Cumulative Performance Assessment: Creating & Sharing Fairy Tales

OVERVIEW
Unit Topic: Comparing & Contrasting with Folk & Fairy Tales
Content Area: ELA
Grade Level: 2nd

Standards Addressed:
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text.
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.2
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central
message, lesson, or moral.
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the
story and the ending concludes the action.
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7
Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate
understanding of its characters, setting, or plot
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.9
Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by
different authors or from different cultures.

Essential Questions:
1. Should we retell and change stories?
2. Why do we like stories that are similar?
3. How do similarities and differences in stories help us better understand our world?

General Description of Performance Assessment:

The performance assessment for this unit will span across lessons five through seven in the Comparing
and Contrasting with Folk and Fairy Tales unit. Students will choose from a topic and one of three
mediums to create, share, compare, and reflect on their own version of a fairy tale:

a) Film and/or Dramatic Play

b) Storybird Online Platform
c) Create Puppets & Perform Puppet Show

Regardless of the medium selected, students will be required to share their fairy tale with the class as
well as peers who match their fairy tale topic and demonstrate through verbal means how their fairy tale
enlists the plot structures and dynamics typical of the genre. Another goal of peer interaction will be to
identify how they learned new cultural/elements/connections from listening to their peer(s) and to
explain why their peer’s version is valuable apart from their own. For example, what was similar to their
story? Why do they think there are similarities? Is there an underlining message that we all, as humans,
can relate to?

After sharing, students will submit a reflection (Wizer Worksheet) of their assessment, which will solidify
what they learned through the creation process, peer discussions, and, ultimately, demonstrate how it
helped them address the essential questions of the unit.

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS DURING ASSESSMENT

The expectations of students during the assessment can be split into three categories:

Part I: Create
1. Create their own fairy tale version on a selected topic, using one of the provided mediums –
drama, digital storytelling, or puppetry.

Part II: Share

2. Peers of the same fairy tale topic will read/perform their fairy tale version for the class back-
to-back.
3. Conduct and be on the receiving end of a peer interview. While on the receiving end,
students will explain through verbal means how their fairy tale correlates with the fairy tale
genre (i.e., plot, character, etc.) and stems from their own life experiences. While conducting
the interview, students will reflect on their peer’s answers and compare with their own in
their final stage of the assessment, Reflection.

Part III: Reflect

4. Complete a Wizer Worksheet where students reflect on their project and the connections
they made with their peers during the reading and interview of their story, solidifying
compare/contrast methods as well as the genre elements specific to fairy tales.

ASSESSMENT ALIGNMENT WITH THE UNIT

The Cumulative Performance Assessment: Creating & Sharing Fairy Tales fits with the overall unit in that it
is the culmination of all the tasks learned throughout the duration. In the unit, students were asked to:
 Identify the story telling elements inherent to the fairy tale genre, such as plot and characters
 Identify fairy tale story telling elements through the means of comparing and contrasting
 Consider different perspectives, such as cultural backgrounds, as to why certain fairy tales have
certain morals and/or underlying lessons

The artistic creation of their own fairy tale ensures that students must not only be able to identify the
fairy tale elements but manipulate them to work for their own means, which is a higher level of
understanding than simple identification.

Sharing their fairy tale will continue to reinforce compare and contrast methodology explored throughout
the unit, since they will need to relate their peer’s stories to their own as well as articulate fairy tale
storytelling techniques, since during peer interviews, they will be asked how their story meets certain
fairy tale requirements as well as why.

The final stage of the assessment – reflection – will tie all unit elements together through guided
questions that were asked throughout the unit as a class. Here, the onus will be on the individual student
to demonstrate their understanding after they have had interactive conversations with both their peers
and the teacher.

ASSESSMENT TIMELINE
The performance assessment will take place in Lessons Five through Seven.

 Lesson 5: Creating - Introduce project/cumulative assessment of unit. Students will be given a

variety of options to interact with the unit and demonstrate their understanding of the material
taught by producing their own fairy tale while demonstrating how their story is uniquely
participating in the folktale tradition. Instructor will review the rubric of what students should
understand from fairy tale and key aspects of compare/contrast. Instructor will model different
projects to demonstrate why project demonstrate a key understanding of the material. Students
will select their mode of creation, their topic, and identify who their partners are through the
selection process. The creation process will begin in the appropriate groups. Lesson 5 may be a
two-to-three-day instruction period.

