Jack and the Beanstalk:Traditional Literature

 

    "Jack and the Beanstalk" retold by Dr. Alvin Granowsky is a story of a boy who lives with his mother. They do not have very much money so his mother sends him to sell their cow since she stopped producing milk. Instead of selling the cow for money he traded it for Magic Beans. His mother was mad, so she threw the beans out the window, and the next morning when Jack woke up there was a beanstalk going all the way into the clouds. He went up the beanstalk, and found a house. He went to the house to eat food by a women and she told him to BE CAREFUL, because her husband was a giant. When the giant arrived he ate, then began counting gold coins. After counting he fell asleep, so Jack took the coins, and went down the beanstalk. Him and his mother began to run low on gold, so he did the same thing and went up the beanstalk. When the scary giant got home he had a plate of food and then had a magic hen who laid golden eggs. When the Giant went to sleep Jack came out took the eggs and went down the beanstalk. He and his mother then lived well until Jack got greedy and wanted more, so he climbed up the beanstalk for one last time. He hid in the oven, and waited. The Giant then came home, ate food, and he began to have his golden harp play music for him. He then fell asleep. When he fell asleep Jack grabbed the harp and began to run, but the harp called out to his master. Jack flew down the beanstalk with the Giant following closely behind. Jack cut down the beanstalk, and he and his mother lived happily ever after. I would use this in my classroom. It is probably for 2nd - 4th grade. I would not use it in a particular unit, but I would use it when students are being greedy to teach them that we cannot take from others.