) If any of the things I say could tattered, say “tattered.” If not, don’t say
anything.




Your very first teddy bear
Your new tennis shoes
Your baseball uniform
Your unwrapped birthday present
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4) If any of the things I say are undaunted, say “undaunted.” If not, don’t say
anything.



Superman
A “scaredy-cat”
A principal
5) If any of the things I say is an example of garments, say “garments.” If not,
don’t say anything.





Dresses
Books
Pants
Coats
Pencils
6) If any of the things I say is an example of something being marveled over, say
“marveled.” If not, don’t say anything.




A baby being born
Making an F on a report card
Receiving a trophy
Graduating high school
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Wanted: Owner of a Precious Slipper
The king has traveled all over his kingdom in order to find the owner of a precious
shoe that was left behind at his festival. Use your knowledge of Yeh-Shen and
clues given in the book to help create a Wanted poster for the king. Be sure to
include several clues as well as a picture or some sort of artistic representation of
the shoe, or the possible owner. Also include the reasons that the king is looking
for to find her.
Your wanted poster should include at least five clues of who the owner might be
from the book.
For more information on the owner of the slipper, look on the following pages:
o
o
o
o
Page 19
Page 21
Page 23
Page 26
Before beginning your wanted poster, fill in the diagram on the following page to
aid you in including factual information in your poster. You may add bubbles as
necessary.
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Character Trading Cards
You are invited to create character trading cards for self selected characters in the
story. You will think about the following questions before creating your trading
card. After you have thoroughly examined your character you are to create a
trading card complete with a description of the characters appearance and
actions, personality traits, the characters thoughts and feelings, quotes by the
character, what you like and what you dislike about the character, a personal
connection you have with the character, and an artistic representation.
Questions to consider before making your trading card:
7) What are the characters most important thoughts?
8) What does the character look like?
9) How would you describe the characters personality?
10)
What do you like most about the character?
11)
How does the character get along with other characters?
12)
What problems or conflicts does the character encounter?
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Front of the trading card:
Artistic Representation
Name:
Setting:
Appearance:
Personality Traits:
Quote:
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Back of the trading card:
Characters thoughts and feelings:
What I like about the character:
What I dislike about the character:
My personal connection:
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Internet Workshop
for “Real Life Cinderellas”
This internet workshop will introduce you to real life Cinderella figures. You will
have an opportunity to explore information on the internet. Take notes in your
reader’s notebook. Come prepared to share your information at our workshop
session. We will discuss possible ways of presenting your information
(inspirations, power points, posters, graphic organizers, collages, and theatrical
skits).
Please complete the following workshop. See rubric for presentation information:
Read about different Cinderella figures throughout the world by clicking on the
following links below:
http://www.circle-of-light.com/Princess/Diana.bio.html
http://www.royal.gov.uk/HMTheQueen/HMTheQueen.aspx
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/mother-teresa-24.php
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Then answer the following questions in your reader’s notebook. Be sure to use
your critical thinking skills:
 According to the websites, how would you describe the characteristics of
each Cinderella figure?
 In what ways does each figure resemble Cinderella?
 Considering these figures as real life Cinderellas, who in your life would you
define as a real life Cinderella and why? Be specific.
Now that you have been exposed to different websites of real life Cinderellas and
the fairy tale Cinderellas, in what ways are they the same and different?
(Examples: how they dress, their culture, their family life, what they did for other
people, etc.)
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Multi Text Assessment
Word Networks
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word slow-witted?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word lurching?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word puny?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word fiesta?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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What people, things, situations, or words come to mind when you think about the
word honored?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Making Decisions
Directions: Read the following scenarios and follow the directions provided.
o If any of the things I say might be an example of something tattered, say
tattered. If it is not an example, say nothing.
 Your very first teddy bear.
 A brand new car.
o If any of the following things I say might be an example of a garment, say
garment. If not, say nothing.
 Something used to decorate a Christmas Tree.
 A winter coat.
o If any of the following things I say are an example of something that might be
charred, say charred. If not, say nothing.
 A steak on the grill
 Newspaper that has been thrown into a fire
o If any of the following things I say have to do with something being marveled
over, say marveled. If not, say nothing.