 Lesson 6: Sharing – Discuss and model expectations of performing in front of class before
students read/act out their completed fairy tales. Teacher will guide class discussion during the
sharing of fairy tales to the class. Readings/Performances will be followed with peer interviews,
where partnered students will both conduct and be on the receiving end of the interview. While
the interview process is underway, students will be completing their guided worksheet on
questions to ask/notes to record. Teacher will be circulating to guide interviews and ensure
genuine and meaningful conversations are taking place during the peer exchange. Lesson 6 may
be a two-to-three-day instruction period.

 Lesson 7: Reflecting - Students will write and discuss how their classmates’ stories offered
different perspectives of the story and why their story is valuable because of the similarities and
differences through completion of Wizer worksheet. Afterwards, will conclude as a class to
discuss the importance of comparison and contrast and talk about how fairy tales help us
understand that stories may be similar, but offer different perspectives of important human
ideas.

INTRODUCTION OF THE ASSESSMENT TO STUDENTS

1. Teacher will introduce the assessment by telling students they will be working in pairs to create
their own fairy tale. The pairs will develop their own version of a fairy tale story, but on the same
topic.
2. Review universal, transparent goals of the assessment. What they need to demonstrate in their
learning by reviewing the rubric together.
3. Discuss the three mediums with which students may create a fairy tale: film/dramatic play,
Storybird (an online storytelling platform), or a puppet show. Teacher will show/demonstrate
each medium model. During the demonstration of each medium, the teacher will ask the class
why the provided examples are model examples:
 How is the storyline similar to the fairy tales we read?
 What characters are similar to fairy tales we read?
 What was the moral and/or lesson of each fairy tale example?
 What elements in the medium helped to further the fairy tale elements along?
 4. Students will then split into three groups based on their selected assessment.
 Dramatic Play group will gather at Costume & Set Design Station
 Storybird group will gather at the Computer Station
 Puppet group will gather around Art Station
5. Students will brainstorm using the material provided at each station in order to start designing
their project and the storyline.

MONITORING STUDENT PROGRESS DURING PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

The following table outlines the student stages of the assessment as well as the teacher’s role throughout
the specific stage.

Student Assessment Task Teacher’s Role for Monitoring Student Progress

1. Students will each create their own fairy
tale version based on a selected topic,
using one of the provided mediums –
drama, digital storytelling, or puppetry.
2. Student pairs will read/perform their
fairy tale version for the class.
3. Conduct and be on the receiving end of
a peer interview.
4. Complete a Wizer Worksheet
Teacher will circulate the classroom during this
time guiding the students in their project, as
necessary. For example, teacher may ask
questions to prompt students to select images
and use wording that is specific to fairy tales in
order to ensure that the fairy tale creation is in
line with the goals of the assessment.
Teacher will also require a draft at this stage and
will provide careful feedback that will guide the
student to produce a finalized product with all
required assessment elements.
Teacher will take notes and complete
performance rubric on how well the student
understood the fairy tale elements in the
creation of their story.
Teacher will circulate the classroom during this
time guiding the students in their interviews,
when necessary. Teacher will also take notes,
observing the multiple student interactions to
ensue genuine dialogues and meaningful
exchanges.
Teacher will review the student responses in the
worksheet to determine if the student a)
understands the essential elements of
storytelling, especially as relevant to fairy tales
and b) understands the value of
compare/contrast methodology in both fairy
tales and connecting with others.

PLAN FOR SHARING COMPLETED PROJECT WITH PEERS

There will be two components to the share component with peers.

The first component will be whole class sharing, where the student pairs will read their story aloud and/or
perform, depending on which medium they selected. The teacher will guide discussion during this stage
in order for the class to understand what particular elements of the student’s story was specific to the
fairy tale and/or different, possibly based on student’s experience and background. All discussion will be
positive reinforcements of the student’s creation.

The second component will be share/pair, where the student and their partner will take turns conducting
interviews. The interview questions will be provided by the instructor (link to document provided in this
narrative). The purpose of the peer interviews is twofold:
1. The student should be able to communicate why their fairy tale fits into the fairy tale genre by
utilizing key visual and written details in the text such as plot, character, morals and lessons.
2. The student should recognize similarities and differences in their story versus their peers. The
interview questions asking about their peer’s personal influences should encourage students to
see first-hand how stories change depending on different authors and/or backgrounds.

