Beyond the fun

From "Fantástico", a Brazilian TV show.

Once upon a time there was a very vain woman. Once upon a time there were very happy dwarfs. Once upon a time there was a boy that was made of wood, a little liar.

Do you think you have ever heard these stories before? What do children have to say about the stories they have just seen and listened?

Everybody learned the seven dwarfs get to the job everyday. Now, the discussion will begin.

Why do people work? "They work do get some money. To give food to their kids and be happy", judges one of the children.

"My mom only takes care of me and the house, she is not paid to do that", says another one.

Isn't it working?

"Yes, it is", she agrees.

"Then, working is not just for money", explains the teacher.

Stories like Snow White may hide many others. Which are they? A research of Brasilia University's Institute of Psychology is trying to discover. The tactics: by using old childish stories to talk about subjects from children's day-by-day.

"How do I express my anger, my sadness, how do I disagree. A child that knows express his or herself and has words to say what is thinking or feeling can protect him or her in several situations", comments Laércia Abreu Vasconcelos, searcher from UnB's Institute of Psychology.

The persecution of Snow White by her stepmother is one of the most repeated stories in the entire world since 1939, when Walt Disney created the cartoon.

How do the twenty-one century children understand the queen-stepmother behavior?

"These stories might be important because they open to children a space to discussion things that happen to the characters and to themselves. The stepmothers are not all evil end people are not all jealous or liar", consider Susy Willik, elementary school coordinator.

Snow White teaches children to play while doing the housework. Children and parents will love it.

"Together as a team, they did the work quickly and with more pleasure. This activity helps them to realize the need for division of tasks at home in a society where the maid figure nearly does not exist anymore", argues the school's principal Andréa Bichara.

Don't waste time, get your preferred story and learn while playing.

See some points suggested by the psychologist Laércia Vasconcellos, from UnB's Institute of Psychology. They can be debated with the children from stories of Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Pinocchio

An Italian tale written by Carlo Collodi in 1881. In 1940, it was adapted by Walt Disney. A joiner wants so much to have child that he creates a puppet called Pinocchio. The fairy that gives life to the puppet advises him to be sincere, brave, and generous. Meanwhile, the puppet involves himself in many troubles, almost losing his father when he was swallowed by a whale.

Angles to be analyzed with the children:

  • Father and son relationship.
  • Dreams becoming true - Gepetto wanted a lot to be father of a boy, Pinocchio wanted to be a boy and the Jiminy Cricket wanted to be the truly Pinocchio's consciousness.
  • Lie.
  • The behavior of following a stranger's instruction against a relative's one. The Honest John's seduction and the bad consequences to Pinocchio.
  • Precautions to be taken in new ambiences - An important behavior to survive in big cities in the 21st Century.
  • Introductions, salutations - the social behaviors. Children learn rules that optimize positive changes.
  • Facial expressions discrimination - what may avoid negative consequences to the child, specially if he or she is part of a familiar group that uses repressive educative practices.
  • Seeking a routine: In Pinocchio amazing clocks made of wood, just like the Gepetto's signs for sleeping time, meals, and time to go to school may be discussed.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The first version of Walt Disney is from 1937 and it was the first animation feature meant for children. This masterpiece was originally written by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th Century.

Angles to be analyzed with the children:

  • The concept of a stepmother at rebuilt families in the 21st Century.
  • Enviousness.
  • Men and women's dreams about marriage - a marriage with a prince.

More examples

By SEEDS's team

Frog Prince

A classic fairy tale. You may build the scenery and characters using origami, if you follow the instructions here, here, and here.

Angles to be analyzed with the children:

  • Fair and unfair changes and how we would deal with them.
  • Broken promises - Should we break our promises? How do we feel when someone doesn't make what he or she promises? What if there is a reasonable motive…?
  • How important is to have somebody who loves us (like the king, princess' father) to say to do the right thing!

The Ugly Little Duck

A classic tale. Written by Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) in 1844.

Angles to be analyzed with the children:

  • Family. What make us a real family? What does family represents in our lives?
  • Rejection. How do we feel when a group doesn't show appreciation towards us? What we can do to make someone feel welcome and beloved?
  • The path to discover who we really are. Is it easy?

Cinderella

The Young Cinderella's story is ancient. It was registered in China, precisely in the 9th Century. In the Western Hemisphere, this tale was propagated by Charles Perrault (1628-1703), a French writer. It was also transformed into a Disney's movie.

Angles to be analyzed with the children:

  • Rivalry and competition between brothers.
  • Envy.
  • Have someone ever asked why Cinderella's stepmother is so tough and envious? It is possible that a common person can become like that? It depends of the life that this person had and his/her experiences to become so cold hearted? Is it right to use someone to do all the housework like the stepmother uses Cinderella? Is it possible that the stepmother humiliates Cinderella to feel better with herself?

A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens (1812-1870).

He said, about this lovely story: "I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it." Their faithful Friend and Servant, C. D. December, 1843.

Angles to be analyzed with the children:

  • Does money buy or guarantee happiness?
  • How can our behavior make us unhappy?
  • What happens when we treat people with compassion and respect?
  • The meaning of Christmas.

Peter Pan

By James M. Barrie (1860-1937), Scottish journalist, playwright, and children's book writer. The original play and story was written in 1904. The Disney's animated version is from 1935.

Angles to be analyzed with the children:

  • Friendship
  • Orphanage
  • The importance of having parents, education, rules, school
  • The stuborn Peter Pan doesn't want to grow and become alone, he loves Wendy, but he doesn't give up his life of fantasy and childish in the Neverland (something recalls famous people like Michael Jackson...???)
  • Immature people that don't want to take more responsibilities and insist in being acting like a child the whole life, they don't want to evolve...

We invite you to find ways to use the stories and movies below, and many more!

  • The Beauty and the Beast
  • Finding Nemo (Disney/Pixar, 2003)
  • A Little Princess (Warner, 1995)
  • The Wizard of Oz
  • The Incredibles (Disney/Pixar, 2004)
  • Matilda (Sony Pictures, 1996)
  • ...

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