 Getting an “A” on a report card.
 Getting in trouble with your teacher.
o If any of the following things I say might be an example of a quiver, say quiver.
If not, say nothing.
 Something that shakes uncontrollably
 A case for carrying arrows
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Idea Completions
For the following sentences, using the underlined vocabulary word, finish the
sentences with an idea.
The couple decided to get hitched because
__________________________________________________________________.
The young girl was always pious to the ones she loved because
__________________________________________________________________.
She was responsible for mending to her all her younger brother’s needs because
__________________________________________________________________.
They threw a shindig for their friends birthday because they wanted to
__________________________________________________________________.
They were gaping at the people walking down the street because
__________________________________________________________________.
Synonyms and Antonyms
Name a synonym of fretting.
Name a synonym of gilded.
Name an antonym of haughtiest.
Name an antonym of superb.
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North Carolina Language Arts Standard Course of Study: Grade4
Unit Activity
NC Language Arts Grade 4
For each section/Cinderella tale, students are asked to
define selected vocabulary words. They are to use
context clues when defining these words. For some
activities, students are required to produce relevant
synonyms and antonyms of their choice for the selected
words. Students will openly discuss with their peers and
the teacher, the meanings of the selected vocabulary
for each section throughout the multi-text unit.
1.03: Increase reading and writing vocabulary through
 Wide reading
 Word study
 Knowledge of synonyms, antonyms, and
homonyms
 Writing process elements
 Writing as a tool for learning
 Discussions
 Examining the authors craft
For certain sections, the students will be participating in
an activity that requires them to look at the front and
back covers. The students will make predictions about
what they think the story will be about based on what
they observe.
2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after
reading, listening, and viewing by:
 Setting a purpose using prior knowledge and
text information.
 Making predictions
 Formulating questions.
 Locating relevant information.
 Making connections with previous
experiences, information, and ideas.
Students will be asked for several sections to complete
a Character Sketcher. In order to do this, the students
will need to thoroughly read the correlating section and
come up with implied (meaning they are not directly
stated) character traits and illustrations for the chosen
character.
2.05: Make inferences, draw conclusions, make
generalizations, and support by referencing the text.
Students will be asked to complete a DRC (Data
Retrieval Chart) with two texts, Cendrillon and The Irish
Cinderlad.
3.02: Analyze characters, events, and plots within and
between selections and cite supporting evidence.
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The students are expected to create and develop a
Reader’s Theater presentation of sections for SmokyMountain Rose.
4.01: Read aloud grade-appropriate text with fluency,
comprehension, expression, and personal style
demonstrating an awareness of volume, pace, audience
and purpose.
For several of the sections, the students will be required
to write an I-Poem based on the selected Character
from the Cinderella tale.
4.07: Compare a variety of fiction, non-fiction, poetry
and drama using self-selected and assigned topics and
forms.
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Rubric for Multi-text
Activity/Criteria
Vocabulary Activities for Sections 1
through 10
 Definitions are “child-friendly”
 Activities are correct and
complete
Your Points/Total
Possible Points
/60
(5 points per section)
Sketch-to-Stretch Activity
 Artistic representation is
thoughtful and creative.
 Representation is symbolic and
explanation is thorough.
Response Journal
 Effort is put forth into journal
 Connections are made from text
example
Character Sketcher(Becan,
Aschenputtel, Rough faced girl)
 Traits are included and thorough
 Page numbers are included
 Artistic representation is
complete and thoughtful
Double Entry Diary
 Correct number of passages
with page numbers are
/5
/10
/15
(5 points per activity)
/10
74
present.
 Thoughtful responses are
present for each passage
listed.
(5 points per activity)
Trading Cards ( Cendrillon, Yeh-Shen)
 Artistic effort was shown in
creating trading cards.
 Appropriate amount of facts
about the characters are
included and correct.
Discussion Director for Grimm’s
Aschenputtel
/10
(5 points per activity)
/5
 Appropriate amount of
questions are listed.
 Page numbers and paragraphs
are included for each question
listed.
 Questions show considerable
effort in creating.
Before you read
 All components are complete
 Thought is apparent in
predictions made about the book
I-poem (Ashpet, Adelita)
 Written from characters point
of view.
 Follows the given format of an
I-poem
/5
/10
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(5 points per activity)
Wanted Poster (Bigfoot Cinderella,
Smoky Mountain Rose, Yeh-Shen)
 Artistic representation is
thoughtful and creative
 Description of missing person
Readers theater
 Scene is 2-8 pages long
 Includes narration and dialogue
/15
(5 points per activity)
/5
Cinquain Poem
 Appropriate topic from the book
 Uses connections from the book
/10
Internet Workshop
 Responses to questions are
answered completely and with
accuracy in their readers
notebook
/20
Vocabulary Assessment
 All answers are complete and
correct
TOTAL
/20
/200
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