Rapunzel and her Tower
Adapted from School Arts October 2007, page 54
Objectives
Students will
- Be introduced to a classic fairy tale Rapunzel
- Learn the brick pattern
- Build a castle
NATIONAL STANDARD
- Students use different media, techniques and processes to communicate ideas, experiences and stories.
Materials
6x18 gray construction paper
9x12 Brown construction paper
6x6 white construction paper
3x6 red construction paper
Blue triangle for roof
Bricks or a rough wall and “naked” crayons for rubbing
Yellow yarn
Crayons, scissors, glue
Web access: Show youtube of Rapunzel, lasts about 10 minutes.
Directions
Day 1
- Use rubbing crayons to create a texture on your brown paper. This will become the bricks. I let the students choose any color for the rubbing.
- Fold 9x12 brown paper in half three times. Open up and cut along the crease lines. These are your bricks.
- Teach a brick pattern. If you are lucky like I am, the students can look out of the art room window and see two brick houses and see how the bricks line up. Point out that there is mortar between each of the bricks, and they need to leave a space between each of their bricks.
- We start with a brick in the center of the bottom of the 6x18 gray paper. We place two bricks on the second row, leaving a space between. Third row from bottom is one brick again. Continue building your brick wall. When you are finished, go back to the leftover bricks and cut them in half. Glue one-half brick onto each side of the single bricks. Voila! You have a brick wall. If some students are faster builders than other, have them use markers (they love this!) to draw vines and little flowers up between the bricks.
Day Two
- Hand out white 6x6, this is your room at the top of the tower. Fold your red paper in half, open and cut on the crease to create two “shutters”. Glue on each side of the white paper and connect the top and bottom corners of the shutters with a line to create a window. Draw Rapunzel in the window looking out.
Day Three
- Glue together your tower and your room and your roof pieces. Give texture to your roof with a crayon pattern. Glue on 3 or so yellow yarn pieces cut to 36 inch lengthsfor Rapunzels’s hair.
- At this point I let the students decorate their castle anyway they want. Some put hats on Rapunzel, some want a flag on top of the roof. I plant some foil paper scraps in our scrap box and you would think they have found gold!
- If they haven’t gotten around to drawing their vines and flowers, now is a good time for that also.
by Sheryl Dapp, Pasco County, Florida
Title - Falling for Rapunzel-Dramatic Play (This is from Lesson Plans Pages
By - Michelle Anthony
Primary Subject - Language Arts
Grade Level - 3-4
(could be modified for Reader's Theatre)
Adapted by Michelle Anthony
From the book Falling for Rapunzel,
written by Leah Wilcox
Characters: Rapunzel, Prince, Maid, Horse, Pig, Sun (Optional character)
Props needed: pair of funny boxers, dirty socks, silky dresses, cantaloupe, pig, empty pancake mix box
(SCENE: Top of the castle tower/window. TIME: Rainy day.
AT RISE: Rapunzel is looking down from her window, with her maid at her side, her swine, which is hiding behind castle prop; as the prince rides up on his horse. SFX: RAIN)
PRINCE
(Cupping his mouth and yelling up to Rapunzel)
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!
RAPUNZEL
(Looking down at the prince with a quizzical look, leaves the window, goes to her maid who helps her)
MAID
(Hands Rapunzel her underwear)
RAPUNZEL
(comes back with a pair of underwear/funny boxers)
You want me to throw down my underwear?
(Shrugs her shoulders, then tosses the underwear out of the window)
PRINCE
(Takes the underwear off of his head, then looks back up at Rapunzel with a surprised look. Realizing she misunderstood, prepares again to yell with his hands cupped around his mouth)
No Rapunzel, your curly locks!
RAPUNZEL
(Puzzled, picks up a pile of dirty socks, throws them out the window, and turns to her maid)
Why would he want my dirty socks?
PRINCE
(Looks up with wonderment as to why she is misunderstanding him)
Please love, just your silky tresses!
RAPUNZEL
(Gathers up and throws out silky dresses/night gowns; winks from the window)
I knew you loved those silky dresses!
PRINCE
(Blushes with embarrassment, then shakes his head)
Rapunzel, do you have a rope?
RAPUNZEL
(Receives a cantaloupe from the maid, throws it out the window)
You’re hungry for a cantaloupe?
PRINCE
(Awkwardly catches the cantaloupe. Frazzled, yet determined, persists.)
Darling, do you have some twine?
RAPUNZEL
(Turns around, looks and finds her pig.)
If you must, he’s my very best swine!
SWINE
(Jumps over the castle prop, as if being thrown by Rapunzel, and tarries to the prince.)
OINK! OINK! OINK! OINK! OINK...
PRINCE
(Encourages the pig to scurry away; feeling frustrated, with brows curled, tries to make Rapunzel understand his intent. Speaks somewhat impatiently and very loudly.)
Rapunzel, do you have a ladder?
RAPUNZEL
(Turns to maid who hands her a box of pancake mix, which is empty.)
MAID
(Gives Rapunzel the pancake mix box.)
RAPUNZEL
Still hungry? Here’s some pancake batter!
(Throws the box to the prince)
PRINCE
(Catches the box. With desperation, near anger, yells)
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your braid!!!
RAPUNZEL
(Confused by what the prince requested, she "picks up" the maid and tosses her out the window)
MAID
(Jumps over the castle wall prop as if being thrown through the window by Rapunzel and lands in the arms of the prince who catches her. She looks at him, blushes and smiles.)
RAPUNZEL
(Seems somewhat saddened)
I’ll miss her, yes! She loves to braid!
But if you must, you can have my maid.
(SFX: RAIN STOPS. SUN COMES OUT ONTO STAGE.)
PRINCE
(Has a look of newfound joy on his face and is mesmerized by the maid. Instantly falls in love with her.)
HORSE
(turns to audience)
NAAYY!!!
You thought the prince would be,
With Rapunzel riding away, we three!
But as it’s told right here, today,
He left the princess for the maid!
NAAYY!!!
MAID, PRINCE, and HORSE
(Riding toward stage right, into the sunset)
PIG
(STAGE RIGHT: wanders over by the prince and maid, oinks poetically)
OINK! OINK!
Rapunzel watched them ride from sight...
RAPUNZEL
(Looks at the audience)
I’m glad I finally heard him right!
MAID
(Leans over to the prince to speak)
I fell for you when we first met!
PRINCE
(Blushes shyly, nodding in agreement)
Yes, me too! How could I forget?
PRINCE, MAID, HORSE, and PIG (EXIT STAGE RIGHT)
RAPUNZEL
(Watches them leave and does a "Vanna" across the stage, pointing to all of the things she had dropped from the window, looks at audience)
I hope if they come back for more, they’ll think to knock on my back door!
(Turns and leaves the window)
SUN/OPTIONAL LINE (possible 6th group member)
(steps to center stage)
The moral of this story is
Be sure to clean your ears,
So if the prince yells up for YOU,
The message will be clear!
THE END