ALIGNMENT OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT WITH UNIT STANDARDS

Standard How the Assessment Aligns with the Standard

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where,
when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of
key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.2
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from
diverse cultures, and determine their central message,
lesson, or moral.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major
events and challenges.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including
describing how the beginning introduces the story and
the ending concludes the action.
Through the creation of their own fairy tale version,
students will need to ask and answer the questions
required in this standard in order to create and
effective plot line and story. By incorporating these
elements into their own text, they are demonstrating
they understand key details of a text, here, specifically,
a fairy tale.
During peer interviews and reflection stage, students
must also identify key details of their peer’s text in
order to compare/relate to their own.
Because students are modeling their fairy tales on fairy
tales we read throughout the unit, students must
recount the stories they read and understand
messages, lessons, and morals in order to incorporate
their own into their story.
During peer interviews and reflection stage, students
must be able to recount their peer’s story as well as
determine the central message, lesson, or moral in
order to compare/relate to their own.
Students will be unable to create their own story
without recognizing how characters respond to story
events and challenges. These elements are essential
plot elements in the fairy tales, which students will
need to incorporate into their own fairy tale creations.
During reflection piece of assessment (Part III), students
will be asked to formally identify character response
and reflect on both their work and their peer’s.
Because students must create their fairy tale, they will
be forced to understand structure, including beginning
and ending, in order to have a coherent piece that is
understandable and in line with other fairy tale texts.
During reflection piece of assessment (Part III), students
will be asked to formally describe story structure and
reflect on both their work and their peer’s.
 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7
Use information gained from the illustrations and words
in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding
of its characters, setting, or plot
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.9
Compare and contrast two or more versions of the
same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors
or from different cultures.
With the multiple mediums available to students for
creation, they will need to rely on illustrations and/or
specific words in both print and digital environments in
order to further their character, setting, and plot. Using
these elements, students will demonstrate their
proficiency in understanding how illustrations and
words further the story line.
Since student pairs will create a fairy tale on the same
topic and compare/contrast their story with their peer
in an interview, students will be forced to consider
perspectives using compare and contrast methods that
challenge how different versions of the story allow for
different messages and meanings.
Students will further demonstrate their proficiency of
this standard through the reflection piece (Part III) of
the assessment.

ADDRESSING DIVERSE LEARNER NEEDS

The multimodal nature of this assessment will ensure that diverse learners choose a medium that meets
their specific learning needs as well as matches their specific intelligence (in recognition of multiple
intelligences). The multiple mediums the assessment allows for also gives students the chance to perform
well using multiple literacies and means of creativity to express themselves, not in a limited and/or
narrow scope.

Because the assessment also asks students to create from their own personal experience as well as
reflect upon the differences of others, no assumed perspective is forced upon the students. Quite
opposite, students are expected to be more understanding of personal differences and cultural influences
that alter and change someone’s perspective of a particular story.

Moreover, using Wizer worksheets as the more formal reflection piece of the assessment allows the
teacher to differentiate the questions as needed for specific learners as well as monitor particular
students more closely and/or provide more individualized attention and feedback in a digital space. Wizer
worksheets also allows the student to answer through verbal means instead of written, should they
chose.

STUDENT TOOLS FOR ASSESSMENT

Please see the following link for the student’s instructions and rubric for this assessment:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1uYntg6aYb_xv_OF3TDPrjYWgrAiXcbKScJKr4fl0i6k/edit?usp=sha
ring

A PDF of the PowerPoint will be provided to the students to follow along and use as a reference during and
after of the presentation.

SUPPORTING MATERIALS & STUDENT TOOLS

1. Models of Different Fairy Tale Creation Mediums
a. Dramatic Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJXyVzKJiNI
Watch first Two Minutes before initiating class discussion.
 b. Storybird: storybird.com/books/the-story-of-three-brothers/?token=6rqpzx6g5h
c. Puppet Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ7_ofrbPjU
2. Partner Interview Questions for Part II: Share
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EmWBoj4j_6Oy2b8h5B2rpRsfx40rYisemcle6p2beNI/edit?
usp=sharing
3. Reflection (Wizer Digital Worksheets)
https://app.wizer.me/learn/NB2ZKG
STUDENT PIN: NB2ZKG