Jessica Brigham

1 May 2017

EDU 280

Multi-cultural Lesson Plan

Standards: For Second grade. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.9. Compare and contrast two or more
versions of the same story by different authors or from different cultures.
SWAT: Students will be able to participate in listening to different variations of the story
Cinderella and compare and contrast each story from different cultures. They will use Disneys
version of Cinderella, Chinye: A West African Folktale by Obi Onyefulu and A happy family
of dolls from Russia and the Slovak Republic, by: Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Multi-cultural Objective: Develop an educational environment that promotes respect for
differences.
SWAT: Students will be able to compare and contrast different cultures through reading
Cinderella from different countries.

Students will LISTEN to the different stories, VIEW words that appear in the stories, COMPARE cultures
of the different stories and CONTRAST the stories of the different cultures. This lesson plan will be
designed for auditory learners, visual learners and kinesthetic learners.

Interpersonal intelligence and linguistic intelligence are the Gardners Multiple Intelligences used in
this lesson plan by listening to the story in the book and learning about the cultures represented.

Materials: http://princess.disney.com/cinderellas-story for the English version of Cinderella.

Four pieces for each student of blank printer paper to record in the childrens journals. Post-It
pad and markers for compare and contrast sections that the teacher fills out. The two stories
used in this lesson are printed in the resources page, it is preferable to find the actual book for
this exercise.

Instruction-learning Process: Do First: Listen to the book listed on the website

http://princess.disney.com/cinderellas-story, begin the coloring books having the children write their
names on the first page and drawing a line in the middle of each page and vertically on each page to
create four sections. Then have them draw the answers to the questions, who is the main character?,
who is the evil character?, where did this story take place?, what was your favorite part about the
book? in the four sections of the Compare/Contrast Cinderella books. Ask the class questions about
Cinderella. Who is the evil character? What issues does Cinderella face? Who is the good
character? the teacher writes the answers to the question on a Post-it pad.

The next day read aloud to the students Chinye: A West African Folktale by Obi Onyefulu, pass out
the journals and have them answer the same questions above about the story who is the main
character?, who is the evil character?, where did this story take place?, what was your favorite
part about the book? During the time that the children are coloring and drawing about their opinions
the teacher returns to another post it pad to write details the students feel are important and answers
to the questions above. On two additional Post-It pads, write COMPARE and CONTRAST on each page.
Have the students work with you to compile a list of comparisons between the two stories and
differences between the two stories.

For the third day, read aloud from A happy family of dolls from Russia and the Slovak Republic, by:
Mikhail Baryshnikov. Continue the same process by passing out the journals, have the students color the
answers to the questions: who is the main character?, who is the evil character?, where did this
story take place?, what was your favorite part about the book? During the time that the children are
coloring and drawing about their opinions the teacher returns to another post it pad to write details the
students feel are important and answers to the questions above. On the two additional Post-It pads,
that have COMPARE and CONTRAST on each page, have the students work with you to compile a list of
comparisons between the three stories and differences between the three stories. Have them color and
finish their Cinderella books.

Teacher will ask students questions about their journals: Who is the evil character for the first book?
What issues does Cinderella face? Who is the good character from the second book? What issues
does the main character face? Where does the third story take place? The teacher will ask the
students to look at their story books and compare and contrast the three different stories in their own
books. The teacher will then ask each student to pick their favorite drawing, cut it out and paste it on
the Post-it pad for that story.

Exit Slip: Students will participation in the Compare/Contrast portion after each new story and complete
a storybook of all the different Cinderella stories that we read about.

Reflection: There are some Cinderella stories out there that may not be appropriate to use in
the classroom for todays learners. For instance, I found a Russian story that called Cinderella
the black girl, that I thought would not be appropriate. The strength of this lesson is that it is
based in story and fairy tale and will capture the childrens attention. It allows the children to
enter into the shoes of each Cinderella and allows them to experience the diversity that the
same story can reflect coming from different cultures. Students will be able to identify which
cultures that the stories have come from and compare and contrast the three different versions
of Cinderella. One of the shortcomings of this lesson is keeping the attention of the students
during the stories and making sure that the stories are engaging for that age range. If there is
not good attention payed to the stories above, there are other Cinderella stories to choose from
for future lesson plans for different age ranges. Another way to extend this lesson would be to
add more Cinderella stories or videos. The student is engaged through the entire process by
listening, answering questions and drawing or coloring. This lesson plan can also be used to
incorporate defining the roles in literature like main character, evil character, resolution and
setting. The students are collaborating by adding their picture from the journals to show their
favorite parts of the story. This can also be shifted to have the students paste which picture
belongs in the category of Compare or Contrast to give them more contribution to the
assignment that the teacher is presenting.
 Resources

Disney Cinderella story: http://princess.disney.com/cinderellas-story

List of stories: http://www.365cinderellas.com/2011/06/cinderella-170-cinderella-and-boys-tom.html

