Some fairytale folk have been up to no good! After reading the model case file on the alleged crimes of Goldilocks, students practise their form filling skills to complete a case file for another fictional character. They will need to complete sections for personal details (name, age, address etc. as well as information on the crime, witnesses and a short statement from the accused. This activity provides the opportunity for humour and imagination, while developing real-life writing skills. Basing writing on well known stories will support students who struggle to come up with ideas. Good for: fairy tales writing skills citizenship, crime There are seven fairy tale character writing frames, (including a blank version of Goldilocks) and 1 blank template so other characters can be used. There are colour versions for best work/display and greyscale to save on colour ink! This resource is part of a ‘Once upon a crime’ series by Teachers Telling Tales. The activity is one of twelve in a Fairy Tale Forensics unit of study and works well as a springboard for other activities involving role play and writing in the unit. The mug shots are also available as a separate resource. You can also ‘bundle and save’ on this series.

These mug shots were taken at the Fairy Tale Police Department! The fairy tale characters are suspects of crimes. Did they do something wrong? Did they commit a crime? Are they innocent or guilty? There are seven mug shot pictures featuring well-known characters from favourite stories and a blank template for students to create their own. The pictures are a versatile resource that can be used for guessing games, discussion, drama and writing prompts. Activity ideas are included in the download. Good for a fairy tale or crime topic, English and Citizenship. This resource is part of a ‘Once upon a crime’ series by Teachers Telling Tales and accompanies the Fairytale Forensics unit of study. You can also ‘bundle and save’ on this series.

A collection of lessons / activities in the form of a presentation with slides to inspire, instruct and guide through each activity. This unit uses well known fairy tale stories and characters to explore story and citizenship themes through a fairy tale crime topic. The activities are designed to build from one another and can be followed consecutively, or used as a stand-alone lesson or activity in any order. Teachers notes are included in the presentation and a document with screen shots of each slide, notes and links. This presentation can be bought as part of a bundle which includes lots of supplementary materials such as templates to enhance the lessons. These resources are optional and linked to specific lessons so you may prefer not to use them or to purchase individually. Key ideas, concepts and questions explored Good and bad deeds What is a crime? Victim or Villain? Viewpoints and motivation, do two wrongs make a right? Mitigating circumstances. Truth, Lie or Excuse? Consider complexity moving from black and white to shades of grey. Perspectives and Persuasion, considering, expressing and explaining a viewpoint. Investigation. Questions: who, what, why, when, where. Fact and Opinion, looking at evidence. Critical Thinking Skills Focus Reasoning Expressing an opinion Considering differing viewpoints Explanation Persuasion Ways of Working Discussion Drama (hot seating, role play) Writing (different genres and styles – forms, reports, statements, social media posts, case files, persuasive, factual). Drawing Contents Introduction (assess prior knowledge). Police line-up of fairy tale characters Right, Wrong or Crime? Discussion, vocabulary. Right, Wrong or Crime? Write a list. Share and compare with classmates. Victim or Villain. Consider case of Jack and the Giant. Truth, Lie (or excuse) show and share your opinion. Arrest or Release (or keep for further questioning) show and share your opinion. Criminal Case File. Record personal details, crimes, witnesses, defence. Present your Case (drama) take turns to be the accused and questioners and have a discus about your case. (Questioners in role as witness / victim / law enforcement etc.). Perspectives and Persuasion Writing Prompts. Four styles to choose from – police report, lawyer case notes, reporter article and suspect/victim social media post. Detective Evidence gathering. In small forensics teams collect the evidence from a scene. Photograph, bag and label each item. Special Agent Investigation Board. Examine a sample investigation board then apply the questions (what, when, why, who, where) and different aspects (crime scene, suspect, witness, evidence, victim) to assigned case. Create investigation board. Magic Mirror. Draw a portrait of the meanest, guiltiest or biggest villain from the fairy tale world in the magic mirror frame. Explain your choice. Who would be the kindest or most heroic of them all?

Writing and drawing frames for evidence collecting at the scene of a crime! Great for role play or building a case in a crime scenario. Contains a model for students to use as inspiration / guidance, label and two sizes of bags. You can, of course, use real bags and add the printed labels, especially if using real objects as evidence. This resource is part of the ‘Once upon a crime’ series by Teachers Telling Tales. It is designed for one of twelve activities featured in a Fairy Tale Forensics presentation. It can be a one-off lesson or an introduction to the Special Agent Investigation Board project. The police and Fairytale Bureau of Investigation (FBI) badges and ID cards complement this resource. You can also ‘bundle and save’ on this series.

These badge and photo ID card templates will help students get in role as a police officer of the Fairy Tale Police Department (FTPD), or a special agent of Fairytale Investigation Bureau (FBI)! Great for role play and drama activities. The ID cards have frames for drawing a self portrait (photo) and writing names / job titles. Colour and greyscale versions included. This resource is part of the ‘Once upon a Crime’ series by Teachers Telling Tales. It is designed for Collecting Evidence and Special Agent Investigation Board activities, two of twelve lessons featured in a Fairy Tale Forensics unit of study. You can bundle and save on these resources.