Lesson Plan: Jack and the Beanstalk
Subject: English Literature
Class: 6th Grade
Duration: 45 minutes
Topic: Play - "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Steven Kellogg (Unit 8, Term III)
1. Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, the teacher aims to help students:
- Understand the classic fairy tale structure and plot development
- Analyze characters' motivations and decision-making processes
- Recognize themes of risk-taking, trust, resourcefulness, and consequences
- Develop reading comprehension through dramatic dialogue
- Build vocabulary related to adventure, danger, and emotions
- Appreciate the play format with narrator, characters, and scene divisions
- Understand cause-and-effect relationships in storytelling
- Identify moral lessons about trusting strangers and quick thinking in danger
2. Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Make thoughtful decisions by weighing risks and benefits before acting
- Think resourcefully when facing difficult or dangerous situations
- Trust their instincts while also being cautious about strangers' promises
- Act quickly and decisively in emergencies
- Take responsibility for their choices and their consequences
- Show courage when facing fears or challenges
- Problem-solve creatively using available resources
- Learn from mistakes and turn challenges into opportunities
3. Introduction (5 minutes)
Engaging Questions:
- "Have you ever made a trade or exchange with someone? What did you trade and why?"
- "If a stranger offered you something magical or too good to be true, would you trust them? Why or why not?"
- "Have you ever taken a risk that turned out well? What happened?"
- "What would you do if you discovered something amazing but also dangerous?"
- "Do you believe in magic? If you had magic beans, what would you want them to grow into?"
4. Reading and Understanding (8 minutes)
New Vocabulary with Meanings:
| Word/Phrase | Meaning | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Cottage | A small, simple house, usually in the countryside | He lived in a small cottage with his mother |
| Market | A place where people buy and sell goods | I'm taking it to the market |
| Magic beans | Enchanted seeds with supernatural powers | I'll give you five magic beans |
| Foolish | Lacking good sense or judgment; silly | Oh, you foolish boy! |
| Useless | Not serving any purpose; worthless | These beans are useless! |
| Cross | Angry or annoyed | Jack's mother was very cross |
| Beanstalk | A tall stem of a bean plant | The magic beans grew into a huge beanstalk |
| Castle | A large building or group of buildings fortified against attack | He found a huge castle |
| Crept | Moved slowly and quietly to avoid being noticed | Jack crept inside |
| Giant | A creature of enormous size | It's a giant! |
| Fee, fi, fo, fum | Traditional rhyme chanted by giants in fairy tales | Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman |
| Grind | Crush into small particles or powder | I'll grind his bones to make my bread |
| Cupboard | A piece of furniture with shelves for storing things | Jack hid in a cupboard |
| Amazement | Great surprise or wonder | Jack watched in amazement |
| Golden egg | An egg made of gold | The hen laid a perfect golden egg |
| Squawk | Make a loud, harsh cry (as a bird does) | The hen began to squawk |
| Flap | Move up and down or back and forth with a beating motion | Flap its wings |
| Axe | A tool with a heavy blade for chopping wood | Give me an axe! |
| Chop down | Cut something down with an axe | I have to chop this beanstalk down |
| Thud | A dull, heavy sound, as of something falling | The giant fell to the ground with a thud |
5. Mind Map
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
by Steven Kellogg
|
┌─────────┼─────────┐
| | |
CHARACTERS SETTING PLOT
| | |
┌───┴───┐ ┌──┴──┐ ┌───┴───┐
| | | | | |
JACK MOTHER HOME MARKET SCENE 1 SCENE 2 SCENE 3
| | | | | | |
Poor Angry Small Castle AT HOME CASTLE CASTLE
boy about cottage | | & &
| beans | Sky POVERTY DISCOVERY ESCAPE
Brave | | | | | |
| Throws Throw Giant's Jack & Jack Jack
Quick beans beans home Mother climbs steals
thinker away out | are poor beanstalk hen
| | window Huge | | |
Takes Becomes | palace Jack Finds Giant
risks rich Magic | sells castle chases
| | beans Full cow | |
| Happy grow of | Giant's Giant
| | over- giant Old man castle falls
| | night things offers | |
OLD MAN | | | magic Everything Jack
| GIANT Beanstalk Fee fi beans is big chops
Stranger | reaches fo fum | | down
offers Villain sky | Jack Jack beanstalk
magic | | Eats trades hides |
beans Greedy Jack sheep cow | Mother
| Scary climbs | | Cupboard gets
Trades | | Has Gets | axe
for cow Sleeps | magic magic Watches |