Chinye: A West African Folktale by Obi Onyefulu

"Long ago there lived a girl called Chinye. Her father and mother were dead, so she lived with her
stepmother Nkechi, and her stepsister, Adanma." Well, those two made Chinye do just about all of the
chores. Adanma, "who was spoiled and lazy", was no help at all. In fact, that girl liked to lounge around
and take so many baths that she was always using up all the water. One night there was not a drop left
in the hut to use for cooking dinner, so Nkechi sent Chinye to fetch some, although it was dark night.
She told her, "Go to the stream at once and get more water, you bad girl", even though Chinye was not
really bad at all. But she went to get the water because she had no choice. When she was halfway there,
"a shape loomed up on the path" and the girl shrieked with terror. But then a loving voice asked,
"Where are you going, child?" and the shadow seemed to transform into an antelope. When Chinye
explained why she was out so late, "the shape sighed and let her pass". When Chinye was three quarters
of the way to the stream another shadow burst forth, and it looked like a hyena! It spoke calmly to her,
questioning the girl as to why she was about in this dangerous neck of the jungle at this late hour. When
Chinye told her, the hyena said, Go on your way with my blessing. But take care: a lion is following me.
Hide behind this tree and wait until it has passed. So Chinye waited, then ran as fast as she could to the
stream. It whispered as it passed in the dark, but there were no animals about. Chinye filled her water
gourd, and turned to leave. Suddenly, right in front of her she saw an old woman, bent with age. Bless
you, child, she said. Then the old one told the girl that on her way home she would hear drumming and
singing coming from a certain hut in the jungle, and that she should enter this hut. The river spirit told
her that there would be gourds scattered over the huts floor, and that Chinye should choose the
smallest, quietest gourd, not the large ones that would call out asking to be picked up. With another
blessing for Chinye, the spirit wafted away. And all passed just as she had foretold. The hut with the
sound of drumming and singing was there, and its floor was crowded with gourds. Some had straight
necks, some curved. Some were nearly as big as Chinye, some small enough to hold in her palm. She
sought out the littlest one, picked it up, and left the hut. And the old woman of the river appeared again.
You have chosen wisely. Make good use of whatever fortune brings you, she said. And then she was
gone. But when Chinye got home, her stepsister slapped the little gourd from her hand and shoved
Chinye to the fire pit to begin cooking. Her stepmother slapped her for being late, and shouted, Weve
waited long enough for food tonight. So Chinye had to cook and serve the supper and could not find a
minute to open the gourd. In the morning, she slipped out with the tiny pumpkin and sat down in a
vacant hut she knew of. Then she used a rock and cracked open the pumpkin and at a stroke the bare
hut was transformed into a treasure-house. Gold ornaments spilled across the floor, mingled with ivory
and swaths of rare damask in all the colors under the sun. And Chinye, who was as generous as she
was dutiful, ran to share the good news with her stepmother. Aha! Nkechis eyes gleamed greedily,
and she sent lazy Adanma to the river to seek the spirit. Of course that girl found her, and of course the
spirit gave her the same blessings and advice she had given to Chinye. But did Adanma listen? No she did
not! She followed her own greedy nature and the training of her avaricious mother instead. When
Adanma came to the hut with the sound of drumming and dancing, she made sure to choose the biggest
calabash she could carry. She hauled it home, laughing to herself about the silly advice of that old
woman by the water, and how pleased Nkechi would be when she got home. But things worked out a
bit differently than the greedy girl imagined. When she got home, her mother gloated with her, saying,
Were rich! Were rich! and slashing the gourd open with her longest kitchen knife. And then there
was a flash of light and a clap of thundera great whirlwind sprang up, gathered all their pots, pans,
clothes, and cowrie shells and blew them away into the night. Adanma and Nkechi fled after their
belongings, too proud to ask for help. But Chinye remembered the river spirits words, and decided to
use her fortune in jewels to help her community, and Chinye, and her village, lived happily ever after.

From Chinye: A West African Folktale, by Onyefulu, O. & Safarewicz, E. (1994) New York: Penguin Books
USA, Inc.

A happy family of dolls from Russia and the Slovak Republic by: Mikhail Baryshnikov

