I.

Russian Fairy Tales (Elementary students)

Objective: Students will learn about Russian folk tales and fairy
tales (and variations) and be able to identify classic characters,
cultural objects and themes in Russian folk lore. This was
integrated into the 1st grade unit on fairy tales. Using Russian Fairy
Tales: Palekh Painting, by Alexei Orleansky, as a guide, we
identified setting and themes in Russian tales, and the lessons such
tales can teach us. Over several weeks, we read:
The Littlest Martyoshka, by Corinne Demas Bliss
Masha and the Firebird, by Margaret Bateson-Hill
The Enormous Turnip, by Kathy Parkinson (and variations)
Babushka Baba Yaga, by Patricia Polacco
Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave, by Marianna Mayer
And – our favorite! – Bony-Legs, by Joanna Cole
We paid special attention to the clothing worn by the characters as
shown in the illustrations in these books – as the characters are
often in folk costume. Our students starting pointing out the folk
costumes in all sorts of fairy tales they were reading – like in Little
Red Riding Hood – and identifying that the characters are dressed
that way to show how people dressed in that region long ago. Mrs.
Fielding dressed up in Russian folk costume one week! All our
first graders now know who Baba Yaga is, that she lives in the
forest in a house on giant chicken legs called ishbushka, and that
she flies in a stupa. We sang a Baba Yaga song to the tune of
“London Bridge” and made individual Baba Yagas with stupas.
Next year, we plan to order any other Baba Yaga books we don’t
already have and do this Baba Yaga unit annually at Halloween.

Resources: library books as listed above

Baba Yaga puppet, a gift from our friends in Murom
Russian folk costume, provided by Ron Pope
Copycat, Sept/Oct. 2000 Edition, pages 43-47.
(see attached Baba Yaga, Fairy Tales and Copycat worksheets)