| heavily Climbs hen beans giant Happy
Promises | | | | | ending
riches Falls Castle Lays Mother Giant |
| to in golden angry eats Jack &
Tricks death sky eggs | sheep Mother
Jack? | | | Throws | rich
End Top Daily beans Hen |
of | gold out lays Never
Giant Three | | golden poor
scenes Wealth Beanstalk egg again
| grows |
Makes | Amazement
rich Magic |
| Jack
Moral wants
lessons hen
|
┌─────┴─────┐
| |
THEMES MORAL LESSONS
| |
┌──────┼──────┐ |
| | | |
RISK- RESOURCE- TRUST ┌──┴──┐
TAKING FULNESS VS | |
| | CAUTION Don't Quick
Sometimes Trust | trust thinking
risks instincts Think strangers saves
pay off | before | lives
| Use what acting Think |
Magic you have | about Courage
can be | Weigh consequences in
real Problem- risks | danger
| solve | Turn |
Fortune creatively Jack mistakes Be
favors | trusts into brave
brave Jack stranger success |
| thinks | | Face
But quickly Mother Learn fears
danger | doesn't from |
too Cuts down trust errors Protect
| beanstalk beans | family
Worth | | Mother |
it? Escapes Mother is right Stand
| giant throws at first up to
Jack | away | bullies
decides Saves beans But Jack |
yes himself | proves Giant
| | Seeds wrong represents
Gets Bravery grow | danger
wealth pays off | Trust |
| | Magic your Jack
Happy Takes is real instincts wins
ending action | |
| | Jack Validate
Was it | was your
right? Doesn't right beliefs
| panic |
Debatable | Magic
| Stays exists
| calm
| |
| Uses
| axe
| |
| Defeats
| giant
6. Consolidation and Presentation (8 minutes)
Summary of the Lesson:
"Jack and the Beanstalk" by Steven Kellogg is a classic fairy tale adapted into a three-scene play that tells the story of a poor boy named Jack who trades his family's only cow for magic beans, climbs a beanstalk to a giant's castle in the sky, steals a golden-egg-laying hen, and escapes by chopping down the beanstalk, killing the giant and securing his family's fortune.
Scene 1 - The Trade at Home:
The play opens with the Narrator establishing the setting: "Once upon a time there was a boy called Jack. He lived in a small cottage with his mother. Jack and his mother were very poor. All they had was a cow."
This immediately sets up the story's central problem—poverty. Jack's mother makes a difficult decision: "Jack, we don't have any money. So, I think we have to sell the cow." Jack agrees to take the cow to market, and his mother warns him: "Be careful, Jack."
On the way to market, Jack encounters "a little old man" who asks where he's taking the cow. When Jack explains that he and his mother are poor and need money, the old man offers an unusual trade: "I would like to buy the cow from you... I don't have money. Instead, I'll give you five magic beans."
Jack is skeptical at first ("Magic beans? Mmm."), but the old man makes a tempting promise: "They will make you rich." The Narrator explains: "Jack had to think about it. He wanted to make his mother happy." This shows Jack's good intentions—he's not greedy, he wants to help his mother.
Jack makes his decision: "Okay! You can take the cow." He runs home excitedly, eager to share the good news: "Mom, Mom, Mom! Look what I have got!"
But his mother's reaction is the opposite of what Jack expected. When she asks, "Did you get a good price for the cow?" and Jack admits he got "these magic beans instead," she becomes furious: "What? Oh, you foolish boy!" Despite Jack's protests that "they will make us rich! Trust me," his mother dismisses them: "No way! These beans are useless!" In her anger, she throws the beans out the window.
This scene establishes several important character dynamics:
- Jack is well-intentioned but perhaps naive or overly trusting
- Mother is practical but quick to anger, perhaps too hasty in judging
- The old man is mysterious—is he a trickster or a genuine magical benefactor?
- The concept of "magic" creates tension between belief and skepticism
Scene 2 - Discovery on the Ground and in the Castle:
The Narrator reveals the beans' true nature: "During the night, the magic beans grew into a huge beanstalk. By morning, the beanstalk reached high into the sky." Jack's reaction shows wonder and vindication: "Wow! This beanstalk is huge!"
Jack's adventurous nature takes over. He climbs the beanstalk: "Jack climbed and climbed and when he reached the top, he found a huge castle." His amazement continues: "Oh my! There is a castle in the sky! I can't believe this." The repetition of his disbelief ("I can't believe this") makes the magical element feel more real—even Jack, who believed in the magic beans, is surprised by this outcome.
Jack enters the castle cautiously: "Jack crept inside." He whispers to himself, showing awareness of danger: "Everything is so big in here. Who lives in this big castle?"