Once upon a time, in Russia, lived a wealthy merchant. He and his wife had one child, a daughter, "the
beautiful Vasilisa". One sad day, before the girl's ninth birthday, "her mother was seized with a fatal
illness." She called Vasilisa to her and gave her a little doll. Then she said, Listen, dear daughter.
Remember my last words." She said that she was dying, and would leave for Vasilisa, "with a parent's
blessing" the little wooden doll. She told her girl to always keep it beside her, yet covered from the eyes
of others. And, "If at any time you are in trouble, give it some food and ask its advice." With that, the
woman kissed her beloved child for the last time, and died. As soon as the mourning period was over,
Vasilisa's father took another wife, an especially pleasing "certain little widow, no longer young, who
possessed two daughters of about the same age as Vasilisa." But when these moved into his home, the
life of Vasilisa quickly became miserable. The hardest tasks were piled upon her in impossible amounts,
and she was constantly threatened with beatings. The only way that the girl endured this was by means
of her little doll. "As a rule, she kept a dainty morsel of food" aside, and late at night, would feed her and
talk over the day's troubles. She said, "Now dear, eat and listen to my grief! Even though I am living in
my father's house, my life is joyless, a wicked stepmother makes me wretched; please direct my life and
tell me what to do."The doll replied that she would do the tasks the next day. In this way, Vasilisa
survived several years. And as Vasilisa grew older, though she spent many hours outdoors at heavy
labor, her beauty only increased. Her stepsisters, however, became uglier with each passing day. Soon
the young men of the village were calling as suitors for Vasilisa, which only enraged her stepmother. It
happened that the merchant announced to his wife that he had to go on a journey of several years. In
the meantime, he said, the family would have to move to a small house in the woods. No sooner had
they done so than the woman began sending her stepdaughter, "on some pretext or other, into the
forest". She knew that danger was close by. "In the forest was a glade in which stood a cottage, and in
the cottage lived Baba Yaga, who admitted nobody to her cottage, and devoured people as if they were
chickens." One evening, when the last candle had sputtered out, the stepmother announced that
someone would have to go to borrow a light from Baba-Yaga, for the sewing remained undone. The first
girl said, "I can see my pins. I shall not go." Her sister said, "Neither shall I, my needles are bright." So
they made Vasilisa go. She first went to her doll, fed her, and begged her guidance. The doll replied, Go
on your errand, but take me with you. No harm will befall you while I am present." So the girl went into
the woods, with the little doll in her pocket. Deep in the woods, the girl trembled with fear. "Suddenly, a
horseman galloped past; he was white and dressed in white, his steed was white and he had a white
saddle and bridle." Dawn was breaking. Vasilisa kept walking and much later, "another horseman rode
past; he was red and dressed in red and his steed was red. The sun rose." On she went and finally she
came to Baba Yaga's cottage. The fence around it was "made of human bones, and on the fence there
were fixed human skulls with eyes." She was terrified, but just then "another horseman rode up; he was
black and dressed in black and upon a black horse." Darkness had fallen. With a scream and a swoop,
"Baba Yaga appeared, riding in a mortar which she drove with a pestle" and sweeping her tracks away
with a broom. The old woman yelled, "Phoo! Phoo! I smell a Russian. Who is here?" And Vasilisa said, It
is I, Granny. My stepsisters have sent me to you for a light." So the old lady told her that in exchange for
work, she could have light, but that if she refused, she would be devoured. Then she told the girl to
bring her the food in the oven. Vasilisa did, and thought that it would "have fed 10 men". Then she
fetched "kvass, and honey, and beer and wine" from the cellar, and the old lady drank all of that as well.
Vasilisa ate the scraps. Then she told her that the following day she would have to "clean the yard,
sweep out the cottage, cook the dinner, and get ready the linen. Then go to the cornbin, take a quarter
of the wheat and cleanse it from impurities." If this wasn't done, the girl would be devoured. So she
went and took her doll from her pocket, and begged its advice, while feeding it a nibble of bread. The
doll told her to say her prayers and sleep, for "morning is wiser than evening". And when Vasilisa awoke
next day, the chores were done. But Baba-Yaga ordered her to do the same list of tasks again, with the
addition of sifting earth from the bin of poppy seeds. Once again Vasilisa turned to her doll for help, and
once again, the tasks were done in an instant. So Baba-Yaga had to give the girl the fire. Then she gave
her permission to ask a question. Vasilisa asked the meaning of the white horseman, and the witch told
her, "He is my clear day." Then the girl asked about the red horseman, and the witch answered, "He was
my little red sun." As for the black horseman, he had been "My dark night; all three are my faithful
servants." said Baba-Yaga. Then she told the girl that it was fortunate her questions had been of matters
outside her cottage, for she would otherwise have eaten her. She sent the child back home with a
skullful of fire, and soon, the girl was home again. Yet when she brought in the skull, the fire shone
through its eyes "and looked continually at the stepmother and her daughters". The strain of running
from that gaze caused them to burn to cinders; Vasilisa was left alone. So she went into a nearby village,
and found companionship with an old woman. She asked this one for some good flax to spin, and it was
brought. In spring, she bleached the fine linen, and told the old one to sell it. But it was so fine that
Granny could not bear to sell it, and so brought it as a gift to the tsar. So soft and supple was the fabric
that he soon called for shirts to be sewn from it, but none could cut it. At last, Granny took it home for
Vasilisa to sew. When she had done, and the tsar put on the shirt, he declared that he must meet the
seamstress. And when Vasilisa came, he told her, "I cannot bear to separate from you; become my wife!'
So she did, and she "took the old woman into the palace, and never separated from the little doll, which
she kept in her pocket."

Notes: Baba Yaga is an ancient character, found in eastern Europe; she can be benevolent as well as evil.

1. Read this story and notice that without help from a neighbor, the family would have had to stay in the
dark.

2. Think about what it was like before people learned how to make the nighttime as bright as day.