Fiona, of Teachers Telling Tales, has taught in the UK and international schools, trained teachers, worked as environmental educator, in a range of learning support roles and she is currently a tutor.
Through Teachers Telling Tales she aspires to share this experience through creating high quality and affordable resources. While most are targeted at the primary age range, the aim is to provide versatile and adaptable resources to suit a range of ages and abilities.
Fiona, of Teachers Telling Tales, has taught in the UK and international schools, trained teachers, worked as environmental educator, in a range of learning support roles and she is currently a tutor.
Through Teachers Telling Tales she aspires to share this experience through creating high quality and affordable resources. While most are targeted at the primary age range, the aim is to provide versatile and adaptable resources to suit a range of ages and abilities.
Packed with lots of editable games, the balloon party numeracy pack is perfect for consolidating number facts and skills. Dip into games as starters or time- fillers throughout the year.
The literacy pack can be used as a lesson or extended over time as a project. It includes differentiated phonics, vocabulary and creative writing activities. Using dice games to generate word part and detail for sentences, it is great for keeping students engaged.
This pack features fifteen adorable monsters to describe, compare and sort. They come in four colours with carefully selected similarities and differences, perfect for Guess Who games to develop observation, concentration and vocabulary skills. Use the quiz as a model for describing, for example, I am pink, I have three sharp teeth, I have horns.
The presentation can be used on screen / interactive whiteboard and there are PDF files for poster / cards. Ideas and instructions for games along with photograph illustrations are included.
For more monster-themed literacy and numeracy resources, check out the Teacher Telling Tales shop.
Monsters is such a rich and engaging topic! Included in this monster bundle are lots of games and activities to develop and consolidate skills in literacy and numeracy.
Monster Match, Guess Who Games is great for vocabulary, describing, comparing and sorting according to color and characteristics.
My Amazing Monster includes Spot the Difference, phonics name creation and speaking / creative writing frames.
Monster Balloon Party packs cover a wide range of number facts and skills with different ability levels.
Contains presentations, printables, card games and worksheets.
These fun activity sheets were created to celebrate #WorldSpaceWeek 2023 (October 4–10).
They feature cute and colourful clip art and invite students to make as many words as they can from the letters in ‘astronaut’. The simpler sheet encourages students to complete the countdown by finding ten words. A sneaky way to squeeze in some spelling!
There are colour and ink-saving versions of activity and answer sheets.
Also check out the Teachers Telling Tales free Planet Anagrams / solar system spelling activity.
You may also like this fun Alien poem reading and drawing activity:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/the-alien-read-and-draw-12166304
This resource was created to celebrate #WorldSpaceWeek 2023 (October 4–10).
Planet Anagrams / solar system spelling
This fun activity sheet was created to celebrate #WorldSpaceWeek 2023 (October 4–10).
It features cute and colourful clip art and invites students to solve the anagrams of the names of planets in our solar system and write them in order. A sneaky way to squeeze in some spelling!
Check out the free Astronaut Spelling Activity pack featuring two levels and answer sheets.
You may also like this fun Alien poem reading and drawing activity.
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/the-alien-read-and-draw-12166304
Updated November 2024 with six new characters and improved templates.
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 thirteen mug shot pictures featuring well-known characters from favourite stories and blank templates 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 including oracy 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.
Some fairytale folk have been up to no good! After reading the model case file on the alleged crimes of Goldie Locks, students practise their form filling skills to complete a case file for another fictional character. There are 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 thirteen fairy tale character writing frames, (including a blank version of Goldie Locks) and 1 blank template so other characters can be used. There are UK and US versions (UK is A4 with ‘defence’, US letter size and ‘defense’).
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.
This pack was updated with new characters and UK and US versions in November 2024.
Everything you need for a fun, engaging topic on fairy tales / crime! A presentation with a learning unit consisting of twelve activities with a focus on critical thinking skills and creativity. High quality visual aids to stimulate speaking and listening and drama activities. Templates for writing, drawing and role play tasks.
Students will love creating their own special agent ID card and working as part of a team to create an investigation board with crime scene photos, bagged evidence and mug shots.
Draw the biggest villain in the magic mirror and write a criminal case file for the Big Bad Wolf including his personal details and crimes. Debate whether the Giant is a victim or a villain and many more ideas.
Note: The Mug Shots and Criminal Case Files packs were updated November 2024 to include seven additional characters and improved formats and templates.
A linked resource is in development, I aim to release it in December 2024.
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?