Then comes the story's most famous and frightening moment. "Suddenly, the floor began to shake." The Giant appears with his terrifying chant:
"Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman... Be he alive or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread."
This rhyme is iconic in fairy tale literature. It establishes the Giant as a genuine threat—he eats people. Jack's fear is palpable: "Oh no! It's a giant! What can I do? Is there any place to hide? Oh, there is a place." His self-talk shows his thought process—he doesn't panic, he looks for solutions.
Jack hides in a cupboard and watches the Giant eat "five sheep for his meal"—emphasizing the Giant's enormous appetite and reinforcing the danger Jack is in. Then the Giant calls for "his hen" and commands: "Lay me a golden egg."
The Narrator describes Jack's reaction: "Jack watched in amazement as the hen laid a perfect golden egg." Jack immediately sees the opportunity: "It's amazing! I wish I had that hen. Then Mom and I would be rich."
This moment is crucial. Jack sees a way to solve his family's poverty problem permanently. The golden-egg-laying hen represents endless wealth—far better than any price they could have gotten for the cow at market. Jack's initial trust in the magic beans is being rewarded, but now he must take another risk to claim that reward.
Scene 3 - Escape in the Castle and Return Home:
The Narrator explains: "As soon as the giant was full, he fell fast asleep." Jack seizes his opportunity: "Now he is asleep. I will take the hen and climb back down the beanstalk." This shows planning and courage—he knows what he wants and acts on it.
But complications arise: "Jack quickly picked up the giant's hen. But the hen began to squawk and flap its wings." Jack tries to quiet it: "Shh! Be quiet! The giant might wake up!" Despite his efforts, "The giant woke up!"
The Giant's cry returns: "Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of a human!" (Note the change from "Englishman" to "human"—he now knows someone is there.) Jack doesn't waste time: "Oh no! Time to go!" The Narrator describes the chase: "Jack ran back to the beanstalk and climbed down as fast as he could!" The Giant yells: "I'll get you!"
This is the climax—maximum tension. Will Jack escape? Will the Giant catch him?
Jack reaches safety: "Jack reached the bottom of the beanstalk." But there's no time to explain. His mother is confused: "Jack, where have you been? Why do you have a hen?" Jack's response is urgent: "Mom, hurry! Give me an axe!"
His mother complies, though bewildered: "Here you are. What are you going to do with an axe?" Jack's answer shows his quick thinking: "I have to chop this beanstalk down right now!"
The Narrator describes the decisive action: "With his axe, Jack chopped down the beanstalk." The Giant's cry—"Ahhhhh!"—and his fall—"The giant fell to the ground with a thud"—mark the story's resolution. "That was the end of him!"
Now Jack's mother is even more shocked: "Oh my! It's a giant! Jack, what is going on?" Jack finally has time to explain the whole story: "The magic beans grew into this huge beanstalk. So, I climbed to the top and found the giant's castle. I watched this hen lay a perfect golden egg."
His mother remains skeptical: "Are you telling me the truth, Jack?" But Jack is confident now: "Yes, Mom. You'll see."
The Narrator provides the happy ending: "Jack was right. The hen laid a golden egg every day and Jack and his mother were never poor again."
Key Themes and Analysis:
1. Risk-Taking vs. Caution: Jack takes multiple risks—trading the cow for beans, climbing the unknown beanstalk, entering the giant's castle, stealing the hen. Each could have ended badly, but each pays off. His mother represents caution and skepticism, which seems wise until proven wrong.
2. Trust and Deception: Should Jack have trusted the old man? The story rewards his trust, but in real life, trusting strangers who make magical promises is dangerous. The story walks a fine line between encouraging belief in magic and teaching practical wisdom.
3. Resourcefulness: Jack doesn't just stumble into success. He observes, plans, acts quickly, and solves the problem of the pursuing Giant by chopping down the beanstalk. He uses what's available (the axe) creatively.
4. Consequences of Actions: Jack's "foolish" trade leads to wealth. His mother's hasty judgment (throwing away the beans) almost costs them the magic. The Giant's greed and cruelty lead to his death. Actions have consequences, both intended and unintended.
5. Poverty and Wealth: The story begins and ends with economic status. Poverty is presented as a problem to be solved, and wealth as the happy ending. The magic hen represents a fantasy of endless wealth without work—a common fairy tale theme.
6. Bravery and Quick Thinking: Jack faces genuine danger but doesn't freeze. He hides, observes, waits for opportunity, acts decisively, and escapes through clever thinking. These are valuable life skills beyond the magical context.
