Albert Einstein once said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” All around the world, parents pass down fairy tales, folk tales and fables to their children. It just naturally follows that teaching Social Studies through fairytales is a win-win.
Once Upon A Time in Social Studies
It seems to get harder each year to find time in your schedule to teach every subject. Because of this, cross-curriculum lessons just make sense. Fairytales, folk tales, and fables are included in every reading series. This makes it easy to incorporate them into Social Studies concepts in the afternoon.
Big Ideas for Little Learners
Fairy Tales capture student’s attention with familiar stories while introducing complex ideas in a simple way. This makes them the perfect foundation for teaching social studies through fairy tales all throughout elementary school. Not only do they teach language and vocabulary, but they come ripe with Culture, Civics, and Economics concepts.
Windows into Culture
Cultures all over the world have shared fables, folktales, fairy tales and other oral stories for centuries. They nurture imagination and creativity because of the rich characters and far away lands. Many fairytales have multiple versions, each from a different culture.
They feature traits like honesty, kindness, and bravery, making them a perfect tool for character education. The comparison and contrast of the different cultural versions lends a chance to peek into that culture’s beliefs, values, and way of life. here are a few you might use:
- Cinderella – Adelita- Yeh Shen-Rough Faced Girl – Rhodopis
- 3 Little Pigs – 3 Little Javelinas – 3 Little Dassies
- Stone Soup – Nail Soup – Caldo de Pedra
- Little Red Riding Hood – Lon Po Po -The Tiger Grandmother – Rotkappchen
- The Princess & the Pea – Princess Who Lay on 7 Peas – Most Sensitive Woman
Fairytale Foundation for Civics
Fairytales have been included in elementary curriculum standards for hundreds of years. They are that important to our society. Character education is naturally built in. These stories foster democratic values of cooperation, teamwork, and justice. Many stories feature rules, leaders and community problems.
They give young learners an entry point to discuss rights, responsibilities, and what it means to be a good citizen. Here are just a few concepts:
- Stone Soup (community, cooperation)
- Goldilocks (respecting other’s property)
- Boy Who Cried Wolf (honesty, trust, and responsibility)
- The Lion & the Mouse (teamwork, trustworthiness)
- Hansel & Gretel (justice)
Happily Ever After Economics
Fables & Folktales can help students to see abstract economic ideas in simple, relatable ways. These stories highlight concepts like needs and wants, scarcity, choices, and consequences of decisions. By starting with the familiar tale, teachers can help students see how people use resources and work together.
The approach makes economics more concrete and engaging for young learners. Here are just a few connections:
- Jack & the Beanstalk (opportunity cost)
- Hansel & Gretel (scarcity)
- Little Red Hen (division of labor)
- Elves & the Shoemaker (jobs, goods & services)
- Ant & the Grasshopper (spending & saving)
Resources for Social Studies Fairytales
I hope you got a couple of ideas for teaching Social Studies through fairytales. The good news is, there are Folktales, Fables and Fairy Tales all around us. Check out your school library or community library. I’ll bet you’ll find tons! The internet is also full of resources you can use. Here are a couple:
- Storyberries has hundreds of short stories you can read and listen
- Sooperbooks has familiar stories with illustrations & sound
Click to check out other fairytale blogs. would like to check out some done-for-you resources, click on a cover below.
