Third Grade Field Trip to the Paley Center for Media
The Redwood Room and Willow Room went on a fun and exciting field trip to the Paley Center for Media. Both classes have recently learned about fairy tales in language arts and all of the different elements that go into these types of stories. Some key features of fairy tales include: a prince or princess, magic, good vs. evil, and a beginning with “once upon a time” and an ending with “happily ever after.” In class, the students listened to different fairy tales and even watched a few movies to compare and contrast, and visualize components that make up a fairy tale.
The Paley Center for Media is a special museum that has archives of old television and radio shows, which include shows that have their own versions of fairy tales. The Redwood and Willow Room third graders participated in a program called Fractured Fairy Tales. They got to discuss and see short videos that use zany techniques and hilarious devices to transform traditional fairy tales into something completely different! The group started off their program by refreshing their brains about the different fairy tale elements with the program leader. She told the students how some television shows could change just one element of a classic story and turn it into a fractured fairy tale.
The group watched three different examples that proved how simple changes to classic fairy tales make whacky and crazy shorts. The first was a short about Little Red Riding Hood that changed the location and the name of the main character. The second showed what took place after the “happily ever after” in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and what would happen if Snow White and the Evil Queen had sons. Lastly, the third was six different fairy tales all combined into one hysterical and mixed up video!
The program ended with a special art project. Everyone was given the task of making their own zany fractured fairy tale character. Students were provided with brown paper bags and a table covered with supplies such as ribbons, buttons, pipe cleaners, and feathers. Everyone let their creativity run wild and had so much fun creating their own puppets!
If you are interested in taking your own trip to the Paley Center you can find more information using this link: The Paley Center for Media.