Moral Ambiguity: Unlike some fairy tales with clear morals, this story is morally complex. Jack steals from the Giant. True, the Giant is dangerous and threatens to eat him, but Jack enters the Giant's home uninvited and takes his property. Is theft justified by poverty? Is it okay to steal from someone evil? The story doesn't explicitly answer these questions, leaving room for discussion.
The Play Format: The use of Narrator, character dialogue, and scene divisions makes the story accessible for performance. The Narrator provides context and transitions, while dialogue reveals character and advances plot. This format is ideal for classroom reading and performance.
7. Reinforcement (5 minutes)
Additional Information:
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Origins: "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale that has been told orally for centuries. The earliest printed version appeared in 1734, but the story is likely much older. It belongs to the "Jack tales" tradition, featuring a clever, resourceful boy hero.
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Steven Kellogg: An acclaimed American author and illustrator known for adapting classic tales for children. His versions are known for vibrant illustrations and accessible language while preserving the story's essential elements.
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The Giant's Chant: "Fee, fi, fo, fum" is one of the most recognizable lines in English folklore. Different versions exist, but the rhyme structure and threatening tone are consistent. It serves to make the Giant both scary and somewhat comical—a common fairy tale technique.
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Symbolism: The beanstalk represents the connection between the ordinary world (earth) and the magical realm (sky/clouds). Climbing upward often symbolizes aspiration, ambition, or seeking better circumstances. Chopping it down represents severing connection with the magical world once its benefits have been obtained.
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Magic Beans in Culture: The concept of magic beans appears in various cultures' folklore. Beans are associated with growth, fertility, and transformation because of their rapid growth pattern. The idea that something small (a bean) can become something huge (a beanstalk reaching the sky) represents potential and possibility.
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The Golden Goose/Hen Motif: The magical creature that produces endless wealth appears in many fairy tales. The most famous is "The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs" from Aesop's Fables, where greed leads to killing the goose and losing everything. Jack's story ends better—he gets to keep the hen.
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Moral Complexity: Traditional versions often added a moral framework where Jack learns the Giant stole his fortune from Jack's father, making the theft a form of justice. Kellogg's simpler version leaves this ambiguous, allowing readers to grapple with questions of right and wrong.
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The Role of Mothers in Fairy Tales: Jack's mother represents practical wisdom initially, but her hasty rejection of the beans shows the limits of conventional thinking. The story suggests that sometimes belief in possibilities (Jack's perspective) is more valuable than cynical practicality (Mother's perspective).
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Performance Opportunities: As a play, this story offers excellent opportunities for student performance, including:
- Character voices (the Giant's deep voice, Jack's youth and excitement)
- Sound effects (thud, squawk, chopping)
- Simple props (beans, axe, golden egg)
- Creative staging (suggesting climbing, the castle's size)
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Real-Life Applications: While magic doesn't exist, the story teaches:
- Sometimes taking calculated risks leads to opportunities
- Quick thinking and courage help in difficult situations
- Don't always judge by appearances (beans that look useless might be valuable)
- Problem-solving requires creativity and action
- Observation and patience (watching the Giant) before acting
8. Evaluation
a) Lower Order Thinking Question (Knowledge/Comprehension)
Question: "Describe the sequence of events in the story. What did Jack trade the cow for, what grew overnight, what did Jack find at the top, what did he steal, and how did he defeat the Giant?"
b) Middle Order Thinking Question (Application/Analysis)
Question: "Analyze Jack's character and decision-making throughout the story. Was Jack brave or foolish? Give evidence from the play to support your answer. How can students apply Jack's problem-solving skills (both good and bad) to situations they might face in real life?"
c) Higher Order Thinking Question (Synthesis/Evaluation)
Question: "Evaluate the morality of Jack's actions in the story. Was Jack a hero or a thief? Consider different perspectives: Jack's family (who benefited), the Giant (who lost his hen and died), and society (what example does this set?). Create a 'Courtroom Debate' where you argue BOTH sides: 'Jack is Guilty of Theft and Murder' AND 'Jack is Innocent and Acted in Self-Defense.' Then give your own verdict with reasoning."
