Overview and Outcomes:

This three-week Writing Root for The Princess’ Blankets by Carol Ann Duffy begins with the class receiving a letter from the King of the imaginary kingdom in the story of The Princess’ Blankets asking for their help to solve the dilemma in the tale.  Children will explore the themes and story of The Princess’ Blankets and use it to eventually create their own modern fairy tale.  They will also have the opportunity to write in role as the King, Queen and stony-eyed stranger, writing purposeful diary entries, letters and speeches.  During the sequence of learning, there is an opportunity to link to a DT project to make the blankets described in the story, to support descriptive writing.  Make available other modern fairytales and modern retellings of known tales, for example The Lost Happy Endings, also by Carol Ann Duffy.

Synopsis of Text:

A princess cannot get warm, no matter what is done for her. A stranger with cold eyes brings her the earth's blanket, the forest's blanket, the ocean's blanket and more, but nothing can warm the cold princess. Then, one day, a musician wanders into the land, and her heart melts with warmth and love.

Links:

Traditional tales, modern fairytales, fairy tales

Date written: August 2014