9. Remedial Teaching
Strategy for Slow Learners:
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Simple Story Summary (Three Sentences):
- Jack traded his cow for magic beans that grew into a huge beanstalk
- He climbed up, found a giant's castle, and stole a hen that lays golden eggs
- The giant chased him, but Jack chopped down the beanstalk and the giant fell and died
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Beginning-Middle-End Chart:
BEGINNING | MIDDLE | END Jack and Mother | Jack climbs | Jack chops down are poor | beanstalk | beanstalk ↓ | ↓ | ↓ Need to sell cow | Finds giant's | Giant falls and ↓ | castle | dies Jack trades cow | ↓ | ↓ for magic beans | Steals magic hen | Jack and Mother ↓ | ↓ | become rich Mother throws | Giant chases Jack | Happy ending beans away | down beanstalk | ↓ | | Beans grow into | | huge beanstalk | | -
Character Feelings:
- Jack: Excited → Scared → Brave → Happy
- Mother: Worried → Angry → Confused → Happy
- Giant: Hungry → Sleeping → Angry → Dead
- Old Man: Mysterious (we don't know his feelings)
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Picture Sequence: Draw or show 6 pictures:
- Jack trading cow for beans
- Beanstalk growing tall
- Jack finding castle in clouds
- Giant sleeping, hen laying golden egg
- Jack running from giant
- Jack chopping beanstalk with axe
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Simple Questions and Answers:
- Q: Why did Jack sell the cow? A: Because he and his mother had no money
- Q: What did he get for the cow? A: Five magic beans
- Q: What grew from the beans? A: A huge beanstalk
- Q: What did Jack find at the top? A: A giant's castle
- Q: What did Jack steal? A: A hen that lays golden eggs
- Q: How did Jack stop the giant? A: He chopped down the beanstalk
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Key Vocabulary (Simplified):
- Magic beans = Special beans that grow into something amazing
- Beanstalk = A very tall plant stem
- Giant = A very big, scary person
- Golden egg = An egg made of gold (very valuable)
- Fee, fi, fo, fum = The scary song the giant sings
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Acting It Out: Assign simple roles and act out the key scenes:
- Scene 1: Jack trades cow for beans
- Scene 2: Mother throws beans away
- Scene 3: Jack climbs beanstalk (pretend climbing)
- Scene 4: Giant chases Jack (running in place)
- Scene 5: Jack chops beanstalk (chopping motion)
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True or False:
- Jack traded the cow for money (FALSE—for magic beans)
- The beans grew into a beanstalk (TRUE)
- Jack found a castle in the sky (TRUE)
- The giant was friendly (FALSE—he wanted to eat Jack)
- Jack stole a hen that lays golden eggs (TRUE)
- The giant caught Jack (FALSE—Jack escaped)
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Good Choices vs. Bad Choices:
GOOD CHOICES JACK MADE | BAD CHOICES JACK MADE Climbed to explore | Trusted a stranger Hid from the giant | Traded cow for beans Waited for giant | Stole the hen to sleep | Entered castle Thought quickly | without permission Used axe to escape | -
Simple Moral (Easy to Remember): "Be brave when you're in danger, but be careful about taking things that don't belong to you."
10. Writing Activity (8 minutes)
Writing Task:
"Write a diary entry from Jack's Mother's perspective (150-180 words) for the day these events happened. Include:
- How she felt when Jack came home with beans instead of money
- What she thought when she saw the beanstalk the next morning
- Her emotions when Jack came down with the hen and told her about the giant
- How she feels at the end when the hen lays golden eggs
- What advice she would give Jack for the future"
Guidelines:
- Write in first person as Jack's Mother ("I felt..." "I was...")
- Diary format: "Dear Diary, Today was the strangest day of my life..."
- Show the progression of emotions: anger → surprise → fear → relief → happiness
- Include at least 3 vocabulary words from the lesson
- Be honest about feelings—both negative and positive
- End with reflection on what this experience taught her
Example Opening: "Dear Diary, Today was the most incredible and terrifying day of my life. This morning, I was so angry with Jack. He came home saying he traded our cow—our ONLY source of income—for five magic beans! I called him a foolish boy. I was so cross that I threw the beans out the window. But then..."
Alternative Writing Tasks (Choose Based on Student Interest):
Option 2: "The Old Man's Story" Write what happened from the old man's perspective. Why did he have magic beans? Why did he give them to Jack? What did he do with the cow? (150 words)
Option 3: "A Different Ending" Rewrite the ending where Jack does NOT steal the hen. Instead, he talks to the Giant or finds another way to help his family. What happens? (150-180 words)
Option 4: "Letter to a Friend" Jack writes a letter to a friend explaining his adventure and asking for advice: "Did I do the right thing by taking the hen? What would you have done?" (150 words)
11. Follow-up Activities
Homework Assignment:
- Moral Reflection Essay: Write a paragraph (120-150 words) answering: "Was Jack right to take the giant's hen? Why or why not?" Consider:
- Jack's need (poverty)
- The Giant's nature (dangerous, eats people)
- The method (stealing)
- The result (ending poverty)
- What you would have done differently
